March is here and the boating season is beginning soon. Even now, folks are gathering up their boat stuff from the garage and bringing it back down to their long lost water-hoopties. This is a time of year that is marked by marinas shifting into high gear as customers get splashed back in the water, and the welcome sound of engines firing up for the first time since November. It’s that time of year when people start asking, “Should I get my boat de-winterized by a professional?”
Yes, it’s true that most of the process involves opening up the seacocks, firing up the engines, and flushing the fresh water systems. This seems simple enough in a perfect world, but we don’t live there. As such, having your boat de-winterized by a professional technician is always a good idea. Why? Let’s see:
Belts, Hoses
Technicians not only know to check your belts and hoses to find (and hopefully fix) problems before they happen, but they know where to look in those hard-to-get-to locations in order to check out those hoses you’ve had since 1998. Trust us, it sucks to blow a hose or pop a belt in the middle of cruising to Rick’s for a day of debauchery. Save yourself some trouble.
Fluid Levels and Lube
A technician knows exactly what needs replenishing in your engine and transmission. Having worked on countless boats, these folks know the common pain points get make sure you get topped off and lubed up properly before you take off on that first trip. It’s generally not good to play guessing games with your engine(s).
Other Gotchas
Having worked on countless boats, a technician knows what your bilge should look like, and what it should not. They can often catch and fix BIG problems before you would ever notice them. One example is when the local wildlife decides to make a home in your bilge during the winter. No kidding, this happens! They enter through your exhaust and chew their way into the nice warm bilge. Once there, they make a feast of your hoses, cables, and seals. Nothing sucks worse than firing up your diesel beauty only to witness clouds of black smoke filling your bilge! A technician knows to look for signs of these little invaders, and can prevent you accidentally rolling coal directly into your engine room!
If you haven’t figured it out by now, we strongly recommend having a professional technician de-winterize your boat. But, whichever way you decide to go, we look forward to seeing everyone out on the water soon!