Boats are a major purchase. Whether you wish to take it on as a personal project or you’d rather employ a professional, it is vital to take all of the steps necessary in aiming to keep your boat in the best condition possible. This can be achieved either by carrying out basic maintenance tasks like keeping it clean and tidy or else by doing more significant work like fixing cracks and splits.
Having said this, it stands to reason that not everyone is born to be a multi-talented mechanic or boat builder – some of us prefer academic pursuits to practical craftsmanship. It is for this reason that, in this article, we have provided you with some suggestions on how you can prepare your boat for yacht charter.
Before we get into it, the first and most important thing you need to do to take care of your boat is to pick the right yacht builder and service provider. Rest your mind assured by working with one of the world’s best brokerage companies – Moran Yacht & Ship. Their vast range of available anchorages and topnotch marinas will surely add on to your best yachting experience.
Inspect Interior
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Just like any other item, your boat also needs to be kept in the cleanest and neatest condition possible. If there are any items left on your deck, take some time to go through them and get to organizing. An easy way to do this is by establishing what will specifically serve you for the next season and what won’t. After this, make it a point to set aside all the unnecessary objects from your boat. Keep the good items that you’re sure to use again below the deck and make sure that they are stored safely, in a dry spot.
Check your battery
If you disconnected your boat’s battery cables before winter, you will need to reconnect them once again at this time. Check your terminals. These are heavy-duty copper battery cable connectors with tin plating that’s there to resist corrosion. Inevitably, corrosion will still occur after a certain amount of time. Hence the best thing to do is to watch out for it from the beginning and to clean your terminals regularly to prevent corrosive damage. Prevention is always better than maintenance.
Check the oil and change the filter
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As a boat owner, it is quite likely that you already change the engine oil before you put your boat away for the winter. However, if you still haven’t gotten into the habit of doing this, make sure to replace the oil before the new boating season begins. You should also make sure you change your oil filter before you take your boat out for the first time as well. Moreover, get to analyzing the bottom section of the vessel so as to verify that there isn’t any oil coming out of the reservoir. If you’re trying to determine whether you should replace your oil, boat experts claim that new oil will typically be more clear than old oil that has been contaminated.
Inspect Exterior
Once the inside has been inspected, and all of your integral boat systems are functioning well, it is then time to check the outside of your boat for any damage or any possible areas that are in need of repair. The most critical things to look out for are any major cracks or holes in the hull. It is extremely crucial that these get repaired before you can launch your boat in the water, for obvious life-concerning reasons.
Wash and Wax
If you’ve been sailing your boat for quite a while now and would like to get back your boat’s bright, brand-new look, washing and waxing is the way to go. Admittedly, washing and waxing tend to be quite time-consuming – especially if you have a large boat. However, doing this is one of the easiest ways to make your boat’s exterior appear attractive and new again. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone else to do it, a washed and waxed boat will shine bright in the sun and certainly capture the attention of other boaters.
Check Your Rigging System
You cannot sail a boat if you do not have any ropes, so make sure yours are properly stored during the colder months. Similarly to the sails and covers, the ropes have to be completely dry before you store your boat. Otherwise, they will lose strength and be unusable. To prevent this from happening, all you have to do is to make sure that you do not leave them lying on the wet deck. You can gather them by using a mousing line so they will be neat and tidy. In this way, it will be easier for you to check them and see if they need replacing.
Inspect Important Parts
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The Stuffing Box
This steel-made component is specifically intended to protect one of the seals. To inspect this device, start your boat’s engine while searching for water that could be coming out of the stuffing box itself.
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The Exhaust
Before you begin your boat trip, you should include analyzing the exhaust in your safety procedures. Look out for apparent holes in the system – they can quickly allow water to seem into the engine’s pistons and cylinders. This will cause corrosion in the engine.
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The Anchor’s Chain/Rope
It is known that a chain’s studs will generally be weakened before the other parts of each link. When inspecting a stud, look out for cracks or corrosion. Alternatively, if your boat comes with a rope, make sure it is in the right condition before going out into the water.
Conclusion
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Reliable boats that have been well maintained and thoroughly checked are not only more appealing to look at and safer to sail, but they are also much more fun out in the water! Do not forget – working on your boat can be a joy in its own right. It is safe to say that when boating calls, everything else is secondary! Wouldn’t you agree?
