How To Take Care of Your Yacht

Seasonal, monthly and daily boat care practices are vital to caring for your vessel. Proper boat maintenance will extend the life of your boat and eliminate the need and frequency of costly emergency repairs, and will ensure the safety of all those onboard as well. The following tips will help to take good care of your boat.

1. Wash your boat

This is the first and simplest task to perform, and it needs to be done regularly. If the vessel is in salt water, rinse it thoroughly with fresh water after every trip. Doing this helps to remove salt residues.
Salt corrodes metal and fasteners and destroys other hardware also. It also dissolves the gel coat if left for long periods. You need to use good quality soap with a soft-bristled, long-handled brush. You also need to use marine boat wash.

2. Change the oil

Boats also need an oil change just the way cars do. Stern-drive, four-stroke inboards or outboards require a regular oil change and the frequency depends on the model of the boat. A good rule of thumb is to change the oil every 100 hours of operation, or at least once a year. There are not many boat oil shops around. So you may have to do it yourself or visit a local dealer.

3. Check the propeller

If you have a sterndrive or outboard boat, you need to verify the propeller before launching it. You also need to remove the propeller using a deep well socket several times in a year. You may have to remove discarded fishing lines if they are wrapped around the propeller shaft. You also need to inspect it for dents, nicks, and other damages, and repair it if it shows signs of an impact.

Taking good care of your boat will take you a long way in preserving your sportfishing yacht. If you don’t have a boat and are in need of one, you can buy it from dealers such as Dixon’s Marine Group.