A car lets you know when it needs to be serviced. A boat doesn’t, and most problems on the water start with a neglected maintenance check because everything looked OK. An easy to follow schedule stops this from happening, and it doesn’t need to take long.
How often you do each maintenance check depends on how much the boat is used. A weekend boat will use up oil much slower than a liveaboard that is run every day. After a while, going by the engine hours becomes more useful than going by the calendar. Keep a logbook and write things down.
Before every trip
These take five minutes and are worth doing every time:
- Check the engine oil and coolant levels.
- Look in the bilge. A little water is normal on some boats. A lot, or oil in it, isn’t.
- Turn the stern greaser if your boat has a traditional packed gland.
- Check the fuel level and that the water tank has enough in it.
- Make sure ropes, the boat hook and the windlass are where you can reach them.
If you’ve been through weedy water or felt the propeller laboring, check the weed hatch. Always turn the engine off and remove the key first.
Every month or so
Inspect the drive belt for cracks and wear, check the hoses for weeping, and test the bilge pump. On a liveaboard, test the stove flue and check the door and rope seals. Check gas hoses, connections, and fittings with leak detection spray or a bubble tester. Check the batteries and their connections.
Look for damp inside the boat. It is best to do this before it gets bad. Look in corners and behind furniture.
Once a year
Most boat engines want an oil and filter change at least once a year. Fuel filters also should be replaced at this time. If your engine is raw-water cooled (which is usually the case on river and coastal boats), change the impeller in the water pump as well.
Have the heating serviced, whether it is a diesel heater or a gas boiler. Check the anodes if you can see them. Go over the paintwork on the cabin and roof. Be on the lookout for rust spots and small areas of chips and paint. Leave the rust for a couple years and it will turn into an all boat repainting project.
Every two to three years
All steel boats need to come out of the water every 2 to 3 years for hull cleaning and blacking. This is also the opportunity to remove the hull covers and check for hull pitting and replace anodes. Taking your Boat off the Water shows what is involved. Fibreglass boats on salt water need antifouling more regularly than every few years.
Plan your boat yard lift outs around the boat yards rather than yourself. They get booked up during the boat yard fall and winter boat storage season. A slot in spring is much more difficult to obtain.
The best ways to reduce your fuel bill between services are discussed on the How to Save Money on your Boat’s Fuel Bill page. winterising and storage discusses boat storage and preparations for cold weather. More information on boat ownership can be found on the Boat Ownership page.
The one most important thing to do from this page is to keep a logbook. Other boat maintenance jobs are easier when you know when they were done last.