Boating Lifestyle

Boat Maintenance

When it comes to boat maintenance, you may not know where to start. There’s a comprehensive series of checklists on DiscoverBoating.ca that will give you a good understanding of what needs to be done to take care of your boat and engine over the course of a year.

For example, how do you care for your boat hull? As a minimum, most boaters scrub their hull clean at the beginning and end of the boating season.   However, this really depends on where you are boating and what the water is like. Some boats require more regular cleaning than others.  When it comes to anti-fouling products, what you use really depends on what body of water you are boating in. Anti-fouling paint has different formulas for different bodies of water. I’d suggest that you contact your local marine service centre and ask for their recommendations on what’s right for your particular situation.

Have a look at our the Discover Boating webpages about Owning and Operating your boat for suggestions and checklists that will help you. You’ll also find that keeping your hull clean will contribute to increased fuel efficiency, so it’s a good idea to make sure that you keep your boat in good shape.

For spring startup checklists be sure to look at the available checklists on DiscoverBoating.ca. You’ll find this is a very comprehensive resource that will help you to with getting you ready to get out on the water. A key reminder, always be sure your plug is back in the boat before you put her into the water !

For winterizing recommendations, again, have a look at the maintenance section of DiscoverBoating.ca. By following some of those suggestions, you should be in good shape for the winter. Make sure also, that you consult your owner’s manuals and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on winterizing your boat, your engine and any other systems.

Winterizing your boat can save you all kinds of headaches and money.    The potential for damage is wide-ranging from rodents to mold to dead batteries to engine damage and of course water damage.   There are a lot of different fluids that all work to ensure you boat runs properly and especially here where winter makes all those fluids freeze the potential for damage is large.    

If you have not done spring start-up or winterization of your boat before, or if you don’t have an experienced friend to rely on, then I recommend that you find a professional marine technician to do the job for you. There are plenty of marinas that have qualified marine technicians on site that would be able to help you. You can find a list of marinas on our website using this link.