A couple hours dedicated to insure both boat and trailer are ready for the water is a wise investment in time, one likely to pay dividends in hassle-free boating and fishing throughout the season. Here are important steps to getting your boat prepped and ready for the summer.
Boat Start-Up Check List
1. Boat Electrical System
A boat is highly dependent on its electrical system. Any pre-season preparation should make certain the boat batteries powering this system are in top notch shape, which includes clean terminals and connections.
Working with marine batteries carries the risk of exposure to acid. Protect yourself by wearing safety glasses and rubber gloves. Also, if you use an onboard battery charger make sure it is unplugged before proceeding.
Disconnect the negative (–) terminal first, then the positive side (+). In marine applications, it’s common to have multiple leads on each battery post. After they’ve been removed from the post, I like to keep track of them by stringing them together with a wire tie, using a black tie for connectors from the negative post, and a white one for ones removed from the positive side. Use a small wire brush to clean the battery posts and the connectors. Contact cleaner spray, or a solution of water and baking soda, helps the process. Coat the posts with white lithium grease to prevent corrosion.
2. The Boat Motor
It’s not a bad idea to fire up the motor before making the first trip of the year. “Earmuffs” — muff-shaped flush adapters — allow you to supply water to the engine’s cooling system through a garden hose. If you properly winterized the engine last season before storage, it might produce some excess smoke during the initial ignition period as it burns off the extra lubrication.
The outboard’s lower unit lubricant should be replaced annually, so do it now. It’s a simple process well described in your owner’s manual. Move on to check the function of the boat’s navigation lights. If there’s a problem, it might be with the bulb. In the case of “stowable” lights corrosion on terminals can cause a failure. Or the lighting system’s might have blown a fuse, or tripped the circuit breaker. Fuse holders and circuit breakers are usually located in or near the switch panel.
3. Boat Safety Equipment
Inventory the boat’s safety equipment, making sure that it’s there and in working order. This includes life vest, cushions, fire extinguisher and sound device. You should also carry a functional flashlight, and a boat anchor and rope. If big waters like the Great Lakes are part of your beat, be sure you have the added safety equipment necessary on such U.S. Coast Guard regulated waters, including up-to-date signal flares.
This is also a good time to check your boat registration, making sure your tags are current and that your registration card is in your wallet.
Boat Trailer Inspection Check List
Boat trailers provide a safe cradle for your prized fishing boat, as well as the means to transport it safely to and from your favorite fishin’ hole. Show it some love and it will take care of you. Ignore it and the opposite is true, only more so.
1. Boat Lighting System
Considered by many the problem child of a boat trailer is the lighting system. Start the year off right by coupling the trailer to the tow vehicle and then checking the performance of the lights before you make your first trip. Test running lights, brake lights and turn signals. Problems can be caused by faulty bulbs. Find out what bulb your trailer takes and buy extras — you’ll use them eventually. Some models require a sealed bulb not readily available at the neighborhood auto parts store. In the case of a bad clearance light it’s often necessary to replace the whole unit (lens and bulb).
Light problems can also be caused by poor connections, most commonly in the bulb socket and also the plug that connects to the tow vehicle. When replacing bulbs be sure to clean the socket; do the same with the plug connections.
Worn wire insulation also causes lighting problems and usually includes blown fuses in the tow vehicle. It’s most common to find worn insulation where it makes contact with the trailer frame, most often when a protective grommet has been dislodged. Also, crimp-on butt connectors — often used to splice in the wiring harness and to connect the power wires with the leads feeding the taillights — have a habit of failing. Expect to spend some time with a multi-tester to find the source of such troubles.
2. Checking Your Boat Trailer Wheels
Other trailer headaches include worn wheel bearings and bad trailer tires. Check for bad wheel bearings by jacking each tire up off the ground, and then checking for any excess side-to-side play. If it’s present, you’ll likely need to take the trailer to the shop to have a qualified technician replace the bearings.
Give the hub bearings a good shot of fresh grease to start the season. Lubrication systems that employ the “EZ Lube” system, where product is fed into the internal portion of the hub, properly apply grease to both the front and rear bearings. “Bearing Buddy” style devices, which replace the dust cap, only apply lubricant to the front bearing. It’s a fair level of protection, but understand that the hub should be removed periodically to service the rear bearing. Premature tire wear is typically caused by under-inflation, so check the pressure now so you don’t have to replace them soon. Most tire manufacturers recommend pumping trailer tires up to 50 psi.
3. Other Key Boat Trailer Components
Do a thorough visual inspection of the remaining key trailer components. Examine the winch strap for wear. Do the same with the transom tie-downs. Make sure the side bunks are tight. It’s tough to properly inspect the main support bunks with the boat sitting on the trailer, so make a note to give them a quick check the next time you’re fishing, before you load the boat.
Finally, as with the boat, verify that your trailer registration is up to date and head out to the water.
This article first appeared on Bass Pro Shops 1Source and was written by Jeff Knapp.