What is included in the scheduled maintenance of yachts and boats?
Let’s start with the important thing right away: it is recommended that part of the maintenance work be carried out not during the summer stay on the water, but when the craft is on land. Therefore, do not postpone the maintenance of the boat or yacht, but carry it out every time before the start of the season.
So, the annual maintenance of the vessel includes:
- Washing the vessel (why it is important, we tell in the article about the winter storage of the yacht)
- Works on the bottom of the vessel: inspection for chips, cracks, their elimination; cleaning the yacht hull, false keel, rudders, propellers from fouling, treating the bottom with antifouling coatings, polishing the ship hull; validation, replacement of zinc;
- Checking handrails, roof rails, awnings (cleaning & tightening)
- Inspection, washing of sails. winches, stoppers, rigging, spars.
- Inspection of teak decking
- Checking the tightness of hatches, portholes. Sealant replacement.
- Diagnosis of the ventilation of the internal space of the yacht, heaters, air conditioning. Refuelling of air conditioners, refrigeration systems.
- Maintenance of plumbing fixtures, water, faecal tanks, watermaker and other additional equipment; gas pipelines, stoves (filling cylinders).
- Checking working motor fluids. Inspection of engines (replacing oil & fuel filters, flushing the cooling system, the condition of spark plugs, drive belts), transmission, gearboxes, pipes, hoses.
- Control of steering, thruster system, autopilot operation, navigation, meteorological equipment; verification of communications equipment, ship clocks.
- Checking the automatic, manual pumps, bilge water pumping systems
- assessing the condition of batteries, the operation of the generator.
- control of completeness, expiration dates of rescue, fire-fighting equipment.
- Optional: work on updating, polishing gelcoat.
Why I need change the oil in the engine?
Over time, it thickens – stops lubricating all the moving, static parts. Also, used oil leads to breakdown of other engine parts. As a result, you can stop in the middle of a river either the sea, spoiling the rest for yourself, your guests.
How often?
Small power boats require an oil-changing every 100 hours of operation. You can go on a journey when the oil level is above average. Super-yachts go many thousands of kilometres on the same.
How to change DIY?
Warm up the engine a little before. Prepare a bowl where the old oil will drain. Change the filter to a new one. Remove all dirt and residues from surfaces with lint-free rags. Then fill in new engine lubricant. In time, an oil change takes up to 60 minutes.