good morning :)

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catsrockmylife

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good morning guys, how is everyone doing today? how often do you guys keep up with the maintence of your boats? and also what is the hardest thing to keep up with ?
 
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catsrockmylife

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Chris1956 said:
Gee, I think it depends on the kind of boat. A 16 footer with an OB has little maintenance. A 30 footer with twin mercruisers, a head, a/c, sink, hot water etc, has much more maintenance.
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oh ok thats cool learning about boats is fun for me i enjoy this time of learning and soaking up the knowledge
 
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Chris1956

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Most boat maintenance is part of the winterization procedure. When you winterize you change the oil, grease everything, stabilize the fuel, etc. Getting the boat ready for the water in the spring, is usually pretty easy, if winterization is done properly.

There is a winterization "stickie" in the FAQs forum. It is a good description, although I think it incomplete. Some years ago the "Browns Marina website" had a definitive description of the winterization process. I am not sure if it is still around.
 
dingbat

dingbat

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catsrockmylife said:
oh i see, why is keeping fuel on the boat hard?
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Couple of reasons....
1. I buy fuel each and every outing. Navigating a busy filling station with 42 ft. long truck/trailer combo is a pain.

2. My boat has a 154 gallon fuel capacity. Grief from Mrs. Dingbat about fishing expenses
 
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catsrockmylife

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dingbat said:
Couple of reasons....
1. I buy fuel each and every outing. Navigating a busy filling station with 42 ft. long truck/trailer combo is a pain.

2. My boat has a 154 gallon fuel capacity. Grief from Mrs. Dingbat about fishing expenses
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well then that makes sense i get it and whos mrs ding bat lol
 
Philster

Philster

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catsrockmylife said:
good morning guys, how is everyone doing today? how often do you guys keep up with the maintence of your boats? and also what is the hardest thing to keep up with ?
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Maintenance is using them. Use it regularly and you're doing the best maintenance. The number one issue for boats (and this is maintenance) is consistent use.

Everyone knows this. Doom for a boat is having it sit without being used. Find a weekend car or classic car, and you have the same issue. Sometimes an idiot doesn't use it because they don't want to put miles/hours on it, or then you have people that don't have time so they sit.

Without a doubt, using a boat is the most difficult thing if you look around, so most boats become neglected. Fuel, oil, engines, drives... all are better when used regularly. As are all the accessories.
 
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catsrockmylife

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Philster said:
Maintenance is using them. Use it regularly and you're doing the best maintenance. The number one issue for boats (and this is maintenance) is consistent use.

Everyone knows this. Doom for a boat is having it sit without being used. Find a weekend car or classic car, and you have the same issue. Sometimes an idiot doesn't use it because they don't want to put miles/hours on it, or then you have people that don't have time so they sit.

Without a doubt, using a boat is the most difficult thing if you look around, so most boats become neglected. Fuel, oil, engines, drives... all are better when used regularly. As are all the accessories.
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yeah that makes sense as i understand that when not used things can go bad so i get that totally boats are not that different from cars when you think about it they both need regular use or they deteriorate
 
Scott Danforth

Scott Danforth

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if you boat in salt water, you have about 3 hours of cleaning after every use. regardless if you used the boat for 2 minutes or 2 days.

sitting boats go to crap quickly. so use it often. regardless of what every boat you decide on.

remember, a boat is a hole in the water you pour money into. boating is one of the most expensive hobbies that there is. owning race horses is slightly more expensive. racing a car is slightly less expensive (yes, my bud's annual out-of-pocket racing expense is less than my boat operational budget, and he races most of the dirt and asphalt tracks in the midwest)
 
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catsrockmylife

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Scott Danforth said:
if you boat in salt water, you have about 3 hours of cleaning after every use. regardless if you used the boat for 2 minutes or 2 days.

sitting boats go to crap quickly. so use it often. regardless of what every boat you decide on.

remember, a boat is a hole in the water you pour money into. boating is one of the most expensive hobbies that there is. owning race horses is slightly more expensive. racing a car is slightly less expensive (yes, my bud's annual out-of-pocket racing expense is less than my boat operational budget, and he races most of the dirt and asphalt tracks in the midwest)
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boat stands for bust out another thousand
my fiance told me that and that makes sense boats are expensive yes they arent cheap to buy
 
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airshot

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I use the KISS method, a 16' aluminum hull with a 40 hp outboard. Stored in a barn, out of the weather. Maintence is quick, simple and easy. I always watch my fuel, fill it up every third outing and top off the oil injector tank. Plug in the onboard chargers when I park it. Check battery charge on second day. Clean when it gets dirty, by myself mostly so not much cleaning. About every 4-5th outing, add a pump of grease to the bearing buddies. Thru the winter, keep up in battery maintence, by checking them at least once a month, let them drain down a little then back on the maintainer ( just my way of maintaining them), also drain and fill lower unit, grease all fittings. In the spring, clean all the storage dust off, wipe down the hull with spray wax, only buff above the water line, bottom doesnt care if it is buffed. Regrease all fittings and check tire pressures and check/ clean battery connections. Then go boating !!
 
JimS123

JimS123

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catsrockmylife said:
boat stands for bust out another thousand
my fiance told me that and that makes sense boats are expensive yes they arent cheap to buy
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That all depends. Do you want a boat, a yacht or a mega-yacht. It's all about what satisfies you.

The tinny in my signature is 60 years old. I bought it for $600 in 1986. It uses 3 gallons of gas each outing. In the last 38 years I probably have not put more than $200 in maintenance total. Yet, this craft has provided more family enjoyment than the $60,000 boat I bought 5 years ago.

It has 2 speeds - slow and off. It doesn't pull tubes, but it catches a lot of fish. One of my better investments.
 
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catsrockmylife

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JimS123 said:
That all depends. Do you want a boat, a yacht or a mega-yacht. It's all about what satisfies you.

The tinny in my signature is 60 years old. I bought it for $600 in 1986. It uses 3 gallons of gas each outing. In the last 38 years I probably have not put more than $200 in maintenance total. Yet, this craft has provided more family enjoyment than the $60,000 boat I bought 5 years ago.

It has 2 speeds - slow and off. It doesn't pull tubes, but it catches a lot of fish. One of my better investments.
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we want another house boat eventually
 
aspeck

aspeck

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House boats are expensive to keep the maintenance current. They can be fun, and make for a nice time on the water and a really nice water-side vacation home, but they are a lot of work. It also depends on where you live ... warm climate where the boat is in the water year round, or northern location where you are taking houseboat out in the winter and storing it ... under shelter or out in the elements ... all take a different type of maintenance. By 19ft dual console stays in a climate controlled garage year round. My maintenance is minimal.
 
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