OK to Delay Recommissioning One Year?

[harringtondav]

I put my boat away correctly winterized. I was planning to bring it up to temp, change O/D lube, engine oil and all filters soon. ...except I'm scheduled for cervical (neck) fusion surgery in one week.
I could probably do the job 4-6 weeks later, but I doubt I'll get any real use out of the boat this year. I have a major lower spinal surgery following sometime late summer. So I'll probably end up recommissioning it, then turn around and winterize it again.
My boat has about 50 hrs on the current engine and drive lube. Question is if it is worth the trouble, and possible pain, to let is sit as is until next spring?
Thoughts? Thanks, Dave.

 

[Scott Danforth]

part of winterizing is changing the engine oil.

I hate to see things sit. however the boat should be fine.

 

[Scott06]

I put my boat away correctly winterized. I was planning to bring it up to temp, change O/D lube, engine oil and all filters soon. ...except I'm scheduled for cervical (neck) fusion surgery in one week.
I could probably do the job 4-6 weeks later, but I doubt I'll get any real use out of the boat this year. I have a major lower spinal surgery following sometime late summer. So I'll probably end up recommissioning it, then turn around and winterize it again.
My boat has about 50 hrs on the current engine and drive lube. Question is if it is worth the trouble, and possible pain, to let is sit as is until next spring?
Thoughts? Thanks, Dave.

I don't think you will have any issue.

My neighbor at the lake is the opposite of me on maintenance- changes his oil every couple years, drops his drive lube if its not milky pumps it back in... he has a 99 bayliner/5.0 2 bbl seems to hold up ok. He doesn't put a ton of hours on it but gets a decent amount of use. Certainly not recommending reusing drive lube or 'really extended' oil change intervals but you should have no issue.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Sorry to hear about your surgeries; that really stinks, especially after you finally got your new boat! I wouldn't worry a bit about letting it sit a year.

Hope all goes well for you and your surgeries are successful!

 

[harringtondav]

Hope all goes well for you and your surgeries are successful!

Thanks. My plan was to have one surgery at the first of this year, recuperate four-five months, and resume normal boating life.
I was naive. Referral to a surgeon Oct. 17 last year. First surgery six months later. Apparently Neurosurgeons and Orthopedic Spinal Surgeons are a bit more busy than a Dentist. My Ortho surgeon is good and thorough. He spotted a problem in my neck which is a long way from where my complaint is at the bottom of my spine. So neck repair first. He's booked well into summer for day long surgeries like my lumbar and thoracic spine.
Oh well. Sitting on our river house's deck watching the action isn't a bad consolation. ...saving on boat gas this summer.

 

[airshot]

Good luck with your surgeries !!!! Lubes should have been changed before putting it up for winter...four years back, I had a heart attack and tripple bypass surgery, six months after my wife had spine surgery, then another spine surgery...etc like you are finding out. My I/O sat for three years without being used !! No issues at all, but all my fluids were changed and engine fogged before winter storage. I did keep the battery on a maintainer and would go out and turn it over a few times
a month. After three years, it was fine...

 

[harringtondav]

Lubes should have been changed before putting it up for winter

I know. Time was short when I put it away so I fogged it with premix gas, drained it, ran antifreeze through the raw water side, dumped the antifreeze, and called it good.
Was planning on getting a Shurflo or Jabsco oil extractor this spring to simplify the oil change. Depending on when the big surgery is scheduled I may go ahead and buy the pump, warm it up and change the oil/lube. Re-fogging and flushing the cooling system isn't too strenuous.
Previous boat had some years when I put <10 hrs on fresh engine oil and O/D lube. ...so I cheated and let it sleep like that for one winter.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I know. Time was short when I put it away so I fogged it with premix gas, drained it, ran antifreeze through the raw water side, dumped the antifreeze, and called it good.
Was planning on getting a Shurflo or Jabsco oil extractor this spring to simplify the oil change. Depending on when the big surgery is scheduled I may go ahead and buy the pump, warm it up and change the oil/lube. Re-fogging and flushing the cooling system isn't too strenuous.
Previous boat had some years when I put <10 hrs on fresh engine oil and O/D lube. ...so I cheated and let it sleep like that for one winter.

I had reconstructive surgery on a joint in my thumb a couple years ago and I also was unable to change the oil and gear lube that one time. Failing to change it once is not going to ruin anything. Skipping your oil/lube change every year or two would cause more problems over the long run, of course.

 

[Scott06]

I know. Time was short when I put it away so I fogged it with premix gas, drained it, ran antifreeze through the raw water side, dumped the antifreeze, and called it good.
Was planning on getting a Shurflo or Jabsco oil extractor this spring to simplify the oil change. Depending on when the big surgery is scheduled I may go ahead and buy the pump, warm it up and change the oil/lube. Re-fogging and flushing the cooling system isn't too strenuous.
Previous boat had some years when I put <10 hrs on fresh engine oil and O/D lube. ...so I cheated and let it sleep like that for one winter.

Don't overthink it.

I let my 65 GTO sit for 8 years without running at one point. New Battery spun it to build oil pressure, no issues...

 

[harringtondav]

I let my 65 GTO sit for 8 years without running at one point. New Battery spun it to build oil pressure, no issues...

I was just a sprat at the time, but I knew a guy who had a 67 or 68 GTO.
He could smoke the tires in each of the four gears, with front lifting a bit off the line.

 

[tpenfield]

Take care of yourself first. The boat should be fine.