Preparing the boat takes place all the time!

The preparation of a boat is a question of regularity and rigor. Regular maintenance helps avoid big surprises before the boat is put back in the water or, worse, accidents at sea. Maintaining your boat well is therefore as much a question of safety as it is of preserving your property.

You will find, below, a list of the inspection operations to be carried out, as part of the preparation of the boat, before its return to the water. All points on the boat are reviewed in list form. Keep it carefully, it will be very useful.

Cleaning

• Clean the hull, deck and portholes thoroughly (pay attention to the products used).
• Clean and polish all stainless steel parts.
• Clean the interior of the boat, including the bilges, engine room.
• Check the supply of spare parts and tools. Replace missing items.
• Inspect mooring lines, fenders and anchor cable

Hull

• Repair small injuries to your hull (delamination, impacts, cracks).
• Replace the anodes (on the fin, trim tabs, motor and propeller shaft).
• Check the propeller shaft, seal and propeller, for IB engines.
• Check the rudder and the fixing parts.
• Redo the antifouling if necessary. A double coat of different colors will allow you to only redo what is necessary when the undercoat becomes visible.

Bridge

• Check the condition of the supports, balconies and lifelines.
• Check the condition of the cockpit.
• Check the chainplates and cleats.
• Check the presence of leaks on the deck and fixed portholes.
• Check and lubricate pulleys, shackles, winches, etc.

Bilge

• Check and test the valves, check the clamps (2 clamps for each valve).
• Check the operation of the bilge pumps in automatic and manual modes.

Electrical system and components

• Check and recharge the batteries, check the terminals.
• Check voltage regulators (alternator charger) and make sure you have spare fuses.
• Check the condition of the boat’s power cable (120Vac)
• Check the lighting (including navigation lights). Have spare bulbs on board.
• Check the proper functioning of all electronic equipment (VHF, GPS, depth sounder, etc.).

Inboard engine (certain operations can be done before winter).

• Change the oil and replace the filters. Have spare filters on board.
• Check and replace fuel filters. Have spare filters on board.
• Check and replace the anodes on the engine.
• Check the cooling system and replace the coolant if necessary.
• Check belt tension.
• Check transmission fluid.
• Check and, if necessary, change the turbine (impeller). Always have a spare on board.
• Check and clean the water inlet strainer.
• Check the bilge fan.

Outboard motor

• Replace the spark plugs.
• Check the connection cables for wear and replace if necessary.
• Check if the propeller is chipped or bent.
• Replace the lubricant.
• Check the condition of the fuel supply to the primer pump and the fuel tank.
• Lubricate moving parts.
• Inspect the rubber boots for cracks, dry spots and/or deterioration (look carefully in the creases) and replace them if there is a problem.
• Check power steering and oil levels for power adjustment.
• Replace worn zinc anodes.
• Inspect the outer jacket of the control cables. Cracks or swelling indicate corrosion and mean the cable needs to be replaced.

Water supply

• Drain the water tank.
• Check the operation of the supply system, the pump and the absence of leaks.

Safety equipment

Check that you have all the required equipment and contact the Coast Guard Auxiliary to do a courtesy inspection. The list of required materials is available here.
Check the expiry dates of your flares (4 years lifespan) and the condition of the inflation mechanism for inflatable jackets.

Sailboats

(We are not specialists, but having been owners in the parts and accessories industry for decades, we have learned a little…)

Sails

• Check their general condition.
• Check the slats, eyelets.
• Check all fixings.
• Inspect the line.

Mast and rigging

• Check the condition of the mast (corrosion) and the spreaders.
• Check the condition of rivets and fittings.
• Check the condition of the rigging, its fixings, tension, and the presence of corrosion or wear.
• Check the halyards and sheets, if necessary wash them.

Happy season!