As a boat owner, it is crucial that you keep up with preventative maintenance of that boat, so you don’t have to worry about spending an outrageous amount of money on unnecessary repairs. In fact, one of the most important boating skills you can have is the ability to take good care of your boat.
With this in mind, here are some tips for preventative yacht maintenance in Fort Lauderdale, FL:
- Keep your gel coat in good condition: Your boat’s gel coat needs to be maintained properly so it can continue to protect your boat. While a gel coat is designed to be strong and weather resistant, the wrong types of cleaners can eat away at the coating, dissolving it or potentially staining it. Therefore, it’s important for you to pick the right cleaners for your boat, and only use ones that are going to be okay for your gel coat.
- Keep moisture away: Wipe off the surface of your boat if it gets wet. Always have some squeegees and towels handy. This isn’t just for when you pull the boat out of the water, though you do want to make sure you keep the boat dry so you can prevent waterline stains. It’s also important for morning dew, water on certain components and more. Just dry off water as you see it, and you’ll find you’ll keep your boat in good, new-looking condition.
- Check the engine regularly: You should check the engine basically any time you go on an outing, but especially if you’re looking to go on a longer excursion. Have a checklist handy so you can make sure your engine is fully ready for the journey at hand. This should include checking the hoses and bilges as well for signs of leaks, checking the fuel level and the water coolant levels. Always have enough oil in the reservoir.
- Remove wax before re-waxing: One of the maintenance tasks you’ll want to take on at the beginning of the season is likely to be applying a new coat of wax. You should, however, make sure you remove existing wax coats before putting on new ones. You should be able to find dewaxing solvents relatively easily, and they are quite easy to use, so you shouldn’t have any issues with the wax going on smoothly.
- Guard against mold: Any time you’re dealing with a lot of moisture and humidity, mold is going to be an issue you need to be concerned about. Mold can be a big problem, and can compromise the integrity of your boat’s structure. Exposure to mold can also result in some respiratory issues. You should usually be able to kill mold with a little bit of white vinegar without harming any of the coatings on your boat.
There are plenty more steps you can take when performing preventative yacht maintenance in Fort Lauderdale, FL to keep your boat in good condition. For more information, we encourage you to contact the team at Starboard Yacht Group LLC today.
Categorised in: Yacht Maintenence