5 Most Common Issues You'll Find on Your Boat at the End of the Season
Labour Day heralds the start of a new school year, all things pumpkin spice, and the unofficial wind-down of the boating season. There’s a moment in the late summer when
the boat that looked magnificent slicing through the water in July suddenly looks suspiciously like a floating to-do list.
Sadly, if your boat is pulled from the water for the end-of-season, the rose-coloured glasses can fall off rather quickly. There are usually a few battle scars. The bottom has acquired its own ecosystem. Something that used to be shiny is now green, crusty, or both.
The good news? Fall is actually the perfect time to find these issues. With the boat out of the water, there is an opportunity to catch small problems before they become expensive spring surprises.
Here are five of the most common things to look for.
The Underwater Machinery: Prop, Shaft, & Lower Unit
Your propeller, shaft, and lower unit spend the season being the workhorse that gets you where you’re going. They are prone to underwater damage and should be reviewed whenever the boat is out of the water.
Start with a close inspection of the propeller. Look for nicks, bends, cracks or excessive wear. Even a seemingly minor ding can affect performance, vibration, and efficiency.
Check the shaft for obvious damage or signs of corrosion, and inspect the cutlass bearing and strut. If you noticed unusual vibration, loss of performance, or a new noise during the season, don't file it under "probably nothing." Boats have a wonderful way of turning "probably nothing" into "why does that repair cost so much?"
For outboards and sterndrives, the propeller should also be removed as part of routine maintenance so the shaft can be inspected and lubricated according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Check the gear lube condition, and inspect for signs of internal damage.
Fall Checklist:
Inspect the propeller for bends, cracks and impact damage.
Remove fishing line and debris from the prop and shaft.
Check the shaft and cutlass bearing for wear.
Look for corrosion around underwater hardware.
Investigate any vibration or performance changes you noticed during the season.
2. Hull & Keel
Once the boat is hauled, take advantage of having something you normally can't see: the entire hull.
Look for scratches, gouges, blisters, cracks and impact damage, particularly around the keel and other areas that may have touched the bottom during the season. Blisters and damage to the hull surface are much easier to deal with when they're found early rather than after another season in the water.
Pay particular attention to the keel and keel-joint: look for damage or corrosion around keel hardware. Inspect chines, strakes, trim tabs, transom areas, and other underwater fittings.
This is also the time to check the condition of any/all underwater sacrificial anodes. If they show signs of wear they’re doing exactly what they're supposed to do, but they need to be replaced before the next launch.
Fall checklist:
Inspect the hull for gouges, cracks and impact damage.
Examine the keel and surrounding structure.
Check for blisters or unusual surface damage.
Inspect rudders, struts and trim tabs where applicable.
Check and replace depleted anodes.
Make a note of repairs that need to happen before spring.
3. Through-Hull Fittings
Few things on a boat deserve more attention than the fittings that run through the hull. Through-hull fittings, seacocks, strainers and associated hoses live below the waterline, which means they don't get much attention during the season—until something goes wrong.
Inspect through-hulls for corrosion, damage and marine growth. Make sure seacocks operate smoothly and that their handles are secure. Check hoses for cracking, deterioration or stiffness, and inspect hose clamps carefully. Ensure that clamps are in good condition, and that any below-the-waterline hose is double-clamped. Don’t forget strainers and intake fittings. Barnacles, weeds and other marine growth can restrict water flow and create cooling or discharge problems.
Fall Checklist:
Inspect all through-hull fittings for corrosion and damage.
Open/close seacocks and confirm they operate properly.
Inspect hoses for cracking, softness or deterioration.
Check hose clamps and connections.
Clean strainers and remove marine growth.
Confirm through-hulls, valves and fittings are properly secured.
4. Marine Growth & Antifouling
Barnacles, slime, weeds and other marine growth are inevitable to some degree, but how much you find can tell you something about the condition and effectiveness of your antifouling system.
Once the boat is out of the water, clean the hull and inspect the antifouling coating. Look for thin, worn or missing areas, flaking paint, and spots where the coating has been damaged.
Antifouling performance depends on the product, the environment, and the local water conditions, so the fact that your neighbour's paint lasted three seasons isn't necessarily a reason to expect the same from yours.
This is also an excellent time to clean marine growth from the propeller, shaft, rudder, strut and other underwater hardware. Those components don't need a decorative layer of aquatic real estate.
If the antifouling coating needs attention, dealing with it now means you're not scrambling to squeeze another job into the week before launch.
Fall Checklist:
Remove marine growth from the hull and underwater hardware.
Inspect antifouling paint for wear and damage.
Look for exposed substrate or areas where coating has disappeared.
Note whether the level of fouling suggests your current antifouling system needs reconsideration.
Plan touch-ups or recoating before spring launch.
5. Electrical Corrosion
Electrical problems rarely announce themselves loudly. They begin with a little green or white corrosion around a terminal, connection, or battery post.
At the end of the season, inspect battery terminals, cable connections, wiring and electrical components for corrosion, loose connections, chafing, and damaged insulation. Marine electrical connections are particularly vulnerable to moisture, so keeping them clean, secure, and properly protected is an important part of seasonal maintenance. Don't limit your inspection to the battery compartment. Look under the helm, around the engine, near bilge equipment and anywhere wiring connections may be exposed to moisture.
Pay attention to anything that behaved strangely during the season: a navigation light that flickered, an electronics display that occasionally went blank, a pump that sounded sluggish, or a battery that seemed to lose charge faster than expected. Those aren't quirks. They're clues.
Fall Checklist:
Inspect battery terminals for corrosion.
Check cable connections and grounds.
Look for damaged, chafed or unsupported wiring.
Inspect connections around the engine and bilge.
Clean and protect terminals as appropriate.
Investigate intermittent electrical problems before storage.
A Note About Fall Temperatures: Moisture Is Coming
As temperatures swing between warm days and cool nights, moisture can become a problem in enclosed spaces, bilges, lockers, engine compartments, and other areas with limited airflow. That makes ventilation, drying, and moisture control an important part of putting the boat away. Before the cover goes on, give the boat a chance to dry out. Clean the bilges, remove wet gear and cushions, and make sure water can drain properly. Keep appropriate ventilation in mind when covering the boat, while following your storage facility's requirements.
And remember: cold weather doesn't fix moisture—it just changes what moisture does.
Get Ahead of Winterizing
Finally, don't let "winterizing" become a frantic weekend project performed while wearing three layers of clothing and wondering why you didn't start sooner.
Add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank before your last engine run of the season. And I always recommend doing an oil change in the fall: it ensures that its in the best state to move and start-up in the spring. Because oil-changes need the oil to be warmed up, its quick and convenient to get the oil change done before the boat comes out of the water.
The Bottom Line
End-of-season maintenance isn't about making your boat perfect. It's about making sure the small problems you discovered this year don't become the big problems you discover next year.
Because there are two kinds of boat owners in spring: The ones who say, "Good thing I dealt with that last fall." And the ones who say, "Huh. I don't remember that being there.” Be the first one. #tips
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