Getting Your Boat Ready for Spring

There’s nothing like initiating those first days of spring with a trip to the water on your cherished boat. If you own a boat, you know how great it feels to hit the water and catch some fish, cruise or just enjoy a leisurely ride in the water. However, if you didn’t use your boat during the winter, meaning that it sat in storage for several months, you can’t just go straight to the nearest body of water and get moving. First, you’ll have to prepare your boat for regular use again. 

This guide courtesy of Germaine Marine will tell you all the steps you need to take to get your boat ready for spring. Once you’ve de-winterized your boat, if you notice any damages that need repaired or parts you want replaced, call up the Germaine Marine service department so our professional mechanics can take care of you!

Inspect Your Boat Carefully

After you take your boat out of your garage or shed, you’ll need to give it a thorough inspection before doing anything else. First, open up the hatches and the motor bay and take off all the covers. Check for mold, mildew, mud and any extra water that might have gotten in there. Also look for any mildew in the cushions, carpeted areas and console. Look for nests or other signs of insects or mice that might have chosen your boat as their winter abode. If they did any damage, you might have to get some repairs.

Most importantly, look at the hull carefully. You should’ve inspected it before you put it away for the winter, so if you notice any new cracks, leaks, or anything else that wasn’t there before, feel free to contact our service center to set up an appointment. 

Warm Up The Engine

After your inspection is all done, you’ll want to get the engine prepped for regular use again. Remove the nacelle and inspect everything, including oil/coolant levels and the condition of these fluids. You should change the oil before starting up the engine, and top off the coolant if it’s low. Also check for leaks. If the gaskets or engine heads have fluid dripping anywhere, that’s something that’ll need to be fixed. If you boat has an inboard engine, open up the engine bay and inspect everything. Check for wear or corrosion on the spark plugs, and replace them if they’re in bad shape. Also look for any minor engine repairs that you could fix, because you don’t want to have engine problems the first time you hit the water!

Batteries and Electronics

Now, it’s time to get everything on your boat that you’ll need for fishing, navigation, entertainment, and anything else you like to have on your boat. Whether it’s a GPS, fish-finder, or set of CDs, load them up and test the battery on all of them before setting off.

Cover

Some boats have canvas or vinyl covers, so look at these carefully before boating. Check for tears, rips, mildew, or mold, and patch up any holes you find. You don’t want small problems to turn into big issues, so fix everything as you find it. Also, regardless of what kind of boat you have, take a look at your seats. These can get mold, mildew, and sun damage as well, so make sure they’re looking good.

Clean Your Boat Thoroughly

You should have cleaned your boat before winterizing it, but touching up any leftover smudges is a great way to make sure you shine on your first trip to the water! It’s also a good way to inspect the hull and interior more while you clean, so you might catch anything you missed during your first inspection.

When performing the de-winterizing process, you should take notes about anything that might need repairs. If you know your way around a boat, you can probably do a lot of the service yourself, but for more complex issues, Germaine Marine recommends bringing it into one of our service centers in Arizona or Utah for professional maintenance.