Get Your Watercraft Ready for Summer

Start your engines!
Well, not quite yet. There are a few things you should do first. Here are some helpful tips for getting your boat and other personal watercraft ready for Boating Season!

This article covers some seasonal, to-do list basics. Depending on the climate where you live, how often you use your watercraft, how it's stored, if it has been winterized and how often you maintain it, you may want to take your boats or other watercraft into a professional boat or marine service center or licensed mechanic.

1. Check all electrical components, wires and connections including the battery terminals. Make sure they are clean and tight. You never know if a little visitor has made a nest or chewed on some wires. Do a button and switch test to make sure lights, horn, gauges and accessories are functioning properly. Inspection around the vessel costs nothing but a little time, which in the log run could save you time and money!
2. Check all hoses and clamps. A cracked or leaking fuel hose or connection could not only be frustrating out on the lake, but dangerous.
3. Check and change the fluids. Changing the oil is a given, but freshening up all the fluids, including fuel, will make sure that you are running at optimal performance and keeping the engine and other parts from premature wear. See your owner's manual or ask your mechanic for fluid changing schedules and what to do after winterizing your vehicle.
4. Safety inspection. Check for cracks, broken parts, rust, leaks, etc. Make sure the fire extinguisher is working, charged and not expired. Are there enough life jackets and a first-aid kit on board? If not, it's time to run to the store.
5. Inspect and service your trailer. Make sure the tires are inflated and in good shape. Check the date that the tire were manufactured as well. Trailer tires, regardless of mileage, should be changed after 3 to 8 years at most. As with the boat, check all electrical wires, connections and lights. Look for rusting bolts, cracks, broken parts or bent rims.
6. Make sure all of your vehicles and trailers are registered per the requirements in your state or locale. Have copies of all of your documentation readily available.
7. Make sure your Watercraft/Marine Insurance Policy is in force and ready to go! For some, just having liability insurance will be enough, but for others you may want comprehensive and collision coverage (full coverage), on-the-water towing, personal effects coverage, fishing gear coverage, trailer coverage among other protections.

​We have access to some of the best boat insurance programs available! For more information, call us today at (559) 322-2525 or Click Here for a boat insurance quote.

This is just a general list of tips and precautions. Some vehicles may require other servicing before being started or taken out on the water. When unsure, consult with your boat dealer or mechanic, as well as reading your owner's manual, before you take out your watercraft.

Below is a quick video on getting your boat ready for summer.

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