Wanna see us less?  DO THIS!

If you do these simple things you will see us/your boat mechanic/the repair shop far less:

1.  Change the lower unit fluid/gear lube every spring or fifty to one hundred hours, whichever comes first.  Inspect it every trip before you leave the boat ramp - Open the drain oil plug and allow just enough out to get some on your finger.  Is it nice good oil or is it milky/does it have water contamination?  Are there metal filings/shavings/bits/parts in it?  These are very bad signs.

2.  Check/inspect your entire boat every trip.  It usually takes less than five minutes to check the hull, floor, hatches, upholstery, motor, lights, horn, bilge, oil levels, steering, throttle control box, cables, etc.  This simple check will save you hours of frustration and thousands of dollars in the long run.

3.  Get in a routine of always charging your batteries and filling the gas and checking for the key and drain plug every time before you head to the ramp so you don't call us to do a mobile service call.

4.  Keep your eye on your temperature gauge while motoring your boat.  If it suddenly starts rising quickly or your warning horn goes off, immediately turn off the boat.  Try to figure out why it is going off - usually it is one of a few things - water impeller pump failure, clogged water hose, clogged water intake or stuck thermostat.

Boating checklist:

Before you leave home/before you get to the boat ramp:

1.     Check lower unit fluid to make sure there is enough lower unit fluid and it is all gear lube – no water or metal filings/shavings.

2.     Charge your batteries.

3.     Fill the gas tank

4.     Start the motor with ear muffs (flushette device your home water hose screws onto that clamps onto both sides of your lower unit so water gets to the impeller and cools your motor while it is running) on to make sure it will start – NEVER start any boat motor without ear muffs and a water hose attached with water flowing wide open to cool the motor and water impeller

5.     Life jacket check - one for each person and anyone under 12 years of age must wear one at ALL times

6.     Personal flotation device check (square throwable PFD required in all boats over 16')

7.  Fire extinguisher, horn, lights, oars if applicable all functioning and handy

At the boat ramp:

1.     Make sure drain plug is in

2. Disconnect trailer wiring harness from truck before putting boat in the water, disconnect rear tow straps that secure boat to trailer, leave front winch hook on
3. Turn off stereo, lower windows and listen for anything you might hit or anyone yelling at you to stop.

4. Back up to appropriate point in the water, too little and the boat has a hard time getting off the trailer, too much and you risk messing up your truck or tow vehicle

5.     Wait until this point to lower the lower unit of your motor into the water so it does not drag on the concrete boat ramp as you were backing up to the water.  When your motor starts, either give it a minute to warm up or push your boat off the trailer with your hands – please do not gun/race/rev the motor to get it off the trailer before it has warmed up, when motor is running well, unhook front winch tow strap and drive boat away and drive truck and trailer up to appropriate parking space
 

ENJOY and catch fish!

When you get back, make sure you have the motor/stern drive in the up position before towing the trailer out of the water so it does not drag on the concrete asphalt of the ramp or road.

Again, keep your stereo off and windows down to listen if you are hitting anything, scraping anything or if anyone yells at you to stop while pulling your boat out of the water.

If your boat was in saltwater, wash down boat and trailer with freshwater and lift off motor cap/hood/cowling and wash motor as well. If you are not sure if the freshwater got all the saltwater out/off the motor area, spray any suspicious area with WD40 - a GREAT lubricant for stopping rust, and, bonus, it makes your motor look new! You must put ear muffs on the motor and run it with a freshwater hose to get all the salt out so the motor does not corrode from the inside out and for all of the water passageways not to get gunked up with salt, sand, shell fragments, etc.

Every time you are on the water running the boat, open your outboard motor up to wide open throttle and run it at least nonstop wide open for one full minute as fast as she will go. This lubes everything, cleans out any gunk that is in the carbs, lines and cylinders. But NEVER run a motor at wide open throttle when out of the water with water hose ear muffs on; you can rev it up a bit for no more than two seconds. Push the throttle forward and pull it back within two seconds. (When not in the water, there is no water resistance to counter all of the torque the motor is making so the motor tends to throw rods, blow bearings, etc.)

If storing your motor for any extended period of time, add stabilizer to the gas, run it for ten minutes to get it into the carbs and all cylinders, and make sure the tank is full when you store it.  Also, add fogging oil or any anti-corrosive oil to the cylinders to keep the carbs clean as well as to keep the rings and pistons in good condition.

Drain the motor block and exhaust risers of any water if storing in any cold weather conditions to save anything from cracking due to a cold freeze.

Put simply, do the regular service when it's due, start your boat once a month in the water or with a water hose connected, lube anything that looks dry and you'll be home free.

Call us today!  (512) 244-6704