Considering that a lot of boaters have more money invested in their boat than your daily driver car, they are looking for ways to keep it maintained and running like new. They do not want a boat that is full of water spots and wax residue, nor do they want to have rusted out paint. There are a few things they can do to prevent these issues and the boat will keep a new appearance, and the best news is that the time required to perform maintenance procedures will not keep people out of the lake.
Maintenance Procedures
It is important for boat owners to treat their boat as a car and not just a toy. Just like all vehicles on the road, boat motors require proper fluid levels to function. They need to have their oil changed to prevent all of that gunky build-up and sludge that can cause severe damage to the engine.
Boaters certainly do not want to spend several months off the lake during the boating season because their engine is torn to shreds and they do not have the funds to order a replacement. The boat should also be winterized before being stored away for long periods of time.
This helps ensure that the components will not freeze up during the harsh winter months, and even months where the boat is not seeing a lot of use. No one wants to prepare to leave for the first boating trip of the year only to find the boat will not start. The bottom line is to refer to the manufacturer's guidelines on performing maintenance care. If the person does not feel confident in performing the maintenance themselves they should take it to the dealership.
Dealerships will make sure the work is done properly to expand the life of the boat. Dealerships will also provide documentation that the boat has received all of its required service work, should a warranty issue come up.
Cosmetic Care
While most boats today are constructed of fiber glass and people will not be able to do a lot of work to the cosmetic side of things themselves, there are a few things they can work on. For instance, they can fill chip marks with touch-up paint. Boaters will also be able to wax their boat to remove all of those water spots that can eventually rust the beautiful paint off their boat.
They do make special paints and brushes for marine applications that allow individuals to keep the bottom and deck of the boat looking like new. The brushes are not typical household brushes. They are designed to apply the marine specific paint without scratching the surface. A typical household brush tends to have rougher bristles, which work great on dry wall since it does not scratch.
The paints have to feature a lot of shine and match the original color used on the boat, which makes them slightly more expensive than normal paints. It is well worth the extra money to have that nice reflection off the water. The paints also must be waterproof, since that is where the boat spends the majority of its time.
With proper maintenance a boat's life will be well extended. The boat will look and run like new and people will be surprised when they find out the boat is more than a day old. People will also be able to spot any possible problems when they perform regular maintenance on their boat. When boaters simply get in and drive, they might miss the smallest of problems, but it could turn into a fatal mistake if it is not repaired.