Sunday, April 8, 2001

A clean boat stays afloat

David Sikes/Caller-Times

Danny Adams II tries to restore the luster to his brother Todd’s boat with a product called Ospho. The Rockport resident’s own Majak is six years old, but it doesn’t look it.

We use many euphemisms to denote poor fishing. Profanity aside, we say fishing is tough, spotty, slow, inconsistent, etc.
   But not me.
   I simply write about boat maintenance when blowups become infrequent.
   Springtime leaves many boat owners hoping their vessel survived another off-season. For some of you, this might be the first winter cold enough to keep your boat off the water for any length of time.
   And that could spell trouble.
   According to mechanics I spoke with, the most menacing result of boat inactivity remains hidden until you're far from the boat ramp on that initial spring trip.
   Bound by a greasier version of doctor-patient confidentially, local mechanics wouldn't reveal which clients have learned this expensive and embarrassing lesson the hard way. Suffice to say that 80 percent of the mechanical boat problems fixed by the crew at Gulf Coast Marine are the result of owner neglect or misuse.
   They're grateful for the extra business, but agreed to discuss preventative maintenance with me anyway.
   Common problems
   That sneaky problem I mentioned earlier occurs when a two-stroke engine sits long enough for its carburetor jets to gum up. The resulting restricted fuel flow will allow your motor to run lean, but not for long.
   That's because your fuel mixture is dual purposed, of course. The gasoline portion of the mixture provides the combustion. And the oil portion lubricates the pistons. At least that the way it's supposed to work.
   Enough fuel to propel you several miles down the Laguna Madre will seep through a gummed-up carburetor. But the flow isn't enough to adequately lubricate the pistons.
   Result: the pistons scrape until your engine seizes. You won't forget the sound.
   Hope you never hear it in remote waters.
   Cost, if you make it back to shore: $2,500 for a 50 horsepower motor to upwards of $5,000 for a 200 horsepower.
   The price of prevention: a couple bucks for fuel additive.
   Protecting the motor
   The potential problems are similar with fuel-injection systems. Prevention is the same for either type of engine.
   Billy Holmes at Gulf Coast Marine recommends a product for Yamaha motors called Ring Free Fuel Additive. A similar product is 2+4 Fuel Conditioner for Johnson and Evinrude motors. I'm sure Mercury has its own additive. Add one of these to your fuel just before your last trip of the fall. Or use a carburetor cleaner or engine tuner before your first trip of the spring.
   For an extra measure of assurance, start your motor every two weeks or do so during prolonged periods of non-use.
   This is a problem specific to modern outboards with oil injection systems. In the old days, we'd disconnect the fuel line and run the motor until it burned the fuel within.
   Another trouble spot on today's outboards is the water pump.
   Holmes recommends changing it about once a year if you run in saltwater or shallow water. And who doesn't?
   The rubber parts of a water pump tend to rot or crack during prolonged periods of non-use. Often you won't know whether yours is faulty until it's too late.
   The buzzer on most outboards indicates the engine or water temperature has reached a critical level. Similar to idiot lights on a car, the buzzer is telling you to shut down immediately.
   There's no way to know how long you've been running at just below the critical mark, which can damage your engine.
   Water pumps range in price from $40 to $90.
   If one fails, your repair bill could run as high as $500.
   Tuning the engine
   Another annual prevention tip from Island Marine Services is to have your engine tuned up and dissolve carbon buildup in the cylinders. This'll cost about $150 and is mainly needed for motors that idle a lot or run at low speeds often.
   Other troubles are universal.
   Island Marine owner David Allred tells me he sees a number of problems caused by fishing line. Monofilament will wrap around the propeller and work its way around the shaft, cutting into the oil seal and causing the lower unit to take on saltwater and leak oil.
   When this oil/saltwater mixture heats up and turns to milky foam, which will not adequately lubricate your gears. When the mixture cools, salt crystals can form, pitting the gears. At worse, the gears will melt while the boat is running or the teeth will fracture.
   Even if you can't see line dangling from your propeller, you should periodically pull off the prop and check for evidence of fishing line embedded in the gasket. Or bring in your motor for a pressure and vacuum test, which will tell you if the seal has been broken.
   To check the oil in a lower unit, loosen the lowest screw on your outdrive near the skeg and loosen the screw just above anticavitation plate. If you're like me and don't know an anticavitation plate from a dinner plate, take your boat to the shop.
   If gone unchecked, this problem could result in a repair bill of more than $1,000 on a 150 horsepower outboard.
   Taking care of it all
   Many preventive maintenance measures are simpler.
   Flushing your engine with fresh water for 10 to 15 minutes is a must after every use. The engine must be idling to flush thermostats and valves. Many commercial car washes have hose for this purpose. Flushing is particularly critical before prolonged non-use.
   While washing the boat, you might as well pull off the cowling and spray the engine with a silicon-based (not WD-40) product. Be careful not to spray the starter bendix. I had to ask what a starter bendix looks like, too. Ask your mechanic to show you.
   For those of you concerned about appearances, I spoke to a number of fishing guides about keeping boats looking new. Rockport's Danny Adams II's Majak is six years old, but it doesn't look it. His trailer is another matter.
   To keep his hull free of those unsightly yellow stains, Adams sponges it off with a product called Ospho, available at most hardware stores.
   He greases the wheel bearings on his trailer about every two weeks. Periodically, he checks the rubber plugs on his boat for cracks, and removes the hull plug after each use to dry out the bilge.
   When he drills holes in the boat for attachments such as push-pole brackets, Adams plugs the opening with Marine Adhesive Sealant tightens the screws. Underneath his ice chests, he's attached skids made of starboard (the stuff cutting boards are made of) to protect his deck.
   By the way, If you don't have a marine-grade chest, you might want to replace the hardware with stainless or aluminum screws.
   After prolonged non-use, Adams recommends checking the fuel filter for water and debris. Many boats have a second fuel filter on the transom. Replace it annually, Adams suggested.
   Before every trip, check your electronics and lights. If your GPS doesn't work, apply rubbing alcohol to the connections before sending it to the repair shop.
   And make sure you have the proper type and number of life jackets.
   Check your ropes for rotting. It's doubly embarrassing when you're being towed in and the rope breaks.
   Remember that there are more hardware stores on land than on water.