Launch Into Spring Part 1
Here’s a Spring Fitting Out Safety Checklist.
Complete A safety inspection of the engine, hull, and other systems.
We recommend using the services of a qualified professional if you aren’t comfortable with the tasks.
Out of the Water
- Inspect and lubricate seacocks. Hoses and hose clamps (two at each fitting below or near the waterline) should be inspected and replaced as necessary. This is also the best time to replace gate valves, if any, with seacocks. Gate valves are prone to failure and not as reliable as seacocks. You also can’t glance at a gate valve to see that it’s been closed.
- Replace deteriorated zincs. They disintegrate and give a good indication of what would happen to vital underwater machinery if the zincs were not there. Note: If the zinc has vanished or has been reduced to powder, check the other metal surfaces, especially underwater, to ensure they didn’t also suffer from electrolysis. Zincs that disappear after less than a season indicate a serious problem with the boat’s bonding and/or electrical system. (Look first for chafed wires or battery cables, which also can cause a fire.)
- Inspect prop(s) for dings, pitting, and distortion that can create excessive vibration and can loosen everything from screws and bulkheads to dental fillings. Make sure cotter pins are secure. “Tired” props, incidentally, can be rejuvenated by a machine shop. Finally, grip the prop and try moving the shaft. Looseness indicates the cutlass bearing probably needs to be replaced.
- Check to make sure the rudder stock hasn’t been bent. Also try moving the rudder: Any looseness must be corrected (the remedy depends on the type of installation).
- Inspect the hull for blisters, distortion, and stress cracks. Small “pinhead” blisters can be dried, sanded, and filled. Large blisters may require professional attention. Distortion and/or stress cracks are two other hull problems that should be addressed by a marine surveyor or repairer.
- Make sure the engine intake sea strainer is free of corrosion and is properly secured. Strainers that weren’t drained properly in the fall could’ve been bent by ice over the winter. Replace questionable parts.
Outdrives and Outboards
- Inspect rubber outdrive bellows for cracked, dried, and/or deteriorated spots (look in the folds). Replace suspect bellows.
- Replace deteriorated outdrive zincs.
- Check power steering and power trim oil levels. Follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule or use a factory-authorized mechanic.
Control Cables
- Inspect Outer Jacket. Cracks or swelling indicate corrosion and mean the cable must be replaced. (Note: Don’t try to remedy the problem by squirting lubricant into the cracks or wrapping duct tape around the outer jacket; most lubricants are incompatible and will only make things worse.)