ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 11, 2012 (reprinted with permission from BoatUS) – With people, middle age begins at around 40. With boats, it’s about the 10-year mark. And for both, it signals a time when age begins to show. But that doesn’t mean life is slowing down – only that more effort is needed to stay in shape. With decade-old boats, that means taking a hard look at things that haven’t been checked out over the years. BoatUS has these nine “middle age” maintenance tips on boats:

Bilge pumps: Like a Louisiana oil field roughneck, a ten-year old bilge pump has likely lead a tough life. Switches are often the first to go, so make sure yours works fine by pouring water in the bilge to activate the pump, making sure nothing interferes with the switch. Take a close look at wire connections as they often are near or in standing water at the bottom of the boat.

Gas hose: When it was new, the fuel hose did a great job of delivering gas to the engine. Over time, however, gas can permeate the hose wall causing damage. Take a rag around the hose, wipe it down and then smell the rag. If you smell gas, replace hose immediately. If you do have to replace, always install new hose clamps, too.

Steering and control cable: Like an arthritic knee, bend the cable in your hands and listen for “crunching,” a telltale sign that all is not well. Swelling and rust are also bad signs and indicate it’s time to replace.

Caulked fittings: The boatyard rule of thumb is that after 10 years, the bedding compound owes you nothing. Begin a schedule to periodically remove and rebed fittings, doing a few each year so the job isn’t overwhelming. This will keep the leaks out that could lead to more expensive repairs.

Prop: Eventually all props get dinged, and you may not see the damage clearly with your eye. If it’s never been to a shop, now is a good time to take it to a prop shop for reconditioning, and you’ll also likely save some money on fuel with a tuned prop.

Other drive gear: If you have an inboard, the cutlass bearing might be due for replacement, especially if there’s more than just a smidgen of play in the drive shaft. It’s also time to take a hard look at the stuffing box. If you’ve had to re-tighten the stuffing box nut often, it’s time to replace the packing.

Exhaust manifolds: If you boat in salt or brackish waters and you still have the original manifolds, thank your lucky stars they haven’t failed yet. Now is the time to do some proactive maintenance to replace them. “Leaking manifolds can destroy an engine,” said BoatUS Seaworthy Magazine Associate Editor Chuck Fort.

Seacocks/Through Hulls: If it’s been years since one has been fully opened and closed, it could be frozen, and that’s useless. Make it a point to work seacocks a few times each season and while you’re there, check the hose clamps.

Standing rigging: When was the last time you had a close look at all of the fittings and mast attachments (even the ones up high)? Ten years is a long time for rigging on boats that are raced, but even those used for day sails can suffer from the cyclical loads that cause stress cracks, and saltwater can cause corrosion in swaged fittings not easily seen by the naked eye.

For more information on inspecting middle-aged boats from BoatUS’ Seaworthy Magazine go to BoatUS.com/middleagedboats.

Please note: PYC is a participating BoatUS group, so members can join BoatUS for half price.  Just reference the Group ID Number GA81491Y on their application form.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 12, 2012 (reprinted with permission from BoatUS) – Let’s admit it. We’ve all made mistakes. And when it comes to boating goof-ups that can cause a little pain, the folks at BoatUS Marine Insurance have seen them all, handling hundreds of claims each year. So here’s a look inside the claims files for some of the more preventable mistakes that cause injuries around the boat yard every springtime, and some tips to avoid them:

#1 Don’t overload the ladder: At any marina each spring, ladders are as common a sight as channel markers on the ICW. Up. Down. All day long, boaters scramble on ladders to bring up supplies, fix things and prep their boat. Carrying heavy things, however, sometimes causes ladders to buckle. Lesson: have your own ladder and know its safe carrying load. It is also good to never face forward or have two persons on one at the same time, and understand that loose footwear such as flip-flops can snag on a ladder rung quicker than dragging a treble hook over Grandma’s shag carpeting.

#2 Jack stand missing: Painting the bottom of the boat to prevent marine growth is a common task for coastal boaters. However, there’s always a section on the hull where you can’t paint, usually where the jack stand supports the hull. Removing the jack stand to finish the paint job, however, almost always leads to an unstable boat, and using your shoulder to hold up the boat will get you to the emergency room pretty quickly. Lesson: Have the yard put the boat in a sling to finish the last few spots, or ask to have them add extra stands first (do not do this on your own).

#3 Trailer tires not blocked: A trailer boater was working on his boat at home in the driveway when the trailer suddenly lurched forward due to the man’s weight shifting on deck, causing him to fall – ouch! – to the pavement below. Lesson: Block the wheels every time, all of the time.

#4 All come tumbling down: Every boater likes a shiny, waxed boat. What we don’t like is to have to constantly move the ladder while using a heavy buffer on the gel coat. So we reach, we stretch, we lean so far out that the unbalanced ladder now tips sending us tumbling down, resulting in broken bones. Lesson: It’s worth the extra time to ensure the ladder is always on a solid footing and secured to the boat, and don’t over extend.

Please note: PYC is a participating BoatUS group, so members can join BoatUS for half price.  Just reference the Group ID Number GA81491Y on their application form.

I was recently asked by a club member to check on his boat during my next trip to PYC. What I found was shocking: his tattered dock lines (pictured above) were barely hanging by their last fibers and some were stiff and brittle as dead twigs. As a result one fender (barely recognizable as a fender) was torn to shreds while pinned between the dock and boat. Only by a stroke of luck was the hull spared from significant damage.

After receiving this failing dock line report the owner was inspired to get his dock lines replaced. Now his boat is safe and secure in his slip. This got me thinking about the Do’s and Don’ts of in-water storage and dock line health. So here it goes…

When docking your boat in a PYC slip for extended periods:

-Do check your dock lines often (at least monthly).
-Do tie your dock lines tight as possible, with no slack in them, so your boat can’t gain momentum in its slip as winds blow it back and forth.
-Do use high quality three-strand premium nylon rope for dock lines. It is designed specifically to stretch and recover as nature tosses your 2,000 lb. – 20,000 lb. boat back and forth.
-Do be sure to use bow lines, stern lines, and spring lines.
-Do use proper cleat hitches when tying off your dock line.  Remember, your finished cleat hitch should look like “two roads under a bridge”.

-Don’t leave slack in your dock lines.
-Don’t expect your dock lines to stay taut without regular adjustment.
-Don’t count on rubber snubbers to keep your dock lines taut. They are vulnerable to becoming brittle and breaking.
-Don’t skimp on dock lines. Doing so is classic “dollar-wise, penny-foolish”.
-Don’t count on your bow and stern lines to keep your boat from drifting forward and back. This is the job of your spring lines.
-Don’t secure dock lines to anything but your boat’s horn cleats (e.g., stanchions, winches, pulpits, cam cleats, etc.).
-Don’t tie fenders to lifelines. If your boat gets pinned against a dock the fender may tear the lifeline and stanchions off your boat, which is obviously not cool.
-Don’t wrap your dock lines around dock cleats a million times thinking it makes your boat more secure. It just makes them harder to remove and adjust, especially in the winter when they are likely to freeze on the cleat.

Think of good dock line health as an insurance policy, designed to protect your valuable investment. Choose the right size, design, and diameter dock line and then tend to your dock lines on a regular basis. And each time you visit your boat take a look at your neighbor’s dock lines. You’ll be amazed at how many boats at PYC are at high risk for certain disaster next time the weather becomes harsh.

Bruce S. Liese
Bruce@KansasCitySailing.com