AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION . . .
Spring is a great time to begin your Preventative Maintenance schedule.

By John Cleveland

The good folks at Boat/US recently asked me,'What is the most challenging aspect of the boat repair business?'

The answer came fast and easy: convincing the boat owner of the importance of preventative maintenance.  For some strange reason, it seems as though most boat owners would rather spend $1000 on repairs than $100 on preventative maintenance. PM is the most important service a boat owner can perform on his vessel, sail or power, center console or mega yacht. Airlines do it. Bus lines do it. Charter fleets do it. Why? It saves the owner money. It saves the insurance company from losses.

PM saves because potential problems are prevented-hence the name-before they turn into disasters. One of our standard spring commissioning PM services is to inspect the raw water impeller. It has worked its vanes off all year keeping the beer cold and getting the S.S. Guppy through the Spa Creek Bridge, then it gets to sit around all winter getting brittle and taking a set. When would the captain care to discover his overheating problem?  Sitting in the slip orgoing through the Kent Narrows Bridge on a Sunday afternoon in August?

Today's captain faces daunting decisions.The most important is balancing cost and safety. A lot of vessels fall way below acceptable minimums. Some fault lies with the Coast Guard. Balancing popularity against safety, they set safety equipment levels lower than prudent seamanship dictates.The National Fire Protection Agency, NFPA, for instance, sets recreational boating requirements that exceed USCG requirements.  How much fire fighting power is enough?

Most boats have a few of those little 2-pounders sold at the local chandlery. Some captains actually mount them on a bulkhead. But be aware that they discharge in only 3 to 5 seconds!  Imagine your galley or engine room on fire. Count to three: one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi. Empty! We recommend that our customers place, at a minimum, an additional 5-lb dry chem within reach of the helm. After all, when a fire breaks out, where does everyonerun?

But before this turns into a fire fighting article, the important question here is when was the last time those extinguishers were serviced?  Professionals should service them yearly. The propellant and the chemical separate over time, and the chemical packs at the bottom of the bottle. I was on a sailboat recently and found extinguishers dated 1986! The chemical had become a solid block at the bottom of the bottle. Absolutely worthless. At CYS, we shake our customer's extinguishers monthly to re-distribute the chemical and the propellant. Every spring, the extinguishers are tagged by a licensed professional. About $5.00 per extinguisher.  Safety is priceless.

While on the subject, does that green light on the FireBoy panel go on when the engines are started?

Flares, PFDs, and propane systems all fall under close scrutiny. Propane systems should be tested once a month for leaks. Flare expiration dates should be checked every spring. And who would even think of going through all the effort of pulling out the dock hose, fenders, buckets, and barbecue to inspect those PFDs. What an ordeal.

Every system on every boat needs preventative maintenance. No skipper worth his grog should ever start any engine without performing a visual inspection of the engine and mechanical space, especially the bilge. Check the engine lube oil level, transmission fluid level, coolant level, weed trap, belts, and seacocks should be open.  Once started, is there adequate raw water flowing out the exhaust? How much smoke? What color? Is there a slick on the water?

That slick on the water, for all of those sporting the 'Save the Bay' bumper stickers, is unburned diesel fuel. Is the smoke black, white or blue? Some hint to serious problems that, if ignored, can lead to major repair bills. There should be a minimum, a whisp, of almost colorless smoke and no slick on the water when you crank her over. Good PM keeps the D-sail running right.

Diesel fuel losses its cetane, or punch, when it sits around, as in the sail or power boat that sits all winter. Stanadyne's Performance Formula is the cure. Every boat owner should add Blue Label to the tank at every fill and shock the system through the RACORs in the spring. No smoke. No smudge on the transom. More power and better mileage. And, by the way, the Bay thanks you.

Diesels love clean oil. They can't live without it. The nicest thing you can do for one of the most expensive parts of your boat is check the oil level every day, change that oil and filter, transmission oil, and fuel filter per manufacturer's recommendations. As a general rule, diesels should get an oil change every 200 hours or 6-months. Pollutants, the by-products of combustion, build up in the oil and if not removed, corrode the guts of the engine. That is why oil changes are recommended in both the spring and the fall.

While on the subject of power plants, our PM plan calls for visual inspection of the coupling bolts, shat and rudder, and shift and throttle linkage lubrication. Every month, check belts, hoses, clamps, and by all means, remove rust and that yucky Oil-Sorb pad in the bilge.

Galvanic corrosion is more than just a nuisance. Thru-hulls can disappear in months, weeks, and put bilge pumps to the ultimate test. Every month check every thru-hull, seacock, hose, and clamp, especially those below the water line. At the first sign of rust, corrosion, bronze discoloration, or hose cracks, repair or replace mmediately. Then diagnose the bonding system and test for stray currents in the vicinity of your slip. Resist the temptation to over zinc

Electrical systems require almost continuous attention. Top off batteries with distilled water, check specific gravity once a month, and record it in the ship's log. Hydrometers are available at any store for a fraction of the cost of a new battery. Chargers and regulators should be three or four stage to maintain battery health. Are alternator belts properly sized for the pulley? Belts should ride on the sides of the pulley, not the bottom.  What is the alternator output? And don't trust that analog gauge on the dashboard.

Sail boaters can be among the worst at forgetting their batteries. They take so much pride—and rightly so—in sailing on and off the anchor, sailing out of the slip, and sailing backwards out of the marina (my personal favorite) at every opportunity that the batteries rarely get fully charged. Day sailing okay, but when Cruising, remember that it takes about three times longer to put back what you took out.

Navigation and anchor lights should be checked monthly. Hydraulic steering? The fluid level and air pressure Should be checked monthly. Bilge pumps, manual and electric, should be checked for proper operation.  Do you remember where the emergency tiller is? Under the PFDs, I'll wager. It should be tested at least every spring. Monthly, dock lines, anchor rodes and running rigging should be inspected for chafe. Lifelines, stanchions and chain plates for looseness, cracks, leaks.

Standing rigging should be inspected once a month. Visually inspect turnbuckles for cracks, corrosion or other defects. That fancy plastic tubing and rigging tape protecting your tender ankles only creates a pool for stagnant water to corrode those all too important parts that are just waiting to part company.  Inspect the gooseneck, sheaves, and turning blocks monthly.

Which brings me to winches and windlasses. Every winch and windlass manufacturer out there recommends cleaning and lubricating at least once a year. The average cost for winch service is $50.00. Cheap insurance for smooth running, easy to crank primaries, and oh-what-a-difference secondaries. Repairs can run into the hundreds, replacements into the thousands.

The list goes on. Vegetable oil in the marine toilet, water filters, etc, etc, etc.  The PM and periodic maintenance checklist at CYS has more than 140 items. Spring commissioning is the perfect time to start your own PM ritual.

We have all seen the results of poor preventative maintenance, and the repair bill can be astronomical. So you are a believer, but you are wondering how you are ever going to find the time to implement PM. When your guests are champing at the bit to get underway for the Solomons, impress them with a few minutes of pre-flight. We have all gazed out the window of that Boeing seven-o-something and felt respect, if not gratitude, for the captain walking around the plane performing his pre-flight inspection. As the captain of that sea- or bay- going yacht, you owe your guests no less. Your passengers will respect you. Your vessel will thank you with trouble-free service. Your wallet will thank you as that hole in the water gets smaller.

John Cleveland is the owner of Chesapeake Yacht Systems, a professional captain, boating instructor, and has managed charter fleets in the Caribbean.