Thursday, January 17, 2013

Time for a Walk


Now is the time of year, that cabin fever sets in for sure.  The holidays are over and all we can do is think about the warm sunny days on the water.  This is time of year is also a good time to go for a walk.  That is a walk around your boat.  Now is a good time to do a thorough walk around your boat, and be looking for upcoming failures.  But don’t just walk around with a sharp eye and think that is good enough.  If you are a sailboater, now is a great time to check your rigging.  Look closely at the sheets and halyards, making sure nothing fraying.  Look at the stays and shrouds, trying to identify corrosion of any type.  Loosen turnbuckles, and make sure there is no corrosion between the body and threaded ends.  Powerboaters, look over your cooling system.  If not done at winterize, remove the impeller for proper inspection.  If you have a closed loop cooling system, test the antifreeze and look for a rust color in the antifreeze.  Look at your ground tackle, and make sure the rode and chain are in good shape.  Check your shackles, and make sure they are also in good condition.  Remember the better the inspection you do now, the less likely a breakdown or failure will keep you off the water this summer.  Also, remember BargainBoatParts.com is there to help you find any replacement parts you need should you identify potential problems.

Happy and Safe Boating,