Keep it clean — the importance of regular engine cleaning
Keeping your boat clean is an essential part of ownership. Left undone, it can lead to costly repairs, reduced value and loss of performance.
Depending on your mindset, maintenance is either a part of boat ownership that adds to the enjoyable experience or a chore you would rather have a professional handle. Either way, a boat needs regular cleaning/care because, left to the elements, your expensive toy will deteriorate quickly. Hence, we must commit to a DIY schedule or regular attention at a boatyard.
Maintaining your boat will keep it working at its best and maximise its value when it’s time to sell. We all know about mechanical maintenance, but a big part of caring for a boat is keeping it clean, and that includes the engine. With the number of boat storage options on the rise, a growing number of boat owners leave all the maintenance tasks and cleaning to the professionals. Even if the boat isn't used for months, those of us who take on much of the work ourselves still need attention to keep it in tip-top shape.
Boats stored on a mooring or at a marina need an antifoul material covering the hull below the waterline to slow down the infestation of marine life. Keeping the hull clean is an ongoing prospect that left to the professional can be costly, so some handy owners choose to attack the problem themselves. Recent reports suggest that on waterways like Sydney Harbour, locals are saying that while they used to go over a year before pulling the boat out for a new antifoul treatment, lately, it seems there is significant infestation after only six months. Are the new less-polluting coatings losing their effect? Or, without going too deep into the rabbit hole of climate change, there's change afoot, and we need to take extra care with our moored boats.
Because all the marine infestation is below the waterline, the condition of the hull can be overlooked, and it might only be once you use the boat that you notice one of the significant effects of growth. Performance is reduced. All that green slime, barnacles and weeds will make it harder to get on the plane and severely affect your top speed. Fuel efficiency is dramatically affected as well. A thorough inspection of the hull for signs of damage is necessary from time to time.
Marine growth that is allowed to fester can eventually do permanent damage to the structure below the waterline. Raw water passageways, transducers and engine legs corrode and block, and the hull gel coat can become pitted when cleaning away crusted shellfish.
If your smaller moored boat has a trailer, hauling it out for a refurbish is straightforward, otherwise, you need a boatyard with a crane or a travel lift. Depending on which state you live in, there are strict laws about disposing of biowaste that comes off the boat when cleaned. NSW has the strongest restrictions, and work must be done in an approved yard or carwash. According to the Marine Pollution Act, antifoul treatments are a registered pesticide and must be contained to prevent their discharge into our waterways and that includes stormwater drains if you plan to work at home.
If you plan to do the work yourself, you need a high-pressure hose, suitable cleaning products, scrapers and brushes to eliminate the marine growth, and enough antifoul products to prepare the hull to apply a new protectant. Cleaning around seacocks and other apertures is especially important to ensure a good flow of raw water to engines. Propellers and rudders must be pristine and finished in a suitable antifoul application. Cleaning old antifoul and applying the new layer is dirty and physically demanding, and after it's over, you will either be very pleased with yourself or insist that you will pay someone next time.
While boats kept at home on a trailer have a relatively easy life compared to those stored out on the water, washing them after every use with a suitable low or non-phosphorous soap and salt treatment followed by a thorough hose down is important. Fibreglass deteriorates under harsh sunshine, so regular polishing and treatment with a wax coating will preserve the external layer of the gel coat. Vinyl seat finishings and coamings also benefit from a good scrub and spray-on protection to maintain their appearance. Proper care of the externals is vital to your boat staying in good condition for the long run.
Flush that engine
As well as the hull and interior, keeping the engine clean is also vital because anything connected to salt water will suffer. In comparison, motors that spend their life on freshwater lakes and rivers have a much more carefree life.
Engines with raw water-cooling systems, including all popular outboards, rely on a flow of cool water to moderate engine temperatures. If you don't flush the engine after each use, the water galleries inside the engine will be covered with a layer of salt. Over time, if you don't flush the engine for 10–15 minutes after each use, that salt layer will build up and can even block the flow altogether in extreme circumstances. Eventually, the cold water flow will be minimised, causing the engine to overheat. With the buildup, you have the extra problem of the salt causing corrosion of the engine's aluminium casings. Early four strokes suffered from this sort of corrosion because manufacturers reduced the thickness of the castings to save weight. A severely corroded engine is nigh on impossible to repair.
When you flush the engine, we recommend running the engine so the thermostat opens to get to all the galleries rather than just connecting a hose to the flush point. Connect a hose with ear or flush muffs at the water intake just forward the propeller and ensure a good water flow for the best result. Run the motor at idle and provide a flow of water squirting out of the tell-tale — you need a decent amount of pressure. If there's no water flow, turn off the engine and check with a mechanic to see if the pump is working correctly. It's best practice to stay near the motor while running to ensure the ear muffs haven't slipped off or the dog hasn't bitten the hose. Done correctly, you will clean all the areas in the powerhead that a simple hose flush won’t reach on many engines.
Boats kept on a dock are best cleaned with the flush attachment from a freshwater hose. If you leave the boat on a mooring, regular servicing is a must, and that's part of the price you pay for the convenience of on-water storage.
Maintaining a clean boat is an essential part of the mariner's lifestyle, and while it might be a chore, it's part of the deal. Left undone, a boat will deteriorate and devalue, and its performance will suffer along with the enjoyment of boating, so … let's get scrubbing.
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