Now is the time.

[timebandit]

Now is the time for the TODO list.

If you live in a warm climate like Souther California where you can sail year round it is hard to pick a down time for yearly maintance.

I picked the time from Jan. 1 untill Easter to do the things like--

Empty the boat and remove that extra stuff that just gets left in there and clean the bilges and repack the spares.

Wash the sheets and haylards and check the sheves.

Check the anchor gear.

Polish the stainless.

Wax the boat and truck.

Repack the wheel bearings on truck and trailer and check the brakes and tires.

Tune the outboard--new plugs, impeller, fuel lines, filter and line from tank to engine. Change lower end lube. Might start replacing the fuel pump diapham on a regular basis. Replace spares.

Things to build might include a toe rail, I really hate going on deck with out one. A pressure switch to alert me if the water pump fails, I always feel guilty when I have been motoring for hours and remember I haven't checked the flow.

Repaint the mast and maybe the boom this year.

What do you do??

 

[Sumner]

...............Tune the outboard--new plugs, impeller, fuel lines, filter and line from tank to engine. Change lower end lube. Might start replacing the fuel pump diapham on a regular basis. Replace spares...............??

I thought I wasn't going to have much of a list by this time after all I did last year, but I have a ton of things I want to do to the boat. Most won't be as noticeable, but will help sailing, safety and comfort on the longer trips we have planned. The list is long, so I won't post it all, but will put the mods on my site as I do them.

I do have a question about outboard maintenance in salt water though and your post reminded me. We are going to buy a new Tohatsu with electric start for mostly safety reasons, so Ruth can start the outboard if something was to happen to me (the Lake Powell incidence made us realize that both people on the boat have to be able to start the outboard).

Next fall we would like to be in Florida for maybe up to 3-3 1/2 months, so our new outboard is going to be in salt water :cry:. I would imaging that we would probably use it most days to get on and off anchor, but there might be some days that we sit and it could be out of the water for a couple days. We won't be able to flush it during that time with fresh water, except for once when we might pull the boat out of the water and put it on the trailer while we fly north for a couple weeks to visit family.

We normally don't have the outboard down in the water sailing, but have been know a couple times to have not noticed that until after we have been sailing for an hour or so.

Is there anything we should be doing with the outboard during this time?

Should we just use it like we normally do, putting it in and out of the water getting on and off anchor and have it up at night and sailing?

Flush it when we get done with the trip?

Flush it if we take it out for that week or so?

Even though it is new should we take a spare impeller?

Anything else besides plugs and a gas filter?

It will have a sacrificial anode on it. Anything else I'm missing. I sure hate putting this new motor into salt water.

Another question related to the ballast tank. I've noticed that a few Mac people have put in with their boats inland so that they can fill the ballast tank with 'fresh water'. Do you guys that are in salt water just fill with salt water? I can't see where it would hurt, but maybe I'm overlooking something.

Thanks,

Sum and Ruth

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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[Carolyn1964]

the to do list

The list seems to grow and grow =). The top of my list involves
1.raising the boat off the trailer and grinding or sandblasting the keel to remove all the rust ( a part of me wonders if there will be any keel left) then
2.fair the keel and paint it. While this is happening the
3.trailer needs to be sandblasted, the bunks replaced, a new mount for the keel to rest in welded on ( the old one left us at a launch ramp, 30 years of rust was just too much) and a new trailer winch.
4 insure the motor mount I have is strong enough for the 2005 yamaha 8 hp that is replacing the 1979 johnson 9.9

along with planning trips to the san juan islands. make sure the stove works (as I can now plan an overnight sail and many small projects. I can't wait till spring when it will be warm enough to get back on the water

Carolyn

 

[timebandit]

I change my inpeller every year because that way I choose when to change it. I also cary a spare just in case and then put that one in and throw the old one away and get a new one for a spare. The same with plugs and stuff.

I cannot even imagine trying to pull the motor, haul it into the boat and change the impeller when you really need the motor to be running.

I carry a spare complete fuel line and a small bit of engine fuel line so I can by pass the fuel pump and use the primer bulb for a fuel pump if needed. I also have a 1 gallon plastice fuel can that I could rig to gravity feed the engine if needed. The can is used to fetch water for the portapottie most of the time.

Flush it when you can. cats use outboard motors and cruise the world.

It seems the big difference is the engine temp. Low temp and the salt does not get caked like an engine running 180 thermostat.

 

[timebandit]

One other thing is carry a drill bit the sam size as the id of the pee hole because sometimes it gets clogged and although every thing is fine the water wont come out there.

 

[Maine Sail]

I do have a question about outboard maintenance in salt water though and your post reminded me.

Next fall we would like to be in Florida for maybe up to 3-3 1/2 months, so our new outboard is going to be in salt water :cry:.

Is there anything we should be doing with the outboard during this time?

Should we just use it like we normally do, putting it in and out of the water getting on and off anchor and have it up at night and sailing?

Flush it when we get done with the trip?

Flush it if we take it out for that week or so?

Even though it is new should we take a spare impeller?

Anything else besides plugs and a gas filter?

No need to worry. These motors are designed for constant salt water use. Many outboards in parts of the country never, ever get flushed. My own outboard is now about ten years old and is only flushed when I run it in a bucket to winterize it. I don't run it in the bucket to rinse the salt out just to get run the carb out of fuel if I forgot.

I know some won't believe this but I have yet to change the impeller on my dinghy outboard. Of course this motor gets only 30-40 hours per year maybe 50 on a good year. For an aux motor I would probably replace it every two max but for my dinghy, where I do have oars, I'll fix it when the water output begins to slow.

In 40 years of having my own, and our families outboards on the ocean, salt has never been a major problem..

With a new four stroke I can't imagine you'll need plugs. The plugs on my two stroke are now about 4 years old but I run Amsoil 100:1 Sabre Oil which has cut WAY down on plug fouling...

 

[Sumner]

No need to worry. These motors are designed for constant salt water use. Many outboards in parts of the country never, ever get flushed. My own outboard is now about ten years old and is only flushed when I run it in a bucket to winterize it. I don't run it in the bucket to rinse the salt out just to get run the carb out of fuel if I forgot............

Thanks that is good to know............now my second worry is all of the items I've made for the boat out of aluminum that are outside like around the push-pit. I'm thinking of using some stuff I bought for the aluminum on the race car I'm building....

http://www.finishing.com/Chemicals/everbrite.shtml

.......but haven't used it yet. Any recommendations to help with keeping the aluminum from corroding too much?

Thanks,

Sum

P.S. Timebandit thanks for the suggestions and I think I'll probably need an impeller at some point, so I'll get one and carry it. I always have a full 1/2 inch drill bit assortment on board, so that is covered. Sorry to mess up your thread.

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I do have a question about outboard maintenance in salt water though and your post reminded me.

Should we just use it like we normally do, putting it in and out of the water getting on and off anchor and have it up at night and sailing?


Flush it when we get done with the trip?

Flush it if we take it out for that week or so?

Even though it is new should we take a spare impeller?

Anything else besides plugs and a gas filter?


Do you guys that are in salt water just fill with salt water? I can't see where it would hurt, but maybe I'm overlooking something.

you should be fine just flushing it when you have the chance. lift it out of the water if not in use for several days.

I would have a spare impleller, and spark plugs, just in case, (they won't go to waste) -I also replace mine every year.. maybe a spare prop, nut, and cotter pin. I have spun a hub on a different ob trying to push it too fast...

fuel line parts, or a complete small tank setup is nice....

people who live in the keys don't flush their boats, but they use them almost every day too..

-if I were keeping the boat in the water for a month, I'd throw in some dry pool chlorine, just in case.

oh I like to lightly coat the motor, linkage with a CRC 656 spray maybe 2/yr

 

[timebandit]

Ya know something I might carry as a spare for a 4 stroke motor would be timming belt with instruction on how to install it (timming marks).

I would like to know if the belt were to break if the valves will collide with with the pistons or not.