Boat is out of the water Early...what to do?

[AFD]

we had to take out our boat early after buying it late in the season. short story, we had all but given up the search as the wife is ultra pregnant and we didn't have any luck finding the boat we wanted for two years until accidentally we came upon what we really wanted and went for it. well the boat is out of the water as it needs some minor maintenance and we wont have any time to use it after i'm done with the maintenance so what should i do? should i wait until it gets colder to winterize it or should I go for it right away? aside from running the drives on the muffs with antifreeze and fogging the carb until it stalls and then pulling each plug and spraying fogger into each cylinder...what should i do now that it is still nice out?

thanks everyone. can't wait to get the boat ready for the spring already with our first child.

 

[src]

If you absolutely know that you won't be splashing again, then yeah, beat the rush and get it winterized. Remember you have to either blow out or fill all of the water lines (sinks, air conditioner, etc.) with antifreeze. And drain the water heater if it has a bypass, or run antifreeze through it as well.

Hopefully you don't have gas tanks full of ethanol, but treat the gas, change the oil, go ahead and do all of the yearly maintenance you can.

 

[magstang1]

Sink, toilet, and A/C all need winterized as well.


Take a good look at all your exterior caulking. My rub rail needed recaulked this spring. Now would be the perfect opportunity for you.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Drive oil change, pull drives, check engine alignment and gimble bearings.......

 

[AFD]

i am going to have to redo all of the caulking on the boat as maintenance wasn't the top priority of the original owner and the previous owner only did so much. Also the helm seat was removed and re installed during the vinyl job two years ago and the install didn't go so well, vinyl looks great but the fiberglass helm seat base moves ever so slightly and the caulking is loose. swim platform caulking is pretty bad too. I found those rub rail end caps fairly cheaply if you want me to order a second pair and send them to you i can. I'll be doing them over the winter as the swim platform wont be covered in shrinkwrap. let me know and i'll remember to get a second set. $30 for a pair i think.

No AC
No WH. had a leak and was removed by P.O.

pumped out before and after our final run. Friend came with me on the final trip in the rain and wind with no canvas. That was fun. there is no ramp at the marina we were at only a travel lift and the company I hired to do the removal suggested we just take the boat on a final trip closer to home making the cost less with removal of the travel lift from the equation and cost less on the millage from trailering. good suggestion and got to have more time on the boat in rough (ish) water. this also gave me the opportunity to pump out, fill with water and go for a ride and pump out again at the closer marina where we will be staying next year. both deck hands were extremely understanding that we were coming out and reset the pumps automatic timer twice to be sure everything was out. This also saved me over $200 in expenses.

i do have ethanol in all the fuel around here but i treat as i fueled up and knowing i was coming out soon i over treated some. Only have about 30 gallons in the tank at this point but it is all fresh fuel as of about 1 week ago.

 

[HUMPH]

Move to better weather?

 

[AFD]

if it were only that simple. hopefully boat will be 95% by may first splash

 

[AFD]

Drive oil change, pull drives, check engine alignment and gimble bearings.......

those were planned except for the alignment...don't know how to do that. anyone ...anyone...Bueller?

 

[Air O'Nautical]

those were planned except for the alignment...don't know how to do that. anyone ...anyone...Bueller?

http://youtu.be/MYwnK8mjHdw
Youtube has everything.....

If the tool won't go in very easily and the grease isn't even all the way around when you pull it out, you have to move the engine until its aligned.

Mark.