Seasonal Information:
Spring Checklist:
Distress flares: Check expiration dates. Flares should have printed expiration dates visible on their casings. Flares kept past their expiration dates may still function, but will not meet the Coast Guard's requirements pertaining to emergency signaling devices. Regardless of their age, hand-held flares with chemical / abrasive igniting surfaces may be useless if they have either gotten wet or have been stored in an extremely damp space.
Fire extinguishers: Have hand-held and fixed-mounted extinguishers checked for acceptable pressure and/or proper weight. The fire suppressant powder used in dry chemical extinguishers can become "caked" over time. Be sure you can feel or hear the powder moving inside the extinguisher when it is shaken. Have the systems that automatically or remotely activate fixed extinguishers checked for proper operation.
Lubricants, oils, and filters: If not done at winterizing time, they should be changed when the boat's systems are recommissioned in the spring. This is the time we prefer to service gasoline engines in particular. Like fuel tanks, engine oil pans are susceptible to collecting water through condensation, especially during the winter months. Changing oil in the spring is one way of insuring that oil (and only oil) is being circulated through the engine's lubrication system.
Gasoline engine tune-ups: Also a spring time ritual, depending upon the age of your engine and whether or not it is computerized will have a factor on exactly how much is involved in performing this task.
Seawater pump impellers: Found in nearly all internal combustion engines, spring time is also an excellent time to change them . With age, and particularly from resting in one spot within the pump�s eccentric housing, impeller blades can crack or take on a permanent "set" which oftentimes reduces the pump's ability to help cool the engine.
Check all belts, hoses, and hose clamps: Seemingly insignificant items such as loose belts, "crunchy" sounding hoses, and rusty clamps can take an engine down at the least expected time having a tendency to spoil an otherwise wonderful day on the water.
Check all electrical and mechanical systems for proper operation: Also, where possible and with the boat's electrical system de-energized, perform a visual inspection of electrical contacts and terminals. White or green colored powder covering electrical contacts is a sure sign that the connections need further attention.
Battery label "knock out" dates should be checked: The marine environment is a tough one for lead acid, gel-cell and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries. We find that batteries that outlive their warranty are batteries living on borrowed time. For most recreational boaters, having a battery die at the wrong time is more than just a minor inconvenience.
Inspection of standing and running rigging: This requires a trip aloft so for safety reasons should be done only when the boat is in the water.
Wash entire boat: Depending upon the finish, boats benefit from annual buffing and waxing or from waxing alone after being washed. When applied regularly, good quality marine waxes and polishes do an excellent job of protecting painted and gel-coat surfaces from the harmful effects of sunlight.
Winterizing:
Freeze-protection of salt and potable water system: It goes without saying that all antifreeze products that may end up being pumped overboard should be biodegradable. For engines and other seawater systems, we recommend the use of antifreeze such as Camoc's Ban Frost 2000 which contains lubricants that help protect metal surfaces from corrosion and rubber pump impellers from sticking in their housings. For those boat owners who don't prefer the after-taste commonly associated with commercially available potable water system antifreezes, inexpensive vodka (tinted with food coloring) can be used to winterize potable water systems just as well.
Check potency of antifreeze in each engine's closed cooling system. If the type of antifreeze used in your engine requires dilution with water, be sure to use the proper ratio of antifreeze to distilled water. Tap water and bottled spring water contains minerals that can corrode or adversely coat internal surfaces within an engine's cooling system.
Change oil and oil filters in diesel engines. As motor oil is circulated in a diesel engine, it develops an acidic quality over time. If left to set in an engine for an extended period, bearing surfaces and cylinder liners can become pitted. At the same time, primary and secondary fuel filters should be attended to. Air filter elements also need to be inspected, both visually and physically. A hand run over a foam filter will readily identify foam that is on the verge of disintegrating from age.
Important Note: Whether or not you decide to change the lubricants in your engine (crankcase oil, transmission fluids, gear oils, and hydraulic oils), it's a good idea to check each at winterizing time. Low oil levels, oils that smell burnt, or are of a color that is not typical are signs that the machinery in question may need some special attention over the course of the winter.
Pumping out of holding tanks. CYS does not have an efficient mean of which to pump out large quantities of effluent from holding tanks. We encourage our customers to take advantage of designated pump-out facilities in the local area before delivering their boats to us for winterizing and / or winter storage.
Batteries: Check and top off (with distilled water) as necessary the electrolyte levels in the cells of lead-acid batteries. If the state of charge of any battery is low or not known, charge the battery as part of the process of winterizing the boat. Always charge a lead acid battery after distilled water has been added to its cells.
Covering of boats: For customers who wish to have their boats covered for winter storage, we build and install temporary ridge pole systems using wooden 2x4 lumber and polyethylene tarps. This arrangement protects from sun, snow, and ice damage, yet at the same time allows a moderate amount of air circulation throughout the vessel. We've had limited success using shrink-wrap more commonly used in other regions of the country to cover boats. A well-done shrink-wrap job can be prohibitively expensive, a boat's interior can sustain severe mold and mildew damage if shrink-wrap is not removed as springtime temperatures first arrive, and shrink wrap is difficult to handle from a disposal prospective.
Outboard engine servicing: This should include: Lower unit oil and filter changes, greasing of steering and other serviceable joints, and greasing of splined prop shafts.
Leave fuel tanks 7/8th full. The less air that is in a fuel tank, the smaller the opportunity for water (through condensation) to contaminate the fuel. Don't fill fuel tanks completely up however. A tank that measures full on a cool fall day will overflow its contents down the boat's side and onto the ground (or into the water) when warmer, springtime temperatures arrive. If your boat's engine is of the two-cycle variety, the same rule of thumb applies to two-cycle oil reservoirs.
Add appropriate stabilizers to fuel. When doing so, allow time for stabilizers to sufficiently mix with the fuel then run all engines (gen-sets included) so the stabilized fuel can work its way through filters, fuel lines and such.
Canvas, including sails, dodgers, and tops should be removed: Roller furling sails are a real hazard if their furling lines part. Canvas tops and the tubular frames that support them are typically no match for the weight of ice and heavy snow.
Hurricane Assistance:
Preceding the arrival of a tropical storm or a hurricane, our company practice is to haul on a "first come, first served" basis as many boats as time allows. Due to the elevation of our shops above sea level, we reserve the last 24 hours prior to the predicted arrival of a storm or hurricane to move our equipment, tools, and inventory to higher ground.
Spring Checklist:
Distress flares: Check expiration dates. Flares should have printed expiration dates visible on their casings. Flares kept past their expiration dates may still function, but will not meet the Coast Guard's requirements pertaining to emergency signaling devices. Regardless of their age, hand-held flares with chemical / abrasive igniting surfaces may be useless if they have either gotten wet or have been stored in an extremely damp space.
Fire extinguishers: Have hand-held and fixed-mounted extinguishers checked for acceptable pressure and/or proper weight. The fire suppressant powder used in dry chemical extinguishers can become "caked" over time. Be sure you can feel or hear the powder moving inside the extinguisher when it is shaken. Have the systems that automatically or remotely activate fixed extinguishers checked for proper operation.
Lubricants, oils, and filters: If not done at winterizing time, they should be changed when the boat's systems are recommissioned in the spring. This is the time we prefer to service gasoline engines in particular. Like fuel tanks, engine oil pans are susceptible to collecting water through condensation, especially during the winter months. Changing oil in the spring is one way of insuring that oil (and only oil) is being circulated through the engine's lubrication system.
Gasoline engine tune-ups: Also a spring time ritual, depending upon the age of your engine and whether or not it is computerized will have a factor on exactly how much is involved in performing this task.
Seawater pump impellers: Found in nearly all internal combustion engines, spring time is also an excellent time to change them . With age, and particularly from resting in one spot within the pump�s eccentric housing, impeller blades can crack or take on a permanent "set" which oftentimes reduces the pump's ability to help cool the engine.
Check all belts, hoses, and hose clamps: Seemingly insignificant items such as loose belts, "crunchy" sounding hoses, and rusty clamps can take an engine down at the least expected time having a tendency to spoil an otherwise wonderful day on the water.
Check all electrical and mechanical systems for proper operation: Also, where possible and with the boat's electrical system de-energized, perform a visual inspection of electrical contacts and terminals. White or green colored powder covering electrical contacts is a sure sign that the connections need further attention.
Battery label "knock out" dates should be checked: The marine environment is a tough one for lead acid, gel-cell and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries. We find that batteries that outlive their warranty are batteries living on borrowed time. For most recreational boaters, having a battery die at the wrong time is more than just a minor inconvenience.
Inspection of standing and running rigging: This requires a trip aloft so for safety reasons should be done only when the boat is in the water.
Wash entire boat: Depending upon the finish, boats benefit from annual buffing and waxing or from waxing alone after being washed. When applied regularly, good quality marine waxes and polishes do an excellent job of protecting painted and gel-coat surfaces from the harmful effects of sunlight.
Winterizing:
Freeze-protection of salt and potable water system: It goes without saying that all antifreeze products that may end up being pumped overboard should be biodegradable. For engines and other seawater systems, we recommend the use of antifreeze such as Camoc's Ban Frost 2000 which contains lubricants that help protect metal surfaces from corrosion and rubber pump impellers from sticking in their housings. For those boat owners who don't prefer the after-taste commonly associated with commercially available potable water system antifreezes, inexpensive vodka (tinted with food coloring) can be used to winterize potable water systems just as well.
Check potency of antifreeze in each engine's closed cooling system. If the type of antifreeze used in your engine requires dilution with water, be sure to use the proper ratio of antifreeze to distilled water. Tap water and bottled spring water contains minerals that can corrode or adversely coat internal surfaces within an engine's cooling system.
Change oil and oil filters in diesel engines. As motor oil is circulated in a diesel engine, it develops an acidic quality over time. If left to set in an engine for an extended period, bearing surfaces and cylinder liners can become pitted. At the same time, primary and secondary fuel filters should be attended to. Air filter elements also need to be inspected, both visually and physically. A hand run over a foam filter will readily identify foam that is on the verge of disintegrating from age.
Important Note: Whether or not you decide to change the lubricants in your engine (crankcase oil, transmission fluids, gear oils, and hydraulic oils), it's a good idea to check each at winterizing time. Low oil levels, oils that smell burnt, or are of a color that is not typical are signs that the machinery in question may need some special attention over the course of the winter.
Pumping out of holding tanks. CYS does not have an efficient mean of which to pump out large quantities of effluent from holding tanks. We encourage our customers to take advantage of designated pump-out facilities in the local area before delivering their boats to us for winterizing and / or winter storage.
Batteries: Check and top off (with distilled water) as necessary the electrolyte levels in the cells of lead-acid batteries. If the state of charge of any battery is low or not known, charge the battery as part of the process of winterizing the boat. Always charge a lead acid battery after distilled water has been added to its cells.
Covering of boats: For customers who wish to have their boats covered for winter storage, we build and install temporary ridge pole systems using wooden 2x4 lumber and polyethylene tarps. This arrangement protects from sun, snow, and ice damage, yet at the same time allows a moderate amount of air circulation throughout the vessel. We've had limited success using shrink-wrap more commonly used in other regions of the country to cover boats. A well-done shrink-wrap job can be prohibitively expensive, a boat's interior can sustain severe mold and mildew damage if shrink-wrap is not removed as springtime temperatures first arrive, and shrink wrap is difficult to handle from a disposal prospective.
Outboard engine servicing: This should include: Lower unit oil and filter changes, greasing of steering and other serviceable joints, and greasing of splined prop shafts.
Leave fuel tanks 7/8th full. The less air that is in a fuel tank, the smaller the opportunity for water (through condensation) to contaminate the fuel. Don't fill fuel tanks completely up however. A tank that measures full on a cool fall day will overflow its contents down the boat's side and onto the ground (or into the water) when warmer, springtime temperatures arrive. If your boat's engine is of the two-cycle variety, the same rule of thumb applies to two-cycle oil reservoirs.
Add appropriate stabilizers to fuel. When doing so, allow time for stabilizers to sufficiently mix with the fuel then run all engines (gen-sets included) so the stabilized fuel can work its way through filters, fuel lines and such.
Canvas, including sails, dodgers, and tops should be removed: Roller furling sails are a real hazard if their furling lines part. Canvas tops and the tubular frames that support them are typically no match for the weight of ice and heavy snow.
Hurricane Assistance:
Preceding the arrival of a tropical storm or a hurricane, our company practice is to haul on a "first come, first served" basis as many boats as time allows. Due to the elevation of our shops above sea level, we reserve the last 24 hours prior to the predicted arrival of a storm or hurricane to move our equipment, tools, and inventory to higher ground.
