5 Tips to Avoid Common Boat Repairs
When it comes to preventing the need for Florida boat repairs, keeping your crafts on reputable boat racks in the Florida Keys is a good starting point. Beyond that, there’s far more you can do to avoid unnecessary repairs to any sea-going vessel throughout the year. Here are a few maintenance tips that will negate the need for boat repairs for the most part.
Keep Your Batteries Charged
Few things in life are more frustrating than being miles away from dry land and not being able to turn over your boat’s engine. Keeping your batteries adequately charged isn’t just a matter of convenience. It can be the difference between life and death if you find yourself in the wrong situation. Make sure you always have an emergency backup battery handy at all times.
Flush Out Salt After Every Trip
Even seasoned sterndrive boat owners underestimate the damage that salt can do to an exhaust system in a short period of time. The harsh reality is that salt water can make short work of an exhaust manifold in a matter of years if you don’t perform any preventative maintenance. Flushing accumulated salt out of the manifolds with fresh water after every use is imperative.
Keep Those Sea Strainers Clean
It should go without saying that keeping flotsam and jetsam out of the water that cools your engine is pretty important. Unfortunately, many boat owners neglect to regularly clean and replace sea strainers despite the relative simplicity of the process. One of the most common tell-tale signs of clogged sea strainers are lousy A/C performance. Do yourself a favor and check your sea strainers frequently.
Feed Your Boat the Right Fuel
Using sub-par fuel in your boat is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. Firstly, you won’t see the kind of performance and fuel economy you expected if you opt for an ethanol-tainted fuel. Furthermore, using fuel that’s not specifically formulated for marine applications can do a number on your fuel system and your engine. Using a specialty fuel like Rec 90 is a good way to avoid these issues.
Stay Away From Shallow Water
The impellers and water pumps that are responsible for cooling your engine tend to be pretty reliable if you take care of them. However, even the sturdiest impellers aren’t immune to damage if you spend a lot of time in shallow water. That’s because shallow waters tend to boast higher concentrations of sediment. All of that gunk can quickly clog up the pump and lead to engine failure.
What to Do When You Need Boat Repair in the Keys
Sooner or later, even the most well-maintained boats need a little TLC to fire on all cylinders. When you require professional boat repair service in Key Largo, Mangrove Marina is the answer to all of your most pressing problems. We go the extra mile to rectify your boat issues ASAP without costing a fortune. Call us to schedule a tune-up for your boat today!
