Spring Commissioning - Getting Your Boat Ready for the Season

Take the cover or shrink wrap off and air the boat out. Look for mouse nests, bird nests, chewed wires and water in the bilge. Remove anything you stuffed in the engine for storage (dryer sheets, tape over intakes or the flame arrester, plastic bags over the lower unit).

Charge the battery fully. A healthy, rested 12-volt battery reads about 12.6 volts; much lower than 12.4 means it needs charging or testing. Have it load tested if it is a few years old.

Clean the terminals and cable ends to bright metal, connect positive first and negative last, and tighten firmly (use nuts and lock washers, not wing nuts). A thin coat of terminal protector helps.

Check every fuel hose, primer bulb, clamp and fitting from the tank to the engine. Look for cracks, soft or swollen spots, stains or a fuel smell. Older pre-ethanol hoses break down on E10 fuel.

If the fuel was not stabilized, or the boat sat for a long time, consider having old fuel removed. Replace the water-separating filter if it was not done in the fall. Squeeze the primer bulb: it should get firm and stay firm. A bulb that has gone hard and stiff, or pumps weakly, is worn out inside (BoatUS notes its one-way valves deteriorate and bits of old rubber can travel to the engine), so replace it rather than trying to soften it. The arrow on the bulb must point toward the engine.

• Engine oil (4-stroke, sterndrive, inboard): check the dipstick; it should be clean and at the right level.
• 2-stroke oil tank: fill with the right TC-W3 oil if you have oil injection.
• Power trim and power steering fluid: check levels; milky fluid means water.
• Closed cooling coolant: check level with the engine cold.
• Drive/gearcase: look for oil on the ground under the drive or gearcase. Any leak or water in the lube needs attention.

If you filled the engine with antifreeze, reinstall any drain plugs that were left out, confirm all hoses are on and clamped, and check that the sea strainer (if equipped) is not cracked from ice. If you removed a thermostat in the fall, reinstall it with a new gasket.

When you first run the engine, catch the antifreeze that comes out instead of letting it go into the water. Many owners run it out on the hose at home.

• Spin the prop and look for nicks and bends. If the prop was not pulled in the fall, remove it, check the shaft for fishing line, and coat the shaft with marine grease before reinstalling. Check the prop nut and cotter pin or tab washer.
• Inspect sterndrive bellows for cracks.
• Replace anodes that are about half gone or coated. Do not paint anodes.
• Look at the bonding wires: the thin bare or green wires that link moving metal parts (bracket, swivel, trim parts) to the engine. Boating Magazine notes they break easily; a broken one leaves that part without corrosion protection.
• Grease every fitting listed in your manual.

Turn the wheel lock to lock. It should be smooth, with no binding or clunks. Work the throttle and shift through their range. Stiff cables are cheaper to replace now than to fail on the water.

Look for cracked, glazed or loose belts and hoses that are cracked, mushy or swollen. Squeeze each hose and check every clamp, especially below the waterline. Look at exhaust hoses and clamps for rust streaks, black soot or cracks.

Connect flush muffs (or the flush kit your manual approves for running) and turn the water on fully, or launch the boat. On most outboards the built-in flush port is for flushing with the engine off, not for running it; run on the port only if your manual allows it. Start the engine and confirm:

• A strong telltale stream (outboard) or water from the exhaust (sterndrive/inboard) within a few seconds
• Normal oil pressure and no warning horn
• No fuel, oil, coolant or water leaks
• Normal temperature after a few minutes

Expect some smoke at first if the engine was fogged. It should clear.

Ran fine last fall, but won't start (or starts and dies) now? This is the most common spring complaint, and the cause is usually simple. Check in this order: a battery that slowly drained over the winter, the kill switch clip, a fuel valve left closed or a tank vent shut, tape or a nest still blocking an intake, stale or water-contaminated fuel (look in the separator bowl), and spark plugs fouled by heavy fogging oil. See the guides for an engine that won't start and one that starts then dies for the full checklists.

Test the bilge pump(s) and float switch, navigation lights, horn, blower, and the engine's warning horn (many engines beep briefly at key-on). Test the engine kill switch (lanyard) and the CO alarm if your boat has a cabin. Charge or replace handheld VHF and flashlight batteries. For a VHF radio check, call on a working channel such as 9, not on channel 16, which is kept for distress and calling.

Make sure you have a wearable life jacket for each person in good shape, a throwable device if required, fire extinguishers within date and charged, visual distress signals within date, and a sound device. Check that the registration is current.

Check tire pressure and condition, lug nuts, wheel bearings (grease or bearing buddies), lights, winch strap and safety chains. Trailer failures ruin more first trips than engines do.

Install the hull drain plug before launching. Many experienced boaters keep the plug on the key ring or attach a tag to the ignition key as a reminder.

Stay close to the ramp for the first run. Check gauges, listen for odd noises, and confirm the engine reaches full rpm. Then re-check for leaks in the engine compartment and bilge after you come back.