Six Boating Myths That You Should Know (Written by Captain Frank Taylor)
Myth: You shouldn’t
overuse your boat because the engines don’t last as long as car and truck
engines do.
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The more you use your boat, the better as long as proper maintenance is done. |
Truth: This is one of
the biggest myths in boating. For some
reason people believe that a gas powered boat engine should not last more than
1000 hours or so when this could not be further from the truth. For the sake of this argument, we are talking
about the typical recreational boat, not a performance boat with high output
turbocharged or supercharged engines. It
is quite common for gasoline boat engines to last several thousands of hours if
they are cared for properly.
While boat engines are subject to more stress than the
typical car engine, they are also built to deal with that stress. Regular maintenance of your boat’s mechanical
systems is just as important as the maintenance that you do on your car. Often, the problem is that there are many
boaters who show up at the dock every weekend for fun and sun only for their
boat to become an afterthought once Monday morning rolls around. Their pride and joy sits in a slip or on a
trailer and is not thought of again until the next weekend when it’s time for
fun again. Maintenance takes a back seat
and is often ignored. If you do this
long enough, eventually, you are going to have some problems.
I actually had a dock neighbor show up at his boat on a
holiday weekend after not seeing his boat for about 9 months. He had several friends with him, each one
with a cooler or float in tow. They
boarded the boat ready for a wonderful day on the water only to find that they
could not get the engine started. He was
visibly upset, cursing the boat and muttering expletives. I often wonder how many times this happens
each summer. Lack of maintenance not
only leads to experiences such as this but it also negatively affects the life
of your engine.
Things like oil changes, transmission fluid changes, fuel
filters, fresh fuel, and tune ups are all important when it comes to ensuring
that your engine runs well and has a long life.
Even if you did not use your boat much in a given season, change the oil
anyway. Engine oil that sits in an
engine block for a long period of time does break down. If you are putting your boat away for the
season, don’t forget the fuel stabilizer.
It will help prevent varnish and fuel breakdown which will make things
much easier when it is time to go boating again.
Finally, remember that the worst thing you can do to a boat
is not use it. Every time you use your
boat, it lubricates the mechanical systems, removes moisture and prevents fuel
in the tanks from aging. Not using it
allows moisture to creep in which over a period of time can damage the engine,
break down lubricants and contaminate the fuel.
Plus, think of it this way. You
didn’t buy the boat to not use it.
Myth: Boats are
expensive to maintain.
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Many boat maintenance items are easy enough to do yourself. |
Truth: Again, we are
talking about recreational boats and not high performance boats. Yes, boats do need TLC but again, not any
more than your car does. While the cost
of some maintenance items on a boat (such as an oil change) may be more than
performing the same maintenance on your Chevy Tahoe, it does not have to
be. The reason for this price difference
is often the same as why on oil change on a BMW 7 Series costs more than it
does on your Honda Accord. In either
case, you should be using a quality oil of the proper grade and a quality oil
filter but unless you are doing it yourself, you will still pay more simply
because it is a BMW. Boat owners are
often subject to the same situation. The
consensus seems to be that if you own a boat, you obviously are able to pay a
higher price. Changing the oil in your
boat is not that difficult. In fact, it
is often easier than changing the oil in your car. Learn to do it and you don’t have to pay the
higher price simply because it is a boat.
The same rule applies to many of the other maintenance items for your
boat.
Myth: My boat came equipped
with headlights
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Many boaters confuse docking lights for headlights. |
Truth: Some boats
come with what appears to be headlights on the bow. In addition to the red and green navigation
lights, there are a pair of clear lights that when turned on, can illuminate
the area in front of the boat quite well.
Those are not headlights! They
are docking lights. They are meant to be
used to illuminate the area forward of the bow only when approaching docks,
piers or attempting to load your boat on a trailer at night.
All too often, I see boats travelling across the open water
at night with their docking lights on, the operator apparently using them to
light their path across the water. If
you have done this in the past, please realize that you are most likely
blinding the operators of other vessels on the water and probably provoking a
few expletives and raised fists as well.
The only lights that should be on at night while underway are your
navigation lights. Doing otherwise
negatively impacts your night vision and the night vision of other boaters
which can lead to a dangerous situation.
The same rule also applies to spotlights. They should only be used for short periods of
time to obtain position information and then turned off.
Myth: I don’t need
an anchor
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An anchor is not just a convenience item but a safety item. |
Truth: Yes you
do. Unless you have a canoe or a kayak,
you need an anchor (and even some canoers and kayakers have anchors). There are a lot of boaters that claim they do
not need an anchor because they simply go from dock to dock or trailer to dock,
etc. They never stop anywhere on the
water where they would need to drop anchor.
My response to that would be, “What would you do if you had no choice
but to stop?” Sometimes, unexpected
events occur when you are on the water.
Engine trouble, running out of fuel or any other unexpected event could
leave you floating on the water with no propulsion. The ability to drop anchor and stay in one
location while you troubleshoot your situation or wait for help can make
dealing with such a situation a lot safer.
This is especially important if you boat in areas where there are
currents that can quickly sweep you away if you lose propulsion.
Don’t forget that you do need to practice anchoring so you
do know how to do it if and when that time comes. Don’t let a time of crisis be the first time
that you ever drop your anchor.
Myth: Sailboats are cheaper
to own than powerboats
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Sailboats don't use much fuel but there are other costs. |
Truth: This may be true
short term but not necessarily in the long term. Most people view sailboats as a cheaper way
to boat because they don’t use fuel like powerboats do. Yes, most sailboats over 16 feet do have an
engine but it is usually relatively small compared to powerboats of similar
size and is only used to get in and out of the marina with the rest of the time
out on the water being powered by the wind.
A lot of sailors brag about only having to fill their tank once a
season. So, if a sailor is not throwing
hundreds or thousands of dollars into the fuel tank every season, how can he or
she possibly incur the same costs as a powerboat owner? Well, if you own a sailboat, you probably
already know the answer.
While they don’t use much fuel, sailboats do periodically
have to have their rigging redone and they also periodically need the sails to
be replaced. How often depends on how
they are used and cared for but rigging is typically replaced every 10 to 12
years and sails may need to be replaced more often than that. The cost of rigging and sails depends on the
boat and setup. When you consider that
replacement of the rigging for a 30 foot sailboat could be as much as six to
eight thousand dollars and the cost of new sails (mainsail and jib) could be
four to six thousand dollars, all of a sudden, they don’t seem as thrifty. Sailboats with three or more sails or other
unique features can cost even more. While
power boaters are constantly shelling out money each weekend 75 to 100 bucks at
a time, sailors don’t have to lay out the funds as often but when they do, the
amounts are much larger.
Of course, both types of boats have their own types of
maintenance that must be done periodically and the ultimate costs will be
determined by how often and how they are used.
Myth: Ethanol fuel is
bad for your boat’s engine.
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Fuel with up to 10 percent ethanol is okay for your boat. |
Truth: Your boats
engine can burn fuel with an ethanol content up to 10 percent with no problem
at all. However, there are a few things
to consider.
First, ethanol absorbs water. If you leave your boat sitting for long
periods of time, moisture can get into the fuel tank via condensation. Over a long period of time, this can lead to
phase separation where the water and ethanol separate from the rest of the fuel
thus causing some potentially serious fuel problems. If you plan on storing your boat for a long
period of time (such as over the winter season), consider putting non-ethanol
fuel in before putting it away but at a minimum use a fuel stabilizer that will
help prevent fuel breakdown during storage.
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Use a fuel stabilizer when storing your boat for periods in excess of 30 days. |
Secondly, check the construction of your boat’s fuel
tanks. Some older boats (prior to the
1980’s) were constructed with fiberglass fuel tanks. Ethanol can break down
fiberglass resin, causing it to contaminate the fuel and gunk up your
engine. If your boat has fiberglass fuel
tanks, do not use ethanol fuel in your boat.
If your boat has plastic or aluminum fuel tanks, then ethanol fuel is
fine.
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