Engine maintenance is an essential task required to ensure the boat is in the best condition. With the many hours of navigation, the salt deposits, the constant seawater, the sun, and other factors, your engine needs checking once in a while so it doesn’t break down.

To help you in this regard, we offer you a list of maintenance tips to perform after each outing and also how to prepare your boat engine for storage at the end of the season.

Boat maintenance before storage

The engine is the most sensitive part of your boat. If it breaks down at sea you can quickly find yourself in a delicate or even dangerous situation. A poorly maintained engine can operate abnormally until the day when it will no longer work at all. To avoid degrading or damaging it, regular maintenance is recommended throughout the season and before storage.

To be sure you have an engine in normal operation, it is best to have it serviced before and after each season. In specialized facilities such as this one for boat storage in Boise, it is possible to carry out the maintenance of the vessel yourself thanks to easy access to qualified boat mechanics and the full range of amenities available.

After each season, perform the following maintenance tasks for outboard engines before boat storage:

• Rinse your engine with fresh water (without removing the engine cover). • Then using a rinsing kit or immersing the base in freshwater run your engine. • Start the engine and let it run for at least 10 minutes to wash off the salt. Make sure your motor does not have a gear engaged to prevent the propeller from turning as a safety measure. Watch your engine is well supplied with water during this process to prevent overheating. • While the engine is running disconnect the gasoline supply and let the engine run to burn off any gasoline remaining in the carburetor. The engine will shut down on its own after fuel from the carburetor is consumed. This makes it possible not to have fuel deposits or films interfering with the start-up during the next outing.