A Comprehensive Approach to Pre-Season Boat Prep
Brian Rice is a charter fishing captain who plies the inshore and offshore waters off northern New Jersey with his 2006 31-foot Contender® center console. The boat is powered by the original 2006 Yamaha F250 outboards, and the hull and motors have over 2,200 hours of use on them without a major repair.
The boat has been fished hard, but sitting on the trailer in the warehouse, gleaming under three coats of wax as Rice finished up the process of getting it ready for the 2014 fishing season, it looked to be in excellent condition. Brian walked us through the thorough service program he follows before splashing the boat for another season of charters and fun fishing with his family and friends.
“The Jersey Devil is a great boat, and it’s powered by the most dependable outboards I have ever owned,” Rice said. “But dependability is a two-way street. Yamaha builds a great product, but if you don’t follow the manufacturer’s service requirements at the specified service intervals, you can’t expect to get the kind of longevity I have gotten from mine. It’s that simple.
Rice’s spring pre-season prep work goes well beyond the outboards. The larger the boat, the more things there are to inspect, service and replace if necessary. The older the boat, the more important these system checks are to avoid what could become serious problems once you start the season. If you live in warmer climates and use your boat year round, regardless of whether you keep it in the water, on a lift or a trailer, you should set aside a time once a year to do a full vessel inspection and service. It can actually save you a lot of money on unnecessary repairs in the long run.
“Since I put a significant amount of hours on my outboards each season, I probably replace service items more frequently than a more casual boater needs to,” Rice said. “But that’s just me. I hate to let things go that could come back to haunt me during the fishing season.....Read Full Article Here
