I am determined to get out in the boat this year for a lot of fishing. Last year the boat never made it to the lake. So, this post is about my 2024 Boat Prep. The boat and trailer needed cleaning along with some maintenance as well as a couple modifications. Then a test run followed by an engine repair.
Cleanup
Between getting buried under ice during the winter of 2022-2023, sitting in the garage for the summer of 2023 and then the winter storage failure in the spring of 2024, the boat needed to be dried out and cleaned.
I started by removing all of the bags of moth balls that I had put into the lockers and bilge. They did their job and kept the mice out but the smell still lingers today. Hopefully that goes away with time. A quick vacuum and then a good wash down and things are relatively clean. I then parked it in the garage with all locker doors open so that everything can dry out.
Trailer Maintenance and Modifications
From a maintenance perspective I did two things. First, I had the trailer bearings replaced. They had last been replaced before 2016 so they were overdue. Second, I replaced the winch strap. The old strap was sun faded but looked okay but I replaced in anyways. Cheap insurance.
The last season I used the boat (2022) I was having trouble getting the boat on the trailer straight. It seemed to always sit off to one side. During my rehab for my last hip replacement I did some YouTube research and it looks like I was probably putting the trailer to far in the water. To facilitate launching and recovery, I made a couple changes.
First, I moved the guides to the back of the boat. Originally, I had mounted the guides forward of the wheels, which really did not accomplish anything. I moved them as far back on the trailer as I could.
Second, I added some non-slip tape to the trailer where I sometimes try to walk while launching or loading the boat. I am too old to be slipping off of a trailer.
I am also exploring some other options related to launching and recovery that will be covered in another post.
Boat Maintenance and Repair
The last time I used the boat, I noticed that my electronics would show a low voltage warning when I started the engine after fishing for a while. So, did some investigation and it turns out that the last time I replaced the starter battery, I replaced it with a deep cycle battery. Not ideal. So I replaced it with a dual purpose marine battery. Dual purpose meaning both starter and deep cycle.
During a test outing, I noticed that the engine was not shooting water out the back. That stream of water is called a telltale and lets you know that the engine cooling system is working. So I limped the boat back to the landing, loaded it up and went home. At home, I started the investigation by watching a couple of YouTube videos. When I opened the engine cover I quickly found that the tube that feeds the telltale was kinked. When I got it untwisted it turns out the hose also had a split.
A quick trip to the auto repair store for some hose and I was able to replace the hose. A quick test in driveway confirmed that the problem was solved.
Fortunately, I was able to find and fix the problem myself. The replacement hose and clamps cost less than $10. Plus, I now know more about the engine and how the cooling system works.
Boat Modifications
My boat is relatively small at about 16 feet, which is about perfect for two people. It works well on the smaller lakes that I typically fish. It is also easier to launch and recover the boat at landings that are not as well maintained as on the bigger lakes. We typically take rods for live bait and trolling. While we are using one set of rods, the other set are in the way. To deal with that, I installed a set of rod holders on the front of the console. We will be able to put the spare rods in those holders and keep them safe.
Summary
The 2024 Boat Prep turned out to cover pretty much everything. We have been out twice already and the boat/trailer performed as expected.
