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Get Your Boat Ready for Summer with a Synthetic Oil Change in Denton

Essential Summer Boat Maintenance Tips

Are you planning on making the most of the warm summer weather by taking a trip on your boat? Without a doubt, the best thing about being a boat owner is the freedom to travel wherever your heart desires. That feeling of liberty is unparalleled. But, that freedom does come at a cost – there’s no roadside assistance out at sea, and you can find yourself in a sticky situation if you happen to suffer any technical difficulties. Because of this, it’s crucial to conduct some important summer boat maintenance before heading off. In this articles, your local AMSOIL Dealer – 109 Autosolutions, would like to share our guide to essential summer boat maintenance.

Fire Protection

Boats are particularly vulnerable to fire outbreaks, due to a combination of diesel engines, gas appliances, and wooden decking. Therefore, it’s essential that you do all you can to avoid a fire breaking out, as well as investing in fire extinguishers in case of such an emergency. You may need more than one extinguisher to protect your boat fully – consult the manufacturer’s recommendations for more information. You should have your extinguishers serviced at least once a year, place them in easily accessible locations and ensure that all family members or crew are fully trained and able to use them in the event of a fire.

Engine

Without a functioning driving force, you could find yourself stranded out at sea with no way of steering your boat back to the safety of the harbor. To make sure that your engine is in perfect working order before setting off, you should conduct a number of checks.

Take a look at your fuel tank. Check for any leaks or areas of rust damage. Leaks not only reduce fuel efficiency but create a severe fire hazard, so it’s important to identify and repair any leaks as quickly as possible.
Your engine compartment should be clean, organized and free from any items that could present a fire hazard, such as cleaning rags, paper or other flammable items.
You should make sure to change your engine oil at regular intervals. Discover Boating suggest this occur every 100 hours of operation. Motor oil reduces friction by providing a barrier between these metallic surfaces and, as a result, reduces heat. This is paramount in the context of sailing as when your engine is working particularly hard, especially during hot weather, it runs the risk of overheating and breaking down, leaving you stranded.

A good-quality engine oil is vital for keeping your engine healthy. It performs three main functions – lubrication, cooling, and protection against corrosion. Your boat’s engine is made up of many, small, metal components. These rub up against each other when the engine is working, causing friction, which in turn produces heat. Motor oil also filters out the reactive particles responsible for causing rust, prolonging the life of your engine. There are two main types of engine oil for you to choose from – synthetic and conventional. Synthetic oils are specially developed by scientists to provide superior lubrication and rust protection. The best way to protect against overheating, and prolong the life of your engine is with a synthetic oil change. Call your localAmsoil Dealer – 109 Autosolutions today at (336) 517-7155 to find out which is the best product to use for your synthetic oil change.

Safety First

There are a number of safety features on your boat that you should check before setting sail. Have a look at guardrails and barriers – make sure that they are firmly attached and would be able to provide support should you encounter rough seas or windy weather. If your boat has wooden decking that is slippery when wet, you should consider investing in anti-slip mats to avoid accidents or injuries.

Final Checks

You should take a look at all electrical wiring – ensure that it is in good condition and make sure to store it neatly in bundles to avoid accidents. Test your bilge pumps so that you can be sure that they would function correctly to pump out excess water in an emergency. You should also go over the inventory of your equipment and ensure that you have spares of all essential items.

Increase Your Boat's Performance with a Synthetic Oil Change in Denton

Follow this guide and you’ll be safe and confident to set sail into the sunset. Don’t forget the best way to protect your engine from overheating, and to prolong its lifetime, is with a synthetic oil change. Call your localAmsoil Dealer – 109 Autosolutions today at (336) 517-7155 to benefit from this superior technology.