Cabin fever got you down? Here are a few things that you can do during the winter months to prepare your boating equipment for the next season, as well as, keep you from tearing the walls down waiting to wet a hook.
In this part, we’ll take a look at some typical mechanical items on your boat that may require a little TLC that you can perform at home and may save you some valuable time on the water later in the year.
Trolling Motor: Trolling motors take a lot of abuse throughout the year. Not only do they make contact with hidden underwater items like rocks and stumps, but are bounced around quite a bit while we travel around our favorite lakes and rivers.
- Prop: Contact with rocks and stumps may not completely break a trolling motor prop, but this contact may weaken the material and allow for a later failure, and we all know when it will happen – At the worse possible time!!! Check your trolling motor prop for stress cracks and chips. File away any rough edges as this may cause noise and vibrations. Remove the prop and check on the condition of the pin and shaft. This is also a good time to look for any fishing line that may have wrapped around the shaft of the motor. Fishing line wrapped around a trolling motor shaft will cause extra strain on your motor and batteries, thus reducing your battery power and time on the water. It’s a good idea to have a spare prop and prop kit (Pin & Nut) in case you ever need to make a quick exchange on the water. Be sure to hold the pin securely while removing and replacing the prop, as these tiny items are notorious for falling out of place during this procedure. A little trick that I have used when installing a new pin and prop is to fill the hole within the prop shaft with petroleum jelly. This sticky substance will help hold the pin in place while you slide the prop on. After a few uses of the trolling motor, the petroleum jelly will wash away and will not harm your motor or prop.
- Steering Cables: The cables that direct the left and right movement of the trolling motor are your lifeline to your boat control. There is a tremendous amount of strain on these small diameter cables. Check for friction wear on the cables at the foot pedal and inside the trolling motor head. These areas provide another good use for petroleum jelly. Add a small amount to the bare areas of the cables at friction points.
- Shaft: Check to ensure that your trolling motor shaft is straight and rotates freely. A shaft with even the slightest bend will make it difficult for you to turn the motor left and right, especially at high speeds. This extra difficulty will put more strain on your steering cables when you force the motor to turn left or right, therefore increasing your chances of breaking these steering cables. Check the shaft bearings for wear or corrosion which could lead to difficulty in steering. I have found it useful to add a thick lubricant such as chain lube to the bearings. This thick lubricant will stay on the bearings for a great deal of time before washing away. Most cans of this lubricant will come with an application straw that will allow you to inject the lubricant into the desired location. Never use lighter lubricants such as WD-40, as these liquids will actually remove any thicker lubricants from the bearings.
- Rope: How many of us have had the rope that is used to raise and lower the trolling motor break? Probably most of us!!! Like the steering cables, this rope is used many, many times and will eventually break due to normal wear and tear. Follow your rope from one end to the other and focus on areas of friction. Replace this rope if you see any rough sections. Once you install a new rope you can add something as simple as electrical tape to the friction areas to increase the life of the rope. Simply wrap the affected area of the rope with a small amount of tape to protect the rope from increased wear.
- Trolling Motor Bracket: This is the part of the trolling motor assembly that is attached to the bow of your boat. Most have up to six bolts/fasteners that hold the trolling motor in place. Be sure that these fasteners are tight. Over a period of time these fasteners will loosen, mostly from the vibration caused while traveling around in rough water conditions. Access to the underside of the bracket and fasteners will vary by boat brand, but you should be able to access these fasteners to help with the tightening process.
- Transducer (External): Although this is technically not part of the trolling motor, it is generally attached to the trolling motor, so we’ll cover it in this section. Like with the prop, the transducer may see a lot of underwater obstacles that may cause eventual damage. Check the transducer for any cracks around the bracket that holds the transducer in place. Also follow the transducer cable up the trolling motor shaft and look for any cuts or pinched areas in the wire.
Hot Foot / Foot Throttle: Commonly referred to as a “Hot Foot”, a foot throttle assembly allows you to free up one hand for other driving duties and allows for more of an automobile feel in regards to an accelerator (Just remember one important item on your car or truck that you will not find on a boat – A Brake!!). Check the throttle assembly for corrosion and loose fasteners. Add lubricant at friction points to ease in the use of the assembly. There should be a spring attached that helps to force the pedal back to an idle position and reduce the amount of throttle. Be sure this spring is in place and properly adjusted.
Steering: For boats equipped with hydraulic steering, check to be sure you have an adequate amount of fluid in the reservoir. Low fluid levels will cause air to get trapped within the lines and will not allow for proper function of the steering assembly. For boats that do not have the hydraulic steering assemblies, long steering cables are required to turn the engine left and right. Much the same as the steering cable on the trolling motor, these cables are under a lot of stress and are subject to breaking over time. Be sure that any friction area of the cables are properly lubricated and check for any wear in the cable.
Tilt/Trim: Check the tilt/trim motor/reservoir for proper fluid levels. Look for leaking seals. Lubricate required areas on the tilt/trim assembly.
Hydraulic Lift Plate: For boats that are equipped with a hydraulic lift plate, commonly called a “Jack Plate”, check the fluid reservoir for proper fluid level. Lubricate any friction areas in the moving parts.
Aerator Pumps: These are the most important items in fish care. Check the hoses and connections for cracks or leaks and look for any corrosion around the motor and shaft. A noisy or squeaking pump is usually an indication of an eventual failure. Replacement cartridges are relatively inexpensive and can be quickly replaced. Be sure to replace your aerator pumps with the same flow rating (GPH) so that you maintain the correct level of aeration for your catch.
Engine Prop: Check your engine prop for damage from underwater obstacles such as stumps, logs, and rocks. Look for rough or chipped edges on the blades that may cause vibrations. At 5000 RPM it will not take long for an out of balance prop, due to excessively damaged blades, to do a great deal of damage to your lower unit. Remove your prop and look for any fishing line that may have wrapped around the shaft. Fishing line, wrapped around the shaft, can actually cut into your drive shaft seal allowing water to enter your lower unit.
Fuel: The long winter months that keep you off of the water can severely damage your engine due to large amounts of condensation building up within the walls of your fuel tanks. Basically you are storing your fuel for three months or more and this long storage time increases your chances of a fuel related engine problem. Fuel additives intended for lengthy storage periods are a must at this time. Most manufacturers of these products offer formulas that not only fight against water-related issues within the fuel, but also fight against the harmful affects of ethanol that are found in today’s fuels. At this time, your fuel may contain as much as 10% ethanol, but there is a push to increase this level up to at least 15%. Your boat engine was not designed for such high ethanol content, therefore the use of such an additive is needed. I personally use the Stabil “Marine” formula that fights both water and ethanol contaminations. One ounce of this product will treat 10 gallons of fuel. Check to see what competitive brands you can find in your local area and keep you engine running better for longer.