Boat Maintenance: Can You Tackle it Yourself?

Owning a boat can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences, whether you use it professionally or just for fun. But like any machine, boats require constant maintenance to keep them in good working order, and it can be hard to know what you should handle on your own and what should be left to professionals.

We here at Fish and Ski Marine want to help you keep your vessel sea-worthy, so we’ve put together some tips on how to tell whether or not your boat needs professional maintenance, below. To learn more, or to talk to our maintenance team about an issue you’re having, contact our stores in Sanger and New Braunfels, Texas, today!

Questions to Ask Yourself

1: Your Experience

Your first question when trying to decide whether to handle repairs on your own or not should be, “Do I have the necessary experience and expertise to make these repairs correctly?” It’s important to be honest with yourself on this—there’s no shame in admitting you don’t have the training or preparation for a maintenance procedure. If you have any doubts at all, you’re safer leaving it to the pros.

2: Your Tools

If your answer was “yes” then your next question should be, “Do I have the tools required to perform this maintenance procedure?” There are a lot of boat maintenance tasks that require specialized equipment and tools, and oftentimes it’s cheaper to just get the boat serviced than to buy the tools you don't have. Stock up on the affordable and commonly-needed tools, but don’t overdo it.

3: Your Time

Finally, if you think you have the knowledge and equipment necessary for the repair, ask yourself, “Do I have the time?” Boat maintenance can be complicated, and if you can only do it piecemeal over the course of a month or more, you could save a lot of time with professional maintenance. You don’t want the maintenance to take so long that you don’t get to use your boat this season, after all!

Easy Maintenance Tasks For Home

Inspections

Of course, the simplest and most commonly-needed maintenance task is a thorough inspection, which you can probably handle at home. Look for damage, rust or corrosion, or technical issues before and after rides.

Fluid Changes

If you find an issue with one of the many fluids your boat relies on (like fuel, motor oil, coolant, etc), make sure to check the quality of what’s in the tank. Good-quality fluids that are just low can be topped off, but any fluid with an incorrect color or consistency should be drained fully and replaced.

Ready to get back on the water? Contact us at Fish and Ski Marine for more information, or if your boat needs some professional maintenance. We proudly serve the people of Dallas and San Antonio, Texas—let us serve you today!