Outboard Preventative Maintenance.
Drystack Storage at Tamaki Marine Park
With winter coming fast, now is the time to think about boat maintenance, especially if she’s sitting idle over the colder months. Outboards love being used, and keeping your boat active is the best thing you can do.
However, we know Auckland’s weather doesn’t always play ball. If your vessel is going to sit unused, a few simple preventative steps now will save you headaches come summer.
1. USE IT or LOSE IT If the weather is good, fire up the engine and the diesel heater and get out for the weekend! The absolute best way to maintain a vessel is to keep everything moving. Even running the engine for 10–15 minutes every couple of weeks will help.
2. Flush and drain the engine Leaving salt sitting in the cooling system over winter is a recipe for expensive internal corrosion. So, connect up your flush muffs and run fresh water through the outboard for 5 to 10 minutes. Once flushed, store the engine tilted all the way down so every drop of water drains completely and moisture can't sit in the housing.
3. Install a battery monitoring system These smart, inexpensive little gadgets completely eliminate the "flat battery blues" by sending a heads-up to your phone before your voltage drops too low. Again, if you get an alert but don’t have the ability to get down to the boat and sort it out, give us a call—we can go and check out what's happening with your batteries.
4. Manage your fuel health If you don’t have a quality water-separating fuel filter installed, get one. Moisture builds up in fuel tanks even when the boat is just sitting there, leading to rough running. A good filter lets you trap and drain that water.
AOW Tip: If your boat is sitting completely unused for months, we highly recommend draining and replacing the fuel before your next launch to protect your engine.
5. Give your anchor windlass some love Don't neglect the winch. An annual anchor windlass service ensures everything is greased, helps spot potential electrical or mechanical issues early, and saves you a massive headache when you're trying to drop anchor on your next trip.
6. Lube up Grab a high-quality marine grease and lubricate every moving metal component on the boat to lock out Auckland’s damp, salty air.
7. Don’t forget the trailer Give the trailer winch, handles, axles, and jockey wheel a good lube. Treat any surface rust before it becomes a structural problem, and double-check that your lights and electrics are functioning perfectly before you hit the boat ramp.
8. Outboard Service Don’t forget winter is the best time to do all this, and we can set her up for storage at the same time or if you are due for an outboard service, there is no time like the present.
We do the work - you do the boating
Short on time or can't get down to the marina or dry stack? Give the team at Auckland Outboard Workshop a call. We can pop down to run the engine, do a quick system health check, or handle the entire storage prep for you, so she’s ready to go when you are!