By Charles Fort
Last spring, a boater was readying his 27-foot cruiser for launch. He checked the bilge pump, fuel lines, and stuffing box, and did his usual thorough inspection from bow to stern. He thought about replacing the engine’s raw water impeller but figured he could get one more year out of it. Big mistake!
On his first trip out, while at planing speed, the engine overheated and shut down suddenly. After he was towed back to his marina, his mechanic said the overheating had destroyed his engine. The cost to repair was nearly $14,000 and damage caused by a worn-out impeller was considered maintenance and not covered by his boat’s insurance.
Don’t let something like this ruin your season (and empty your wallet). BoatU.S has been insuring boats for decades, and the following are the most common spring claims from winterizing mistakes and an incomplete spring commissioning routine.
- Flooding or Sinking
Aged underwater hoses and fittings are the single most common cause of sinkings. The biggest culprits? Corroded fittings, old hoses, rusty hose clamps, leaking stuffing boxes, and split bellows.
Before you launch, make sure hoses fit snugly and are double-clamped where possible. Those showing signs of age—rot, stiffness, bulges, leaks, and/or cracking—should be replaced. Clamps tend to corrode on the bottom where it may be hard to see. Inspect thru-hulls for corrosion or cracking, and make sure seacocks operate easily so you can close them in an emergency. After you’ve checked all your underwater fittings before launching, check them again after the boat is in the water, just in case.
Stuffing boxes figure high for dockside sinkings. They should never leak at rest and only leak a drop or two per minute while underway. If leaking can’t be stopped by tightening the nut, repack the gland. Be careful, though: Over-tightening the nut may prevent leaking underway, but can burn out the packing material.
Intake strainers that weren’t properly drained in the fall may crack or split over the winter. Damage may also result from strainers that weren’t closed completely as well as hoses that weren’t re-secured.
Sterndrive bellows have to remain watertight for years while withstanding flexing and bending, exposure to water and marine growth, and extremes of temperature. The shift bellows is the smallest, which makes it most susceptible to cracks that start in the folds. By tilting and turning the sterndrive, inspect the bellows and replace if you see any sign of wear. If one bellows is worn, chances are all of them are, so replace them as a set. (Even if no damage is seen, replace all bellows every five years.)
- Engine/Outdrive Damage
Impellers can last a few years under normal operation, but many boat owners simply replace them annually as cheap insurance. Saltwater boats are going to see a shorter manifold life when compared to their freshwater counterparts. Most experts suggest that a manifold will have a life expectancy of six to eight years. A damaged impeller can cause severe overheating if not caught quickly, potentially leading to a smoking-hot exhaust hose or fire. Even if a failed impeller doesn’t melt an exhaust hose, missing bits can become lodged in the cooling system, blocking passageways and further reducing engine-cooling ability. Once that occurs, you’ll need to disassemble the cooling system to remove these parts.
Leaking oil or other fluids can quickly ruin an engine or sterndrive operated without them. Before you even move your outboard or sterndrive boat from its winter resting place, check underneath the lower unit and make sure there are no spots of leaking oil. If so, find out the cause before you launch to prevent an overheat and damage an engine or transmission.
- Fire or Explosion
Fuel lines, including fill and vent hoses, have the potential to leak flammable gas and fumes and cause an explosion or fire. Carefully check them for indications of softness, brittleness, or cracking. Any that are suspect should be replaced immediately with U.S. Coast Guard-approved hose. Check joints for leaks (use your finger and look for stains under or around the fitting), and make sure all lines are well supported with non-combustible clips or straps without rough edges. Inspect all fuel-system components for leaks. Clamps should be snug and free of heavy rust.
A boat’s electrical system is the cause of more than half of all boat fires. Most often, they are due to faults in the DC (battery) circuit. The best defense is to inspect, clean, and tighten electrical connections, especially both ends of battery cables. Loose connections can “arc,” which creates an enormous amount of heat and can cause a fire. Studs, nuts, and washers should be made from copper, not aluminum or steel. Dissimilar metals have the potential to cause galvanic corrosion on terminals. Wire brush battery terminals, and fill cells with distilled water. Many older boats have been upgraded with additional lights, fans, chart plotters, sound systems, etc., but often the electrical wiring and panels have not, which could lead to overheated circuits.
Most AC electrical fires occur in the shore power system. In addition to the cord itself, the shore power inlet on the boat, typically the terminals at the back of the inlet where the boat’s wiring is connected, is particularly vulnerable to water intrusion. The connections are subject to vibration and corrosion and are often surrounded by easily ignited material, so if there’s any sign of corrosion, replace them.
Plugging and unplugging shore power connectors while energized contributes to the problem. The micro-arcs and sparks generated each time you do so create tiny pits on surface connections, which in turn lead to resistance and heat buildup. Take a moment to feel your shore power cord and inlet once your boat is launched and drawing current. Warm is OK (maybe), but more than that is a fire waiting to happen.
- Trailer Breakdown
Failed tires are the primary reason for trailering claims. They’re not only a nuisance, but can cause a traffic accident. Before you hook up, use a gauge to check tire pressure and inspect tire treads and sidewalls — cracks on sidewalls or lack of tread indicate the tire must be replaced. Don’t forget the trailer’s spare tire.
Rust occurs inside a trailer’s axle tube from trapped water and can lead to a catastrophic failure of the axle. Inspect your trailer inspection for problems such as bent or twisted members, nonfunctioning lights, cracked welds, missing hardware, failed bearings, and corrosion.
- Sailboat Rigging Failures
While not as common as other claims, rigging failures can be catastrophic and cause injuries. Turnbuckles that were loosened when the boat was hauled out must be re-tightened. Also, look for corrosion, especially around the chain plates, turnbuckles, and swaged fittings. Put on a rugged pair of gloves and run your hand down the shrouds and stays. If the glove catches on broken strands, the standing rigging needs replacement.
The author is a BoatU.S. Magazine Contributing Editor. This article was condensed and reprinted with permission from BoatU,S. Magazine, flagship publication of the membership organization Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.). For more expert articles and videos, visit BoatUS.com. Visit the BoatU.S. YouTube channel for a spring commissioning video playlist.
