Preparing Your Engine for Summer Adventures

Summer is finally coming and for all sailing enthusiasts this means only one thing; It's time to set sail! After waiting patiently through the winter months, you don't have much time left to prepare your boat for the adventures ahead. All experienced captains who value safety know how important a well-planned preparation is before starting the season. The sea is no joke, friends. Whatever you overlooked and left incomplete will, unfortunately, let you down just when you need it. In this blog post, I will talk about some important tips that you should keep in mind when preparing your boat for the summer season.

Although it varies depending on the conditions under which you spend your off-season storage time, it is important to determine how it affects your boat during the time you do not use it. While a boat remaining at sea will experience the harmful effects of exposure to salt water, a boat remaining on a lake will experience more significant adverse effects of freezing on the boat's hull. While preparing your boat for the summer, you can start by looking for signs of wear and tear that will be caused by the adverse conditions of the region.

Cleansing makes it visible

If you haven't had the opportunity to visit your boat in the winter, I'm sure you'll feel a little bad when you first see it, because it will be very dirty. Therefore, the exterior needs a cleaning so that you can check whether everything is in order. However, only afterward, you will be able to see if there are any negative effects of winter on your deck, hatches, cockpit, and most importantly your rigging. While the outer surfaces are covered with salt deposits and grime, they will hide many possible problems from you. To clean the hull, deck and cockpit, try not to use too strong detergent, even a marine detergent will help you cause minimum damage to nature. Check for any signs of wear or damage. This not only improves the appearance of the boat but also allows for detailed inspection of problems before they become larger problems. For example, if the boat is fiberglass in a sea area where temperatures drop to freezing, the points where the metal meets the fiber must be reviewed. Since the expansion coefficients of metals are much higher than fibers, it is very possible to encounter openings and cracks at these junction points. Sidesatay deck mounts are a very good example of this.

In my previous blog post, I talked about the control and maintenance of boat rigging in detail. I recommend those who are curious to look at that article. Now let's move on to today's main topic; engine checks and maintenance.

Engine Excellence: Ensuring Peak Performance for Smooth Sailing

Now it's time for the heart of the boat. An engine that works like clockwork is a must for safe and enjoyable journeys at sea. However, let me warn you from the beginning that if you do not have a mechanical background in engine repair, the checks you make on your own will not be sufficient. You should definitely get support from an authorized service that is an expert in this field. In this article, I plan to touch on the engine issue a little and share what I know with you. Whether your boat is a sailboat, a trawler or a motor yacht, this issue concerns us all.

Let's say your knowledge of engine repair is limited, so what can you check as a captain? Even if you've left your boat afloat throughout the winter, you probably won't encounter any negative surprises if it had no serious problems the last time you started it. Still, this is the sea, you never know what will happen. Therefore, it is useful to make a few checks before turning the ignition on.

Open the engine room and make a visual inspection first. Is there water accumulation near the engine? If so, where is the source? It can have three sources; the engine block, the place where the propeller shaft connects to the fiber and finally a crack formed elsewhere in the hull. I can already tell you that the last possibility is unlikely because if a crack in the hull is left alone in winter conditions, you will probably not encounter a floating boat when you arrive. If you are already in a place like a marina, the officials will warn you before spring comes; “Come, your boat is sinking!” This has to be the worst phone call a boat owner can receive regarding their boat. Anyway, let's get back to our topic.

Although water coming from the engine block is very dangerous, it is not the type you will encounter in an engine that has not been running for months. Since the engine draws cooling water from the sea through a pump, this water does not have a chance to enter the engine block when the engine is not running. The engine cannot siphon water above sea level for no reason. This only happens if the engine is located below sea level, but manufacturers do not prefer designs that may cause such problems. What remains is the propeller's connecting shaft passing through the hull. This is the most likely possibility and it may cause you serious trouble. Although boat owners generally secure their boats well for the winter, winter winds can sometimes change things unexpectedly. The propellers of boats swinging and leaning under the influence of the wind can find a rope to wrap around them. Boats moving left, right, back and forth under the influence of the wind can apply serious loads to the propeller shafts, cracking the fiber and causing serious problems such as water intake.

We saw the water, so what will we do? It should be noted to what extent the water affects the engine. Since engine rooms will usually be connected to the bilge, you won't see much water here. But the bilge drain line might be clogged and water may have accumulated there. Especially if it has risen to the electrical parts of the engine, forget about turning the ignition that day and hearing the sound of the engine that you missed. After that, it is the job of the authorized technical service. There is one more check you can make, and that is to check the engine oil. Pull the dipstick and examine the oil. What you need to check is whether water is mixed into the oil. If that happens, of course, things will get worse like engine revision etc.

Anyway, if we have talked about disaster scenarios enough, let's get back to our main topic. You opened the engine room, it is clean, you checked the oil and there is nothing. It looks as bright as you left it. If so, turn on the engine battery switch and check the battery charge. It probably won't be in good condition because it hasn't been charged over the winter. Connect your boat to electricity and give it some time to charge. In the meantime, continue with other checks. If you do not have an indicator to check the battery voltage - there are a few boats like this - the battery sound when you turn the ignition on will tell you the situation. Of course, it is also true that the owners of such boats will know these things better than me. Anyway, we turned the ignition on, the bright battery light and the loud and clear battery sound without fluctuation are the signs of a fully charged battery. Well, let's start the engine now and hear that sound you missed.

You pressed the engine start button, if the engine started immediately, what more could a captain want? The engine may be a little fussy at first start, you may need to press the starter longer, but a healthy engine will eventually start. It is a good idea to pump some fuel manually before starting the engine. As you know, months have passed and all fuel lines may be completely empty. How nice, we got the sound of the engine again after months. So keep checking. There are three important things you should immediately lean towards the exhaust outlet and check; Is there any cooling water coming out? Is there exhaust smoke? If so, what color is it? and finally, is there any oil or fuel leakage from the coolant?

If the coolant is not coming out, there is a big problem. There's no need to even check what else I said. If you waited for a very short time and no water came out, stop the engine. After that, it's an authorized technical service job. Your water lines may be clogged, your circulation pump may be broken, or you may have more serious problems. Let's say it scared us a little, but then the water started flowing. Good news! Now we can do other checks. When the engine is idle, give very light gas, 1000-1100 rpm is quite sufficient. The coolant should come out clean. If your cooling water creates rainbow-like colored spreads on the sea surface (normal at first start-up, but should be cut off immediately), it means that oil or fuel is mixed with your cooling water. If it flows cleanly, you can put a tick, it means your engine has passed this test.

Last but not least the color of the exhaust smoke. You can see three different colors, blue, black, and white. While the first two indicate issues related to engine efficiency, the last one, white smoke, may indicate water leaking into the engine block. At first start-up, it is normal for some smoke to come out from an engine that has not been running for months. However, if the exhaust smoke does not return to normal, especially the white one, I would recommend stopping the engine. Again, the rest is the job of the authorized technical service. Let's say it didn't happen like that, we started it, the engine emitted somehow a strange smoke for 15-30 seconds, it vibrated, then it returned to normal, and there was no smoke or vibration left. This is again good news for captains. You can complete your seasonal periodic maintenance and meet the sea with peace of mind, knowing that there is no major problem with the engine.

Preparing your boat for the summer season is more than just a task; a celebration of the season itself. Wish you a joyful summer. Hope it will be an opportunity for all boat enthusiasts to reconnect with nature, meet with friends and family and enjoy boat life. The sea is ready to welcome you home.