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First trip after winter storage: what to check before you leave the berth
Short answer
Before the first trip after winter storage, check the cooling, impeller, hoses, seacocks, steering and batteries, and run the engine on the berth first. Many of the failures of the first week of the season announce themselves in advance.
For many motor boats the first trip after winter storage is one of the riskiest outings of the year. Months ashore or under a cover leave their mark: the raw water pump impeller has taken a set or gone brittle, hoses and jubilee clips have cracked, seacocks have seized, steering cables or hydraulics have stiffened and batteries have lost charge. Add the parts that were removed or drained during winterising and not quite refitted. A fault that is merely annoying on the pontoon quickly becomes dangerous out on the water, in a tideway or a busy river.
Work through it in order before you leave the berth. Are all the through hulls sound, and do the seacocks open and close? Is the impeller new or in good condition, and the raw water strainer clean? Are hoses and clips tight, with no coolant or oil in the bilge? Does the steering move freely from lock to lock, and the throttle engage cleanly? Are the batteries charged, and do the bilge pump, navigation lights and VHF work? Then run the engine up to temperature on the berth, watching for water at the exhaust and listening for unusual noises or smells.
Doing this and writing it down also helps if something goes wrong. Policies generally distinguish between sudden damage and wear and tear or lack of maintenance, and an engine that overheats because of an old impeller is a classic grey area. Keep a note of what you checked and replaced and hold on to the yard's invoices, as a surveyor or claims handler will ask for them. Make the first run in calm weather and close to the harbour, with a paddle, anchor and phone aboard, and only open up the throttle once everything is behaving. If the temperature rises, ease off at once and investigate.
Worth remembering
On the berth
check cooling, hoses, steering and batteries calmly
On the water
a fault soon means a tow, salvage or a collision
The season starts on the berth with the engine hatch open, not at full throttle.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Should I change the impeller after winter storage?
Not always, but you should inspect it. An impeller that has sat in one position for months is often deformed or brittle, and many yards recommend changing it at fixed intervals.
What do I check before starting the engine on the berth?
Cooling water seacock open, raw water strainer clean, oil and coolant at the right level, nothing in the bilge. Then start up and look for water at the exhaust.
Will an overheated engine on the first trip be treated as a claim?
That depends on the cause and the wording. Wear and tear and lack of maintenance are commonly excluded. Notes and invoices help show what happened.
Related
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