When the fishing is hot, you want your boat on the water and not in the shop. Unfortunately many anglers neglect their boat in the off-season, uncovering it only when the fishing heats up or a tournament is on the horizon. There is always the possibility of an untimely failure, but a little attention to your boat, outboard, and trailer during the off-season can keep your boat on the fish all season long.

Anglers in other parts of the country put their boat through a "winterizing" process after each season to ensure that it works the following spring. Blessed by our beautiful weather in Southern California, we are able to fish year-round. Because of this, its easy to ignore maintenance, because we are not forced to winterize our vessels. However just because it worked yesterday, doesn't mean we can ignore our boat and have it work tomorrow. 

Here is a simple check-list of tasks that you can use to maintain your boat, trailer, and outboard.

Boat Maintenance

• Lubricate moving parts such as hinges and latches
• Inspect the water level of acid batteries, fill as required
• Inspect through hull fittings, including the drain plug. Replace any items that are cracked, or metal objects that are heavily corroded
• Visually inspect the boat's hull for cracks and chips
• For saltwater boats, inspect and replace sacrificial zincs that are heavily deteriorated
• Check all pumps and seacocks, lubricate as needed
• Test auto-floats for bilge pumps to be sure they are functioning freely and not jammed with loose debris
• Check battery terminal connections, replace connections that show signs of corrosion
• Check all fuses and breakers, make sure that you have spare fuses for all items onboard
• Test electronic components such as VHF radios, Sonar and Radar Units
• Update software for all electrical components when available, which are available for free by the manufacturers
• Do an inventory of Coast Guard required safety items, including life jackets, a WORKING fire extinguisher, throw cushions/safety rings, visual distress signals (flags, flares, smoke signals), and sound signaling horn or whistle
• Restock onboard first aid kit
• Verify that your onboard toolbox contains all necessary tools to do necessary repairs on the water

Outboard Maintenance

• Change onboard fuel/water separator
• Replace lower unit gear oil and fill/vent screw gaskets
• Visually inspect all of your fuel lines to make sure there are no cracks
• Test primer bulb
• Grease zirk fittings
• Grease steering cable and tilt tube on rotary steering systems
• Bleed hydraulic steering systems
• Check level of power trim fluid
• Inspect the propeller for damage
• Remove the prop, grease prop shaft spline and remove any fishing line that may be behind the prop
• Add a fuel treatment and a fuel stabilizer to your fuel:
  • Stabil
  • Yamaha Ring Free / Mercury Quickleen

Trailer Maintenance

• Check trailer lights, replace bad lights
• Inspect trailer wiring, replace connections that are corroded
• Visually inspect trailer brakes, wheel hubs, and axle. If there are signs of considerable rust, consult a repair shop (recommended to remove wheels to do inspection)
• Inspect and if necessary replace wheel bearings
• Repack wheel bearings (grease hubs)
• Inspect oil seals (oil filled hubs) and inspect drain screws to make sure there is no leak
• Check tire pressure and tire wear (don't forget the spare)
• Check trailer bunks, tighten loose bolts
• Lubricate rubber skids (will have to be done with the boat off the trailer)
• Inspect winch and strap, replace worn straps
• Grease gears on trailer tongue jacks

These are all things that you can do. This does not complete the maintenance recommended for your boat and outboard however. It is advised to have an "annual service" and water pump job completed at a reputable repair shop annually. This service would include changing the oil and oil filter on four stroke outboards, changing necessary fuel filters, spark plugs, and inspecting the outboard via diagnostic software for any other problems that may be developing with your outboard.