TOP 5 REASONS BOATS BREAK DOWN

A bad day of boating is better than a good day at work. Great, but would you really feel happy if you were adrift 10 miles from the ramp, with a boatload of tired and an engine that won't start? To avoid this embarrassing situation, you may need this list of common breakdowns to prevent future outings from premature endings.

1. Dead Batteries

Boat batteries spend a lot of their service lives just sitting around, especially during off-season storage. If not kept on a trickle charger that constantly keeps them topped up, it’s easy for them to lose their ability to hold a charge. Because of this, dead batteries end up leading the list of the most common boat breakdowns.

Prevention: That means you should have your battery to be tested at the beginning of the sailing and ensure it’s still safe to use.

2. Broken and Snapped Belt

Having a broken belt is a scenario unique to inboards, and one that can shut you down in hurry. Without a belt intact, you'll have no alternator or water pump. Or the belts seem fine, but start to slip when under load, especially when a lot of draw is on the alternator.

Prevention: Inspect, tighten and dress the belt. Take a close look at the condition of any engine belt prior to heading out to see if there are cracks, dried-out areas or stains that indicate it may have been exposed to coolant or other chemicals that can shorten its lifespan.  In addition, carry a spare belt with you to avoid being stranded.

3. Overeating Engine

Running your engine wide open for an extended period of time on a bright and sunny summer day can lead to overheating. Sometimes, the cause of overheating is a blocked water intake, while other times a hose problem can leak water onto the engine itself while also reducing cooling.

Prevention: Regularly service and replace the impeller. Also look at the condition of its housing. Scarring or pitting of the metal housing can cause even a good impeller to lose pumping power.

4. Leaking Water

You might notice that the bilge pump seems to be working overtime. Or you suddenly notice the boat feels heavy and seems to be filling with water. These are relatively rare, but can be alarming. A common cause is corrosion in exhaust water jackets, or people standing on the high-pressure fuel lines of an engine during maintenance jobs.

Prevention: Periodic inspection and replacement of suspicious or aged hoses and associated fittings. Carry spare hoses and clips, and make sure new hoses are double clipped for extra security. Keep the coolant topped up with anti-freeze on engines with a closed cooling system, as it also contains important corrosion inhibitors.

5. Fuel Systems

The regular problem is some owners mistakenly filling their water tanks with diesel, or their diesel tanks with water. Another contaminated issue is caused by old fuel tanks that accumulate sediment and corrosion, which then circulates through your fuel lines and clogs your fuel filter, starving your engine.

Prevention: Check your plugs and fuel filter periodically for signs of trouble, and make sure not to store fuel too long without adding stabilizer. Keep at least two sets of filters per engine on board, plus a spare set of fine filters.

Hope this list of common boat breakdowns can be helpful to your yearly maintenance of boat so you can enjoy the relaxing time on the water.