Midseason Boat Maintenance Tips
Mask and Fins I
While you’re at the sandbar or rafted with friends, dive overboard and inspect the boat’s bottom. Usually, the transom can stand a scrub to remove fouling, since not much “washing action” occurs there. Ditto for the scum line above the painted waterline. You may also have a layer of slime on your boat’s bottom. The trick is to remove the growth without removing too much bottom paint. We use a scrap of shag carpet with good results. It removes soft growth without scuffing off too much paint. For hard growth, like barnacles, use a paint scraper with the corners filed round to prevent gouging.
Lights
Before buying a new fixture, clean the socket and contacts using 220-grit sandpaper wrapped around a stick. You can also purchase replacement sockets. If you do replace the fixture, consider upgrading to energy-saving LED lights
Air-Out
On a dry, windy day, open the hatches, pry off deck plates and let the boat breathe, to reduce moisture and the chance for corrosion and mildew.
Seacocks
Open and close seacocks regularly. Besides an annual disassembly and lubrication, constant use will keep them in shape and will alert you to problems before they become catastrophic.