Boat checks
Owners and Masters have a "General Safety Obligation" to ensure their boat is safe. Easy to say but takes a bit of effort to develop the habit of regular checks. Eventually it should become second nature.
Contents
 | Hull
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| Trailer | ||||||||
| Motor
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| Fuel | ||||||||
| Battery
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| Steering | ||||||||
| Ropes
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| Sails & Rigging | ||||||||
| Anchors | ||||||||
| The Compass |
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The HullStart with the hull. Do a visual scan of the outside of your boat's hull to see if there are any noticeable cracks, bruises, splits or stress evident. With aluminium boats extra attention should be given to welds and seams. In fibreglass boats look for cracks in the gel coat and pay particular attention to the transom (across the back where your motor is bolted). The transom in fibreglass vessels takes a lot of stress with the weight of the motor and in rough conditions could flex slightly causing hairline cracks in the fibreglass gel coat around the edges where the transom joins the sides of the boat. These cracks allow water to seep in to the plywood inside which will, in time, rot away causing the motor to fall off taking a sizeable chunk of the transom with it. Tap the transom with your knuckles (or gently with a hammer)- does it sound hollow? If so, have a professional repairer do a safety check for you. Fibreglass boats should have their motors' safety chain secured to another firm point in the boat other than the transom. Cracks along the sides of your fibreglass boat indicate excessive movement in the strakes where stringers or the floor has 'let go'.
In Hervey Bay you can get a FREE safety check of your fibreglass boat at Kelly's Fibreglass in Elizabeth Street Urangan.
Look for rusting bolts, remove and replace. Make sure they are sealed against the salt air/water.
Floors in your boat should be checked for rot or looseness.
Under the floor is the bilge. If you can not access this part of your boat you should look at fitting inspection hatches. These allow for you to check for built-up fluids (oil, water and fuel) and allows the lowering of a bilge pump or hose should you damage the hull when out at sea.
Check fittings - cleats and bollards (the things you tie ropes to). These should be securely fitted and replaced if damaged or broken.
Seats and thwarts (the bench seat that goes across your tinny) should be securely fitted in place and not wobble or rock around. You should NEVER allow life jackets to be used as seat cushions. This breaks down the flotation inside the jacket so it will not hold you up in the water very long and could get you a $120.00 on-the-spot fine for unserviceable jackets.
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The Trailer
The trailer is often the most neglected piece of equipment we own. It is subject to carrying heavy loads, vibration, bumps and potholes on the road. At the ramp it is often submerged in salt water and left out in the hot sun and salt air for extended periods of time.
This combination will quickly deteriorate the frame, tyres, axles, hubs and bearings. The electrical wiring for your lights is either subject to the salt air/water (if left on the trailer) or frequently knocked around when being removed and replaced on your trailer.
Always wash your trailer down after every trip. Ensure you get in underneath and send fresh pressurised water through the frame to wash away all residue salt and sand. Don't overload your trailer by placing all your gear in the boat before you get to the ramp. Inspect your trailer on a regular basis and repair/replace damaged parts immediately. Look for:
| Cracks in the welds. |
| Rust anywhere. |
| Cuts, kinks or wear in the electrical wiring. |
| Take the cover off the lights and check for corrosion and blown bulbs. Make sure the wire connection is clean and not loose. Reseal properly to prevent water access. |
| The tyres should not be worn down and always carry a spare tyre for the trailer. |
| The bearings in the wheel hubs are usually the first casualty in a trailer, especially if you submerge the trailer to any degree. Depending on how far you have had to travel to launch your boat, the bearings can be very hot when you arrive at the ramp. When you launch the boat the cold water touching the hot bearings will cause the salt water to be drawn inside the bearings. Salt is very abrasive and will wear your bearings away. Allow time at the ramp for your bearings to cool down before launching. Take the time to pack your gear in the boat and check you have all your safety equipment while waiting for the wheels to cool. Please do this AWAY from the ramp so to allow others' clear access to launch and retrieve. Consider fitting bearing buddies which will keep the grease up to the bearings by the pressure of a spring. (see boat ramp courtesy) |
| Trailer hitch, Safety chain and shackle or D-bolt should be in good condition and adequate for the job. |
| The winch needs to be kept greased and the cable or strap should be replaced when necessary. |
| Rollers should be free moving and replaced when cracked, split or worn. |
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The Motor
There are a number of things that even a totally inexperienced person can do to help maintain their boat's motor. The first is general care.
| Wash the salt away. |
| Make sure the bolts securing your outboard on the transom do not become loose. |
| Top up the oil or make sure the fuel is mixed with the correct amount of oil when tank of 2-stroke motor is filled. |
| Check the propeller for dents, chips and damage. An out-of-balance propeller can ruin your engine. |
| Keep an eye out for looseness in belts, hoses and connections. |
| Keep the steering arm greased or fit a gravity feed oiler onto it so this is done automatically. Make sure you check the level of oil in the feeder bottle so it doesn't run dry. |
| Take out the spark plugs to see if they are clean and dry. Check to see if the gap is not too wide. Make sure the leads are replaced firmly. |
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Fuel Systems
Your fuel tank should not leak or show signs of deterioration. If plastic, watch for UV light damage - If metal, check for rust and in all cases look for splits and seepage. The fuel line is usually rubber. This deteriorates in sunlight. Replace when necessary and ensure the bulb used to manually pump up the fuel-line pressure is fitted the correct way around (arrow to the motor). Connections should be secure.
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The Battery
Your battery contains acid. Firmly strap your battery down so it will not spill. Batteries should NOT be kept in an enclosed compartment. Batteries produce Hydrogen when charging. This gas is volatile and will cause an explosion if allowed to build up and subjected to a spark or flame.
Do not allow anyone to smoke or allow any spark or flame near your battery or fuel system.
Make sure battery terminals are firmly fitted and protect from corrosion by applying Vaseline (or something similar) to keep the salt air away.
Electrical wiring should be of marine grade and fuses should be of the correct size for the equipment, with spares onboard. Do not allow bare wiring to come into contact with metal hulls as this will cause corrosion and static electricity shocks to passengers.
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The Steering
Steering needs to be checked and maintained. Keep the steering arm/pullies etc lubricated and free moving. Watch for deterioration in the cables or hydraulic hoses. Do you have a spare cable and would you know how to replace one should your cable break?
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Ropes
There are three main classifications for rope.
| Natural Fibre |
| Synthetic |
| Wire |
Each has its own characteristics, uses and maintenance requirements.
Natural Fibre Ropes: These are hemp, cotton, manila and sisal.
Synthetic Ropes: These are nylon, polyester, polypropylene.
Wire Ropes: Made of Stainless Steel.
Most ropes used on inshore boats are synthetic these days. Nylon is the strongest of the man-made fibres and does stretch which gives it good shock absorbing abilities. It is used as an anchor warp or mooring line. You need to check your ropes for wear and cuts and wash them out with fresh water to remove any sand or grit caught between the fibres. These particles will work their way into the rope and cause abrasion, weakening your rope substantially. Keep these ropes away from excessive heat, fuel & oil and corrosive chemicals.
Polyester ropes have less stretch in them than Nylon ropes so are very useful on sailing vessels for sheets and halyards. (sheets are the ropes to adjust the sails relative to the angle of the wind - halyards are ropes used to raise and lower sails).
Polypropylene is not as strong as polyester or nylon rope but is lighter and will float. This quality is beneficial in a painter (the rope you tie to the bow of your boat or tinny) or attached to the lifebuoy.
WIRE ROPE usually deteriorates from the inside. This makes it difficult to detect when you need to replace it until it is too late. Look for broken strands which usually become evident when they jab into your hand. DO NOT use magnetic audio tape as telltales on sailing boat stays as this will cause rust on the interior of the wire and create a weak spot.
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Sails & Rigging
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The Anchor
When washing your boat down after use, it is very important to remove and clean the anchor and rode. This ground tackle is subject to great stress, wear and contamination by sand and mud in the rode fibres. Always buy more rope for your anchor line than you think you need. This way you can cut off the worn end and still have sufficient length for your needs. ( This is very important when anchoring in rocky or reef areas). It is a good idea to reverse the rope attached between the boat and anchor chain every so often to even wear and stretch. Make sure the anchor rope is securely tied to the boat. NEVER replace it without resecuring it, otherwise you will have someone 'lower' the anchor and not tie the rope off only to see the whole lot go to the bottom of the ocean.
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The Compass
Deprived of visual indications, man loses all sense of direction. The most important instrument in a vessel is the compass.
Mariners are advised to have the compass in their vessel adjusted and then to trust in it. It is more common to encounter disaster through one's disbelief than the contrary. The compass does have errors, but they can be determined very accurately and will guide you to safety provided you exercise care. You should not permit any magnetic substance or electronic equipment and wiring to be placed near to it to cause an unknown error.
There are two main classifications of compass:
a) Magnetic - The compass points to Magnetic North.
b) Gyro - The compass points to True North.
We will concentrate on the Magnetic compass as it is the type we all use. Of these there are two types:
a) Steering compass - for the direction of the vessel
b) Hand bearing compass - For taking a bearing from an object away from the ships' head.
NOTE: The Ships' Head is the direction in which your vessel is pointed.
Features to look for when purchasing a compass are:
1) liquid damped
2) robust
3) gimballed
4) adjustable
5) illuminated
6) shielded from the sun
7) of adequate size
Your steering compass should be mounted in a position where it can be clearly seen from the steering position and, ideally, at least a meter away from electronic equipment. It is important to mount your compass in line (or parallel) with the keel so that the direction in which the vessel is heading may be read from the card of the compass. The Lubber Line will indicate the direction of your vessel. The lubber line is a mark or projection on the compass bowl. It may be a line marked on the inside of the compass bowl or a fine pointed wire, level with the card, projecting inwards.
For More Information:
Contact us at info@boatlicence.com.au or
telephone on (07) 4125 3880
Stop by at the Fish Internet boat chat board to tap into the knowledge and experiences of fellow boaties. Ask a question or just read other's comments. www.fishnet.com.au