Maintenance

Each boat and engine manufacturer has its own recommended schedule for maintenance, and it's important to find the schedule for your specific boat. These can usually be found online if it didn't come with the purchase of your boat. The sections below refer to the maintenance of our example boat - a 2009 Nautique wake boat with PCM EX-343 engine and PCM Power-Plus v-drive transmission. Notes about what may be similar or different to other types of boats are mentioned in each section as well.

Recommended oil and filter change every 50 hours or 4 months, whichever occurs first. Many boat owners will perform this activity just once per year in the Fall before storing their boat for the Winter. Owners that use their boat more often may also perform a mid-season oil and filter change in the summer.

This boat's transmission is maintenance-free, meaning that its fluid should be checked annually and only changes or serviced if it is showing signs of wear or corrosion. Other boats may require that their transmission fluid be changed periodically, likely annually.

This boat has a fuel delivery system with two filters and two pumps. There is a primary fuel filter common to most boats, as well as a Fuel Control Cell (FCC) made up of two fuel pumps and a secondary filter. This system is designed to eliminate vapor lock and air ingestion caused by fuel tank slosh, as well as to filter the fuel and separate any water contained within it.

Both the primary fuel filter and FCC filter are recommended to be changed annually.

This boat has what's called a raw water cooling system, as do most boats found in freshwater bodies of water. This means that the engine draws water from the lake and uses it to cool the engine, much like an automobile uses coolant and a radiator.

There is a rubber impeller that spins to suck the water in from the lake through the hull. This impeller should be changed every 50 hours or 12 months, whichever occurs first. Most owners will choose to change it annually. It is also a good idea to check the hoses and their clamps before and after the impeller to ensure they are in good condition and tight.

Lubricate the throttle and shift cables with engine oil.

Inspect the engine drive belt and replace if worn or damaged.

Inspect spark plugs and replace if corroded.

Check water levels of batteries every couple of months and add distilled water, if needed.

As you can see, most regular maintenance is performed every 50 or 100 hours. Many boat owners tend to use their boats 50 - 100 hours per year, and so choose to perform most maintenance tasks annually and at the same time as their first or only winterization in the Fall.

Learning how to do these tasks yourself will help you recognize when your boat is showing signs of needing a maintenance task completed. For example, a boat that hesitates upon accelerating is often in need of a simple fuel filter change or has water in its fuel tank that needs to be removed. These are simple tasks that you can perform yourself, saving you money but more importantly time so you can spend more of it enjoying the lake on your boat.