The glorious weather over the Bank Holiday brought out the pleasure craft for the first time since being laid up at the end of the last summer season. This in turn brought its own problems, with many of these boats breaking down and calling for assistance, keeping the RNLI lifeboats and coastguard teams busy in the area. Out of those vessels with problems which came to the rescue services' attention, some 22 people were at risk and all could have ended up as statistics on their, injured, rescued or even death records. It is vital that some pre-launch maintenance is carried out before you put your vessel in the water for the first time this summer and the following is just a guideline to these basic tasks.
FUEL SYSTEM
• Have the fuel pipes corroded or perished? • Are there signs of water in the fuel system? (drain tanks of water) • Check the fuel connections for leaks? • Are the connections all tight, waterproof and the correct type for the engine? • Is the fuel ok? (two stroke fuel when mixed, deteriorates quickly when not used) • Is the oil/petrol mix correct?
BATTERY
• Does it need charging? • Are the terminals free of corrosion? • Are the connections correct and tight? • Is the battery secure in the boat?
HULL
• Ensure hull is sound and free from leakage. • Wooden boats - ensure hull planking has re- expanded if boat was out of the water for the winter period? • Rowing boats - are the oars and rowlocks sound? • Ensure the transom is sound before attaching the engine