This page has been translated with google translate, there may be errors in the stories.

The engine.

Most marine engines only work a few hours. As a result, certain jobs such as adjusting the valves do not have to be done every year, but I recommend that everyone come on board once every few years to have the valves adjusted. Most other jobs on board are often easy to do yourself and if you still have questions, there are enough people on the sailors forum who can give some explanation.

Cooling.

In the case of an indirectly cooled engine, check whether there is still enough coolant in the expansion tank and assess whether the liquid is still sufficiently protected against frost. You have special measuring equipment for this, but you can assume that the liquid will work for two years and then must be replaced.

With a directly cooled engine, you can drain the engine by using the taps that are mounted in the block (see manual engine) or make sure that the block is full of coolant.

To ensure that coolant gets everywhere, you have to remove the thermostat from the engine and let the engine suck coolant through the weed filter. You stop the engine as soon as coolant comes out of the exhaust.

In this way, your waterlock is also protected against freezing. If you have an indirectly cooled engine, you must remove water from the entire exhaust system.

If you don't have a weed filter, you can also detach the hose from the outboard valve and put it in the jerry can so that the coolant is sucked up.

Check the seals of the strainer, they break regularly and must therefore be replaced every few years. It is also advisable to have at least 1 set of gaskets (O-rings) on board as a spare.

Check the impeller for hairline cracks on the impellers. I myself let the impeller lie on the glove compartment of my boat, this way the impeller lasts longer because it does not sit still for months. Make sure to use some water-resistant grease during installation, this makes installation easier and protects the impeller at the first revolutions because there is still no water in the pump housing.

Check the aerator, you can only check it by disassembling it.

Inspecting the aerator is easiest if you remove the entire aerator from the wall and disassemble it upside down. You come across a cover which you need to clean, after which you can put everything back together.

If present, check the zinc anode in the cooling system.

Air filter.

Check the air filter for contamination. If you have a washable mesh filter, you can rinse it in kerosene and let it dry for a while, then immerse the filter in the engine oil and let it drain before putting it back in.

Paper filters cannot be cleaned and must always be replaced.

You should replace the lubricating oil annually with a diesel engine and preferably before the engine goes into winter storage. If you are going to change the oil, you must first let the engine reach operating temperature and then pump the oil more easily from the crankcase with a sump pump. To replace the oil filter, you need special filter pliers that you can use to unscrew the filter. When installing the new filter, you must smear a little bit of engine oil on the rubber O-ring and then screw the filter hand tight to the engine. By replacing the oil before the winter break, you preserve the engine for the long winter break, the acid oil will not bite into the lower scales of the engine.

Fuel system.

Replace the fuel system's fine filter and drain the water from the water separator (the filter of this appliance should be replaced every two years).

Check all hose clamps for clamping and immediately check the hoses to ensure that they are not drying out (hairline cracks).

Reverse gear.

Replace the marine gear and sail drive oil every two years.

Electricity.

The starter needs little attention, the only thing you have to do now and then is inject the bendix with WD40 or another light oil.

If the starter motor does get a cure, it is best to take it away. Often the carbon brushes are exhausted or the starter relay is no longer good.

I have made a manual in the past where I describe how to disassemble a starter motor and what the points of attention are (see: Do it yourself).

Make sure all cells of the batteries are well filled with distilled water (the level is 2 cm above the plates).

Make sure you have charged the batteries properly and possibly top them up in the winter (fully charged batteries do not freeze).

Clean the battery terminals and grease them with a little acid-free Vaseline.

Check the V-belt for cracks and check whether the tension is still sufficient (I take the tension of the V-belt off during winter storage).

Make sure you have a spare V-belt on board.

Propeller shaft.

A Volvo Seal lasts about 6 years and requires little maintenance.

The only attention that this seal requires is that you press a little bit of water-resistant grease into the rubber sleeve and when you release it, you vent the seal by squeezing it.

In addition to this seal, you also have the grease cord seal, which lasts about 2 to 3 years and there are at least 4 or 5 grease cord rings in a stuffing box.

This seal is watertight when stationary, but when the screw is turning, a drop of water may / should actually come through the gasket to prevent the grease cord from burning.

Valve and hull transit.

The valves on the boat are a weak point when it comes to frost and must be winterized very carefully, this can be done in 2 ways.

1. The valve is blown anhydrous in the middle of air, this works well on shore, but in the water the valve can slowly seep full of outboard water again.

2. Winterizing the valve with antifreeze is the safest solution. I myself first empty the hose and fill it with anti-freeze and then quickly open and close the valve twice so that the anti-freeze comes around the corners of the valve.

For fuel filter, oil filter, impeller and oil you can visit the shop of the site, the prices are on average for a service kit about 25 euros cheaper than the dealer.