Calm Water Marine

Maintenance schedules

All boats, regardless of size and type, require constant maintenance and care. In order for your boat to run smoothly, efficiently and safely, a number of tasks should be undertaken on a regular basis. The following is a rough guide or checklist for those tasks:

	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Visually check safety equipment and replace or repair as required: Lifejackets Manual inflation Manual gas inflation Automatic gas inflation Lifelines, jackstays, throw lines, MOB equipment Flares Radio/EPIRB Liferaft Check standing rigging to ensure locking devices are in place and secure, and there are no signs of wear on wires/rods.	Biannual	Monthly	Weekly
Check engine, gearbox, drive-train and propeller shaft/stern gland lubricants, top-up as required Check fuels (diesel or petrol, and gas) and water for quantities and contaminants. Check and pump out bilges. Check battery electrolyte levels and charge. Check gel, paint and varnish and make good as required. Cleaning, dusting, hygiene, etc.	Biannual	Monthly	Weekly
Clean bottom (use a diver to ensure all surfaces are cleaned well below the waterline) Check anodes and prop(s) (again, get your diver to make a quick visual check) Check all seacocks for ease of movement and sealing. Check all halyards and running rigging for wear and integrity. Top up batteries and charge as required. Check deck gear (winches, cleats, clutches, turning blocks, etc.) and service as required.	Biannual	Monthly	Monthly
Haul out Check and replace anodes (external and internal) Check propeller for signs of corrosion and correct operation. Folding props should be checked to ensure they fold correctly and that the blade pivot pins have not excessively worn. Strip and replace if this is the case. Engine service Replace lubricants Replace fuel and water filters Replace water pump impeller Check injectors, fuel pump, belts, etc. Winterise if the boat is to be left for more than a couple of months Rub down antifouling and recoat with at least 2 coats of the same type. If there is a considerable build-up of antifouling, consideration should be given to stripping the antifouling back to the base surface and starting again. If this is the preferred option, consider coating the bottom of the boat with epoxy (if not already present) to prevent osmosis. (See separate section) Polish hull and deck mouldings as required. Make good and recoat internal and external varnish or paint work, or if sufficiently damaged, strip completely and redo the entire piece(s). Remove all sails, clean, inspect and make good as required. Just about all sailmakers will do this for you, but try not to leave it until the beginning of the new season; they'll be very busy. You can do it yourself of course, but sails can be surprisingly large in the average bathroom! Remove all cushions and soft furnishings, clean, dry and make good if required. Soft furnishings in a salt water environment absorb a lot of salt (from clothes, sails, etc.) and salt aids the absorption of a great deal of moisture, so regular cleaning with fresh water is essential to ensuring a damp-free and clean-smelling boat. Damp is one of the worst causes of unpleasant odours in a boat. Strip down, inspect and service all deck gear such as winches, clutches, turning blocks, etc. and replace any worn bearings, palls, springs, and so on. Flush any waste systems (toilets, holding tanks, and other waste systems) using appropriate tools and methods. Never flush effluent or chemicals into the local environment - use environmentally friendly disposal methods such as pumping out at a recognised facility. Soak all ropes (mooring lines, sheets, halyards, etc.) in fresh water and dry before storage.	n/a	Annual	Annual

Feel free to use this checklist as an aide-memoire to your own maintenance schedule, or if, like so many people these days, you find yourself too busy to do all these tasks, Calm Water Marine offers a complete program of maintenance programs to ensure that your boat is constantly ready, safe and available for your use. Some or all of the above tasks can be built into a client-specific program, or you can choose one of our standard programs.

Regardless of your choice of package, each will have an agreed Scope of Tasks, with agreed timetables and Certificates of Completion. Should our staff find anything that they feel requires attention, yet is beyond the agreed scope of the program, you will be immediately contacted for instructions, and if required, a written quotation will be provided and the additional work then built into the program, and revised timescales provided. Please contact us for a quote for your boat and to suit your needs.