Firstmate Controls

All this nice weather is deceptive... Winter is just around the corner along with freezing temperatures. That's why now is the perfect time to get your winter projects done! As the best boat lift manufacturer in Missouri, our team at Firstmate Controls has a few great ideas about the projects that should take priority this season. Keep reading to get our recommendations and get started!  Get the Boat Clean While you've probably kept your boat pretty clean throughout the boating season, you can't truly give your boat the deep clean it deserves until you pull it out of the water for winter. Now is the time to give your engine compartment a good cleaning and change out the oil absorbs. Recover your worn out cushions. Organize loose items in your lockers and cabinets into plastic totes and waterproof trays. Give the Boat a Polish It may not seem like it, but a season on the water can cause a lot of wear and tear to your boat's paint job. Sure, you may have hired someone to...

Our boats cost us a pretty penny. Not only to purchase them, but to enjoy them throughout the boating season, as well. The last thing we want to do is put our pride and joy in jeopardy, especially during the off season when it's not being used. Yet, every year, boat owners make the same mistakes over and over again, and come back in the spring to find their boat has been damaged over the winter months due to negligence and simple ignorance. It's a hard (and costly) lesson learned. So, before the real harsh weather of winter hits, Firstmate Controls wants to share with you 4 preventable winter disasters that you can easily avoid. 1. Preventing Freeze Damage If you leave a space heater running or a light-bulb burning onboard, you might think that this is a good way to keep from having to fully winterizing your boat. However, this is the number-one reason why boats stowed for the winter go up in flames. Instead of depending on an additional heat source to prevent freeze dam...