Firstmate Controls

The cooler weather of fall and the fact that we've already seen snow has many boaters spending less time on the water. With the colder temperatures, it's probably time to start thinking about winterizing your boat for the winter if you're not going to be using it as often. Why should you winterize your boat? Because the harsh weather of winter can be pretty rough on a boat and it's engine. Here are a few tips to make sure you're properly winterizing your boat. Care for the Battery It's easy to forget about your battery when taking care of maintenance, but it's important that you don't leave it unattended this fall. One of the main issues that boaters run into when breaking out their boat in the spring is dealing with a dead batter because they didn't take proper care during winterization. Avoid leaving your battery connected through the winter because although your boat isn't being used, your battery will get drained. Instead, disconnect your...

Boats are already a pretty expensive hobby without considering unexpected maintenance issues that might arise. These days everyone is trying to conserve money, and we don't blame them. We do the same, but in our own little ways. We're of course not going to forego our favorite pastime activity just to save a few dollars, but we do have some suggestions on how to prevent spending money unnecessarily by preserving the life of your boat engine. Take a look at the four tips  Firstmate Controls  recommends to make your boat engine last longer. 1. Idle Speed to Warm It Up  Don't get too eager to take off so quickly. Long idles are actually good for our engines. Cold oil doesn’t flow well compared with warm oil. That resistance to flow isn’t as good at protecting engine components, and believe it or not, that resistance actually puts a strain on things like the oil pump and the mechanisms that drive it. Avoid premature wear by letting the engine warm up to operating temper...

The cooler weather of fall has many boaters spending less time on the water. With the colder temperatures, it's probably time to start thinking about winterizing your boat for the winter if you're not going to be using it as often. Well, why should you winterize your boat? Because the harsh weather to come can be pretty rough on a boat and it's engine. So here are just a few tips you need to make sure you're doing when winterizing your boat. Care for the Battery It's easy to forget about your battery when taking care of maintenance, but it's important that you don't leave it unattended this fall. One of the main issues that boaters run into when breaking out their boat in the spring is dealing with a dead batter because they didn't take proper care during winterization. Avoid leaving your battery connected through the winter because although your boat isn't being used, your battery will get drained. Instead, disconnect your battery and remove it...