SPRING IS EARLY - Time to catch up on maintenance before the summer rush.

One of the biggest problems that results from a winter layup is dry batteries. Yup, the boat sits there all winter with the battery charger chugging along keeping things up to voltage... and depleting the electrolyte. In your spring list of things to do make sure that you get a gallon or two of DISTILLED WATER to top off your batteries with if they are not totally ruined.

While you top off the batteries take some time to look over the battery terminals, and the wiring in general. Electrical systems are probably one of the most under maintained systems on the average pleasure boat... and account for the bigger damage claims, sometimes in the millions of dollars when one boat in a covered marina burns and the fire spreads to the neighboring boats and the marina itself.

A good tool to have on hand, and they aren’t very expensive anymore, is an infrared digital thermometer.  These devices consist of a lens to focus the infrared energy on to a detector, which converts the energy to an electrical signal that can be displayed in units of temperature. This makes temperature measurement from a distance possible without contact with the object to be measured. In other words you can stand back and just point this device at what you want to know the temperature of, like your exhaust manifold or a bundle of wires, or the circuit breakers in your boats electrical panel. Marine Surveyors use these digital thermometers to find electrical faults that generate high temperatures all the time. There is no reason that you can’t do the same and head off problems before they become insurance claims.

Do some research to find one that has the proper characteristics (there are different configurations for different purposes) for focusing on pinpoint areas.  Once you have one and know how to use it, start your engines, turn on all your DC electrical loads and start pointing the thermometer at the individual circuit breakers, the battery posts of your batteries, and any other location where there are electrical terminals or wire bundles. Don’t forget the rotating things either like your water circulating pump/s and alternator/s. I’ll give 2 to 1 that you find at least one higher than normal temperature reading.

And don’t forget to check those bilge pump float switches ONCE A MONTH. A recent sinking of a boat at Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands was traced to a faulty bilge pump float switch. I’ve heard that the boat was not insured and the bill to re-float her and get her to a boatyard and hauled out was US$20,000.

Captain's Corner is a series of columns by Professional Marine Surveyor and US Coast Guard Master Dick Thorsen.

We invite you to send us particulars and a photo of any stolen vessel, engine, trailer, marine equipment or recreational vehicle. We will post it on our page at no cost to you. Please ensure to update us with the status of the items you send us.