Spring Boat Checkup

by Irene J. Bozogan

It’s time to paddle!

The long winter and cold spring are gone and it’s finally time to get on the water again. The thought of cruising over the water puts a smile on my face. I feel the sun, the breeze, and the exhilaration of cutting through the water. Life can be sweet!

But before we jump in our boats, there are a few things that we can and should do:

• Check your safety equipment. Is your PFD in great shape? Are all the straps and zipper working? Is a whistle attached?
• If your kayak or canoe has flotation bags, check for air leaks.
• Giving the kayaks/canoes a coat of 303 Protectant will help prevent damage that the sun’s UV rays inflict on plastics. It’s like sunscreen for your boats. It will make the boats slippery so that they cruise through the water faster. However, don’t get any spray on your seat, or you will be cruising off of it! That’s not a good thing.
• If you didn’t have a cockpit cover on your kayak, clean out the spiders that have probably established residence there. There is nothing worse than being out on the water and feeling something crawling on your leg.
• Hopefully you have stored your boat properly over the winter. It’s not comforting to see a major crinkle in the hull from the weight of snow accumulation. If you do have a depression, or “WOW” as they say in the industry, don’t despair. It can probably be fixed. Give us a call, and we’ll tell you what can be done to get it in great cruising shape again.
• Get out that Deks Olje and oil the wooden gunwales of your canoe. If you had loosened the screws, don’t forget to tighten them up again.
• Wooden paddles should be checked for wear and re-varnished to extend their life.
• Bulkheads of kayaks sometimes need to be re-caulked with silicone. Put some water in the storage area and look for leaks.
• Finally, check your registration dates if you live in an area where you need to register your boat.