Boaters Resources

September 2024 - The Bilge Tells The Story

As I approach 20 years in the industry, my ability to understand the condition and value of a vessel begins with seeing if the client has put their “best bilge forward.” Meaning, did they take care of the vessel from the inside out. You can always conduct a solid compounding and wax layer on the exterior to cover up some of a vessel’s mismanagement. However, a bilge generally tells a buyer or broker how well the boat was maintained.

So, no matter what, the first thing I do when I board a vessel is open the bilge and engine room, as those will immediately speak to the condition of the vessel. I am looking for saltwater intrusion, rust, corrosion and the translucency of strainers or sea chest windows.

MANAGING THE BILGE'S TIGHT QUARTERS

Especially during the heat of the summer, crawling around the bilge can test your commitment to your vessel in such a confining space. However, most boat problems begin with the bilge. Failing to inspect and maintain the bilge will eventually put you in a costly and potentially paralyzing dilemma. Trust me, you don’t want a situation to arise when you are in an active waterway, a rough ocean or out enjoying a special day on the water.

The bilge is where water, oil or fuel will end up if something is going wrong. If your bilge is clean and a familiar place, it will be much easier to diagnose an issue in an urgent situation by using the process of elimination. In the event you’re in a dire situation you will be able to quickly identify the source to relay the issue to a mechanic or savvy buddy as you look to reduce your downtime.

While I recommend checking your bilges every time you step onto your vessel, at the very least a bi-weekly inspection should occur by yourself or a third-party yacht management company such as Boundless Yacht Management. If your boat lives in the water, problems can happen overnight…If you stay on top of it, you will save time and money in the long run.

WHAT TO INSPECT IN THE BILGE

Pooling Fluids
- Stagnant or New Water
- Presence of Oil, Diesel or Gasoline
Bilge Pumps
- Free of debris
- Float switches clean and free flowing
- Are inline check valves in discharge hoses free of debris
Is oil splatter present and if so, what is the source?
Strainers or Sea Chests
- Transparent hardware is scum free
- Clean and unobstructed baskets
High water alarms in good working order and the audible sounder is clear and can be heard from several slips away
Hose clamps - double clamped and free of rust
Presence of corrosion or rust
Loose bolts or hardware in the bilge
Through-hull fitting visually look healthy
Exercise seacocks

CLEANING THE BILGE

Our recommendation is to use a degreaser such as Spray Nine to thoroughly do the job. Beautifully finished and painted bilges will quickly deteriorate and develop stains if oil or fuel is present. It is also super helpful to carry a 1-to-3-gallon shop vacuum and put it to work every time you go into the bilge to clean out strainers, etc.

During your weekly inspection, the first physical labor step we suggest is opening your raw water strainers or sea chests, emptying the baskets, scrubbing the interior with a toilet bowl brush, then vacuuming all of the remnants and particles before priming and closing it up. Also, we generally spray some freshwater on lower-level bilge hardware that has been previously covered with a lubricant/protectant like CRC Marine’s 6-56 Multi-Purpose Lubricant. Then, we manually run the bilge pump and utilize the shop vacuum to pull up any excess water. If you are very meticulous, you can then use a bilge dedicated chamois mop and dry the flooring.

For smaller boats with a tighter space, a trick right before you leave the dock is to spray about 2-to-3-gallons of fresh water in the bilge. As soon as you add some speed to your vessel the water will slosh all the way to the stern of the boat and you will see the bilges discharge dirty water overboard.

CLEANING THE SUMP PUMP BOX

There are a lot of boat owners out there that are in a 40’ Express class boat with outboards. These boats are great because they allow an owner to easily run and operate the vessel comfortably with two people. Plus, they provide a lot of comfort amenities with helm and cabin AC, refrigerator/freezer, and showers in the cabin. One of the biggest oversights we see from boat owners is the realization that their AC sweats into the sump pump box. Over the course of the summer months these sump pump boxes will develop mold and cake up with human hair that travels through the shower drain and catches in the sump pump box filter. I would highly suggest a visual inspection of the sump box on a bi-weekly basis. In many vessels, it’s generally located in the floor nearest to the cabin AC and bathroom. For cleaning you will need a toothbrush, philips screwdriver and a cleaning product such as Simple Green. Then, it’s my suggestion to search YouTube and find a “how to” video that is specific to your type of sump pump box. They are plentiful on the internet and are a great source of information.

Living the boater’s lifestyle is an unbeatable experience –there is nothing quite like it! Whether you are an avid fisherman or just a weekend cruiser, you’re bound to be making memories that will last for years to come. We understand that the maintenance of your vessel can at times seem overwhelming, but fear not…at Boundless Yacht Management, we are committed to take the stress off of you by being there every step of the way to ensure your boating experience is always top notch! Our mission is to always help you make the most out of your boat ownership.

July 2024 - How a Hurricane Effects a Vessel

WIND RISKS

High winds combined with rain can penetrate the interior and/or sensitive compartments which may create a big mess, damage, and even incubate mold in the days following a storm. Strong winds can cause open-array radars to spin out of control. Plus, dock lines may alternate from slack to tight in a whipping fashion because the boat acts like a kite during turbulent winds as the gusts are erratic and directionally inconsistent.

Solution: tape and/or wrap at-risk areas for water intrusion
Solution: tape down the array on both sides to prevent spinning or even consider dissembling for extra-large arrays
Solution: significantly increase spring line configurations in all directions, double up your lines, and ensure you are diversified in your pilings and cleats for your line’s affixation.
Solution: a vessel full of fuel and fresh water will decrease the movement of the boat vs. a lighter boat during the wind.
Solution: if you reside nearby, consider lowering the outboards into the down position for the storm only to create water resistance.

TIDE RISKS

East, Northeast, and Southeast winds blow ocean water into the ICW and if the high tide coincides with the optimal wind direction, the water levels will breach dock walkways in safe harbors.

Solution: visualize these effects as you secure your vessel in preparation for the storm.
Solution: Interact with long-term residents who’ve weathered storms and speak with tenured marina employees who can speak about the history of storm effects in the area.

POWER OUTAGES

During storms, your vessel’s shore power source will constantly be at risk of going on/off or experiencing power surges, which may pop your onboard breaker. The net effect is your power source may go out for up to a week or more. Then, your critical safety features such as bilge pumps will be at risk if you don’t properly prepare for the worst.

Solution: turn off non-critical energy-dependent luxuries on your vessel such as refrigerators, dehumidifiers, etc. If you leave your refrigerator on, this could drain your batteries in 24 hours which will deactivate your bilge pumps. The effects of a storm can last for days, and you’ve now put your vessel at risk.
Solution: if you are staying local and are inclined to visit your vessel right before the storm, you may consider running the generator if you have a full tank of fuel that can run for 2-3 days.
Solution: vessel owners can contract BYM to add solar panels for charging house and engine batteries.

ADVANCED PLANNING

As we look to the season, it’s imperative for you to fully understand the requirements of your insurance policy. Policy requirements vary from submitted diagrams of how you tie up your boat for a hurricane to ones that stipulate specific types of storage or hurricane holes.

Another key aspect is understanding what supplies you need to buy in advance and how to effectively protect your vessel. When the wind reaches tropical storm levels and the tides start to surge, many things can begin to go wrong if you don’t prepare accordingly.

HOW BOUNDLESS YACHT MANAGEMENT CAN HELP

When any part of our serviced area falls into the projected hurricane watch cone, our team immediately implements our hurricane preparations for its customers to ensure their valued assets are fully prepared.

Hurricane preparation assessment is completed in July and discussed with the boat owner to include planning, incremental equipment such as dock lines, straps if stored on a lift, and any other supplies necessary to protect your vessel. Our team also discusses pricing per named storm and discounts for our existing yacht management customers.

Our team prepares your vessel for every named storm.
Video or pictures of your vessel are taken once it’s secured for each named storm.
Our team will shop for and store your hurricane materials until needed. Additional costs will apply.
Boundless Yacht Management’s Hurricane Program is designed to charge you once a storm has been named.

May 2024 - How often should you wax your boat?

WHY SHOULD I GET MY BOAT WAXED REGULARLY?

Our summer months present us with a beautiful, but tropical environment in South Florida. We experience dew on the boat at sunrise, followed by a very high UV index shortly thereafter. This powerful sunlight hits the dew, heating it and turning it into a magnifying glass which breaks down the wax more rapidly than usual. Then almost every afternoon it rains and it happens all over again, breaking down the wax even further. Unfortunately, this cycle creates the need for more frequent wax applications.

Winter has its own set of challenges. The frequent west winds bring ash from the fields being burned on the expansive farms in West Martin and Palm Beach counties. Burning the fields to prepare them for tilling in the spring is part of the normal agricultural cycle, but the ash wreaks havoc when it settles on your boat. The problem is that it acts as an abrasive and carbon element on the surface when it is brushed off with soap and water, and you guessed it, that will degrade the wax.

However, if you maintain the wax layer, the ash will just rinse off without using a brush. For 20 years, I’ve built a long client list of owners with boats ranging from $100K to $4M. The fact is, the owners who take care of their vessels tend to experience fewer repairs, sell their boats for a higher average price, and have more time to simply enjoy using their boats.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I GET MY BOAT WAXED?

If you get your boat’s topside waxed 3x per year, it will result in:

Easier weekly maintenance
Less cost per wax
Less oxidization and fading over time

A hull wax can generally be done every 6 months unless you have a colored hull and it has a direct sunset view. In this case, consider either rotating how you park or waxing every 4-5 months.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T WAX MY BOAT REGULARLY?

For those owners who stretch the time between wax applications, there are major downsides:

The job will cost more due to the effort and amount of product needed to restore the shine.
An oxidized surface requires an abrasive compound or even wet-sanding to remove the oxidation to access a fresh gelcoat. Once they get down to the gelcoat, they apply fresh wax.
If you remove too many layers of gelcoat due to oxidation, you may need to repaint your hull which can cost $20K to $100K– Yikes!

WHY BOUNDLESS YACHT MANAGEMENT?

Over the years, my partner and I have gained extensive experience with virtually every size and type of boat, in every condition imaginable. We have a lot of stories we could tell, but one of my favorites is from many years ago before we were business partners. He traveled a lot in his career and wanted a way to relax with his family when he was home, so he bought a new $500K Pursuit from me.

He definitely enjoyed time on the boat with his family, but I think his real joy was tinkering with his beloved Pursuit. He owned that boat for 5 years and almost every time I called to see how he was doing, he was on the boat installing some new gadget or giving her a thorough wash - I think he washed that boat twice a week if not more! This earned him and his Pursuit quite a reputation because she was always the most beautiful and pristine in the marina, and everyone wanted to know his secret.

When I asked him why he was always tinkering, he would simply say that he wanted to be “ready at all times”, whether it be for a family outing or a trip to the Bahamas.

Translation - He wanted his boat to be perfect.

Over the years, he learned many painful and expensive boat ownership lessons with that boat and others he owned, motivating him to create Boundless Yacht Management. Knowing that not everyone has the desire or time to maintain their boat as he did, the idea was to build a team that would provide boat owners with affordable guidance, service, and expertise they could trust and rely on for the long term.

We know what an amazing experience owning a boat can be, spending time with family and friends, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. It’s our mission to ensure that you have that amazing experience and that your boat is “ready at all times”.

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