Search StraightTalk |
Home
 Buying Guides Boat Guide Maintaining Your Boat
    How Do You Maintain Your Boat?Remember that old saying mentioned at the beginning of this guide? A boat is a hole in the water that you throw money into. Neglect your boat’s maintenance and you’ll soon find out how true that saying can be. Leave a boat alone for even a week or two, if it’s in the water, and it can quickly degrade. Leave a boat out of the water too long, and other problems can develop before you can blink. Minor maintenance issues briefly ignored can turn quickly into major repair issues. The smart boat owner pays constant attention to maintenance. Normal maintenanceBoats, particularly when they are in the water, develop problems very quickly: battery connections corrode; cables loosen; seals develop leaks. Your first defense against this deterioration is to follow faithfully the maintenance procedures outlined in the owner’s manuals for the boat, engine and other important accessories. If you’ve lost the manual (or it didn’t come with a used boat), you can usually find these instructions on the manufacturers’ websites or order manuals from online marine bookstores or technical service companies. Additional information from websites such as the following will also help you develop a smart maintenance plan.
Winterizing your boatIgnore your boat in the fall, and you’ll pay a hefty financial penalty in the spring. What should you winterize? Where can you get good tips on preventive maintenance for cold climates?
Preparing your boat for summer useHere are checklists for preparing your boat for relaunch.
Prepared for Corning Credit Union by Remar Sutton & Associates, April 2003. Reviewed and updated March 2007. All rights reserved. |
Boat Buying GuideAvailable Cash CalculatorYour Available Cash is the maximum amount you have to spend on a boat. This calculator enables you to determine 1) the amount of cash a boat loan will yield and 2) the total Available Cash from all sources, including the loan, you have to purchase a boat. If the estimated amount of Available Cash is too little for the boat you would like to purchase, you have several options: A higher monthly payment and/or a longer loan term will typically yield higher initial Loan Cash, thus increasing your Available Cash. You may also wish to consider alternative boats that better fit your budget. *Check the current interest rate for the loan term. This calculator is solely for informational purposes. It gives you a reasonably accurate estimate of your Available Cash. Results for your actual loan will vary based on your final rate and loan amount. 
|