Bilge Maintenance
Your bilge is like your appendix – it’s easy to forget about until something goes wrong with it. Don’t be a victim of a bilge that causes your boat problems – you might end up with your prized yacht capsizing if you aren’t careful! Below, we’ll discuss several parts of bilge maintenance that are important to be aware of when you own a boat.
Keep the Reachable Areas Clean
This is easier said than performed in some boats, but any area that you can easily access should be cleaned to the best of your ability. Make sure the openings of your bilge are free of debris, if possible. You can do this by stringing a long piece of wire through these holes and giving it a good shake.
Maintain the Pumps
One of the first measures you should take should be to make sure your pumps are working adequately. Make sure nothing is blocking their function and test them in both manual and automatic modes.
Comb Every Area to Ensure Proper Function
This step is similar to the first step. If possible, you’ll want to make sure that every area you can get to is thoroughly inspected and functioning properly. After all, the bilge of your boat is responsible for an awful lot when it comes to your boat performing adequately. If something goes amiss under your watch, you could end up with a pool of stagnant water in the bottom of your bilge, an occurrence that no boat owner ever wants to deal with!
Also look to inspect the hoses, vents, and any other accessories that may need to be serviced in your bilge.
Making sure that your bilge is adequately functioning is essential for your boat’s longevity. Not taking proper care of your boat’s bilge can spell disaster for your watercraft!