Top Mistakes that Can Make a Good Day Go Bad

By: Rob Carli

The trip was perfect. The weather cooperated. Everyone on board landed a fish. Laughs were had. Stories were told. Even the new rods are broken in. Now, it's time to pull the boat out, call friends to brag about a cooler full of fish, and eat a hard-earned meal after a long, enjoyable day. The boat is docked and the captain walks up the ramp, scanning the parking lot.

Wait a second...the trailer's missing.

After a minute of self-deliberation, reality sinks in. It must be stolen.

A boat full of smiles wash away and the rhetorical question is asked, "why us?"

This may not happen to everyone, but it is one of a plethora of variables that can ruin the best day on the water. There are preventive measures we can all take to avoid the next catastrophe.

Some of the Lowcountry's expert problem solvers share the most common mistakes they see with Tideline readers, and offer their best advice to ensure your next boating venture goes as smoothly as possible.

Trailer

1.) Forgetting to rinse the trailer

Les Mashburn sees it everyday; rusty boat trailers.

It's not rocket science. Saltwater corrodes metal more aggressively than exposure to any other environment. Mashburn, 16-year owner of Mashburn Trailers on St. Helena Island outside Beaufort, stresses the importance of lengthening your boat trailer's lifespan with one simple solution.

"Keep it clean when you come out of saltwater, with freshwater" Mashburn says.

Pay as much attention to the trailer as the boat.

"Look at the rust," Mashburn says. "If you see a rusty spot, you can keep an eye on it, and prevent cross members from giving on you."

Rust swells, Mashburn says, "When you do your springs, you can tell when they're getting bad."

Replacing critical components will help avoid an accident while on the road.

"I recommend every 3- to- 5 years, springs are going to go, and replace your bearing kits and that will save your under carriage," Mashburn says. "Lack of maintenance in your wheels and bearing kits, that's a big deal."

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2.) Advertising to thieves

Mashburn, who operates his business as a repair shop and dealership, has sold hundreds of boat trailers over the years. And some of his customers had perfect operating trailers before walking in... that is, until they were stolen.

"Like our boat ramp down here (Station Creek Landing), the best thing to do is keep a lock on it," Mashburn says. "Get one they can't cut through."

Finding the right parking spot helps too.

"Back your trailer against a slot with a tree," he says. "Back it into a place they can't get into."

In case these measures are taken, and a savvy thief still takes takes off with the trailer, there's still hope.

"If you can, get a VIN number in case it does get stolen," Mashburn says.

VIN numbers are not required on boat trailers by South Carolina law, but the police still may be able to find it, he says.

Rods and Reels

3.) Neglecting your gear

Benji Griner, rod and reel repair manager at Haddrell's Point West Ashley, has his hands full this time of year.

His repair shop shelves are stacked with reels that don't work for one main reason.

"The vast majority of problems is that people don't do anything with their reel when they get off the water," Griner says.

There's a quick remedy for rod and reel neglect.

"The simplest thing to do is to buy Penn Rod and Reel Cleaner," Griner says. "It's a quick and dirty way to prevent corrosion...that Penn Rod and Reel Cleaner, I tell you, it's the ticket."

For a thorough cleansing, Griner suggests adding 3 oz. of OrPine boat soap to a gallon of water, lightly brushing rod and reel surfaces, then spraying everything off with a light freshwater mist.

"Do not use Dawn," he cautions. "It's a degreaser and is counter-productive."

Griner also suggests being mindful of your gear while fishing from shore.

"Even with surf fishermen, they should keep the rod in a sand spike instead of lying on the sand," he says. "Sand can get in the reel and do some damage."

4.) Too much cleaning

Reel housings are not waterproof, Griner says, leaving internal components susceptible to rust and corrosion.

That's why too much freshwater can be as harmful to your reel as saltwater.

"The second biggest mistake is rosining off their reels with a high-powered pressure hose," Griner says.

Freshwater forced through the reel housing begins to rust gears, eventually seizing up moving parts.

Griner frequently sees reels corroded by freshwater without a hose.

"Another common mistake is submerging your reel in a bucket of water," Griner says.

After properly cleaning gear, storage is just as important.

"Another no-no is to put rods and reels in a utility shed," Griner says. "In the garage, they seem to hold up pretty good."

Boat Motor

5.) Not servicing the motor

Irby Koger has been diagnosing and repairing boat motors for 43 years. He is Renken Boat Center's in-house motor guru.

There is one problem he consistently sees today, and always has.

"The most common thing people do is not servicing it (motor) properly," Koger says.

Like your truck or car, Koger says your boat motor needs the same amount of attention, according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

6.) Leaving the boat in the yard

In the past two years Koger has seen one culprit increasingly cause a majority of motor-related problems.

"Just about everything that comes in here is fuel related," Koger says. "The motor manufacturers are having a hard time because this ethanol is eating the lines...more ethanol means more problems."

Koger says ethanol, an alcohol that oxygenates gasoline, can be combated against ruining your fuel system, and eventually. your motor.

"People let the boat sit around and ruin their fuel tank," Koger explains. "Don't let the boat sit, and without being used, it's the worst thing you can do."

If there's no time to run the motor, gasoline's lifetime with E10 can be prolonged.

"You can use fuel additives they have on the market," Koger says. "Use them regularly."

The 2005 Energy Policy Act required all gasoline sold in the U.S. to contain a renewable fuel. Then the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 drove the ethanol surge, requiring 15 billion gallons of renewable fuel to be used by 2015.

Koger says he sees ethanol-related issues increasing in the future.

Boat Hull

7.) Not protecting the hull

Every day, Andrew Adams, owner and operator of Charleston Boat Dealing, sees weathered fiberglass hulls.

"The No. 1 mistake that will ruin your boat and ruin your resale value is not waxing your hull," Adams says. "When you don't wax the gel coat, you get oxidation."

Adams, 5-year-owner of his detailing business, says it's simple to prevent the Lowcountry elements from beating through your clear coat, and eventually, the gel coat.

"Waxing is by far and above the biggest thing," he stresses. "You should get your boat waxed twice a year, minimum."

If oxidation has already set in, Adams says it's not too late to salvage the finish.

"You can wax with a compound suspended in it, like cleaner wax, buff that off, and add finish wax," Adams says.

8.) Forgetting to rinse off the salt

Just like any other man-made object, fiberglass boat hulls will also succumb to the unrelenting saltwater and air.

"Another problem is not washing your boat off after you use it," Adams says. "When the water evaporates, it crystallizes the salt on the hull."

And with the trailer, it's important to immediately rinse the salt off all the boat's surfaces.

"Salt is a corrosive and bad for any surface," Adams says. "If you wash the boat off, it liquidizes crystals and removes

the salt."

Like preventing oxidation on a fiberglass hull, teak can also be preserved.

"Two coats of varnish on teak will last around a year, after you strip it down to 220 grit," Adams says.

Electronics

9.) Not using the correct hardware

Jason Pownall, 16-year owner and technician of Charleston Boat Repair, goes back over his customers' own electrical work a lot.

"I see people using a/c electrical wire nuts to connect wires," Pownall says. "Those are for houses, not for boats."

Pownall recommends another way to ensure wire connections last against the Lowcountry elements.

"The best way to do it is use heat shrink connectors that you can crimp," he says. "That's the best water-tight connection."

It's even more important to protect wire connections that are more exposed.

"Use heat shrink around the bilge where corrosion takes place, and closer to the water," Pownall says.

10.) Running too many wires

Water-tight, clean connections, according to Pownall, will help prevent electronics from failing when needed most.

"Another thing I see is multiple splices on wires," Pownall says. "They'll connect this wire, to that wire, to this wire."

Run wires to one spot.

"The correct way to run it is to a power source, like a fuse box," Pownall says. "All boats have accessories."

There's an easy way to find the fuse box.

"You need to read your owner's manual," Pownall says. "It tells you in there what fuse you need to use."