Welcome Mariners, to the April edition of the Chula Vista Marina newsletter. In this edition we have a great article about the importance of routine top and bottom-cleaning and zinc replacement.
It is finally boating season in San Diego Bay and with the longer days hopefully you all can take advantage and get out on the water. With spring comes spring cleaning. There are several things that if you take a little extra time in doing will save you a ton of money and keep your boat running and looking great. The most basic (and simplest) task is to wash your boat regularly. Rinse your boat thoroughly with fresh water after every outing to remove sea salt. A long-handled boat brush or a spray wand makes the job easy. You can find brush wands at your local marine retail store. To protect your boat's finish, be sure to use soaps and cleaners made specifically for boats. Have you hull cleaned regularly, in most cases once a month is standard. If you're tempted to let this chore slide, consider this fact: a boat with a clean hull bottom is more fuel-efficient than a hull that's covered with algae or other aquatic scum.
Be sure to check the propeller regularly. Remove the propeller several times during the season to make sure discarded fishing line hasn't become wrapped around the propeller shaft. If it has, have your dealer inspect the gear case, because fishing line can cause gear-case leaks, and gear-case service isn’t a do-it-yourself job - it’s a costly repair .
See you on the docks!
Robert Zimmerman
619-862-2835
