What I need to know for my first boat

[Kye Abraham]

Hey guys,

hope everyone is doing well. So I'll be picking up my first boat in mid June. It's a 2008 Triton 21 hp with a Mercury pro xs 250. 

My grandfather and Dad have had deep sea boats for most of my life so I'm not completely new to the world and terminology of boating but I was hoping you guys would be able to help give me some of your tips and routines when it comes to owning a boat and how you care for and maintain it? Maybe mention a couple things you wish you knew when you had your first boat. How do you guys care for the trailer? 

For those of you that run a merc pro xs, what fuels, oils, additives etc. do you use? Any specifics about this engine I should know?

so far I've found a few articles from here to help me develop my own routine but any advice would be great. 

 

Thanks in advance 

Kye Abraham

[PECo]

What you said about developing your own routine is dead on. Operating a boat safely is all about routine and habit. When I'm on someone else's boat, I try to stay out of the way, unless I'm asked to help with something. And when I have others on my boat, I ask them to NOT help me operate the boat, unless I ask them to help with something.

 

You sound like you've been around boats enough to know what you're doing. My one piece of advice: Don't forget about the bung plug. Oh, and my second of two pieces of advice: Don't neglect your trailer.

[sully420]

Go to a marina that deals with mercury motors and they should be happy to tell you all about your motor and what oils and gear lube to use and when to change them. If you are financing your boat get all the extras you want added into the loan i wish i would have done that myself. Also watch some yoi tube videos on the maintenance of your motor amd grease everything on your trailer motor ect

[fishnkamp]

Congrats on your first boat and that is like jumping off a bicycle and jumping into a Ferrari.  The proper oils and maintenance info is easy to get. Go to your local Merc dealer with the engine serial number and purchase the original operators manual.  I also recommend, if this boat is coming from an individual, then ask him to take it out for a ride. Ask to watch him as he prepares the boat, launches it and when he recovers it back on the trailer. Go enjoy the ride. Have him point out how he gets it up on plane, how he uses its jackplate and trim ( if there is one).

 

Now there are some things to look at since you are just buying it.   Have the batteries tested and replaced, right up front if needed.  That boat will have a 24 or 36 volt trolling motor.  It may have an on board battery charger.  This means 2 or 3 trolling motor batteries.

The outboard motor will recharge the separate "starting" battery which is also used to run livewell, light etc.  

If the boat does not have an onboard charger, you may want to add it, it probably does though.

 

Here is a part of my routine.

You will want to wipe down the boat after use, I do mine right in the ramps parking lot. I like to remove the plug and get out any water that may be in the bilge ( mostly from waves) and I store the plug in the same location every time. I also empty any water in the livewells.

This is important too

Once home my trolling motor is unplugged or turned off and the batteries are immediately recharged. This will give the batteries their longest life.  My batteries are group 30 AGM batteries that cost close to $200 each, but I am on year 7 on them.

This recharging immediately is important.

 

Engine maintenance annually includes a new water pump impeller and a change of the lower unit oil. The impeller change is more important to me, since I fish salty brackish water and that can cause it to harden. When I ran freshwater lakes I only did it maybe every 3 years. I will grease every fitting once a year and do a total under hood inspection as well.

I do not have one, but your engine has a fuel filter.  Replace it.

There is one more thing I would do before I ran the boat much. I would replace the entire fuel line and primer bulb, from tank to engine.  This is a cheap solution to avoid a much more expensive repair later.  The ethanol fuels we are forced to run these days are tearing up the inside of fuel lines. If yours goes bad enough to cause a performance problem, then the entire fuel system including electric fuel pump, float, and even injectors can be compromised.  I just did this on my 2010 boat this past summer. I did not have a problem yet. It only cost about $60 to avoid potentially a several thousand dollar bill.  I saw a few that this happened to and the entire line just disintegrated.

 

Trailer maintenance could include a wash down after use, if you run salty brackish water.  Regular maintenance should include an occasional recheck of the tire pressures, and a quick torque check of on the lug nuts, bolts for the springs, any bolts up on the trailer tongue, like for a swing away tongue and the coupler. Check brake fluid level occasionally.

 

You need to find out what type of hubs and axle you have,  The old system was a solid axle and Bearing Buddies, this required only an occasional pump of fresh grease.  The next upgrade includes a drilled axle where you pump the grease into the fitting, it goes through the axle and fills from the back to the front.  With this design all one has to do is pump in a tube full of grease and all of the old is replaced by the new.  Lastly, the latest is an oil filled hub and that I am not sure how you maintain. Check with your dealer.

 

There are lots of other things to learn and you will over time. If you run into new questions you are welcome to pm me and I will try to help you more.  Enjoy the new boat!  Triton made a nice rig!

[J._Bricker]

Hello Kye Abraham, well come to Bassresource and the Forums. Congratulations on the new boat.

 

Regarding the Merc, I would say only use Optimax oil and only run 87-89 octane gas and you should years good service. Don't neglect the trailer or the hubs, every boat with a trailer on the side of the road are victims of the hubs being neglected. Sounds like you have a solid foundation with your dad and grandfather's help, and the Bassresource community will be happy to fill in any gaps.

 

Good fishing to the Abraham family, JB 

[Kye Abraham]

Thank you so much for all the advice guys. I really appreciate it and can say I feel better prepared to take on this responsibility of being a boat owner