I spend a lot of time on the carpet in the boat and let me tell you I have used the foam cleaner, but I have found if you will take vinegar and mix it 50/50 with water and scrub in a circular motion then use a low foam cleaner afterward to get the vinegar smell out it works great.

How many of you out there have used Dip-It and there are chartuce spots on the deck? Well Dip-It makes

a bottle that can remove the spots.

Hey, we got the boat looking like new again right...we forgot something. What about the trailer?

Trailer Maintenance:

Inspect your trailer for damage. Anytime you get a nick on the paint and sand or salt gets on it then it will start eating away at the metal frame.

Clean it well and check with the Marine dealer where you got the boat. He just might have some touch up paint the can be used to restore the trailer to look new.

Don't forget the trailer bunk pads after all the times you launch and put your boat back on the trailer the pads get sand in them and when you load your boat it will scratch your hull.

One weekend when you go for an outing and the boat is in the water. Run up to one of those carwashes and pressure spray the bunks to get the dirt and sand out of them.

Now that you’ve picked up a few tips to help keep your boat looking new; let's get inside real deep to look at what else needs maintenance to keep you having fun on the lake instead of hoping somebody comes by to give you a tow.

Even with the boat shining like new and your main investment protected, neglect of the items discussed below could leave you dead in the water while thinking about the expensive repairs about to take a big bite out of your…uh… wallet.

Batteries:

The batteries that I carry onboard my boat are a little different than what a lot of guys do, meaning a lot of guys use deep cycle batteries for everything.

I recommend using a starting battery which is the one that gets the big motor started instead of using a deep cycle battery. Why? This battery will give you a burst of juice to turn the big motor over and that is what you need. You will see on the side or top of battery cranking amps, that’s not just a pretty decal.

A deep cycle battery gives off the same amount of juice and is recommended for the trolling motor. Another interesting fact is after using your deep cycle battery all day you can drain it down to nothing and recharge it back up, and a normal battery you will loose some it if it will even charge back up.

When I return from the lake I always hook my battery charger up and charge the batteries. Now days on many Bass Boats, they have a onboard charger where all you have to do is plug it into a outlet.

In my boat I got a Guest three bank charger that I can leave plugged in when not in use and if any time the batteries go down, it kicks in and charges them back up and then shuts down.

Always check the batteries before you break it out in the spring. Make sure that the battery acid is full. If not, add some distilled water that is free of mineral deposits to fill them up.

 

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