"What you need to know before you go"
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Springtime Commissioning
Many boaters look forward to warm springtime temperatures and the chance to launch their boats. This topic covers the tasks necessary to outfit and maintain your boat and get ready for the first sail of the season.
This page lists commissioning tasks that are common to all types of boating. At the bottom of this page there are links with further details for commissioning your boat for ICW or offshore cruising.
In general, you should work "top down" on the boat. Wash the deck, wash and wax the topsides, then do the bottom paint. Remember also to prioritize tasks where you'll require outside help. You'll find that mechanics, riggers and other marine-trades people are in high demand.
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Planning Out the Commissioning Project
The following checklists cover the four phases of the commissioning project:
Pre-Launch Tasks (On dry land)
The following checklist covers the tasks are most easily accomplished or can only be accomplished while the boat is on dry land.
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Item |
Link to Detail |
| Uncover & Open Up The Boat | ||
| Remove winter cover; store frame and any tarps you'll reuse next year | ||
| Wash off dust and dirt that accumulated over the winter | ||
| Open up all hatches and air the boat out | ||
| Pump bilge and leave access hatches open to air out bilge | ||
| Wash and Wax Topsides | ||
| Thoroughly wash deck and hull with a good quality auto soap | ||
| Use an electric buffer and buffing compound to remove scuffs and polish out minor scratches. | ||
| Apply two coats of good quality wax to topsides | ||
| Underwater Hardware Maintenance | ||
| Drive Train | ||
| Clean prop shaft and prop; install new zinc(s) | ||
| Inspect prop for damage; remove and send out for repairs if necessary | ||
| Check prop nut and locknut for tightness; check cotter pin. | ||
| Check cutlass bearing for wear by grasping shaft and trying to move up and down and side to side. If you can move more than 1/8", consider replacement. | ||
| Replace prop shaft packing, if needed or if more than 3 years old | ||
| Keel (for boats with a separate, bolt-on keel) | ||
| Inspect the keel to boat joint - look for cracking, misalignment, weeping or other evidence of problems. | ||
| Check tops of keel bolts in the bilge - look for evidence of shifting, cracking, misalignment or loosening. | ||
| Sensors | ||
| Clean the knot log impeller. | ||
| Make sure that the depth sounder transducer isn't covered in multiple layers of bottom paint. | ||
| Steering | ||
| Check rudder bearings - Have a friend hold the wheel and engage the wheel brake, then grab and shake the rudder. If there's any play in the rudder, it means a problem is developing. Check linkages and bearings and replace as needed. | ||
| Replace rudder shaft packing, if needed or if more than 5 years old | ||
| Inspect rudder to make sure it's not damaged. Line up rudder with keel to see if rudder stock is bent or mis-aligned. | ||
| Look for evidence of water intrusion into the rudder as soon as the boat is pulled out of the water. Any drips at the bottom of the rudder may indicate water has migrated into the core of the rudder. | ||
| Through-Hulls | ||
| Check integrity of all through-hulls. Bronze should be brown or green in color; pink color or porous looking bronze indicates an electrolysis problem and the through-hull must be replaced. | ||
| Check seacocks, hoses and clamps. Replace any cracked hoses or rusty clamps. Make sure that seacocks operate freely. | ||
| If you have plans to add a through-hull, now is the time to do it. | ||
| Clear through-hulls and strainers of any barnacles or other marine growth | ||
| Bottom Preparation and Paint | ||
| Inspect entire surface for blisters or damaged gel coat. Repair any damaged areas and treat with a good quality barrier-coat. | ||
| Sand and/or wash old bottom paint to remove old accumulation. | ||
| Mask off waterline with blue long-release masking tape. | ||
| Apply bottom paint. Two coats are suggested and three to four at the water line and on the rudder (high wear areas). | ||
| Remove masking tape as soon as your final coat of paint is dry. Even the blue-colored "long release" tape will get stuck to a hull and be hard to remove after several days. | ||
| Prepare to Step the Mast / Mast Maintenance | ||
| Clean mast step of any corrosion. | ||
| Replace the light bulbs in masthead and steaming lights every year or two. It's far easier to do this when the mast is unstepped. | ||
| Inspect the mast and standing rigging; replace any shrouds or stays that have damaged terminal fittings. Clean turnbuckle threads and lubricate with Lanocote or a similar dry lubricant. | ||
| Clean the mainsail track and lubricate with McLube or SailKote spray lubricant | ||
| An old sailors' tradition is to place a coin such as a silver dollar (US) or "Blue Nose" dime (Canada) at the base of the mast before it is stepped. This is supposed to bring good luck. | ||
This checklist covers the launch of your boat and moving it to your dock or mooring.
|
Item |
Link to Detail |
| Step the Rig (sailboats) | ||
| Install VHF antenna, windex and other masthead instrumentation. | ||
| Step the mast and tension shrouds and stays | ||
| Reconnect any wiring that was disconnected when the mast was removed (e.g. running lights, radar, wind instruments, VHF antenna). Perform a quick power-in check to make sure these items are working correctly. | ||
| Make sure you're ready to get underway | ||
| Steering wheel or rudder is installed and steering works properly. | ||
| There is sufficient fuel to start and run engine and get to dock or mooring. | ||
| Engine Start | ||
| Make sure that the seacock is open for the raw water | ||
| Check the drip rate on the shaft | ||
| Make sure you're ready to dock | ||
| Fenders and docklines are on deck and are ready for use | ||
| Your dock, slip or mooring is clear of other boats | ||
Post-Launch Maintenance & Inspection Tasks (At the dock)
After the boat has been launched and is safely at the dock or mooring, it's time to go through all systems in the boat and inspect/maintain the equipment. Click on the links below for a detailed list of inspection and maintenance tasks. Use these lists to plan out the commissioning project and keep track of your progress. When this checklist is complete, you're ready for sea trials:
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After you have completed your dockside maintenance of all systems, it's time to take the boat out and see how things perform under real-world conditions. Click on the links below for a detailed list of sea trial inspection points. Use these lists as you sail the boat for the first time. When sea trials have been completed, you're through with commissioning and you're ready to provision the boat and go sailing.
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