Tom-N-Jerry’s Boats - Protecting Your Aluminum Boat from Salt Water Corrosion

The staff at Tom-N-Jerry’s Boats in Mount Vernon, Washington specialize in aluminum boats and know that they can sometimes get salt oxidation marks on them, which can quickly lead to galvanic corrosion. If you own an aluminum boat, there are several things you can do to help prevent your boat from becoming a victim of galvanized corrosion.

• Don’t mix metals. If you are going to mix metals be sure to use metals that are close to each other in the galvanic series.
• The bolts on your boat should be less active than fittings. Bolts are small so any loss of metal is more serious.
• Do whatever you can to electrically isolate fittings from each other. This is important to do even on small craft.
• Anodes should be securely fastened. Make sure that there is a firm contact with the metal that needs to be protected.
• When it comes to anodes, you never want to paint them. The metal that it is fastened to also needs to be free of paint, scale, and dirt.
• Never allow an impressed current voltage to exceed 1,300 millivolts when protecting aluminum.
• Always repair any scratches and paint chips that expose bare metal.
• Don’t use lubricants that contain graphite aboard a boat that is made from aluminum.
• Wash down the boat with fresh water after every use to remove any salt that has built-up.

Protect your aluminum boat and equipment from the rigors of the marine environment. If you have questions or concerns regarding your aluminum boat, contact the knowledgeable staff at Tom-N-Jerrys Boats, specialists in aluminum boats.

Tom-N-Jerry’s Boats - Six Steps for Maintaining Your Boat

No matter the size of your boat, the one thing that every boat needs is regular maintenance. The staff at Tom-N-Jerry’s Boats in Mount Vernon, Washington, have a full-service shop to help you take care of all your boat maintenance needs. However, if you are someone who likes to get their hands dirty and take care of things yourself, here are six steps to take to keep your boat in tip-top shape.

You need to wash your boat on a regular basis. If you are using your boat in saltwater, you need to rinse off your boat with fresh water every time you go out in order to remove the salt residue. When washing your boat be sure to use cleaners and soaps that are specifically made for boats. This will help to protect the finish on your boat.

If you have a four-stroke outboard, inboard, or stern driven boat, you will need to change the oil on a regular basis. The frequency will vary depending on the model boat you have, but it is a good rule to change the oil every 100 hours of operation or once a year.

If you have astern driven motor or an outboard motor, you will want to get into the habit of checking your propeller before launch. To make sure that the nut is secure, it is best to use a deep socket.
Several times a year you’ll want to remove the propeller and make sure that there isn’t any fishing line that has been discarded tangled around the shaft of the propeller. If you find that there is fishing line wrapped around the shaft, take your boat to a dealer, like Tom-N-Jerry’s Boats, to inspect the gear face.

 Inspect the propeller for any dents, nicks, and other signs of damage. If you find any signs of impact, you’ll need to send it out to be repaired. Even the smallest of dents can have an impact on the boat’s performance and cause it to burn more fuel than it normally does.

Before reinstalling the propeller put a liberal amount of waterproof grease on the shaft. Be sure to replace all the hardware in the same order that you removed them and tighten the propeller nut to the manufacturer’s specifications. If you have an outboard boat, make sure you put in a new cotter pin.
Routine maintenance and small boat repairs aren’t tough to complete.

With a little elbow grease, you can avoid costly repairs later. If you find that you are unable to complete the repairs or maintenance yourself, trust the experienced and knowledgeable technicians at Tom-N-Jerry’s Boats. They have received extensive training through Honda Marine, Yamaha Marine, Volvo Penta, Mercruiser, Garmin, and Lowrance and are committed to providing the highest customer service to all their clients.