Article by Pat Schrawder
ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR FIRST TRIP OUT ON THE WATER?
Imagine it’s a nice weekend. The sun is out. It’s warm and there’s a light breeze blowing. You decide to venture out in your boat for the first time since last summer. You’ve got the fishing rods and bait, the life jackets, and the snacks. You’ve fueled up the engines and you’re ready to roll. What??? You haven’t checked your electronic equipment?
Okay, so I know you’re saying, “But it was working when I used it the last time and it’s just been sitting there over the winter. What could be wrong?” The first time you apply current to an item of electronics that has been sitting over the winter, it is most vulnerable. So you should turn all your equipment on and run it for several hours at the dock or at your home to see if it works and if it stays working.
There are a few things you should always do before you go out for your first real day on the water. Check your basic electrical wiring for any signs of corrosion. This includes any fuse panels, terminal blocks and connections to your battery. You would be surprised at the small amount of corrosion that is needed to affect the proper operation of your equipment. There are several types of anti-corrosion chemicals on the market that you can use to spray on your connections and it’s a good thing to do on a regular basis. Gently tug at connections to make certain they are still secure and that they are tight. A loose connection will have the same effect as corrosion when it comes to delivering current. If you find a loose connection, you can usually tighten it with ordinary hand tools. Once tightened, it’s a good idea to spray it lightly with some anti-corrosion mix.
Equally as important is your transducer on the transom or through the hull. Check it carefully before you go in the water. Look for any marine growth and, if you find it, remove the bulk of it then lightly sandpaper the face of the transducer. Do not chip away at it with a sharp object like a knife or screwdriver. Once you have cleaned the surface, you may paint it with special transducer paint. Do not paint it with regular boat anti-fouling hull paint as that often contains metal that will ruin the operational effectiveness of the transducer.
If your fish finder has speed and temperature, there will also be a “paddlewheel” assembly affixed to the transducer. Make certain you can spin the wheel freely and look for the speed to change on the display. If you tap lightly on the bottom of the transducer, you will normally see some indication on the display. It will be small and it will only flash for a second so you have to be quick. Often you can feel and/or hear a buzzing or clicking sound that indicates your transducer is “firing” as it should. You may still have to wait until the boat is in the water to determine if it is still reading depth correctly. If your transducer is transom mounted, look closely and you will usually find a small metal “dot” about the size of the head of a pencil’s eraser. If you locate it, place your finger on the dot and look for the temperature on the display to change.
Check your GPS unit and look for two things. First, make sure the unit is picking up signals and is reading the correct position. Once you have resolved that, check to see that your waypoints are still stored. If you have one of the new cartography plotter units, check with your dealer or the manufacturer of the chart to see if there have been any changes in the chart. If so, it may need upgrading. Most manufacturers offer an update service. If you register with them, they will let you know whenever there have been changes or if new charts have become available.
Your communication device(s) is arguably the most important item of marine electronics on your boat so don’t short change it. Make a test call to check both your transmit and receive capabilities. Take a good look at your antennas. Has the Fiberglas started to fray? That won’t actually impair your operational capabilities but you will get nasty Fiberglas splinters in your hands if you grab the antenna. A new antenna is a relatively inexpensive item and may be a good thing to replace.
Taking the time in advance to do these few things can really pay off in a successful and uneventful first day of boating.
Pat Schrawder and her husband Larry are owners of L&L Marine Electronics on Golf Course Road in West Ocean City.
