long life. If your boat has been winterized or just put away for a season, there are some things you should do to make sure your boat is ready for the water. Pennzoil Marineoffers this 6point Break Out the Boat Basic Training guide to help eager boaters enjoy safe, hassle-free boating all summerlong. 1. Start early. “It’s a good idea to get your boat out of storage a little early and start it up,” says Chris Hayek, brand managerfor Pennzoil Marine. “If you’re taking it to a dealer to be summerized or to get some repairs, try to do it before the summer rush when dealers tend to get overwhelmed.” 2. Warm up. Coax your boat out of hibernation. If you stored your boat with some fuel in the tank and didn’t use a fuel stabilizer, condition the fuel by adding a conditioner such as Pennzoil’s Fuel System Cleaner and Stabilizer. If you experience no start and the fuel seems stale, take your boat to a qualified dealership where trained technicians are equipped to drain and dispose of the fuel. Remember, fuel is very flammable, and should be kept away from sparks. 3. Maintain liquids. If you own a 4-cycle marine outboard, and didn’t do it last fall, now’s a good time to change the engineoil and oil filter, and drain and replace the lower unit lubricants. Synthetic oils, such as Pennzoil 100% Synthetic oil are good because they protect engines and extend engine life. For those who own a 2-cycle marine engine, top off the oil reservoir with fresh 2cycle oil, change out lower unit lubricants and run engineto flush out all cooling passages. 4, Secure loose ends that might trip you up. Check for loose or damaged wiring on the ee alia ae as boats are a lifestyle investment. A little bit of maintenance and prevention can help boaters geta lifetime of play from it. outboard and boat. Check the throttle and shift cables to make sure they’re properly adjusted and work correctly. 5. Charge your battery. Charge and reinstall the battery. Some fishing boats, especially bass boats, have internal chargers pre-wired. All you need is to add an extension cord, or test it to make sure it can hold a charge during big jobs, like starting the engine. 6. Check support equipment. Inspect your trailer to make sure the trailer lights are working, and then double check the winch cable, tie downs and safety chains. Make sure your state license registration is up to date as well. If possible, take your boat out on the water for a short run to make sure everything's working properly. “The goal is optimum performance and longer life on the water,” says Hayek. “Recreational boats are a lifestyle investment. A little bit of maintenance and prevention can help boaters get a lifetime of play from their investment.” For more information on boat maintenance and products, go to www.pennzoil.com.
