What Goes into a Summerize?
"It's time to summerize your boat!" Okay great! What exactly does that mean?
The concept of summerizing your boat is fairly straightforward, but you'd be surprised at how differently each dealership does it.
Summerization is the process of getting your boat assessed for any issues, topped off with fluids/oils/lubes, tested for smooth running and operation, checked for updates, and so much more.
Some dealerships spend the their summerize appointments simply putting hoses and plugs back in after winter, which is important and necessary, but not quite thorough enough.
Captain's Marine has a 68 point checklist that our technicians have to go through during every summerize they do.
This includes:
- 14 items on the TRAILER
- 9 items on the EXTERIOR
- 10 items on the INTERIOR
- 25 items on the ENGINE/SYSTEMS
- 10 items on the FINAL CHECK
It's a rigorous process that helps ensure your boat is ready for the water when it comes time to launch it!
Captain's Marine does everything in our power to ensure top safety of your boat, but we unfortunately don't get to take them all out for water testing. Upon initial launch of your boat for the season, we always recommend opening the engine hatch before leaving the dock, to ensure everything looks good and you're not taking on any water! (Realistically, you should do this every time you launch your boat!).
Mike in service always says "Just like airplanes do checks before they take off (since you can't just step out onto the ground if something goes wrong), you can't step out of your boat if it begins to sink either. Always give your boat a thorough check before leaving the dock!".
One thing to remember: as part of the Clean. Drain. Dry. initiative, the one thing Captain's Marine doesn't do is INSTALL YOUR DRAIN PLUGS! You must do this yourself before launching your boat.
If you'd like to know more about what goes into a summerize, our Service Department is more than happy to give you the entire run down. Your safety and fun is our top priority!
