Boating Season is almost here, time to get your boat ready for some river fun.

Spring has sprung and summer quickly approaches, the time has come to drag your vessel out of storage, pull off the shrink wrap or tarp that has been covering your boat all winter and start cleaning her up.

First things first, open everything up and make sure you don't have any uninvited critters aboard. Check every compartment, and while you are checking for critters or the damage they left behind also keep an eye open for mold and or mildew, you will need to address any mold or mildew issues right away as the longer it sets the harder it is to clean. Pay special attention to the vinyl and  the canvas as they are easily stained by mold. Don't panic if you have mold, there are some really good products available for mold removal.

Now is the best time to repair any hull damage that you may have, paint that bottom with anti-fouling paint, or give that bottom a good 3 or 4 coats of your favorite marine wax, whichever you prefer. Now lets take a look at the top side, remove any oxidation that may be present and give the top side a good 3 or 4 coats of your favorite marine wax with UV protection, we are hopping it sees a lot of sun over the next several months.

Now that she looks great, lets dive into the mechanical side. If you didn't change the engine oil and drive lube last fall then you need to do that now. Grease the gimbal bearing, steering components, and outdrive pivot points with a high quality marine grease. Check all the fluids and top them off as needed. Inspect the propeller, make sure it is not damaged, a curled or bent blade will throw the prop out of balance and will cause shaft seals and bearing damage, a damaged prop will also effect the boats performance.

 It is a good practice to start the engine up and make sure the outdrive shifts properly and the water pump is pulling in and circulating water. There are two easy methods of supplying water to the intake pump, either use a set of muffs hooked to a garden hose, or back the boat down a ramp just far enough to submerge the intake on the outdrive.

No matter what type of vessel you are preparing, runabout, bass boat, pontoon, speed boat, cruiser, the same principals apply for preparing your vessel for the boating season.