Early Season Boat Concerns

[NDwalleyes]

When do u guys repack trailer grease

I blew a hub south of Devils Lake at 2am once. After removing the tire and hub so as to take it to town for parts and repacking, I seriously considered lighting my boat on fire, rather than go back and face those mosquitoes again. Ever since then I am a stickler about my hubs.

I repack mine every other year. In and out of water is tough on grease. Main concerns is the oil/grease seal on the inside of the hub...ya gotta crawl under there and look once in a while as this is the main spot where water will get in.

Buy good bearings and races. Buy good marine grease. Use Bearing Buddies. I only use Timken bearings and Lucas grease, and repack them every 2 years. This year was number 10 and I didn't dare use them again, even though they looked fine.

When you stop, check the temperature of the hub with your hand. The temperature of your hub should never get warmer than the sidewall of your tire. So on a cloudy day and the sun not beating on your sidewall, your hub should be at about the same temperature at the outside air.

Traveling with a spar set of bearings and grease, along with knowing how to repack bearings, remove and install races and seals, is just a good set of skills to have if you pull your boat a lot. Eventually you will have a hub failure. Lots of good videos on YouTube.

 

[guywhofishes]

lighting boat on fire... ha ha ha

 

[LBrandt]

Cell phones are for out going calls only while in the boat, unless its a booty call. Then I would think twice, depends on weather and bite.

 

[SDMF]

When do u guys repack trailer grease

Every other year on a standard bearing/buddy setup.

Regarding the OP:

1. Make sure your kill switch hasn't been tripped.

2. A quick check of all the pumps, lights, basically anything with a switch, switch on/off. If you have an auto-bilge, find the float switch and make sure it works. They can get gummy/gooey and fail.

3. Clean battery posts, all of them. If you have an onboard charger, disconnect it and use an ammeter to make sure ALL of the banks are working properly.

4. Check the front and rear straps on the trailer for wear/tears.

5. Check tires/bearings

 

[Duckslayer100]

Good call about the bearings. I was going to repack mine last year and got lazy. Made it through a half dozen trips with no worries, but I probably shouldn't put it off any longer. The sucker sat for 10 years and then hit the road, so yeah...it's due.

As for the comment about something breaking the first trip of the year, I say you get ahead of the curve! Go get yourself a 50-cent garage sale rod, tote it along, get it rigged up with a cheap sinker and single hook, drop it down to the bottom and troll for 30 seconds, then promptly snap the SOB over your knee. Along with the splash of Blue num num on the bow, that should be plenty of sacrificial offerings to appease the fish gods.

 

[Fishmission]

Might work!
What should I do for locking my keys in the vehicle, can't get in it at 5:30 AM on the ramp and end up breaking the glass on the back hatch and then sweeping up mountains of glass before all the other rigs show up to launch?

 

[johnr]

Might work!
What should I do for locking my keys in the vehicle, can't get in it at 5:30 AM on the ramp and end up breaking the glass on the back hatch and then sweeping up mountains of glass before all the other rigs show up to launch?

If you would have been smart from the get go and purchased a Ford to haul your boat around, you would have a key pad on the drivers door to assist you in unlocking that locked door.

I did this once too, thankfully my Ford was helpful.

 

[shorthairsrus]

now my last boat i only packed every 5 yrs -- that thing was on more dirty roads never had a issue. However i seen my neighbors lund -- tandem - missing a wheel last year pulling it home at night. didnt even know it was missing.

 

[bigv]

Be sure to put fresh gas in and maybe a can of seafoam.

 

[Fishmission]

If you would have been smart from the get go and purchased a Ford to haul your boat around, you would have a key pad on the drivers door to assist you in unlocking that locked door.

I did this once too, thankfully my Ford was helpful.

Ahh, that was my old blazer on its last leg. Slept in it that night like a homeless man with cardboard cover.

 

[NDwalleyes]

now my last boat i only packed every 5 yrs -- that thing was on more dirty roads never had a issue. However i seen my neighbors lund -- tandem - missing a wheel last year pulling it home at night. didnt even know it was missing.

Dust and such should not cause issues unless your oil seal is torn. Now...pot holes and a lot of washboard roads on the other had will take a toll on the bearings. The main wear factor on bearings is weight. The shock from potholes, jumping curbs and such can damage the bearings and obviously lead to a failure, and is the main reason to buy quality bearings not made in China.