Spring Boat Prep and Launch Checklists

spring prep boats

Greenwich boat show
Resources for spring commissioning – from boat maintenance and preparation to safety checks – to make sure your boat is ready to launch

As winter slowly comes to an end, the countdown to spring begins for many boaters that are eagerly anticipating the start of a new boating season. It will soon be time to cut off that shrink wrap and roll back the tarps to prep your boat and kick off your season on the water.

Whether you are relatively new to boating or a well-seasoned old salty dog, you need to have a game plan for getting your spring boat commissioning – from basic spring boat maintenance to tackling update projects reserved for out of the water.

There are some basic de-winterization steps you’ll need to take to get your boat ready, as well as more general safety and maintenance reviews of your equipment.

For many, spring boat prep also means new zincs on the outdrives, cleaning, bottom sanding & painting, cleaning, recharging batteries, cleaning, re-installing canvas… and, oh yeah, did we mention cleaning??

(TIP: be sure to also check out our review of products for spring boat prep cleaning).

There is a lot of prep to make sure your boat is in ship shape. Having a thorough checklist is a great way to make sure you don’t miss any important steps.

Luckily there are a lot of leading industry resources that have put together some great spring boat prep lists to help you out. They thoroughly cover everything you should do to maintain, check out or prep for launching your boat in the spring after a long winter’s rest.

A Round-up of Spring Boat Maintenance and Prep Checklists

Here are some of the top spring boat maintenance checklists worth checking out prior to your spring boat launch:

Discover Boating
Spring Start-up Boat Preparation – A general overview of the areas of your boat that you will need to prep for the spring.

Boat U.S.
Spring Boat Prep – A complete safety inspection checklist for your boat engine, hull and systems.

Many marine industry experts agree that you should build a personalized boat prep checklist that you follow every year, recording dates of repairs and maintenance to guide you each year.

Preparing your boat well ahead of launch is also a good way to ensure that your boating season will not be delayed due to unexpected issues after you launch. Now think warm thoughts and get ready to enjoy the boating season ahead!



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Diane Seltzer

Founder & Editor at My Boat Life
Diane is the founder of MyBoatLife.com as well as the boating lifestyle site for kids BoaterKids.com. Active in the boating industry, Diane is founder of Marine Marketing Tools, a collaborative site for sharing marine marketing best practices. Diane is also the author of the children's book The Amazing Adventures of Boat Girl.
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