Are You Planning to Fix Your Own Boat?

The decision to handle your own boat repair is not one to be taken lightly. Boats are notoriously difficult to work on and often require specific knowledge to properly repair. If you have your mind set on handling the task of boat repair yourself, then there are a few things you should keep in mind. In this article, we will cover some of the most important considerations when it comes to boat repair.

Identifying the problem

The first step is, of course, identifying what is wrong with your boat. This may be something obvious such as a broken propeller or cracked fuel line, but oftentimes, boat repair may have subtle components you are not considering. For example, if your propeller is broken then you’ve hit something hard enough to damage the metal body. So, while you might not see any damage from the outside, the propeller shaft may have suffered damage as well. Perhaps even the motor mounts. The point is to carefully evaluate what is wrong and consider how it may have impacted other areas of your vessel. This will make boat repair a much simpler task. Once you have the general issue in mind, it’s time to focus on the specific problem and its solutions.

Diagnosing the exact problem

Once you have isolated the issue and any surrounding potential issues you need to ask yourself a question. Can this be repaired, or does it need to be replaced? For this article, we are going to assume that the issue can be repaired. Now that we know it can be fixed, we can continue with the boat repair. The next step is to gather two things that you will need to complete your boat repair: information and parts. You will need access to the specific information required to make the boat repair as well as access to the parts needed to complete those repairs. So, let’s start by covering where you can get the information.

Where to get the information

A good place to get information on your boat would be the owner’s manual however unfortunately, most owner’s manuals do not cover repairs. So now what? Well, two main places to gather information for boat repair are boating forums and how-to guides.

Boating forums

These are a great resource for gathering information and bouncing around ideas for more experienced individuals to discuss. It is also a great place to ask highly specified questions relating to boat repair. There is an issue to be aware of though. Anyone can respond to your questions and even though they may be well intending, it’s highly possible that they are wrong. This is why you should more closely listen to those individuals who are longstanding or high-ranking. These are the people who have the most experience with boat repair and are most likely to give you the most direct and helpful answers. Here are a few boating forums that our customers have recommended that you may find beneficial.

Note: Please be aware that we do not endorse any of the answers or comments you may receive while there.

The Hull Truth

Marine Engine

Iboats

How-to guides

This type of guide is usually made by someone with experience, and they tend to be more trustworthy than general information from a boating forum. How-to guides on boat repair are geared towards specific issues and solutions and can often be easily followed with little to no prior knowledge. The thing about how-to guides is that you may not be able to find one regarding the exact boat repair issue that you are dealing with. Still, these are solid resources depending on the issue you are trying to address.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Instructional Videos

Another excellent source of information about boat repair is YouTube. YouTube can be a great resource given you find knowledgeable, accurate, concise videos. Oftentimes, we hear about how customers watched multiple videos from different sources and amalgamated the content. This makes boat repair so much easier, however, we would suggest taking it a step farther. Our suggestion would be to find videos covering the topic of boat repair and watch several, making sure to take notes. Then find a how-to guide and compare it to your notes to see if you’ve missed anything. Finally, with notes from the videos and a detailed how-to guide, ask any questions you have on the boating forums. This way you will have a firm understanding of the issue and be able to answer any questions that members of the forum may ask you.

Where do you get the parts?

When it comes to boat repair, you will want to invest in the highest quality products possible. Start by finding a supplier that already serves the marine industry. A supplier that offers products to boat builders and manufacturers. Think about it. A boatbuilder puts their name on every boat they make, and they only want the highest quality parts possible. So, it makes sense that if a boat builder trusts a supplier, then the supplier likely deals in quality. Boat repair is not always an easy process and having quality parts makes that process easier. Look for a supplier with long term presence and experience. A supplier that has decades of experience is much more likely to deal with high quality parts. Find a supplier like Pacer. With over 40 years of experience serving some of the biggest names in the marine industry Pacer has cultivated a catalog of over 9,000 marine products. Specializing in electrical solutions, Pacer offers the highest quality parts possible all in one easy-to-shop location.