Routine Maintenance

After each days sailing you should carry out the following maintenance on your boat.

	Remove the flexishaft
	Check the prop
	Lubricate the flexishaft
	Check the radio compartment for signs of water. Open up and leave to dry in a warm dry place if there are any signs of moisture inside. Leave the bung out of the box in any case.
	Clean hull and check for any signs of damage and repair if necessary.
	Check all nuts and bolt for tightness.
	Empty any remaining fuel from the fuel tank.
	Flush the engine through with after run oil.

Lubricating the Flexishaft
After removing the flexishaft I heat it in a 50/50 mix of engine oil and STP. This drives out any water from inside the windings of the shaft and ensures that the oil mix penetrates all of the flexishaft.

I use a length of copper pipe blanked at one end and clamped in a vice for this. The pipe should be long enough to hold your longest flexishaft. Several flexishafts can be put in the pipe the drive dog and prop stopping the shaft falling all the way into the pipe. The pipe can then be gently heated with a blow torch, the idea being to boil off any water not fire the oil from a pipe.

Before replacing the flexi I grease the strut bearings and stuffing box with Mercury Marine Grease.

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Flushing the Engine
I now use Model Technics after run oil in my engines after a days running. With the engine running and the glow start attatched the oil is squirted into the carb, this will produce a large cloud of oily smoke, oil should be added until the engine stops. The engine will now be well lubricated

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This page was last updated on 07 Jan 1999

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