You have been busy for weeks or a month, didn’t start your boat in that time, and wondered if it is OK or not? Is it essential to start and run your boat engine frequently if it is left idle for a long time? And how long should you let it run?
As a general rule, you should start your (boat) gas engine once every 2 weeks and the diesel engine once every month. And you should run it until it gets up to operating temperatures to get rid of the moist air inside. But, if a boat is winterized properly, it can sit idle for long times (6 months).
Gasoline boat engines need to be started once every 2 weeks because gasoline will create water, and water means corrosion. Diesel boat engines need to be started once a month because diesel creates very little water from combustion, so it does not put much moisture in the oil.
You can leave your boat untouched for 6 months straight if it is properly winterized. So, it is good to winterize your boat if you were thinking of keeping it idle for months straight. Otherwise, you need to start your boat once every 2 weeks (for a gasoline engine) and once every month (for a diesel engine).
And one thing to keep in mind is if you winterized your boat engine, you don’t want to start it until you’re ready to go back out on the water. Otherwise, you’ll have to winterize it again.
For example, if you winterized your boat in the winter and you used it in December for a day or two, you might need to winterize it again for the rest of the winter storage. Otherwise, it could cause any damage. If you don’t want to winterize it at all, you need to start your boat engine quite often.
How often should you start your boat will also depend on the temperatures outside. It is OK to leave it untouched for long periods, even without winterization, if the temperatures are warm. So, “temperatures” are crucial here; otherwise, you can leave it without any concerns.
However, simply starting the boat engine and keeping it in neutral isn’t enough; you need to run it until it gets up to operating temperatures. It can take around 10-15 minutes to get it up to operating temperatures. And then going another 10 more minutes would do all that was necessary things, vaporizing that moisture fully.
It’s highly recommended to run a boat engine for 20-30 minutes in total. Doing that will vaporize all the moist air and fuel contaminating the oil. Still, that will vary with how fast your engine gets heated up and what is getting into the oil.
There are so many ways to damage your boat engine; among them, improper winterization and improper maintenance top the place. If it isn’t winterized, running it often for around 30 minutes will eliminate most of the problems.
What is the procedure you need to follow while starting a boat after a long time?
There is a procedure involved in it and simply starting the engine and quickly getting it to 1500 RMPs or more is bad. It needs to be done slowly and adequately to keep an engine in good condition. We will now see that procedure.
NOTE – Same procedure applies to both gasoline and diesel engines.
- Connect the water (with earmuffs) if the boat isn’t in the water.
- Start the engine.
- Keep it neutral (without gear) for 2-3 minutes.
- Put it in gear and rev up to half the cruise speed.
- Be there for 5 minutes.
- Then rev up to cruise speed.
- Be there until it gets up to operating temperatures (it could take around 10 minutes).
- Then go back to neutral and be there for 2-3 minutes (let it cool).
- Put it in the reverse gear and be there for 3 minutes.
- Then back to neutral (be there for a minute) and stop the engine.
This whole process could take 20-30 minutes in total. It will cook off (vaporize) the moisture or water and fuel contaminating the oil. Still, that will vary with how fast your engine gets heated up and what is getting into the oil.
One of the essential steps among them is not to dry start the boat engine if it is not in the water. Connect the hose and start the engine; otherwise, it will immediately melt down the boat’s impeller, and it also puts a load on unlubricated bearing surfaces and parts, and that’s a terrible idea.
One of the main reasons not to put a boat engine (any engine) in gear immediately after starting is that you are putting a load on unlubricated bearing surfaces and unlubricated parts, and that’s a terrible idea. Let it be idle for 2-3 minutes before you rev it up.
If you run it in neutral at the dock, it’s not great for compression, and it won’t get up to the internal operating temperatures. That won’t vaporize the moisture, and that could cause severe damages to the engine. So, running it until operating temperatures is crucial.
Doing that process will make the oil move all around the engine, cylinders get a fresh coating, piston rings get flexed, and the moving parts are most likely in a different position when turned off. Repeating the whole process for the second time is good if you are not putting any load on the engine.
It is good to put a load on the engine, which means taking it for a ride (if possible). The benefit is that all parts of the gas/diesel get fed nice, hot oil. Doing one hour at cruise speed, even as little as once a month, is better than doing it at the dock (home).
If you have any chance, take the boat for a ride. Otherwise, doing the above procedure (in the land) will also be good to go. Check this very small & helpful video on the “importance of Warming your boat motor” by Edwin Evers, especially in winters if the boat isn’t winterized.
How long can a boat motor sit without running?
However, it is not recommended to leave your boat engine without running for months, but under certain circumstances, it is possible, and we will now see them in a detailed way.
On average, you can leave the boat motor without running for one month if the weather is warm or moderate (not freezing) though it is not recommended but manageable. However, if the boat is properly winterized, you can leave it for 6 months straight without any concerns.
If the weather is freezing outside, leaving the boat engine for a week will result in damage. But, if the weather is warm, you can leave it for 1 or 2 months (sometimes more) without any worries. However, regular checks are compulsory if you are leaving the boat for long periods.
The other option is to winterize your boat so that you can leave it for more months (around 6 months) if you don’t use your boat regularly (if it is winter). If you don’t want to winterize the boat engine, you should start once every 2 weeks (for gasoline engine) and once every month (for diesel engine).
And one thing to keep in mind is if you winterized your boat engine, you don’t want to start it until you’re ready to go back out on the water. Otherwise, you’ll have to winterize it again.
When you start your boat engine after a long time, ensure that you run the engine up to operating temperatures. And then going another 10 minutes would do all that was necessary to keep a boat engine in good condition and evaporate any moisture accumulated in the engine.
How often should you start your boat engine in the winter?
You don’t need to start a boat engine in winter if it is properly winterized. But, if it is not winterized, you should start your boat engine once every week regardless of the gas or diesel engine. And you should run it until it gets up to operating temperatures to get rid of the moist air inside.
Temperature is the element that really matters here because if the temperatures don’t go very low (freezing), the boat can sit idle in the garage or elsewhere for 1 or 2 months easily. If you are living in the regions where the temperatures go below freezing, winterization is crucial.
Due to condensation, all the moist air present inside the engine interiors can turn into water droplets on the interior tubes, causing corrosion and more. Those water droplets could freeze inside the engine interiors, causing serious problems if the temperatures go below freezing.
If the boat is winterized in the winter, it lubricates all the engine interiors parts, preventing corrosion. So winterization is crucial, especially in the winter, if you will leave it for a long time untouched.
The takeaways from the post
On average, you should start your gas boat engine once every 2 weeks and your diesel boat engine once every month if they aren’t winterized. And you should run it until it gets up to working temperatures to get rid of the moist air. If it is winterized, you can leave it for 6 months straight.
If the weather is warm outside, you can leave the boat without bothering for 1 or 2 months, though it is not recommended to leave it for long periods. But If the weather is freezing outside, leaving the boat engine for a week will result in damage. So, “weather” is the deciding factor.
When you start your boat engine after a long time, ensure that you run the engine up to operating temperatures. Remember the procedure? The same procedure is applicable for both gasoline and diesel engines.
- Connect the water (with earmuffs) if the boat isn’t in the water.
- Start the engine.
- Keep it neutral (without gear) for 2-3 minutes.
- Put it in gear and rev up to half the cruise speed.
- Be there for 5 minutes.
- Then rev up to cruise speed.
- Be there until it gets up to operating temperatures (it could take around 10 minutes).
- Then go back to neutral and be there for 2-3 minutes (let it cool).
- Put it in the reverse gear and be there for 3 minutes.
- Then back to neutral (be there for a minute) and stop the engine.
This whole process could take 20-30 minutes in total. It will evaporate (vaporize) all the (moist) air present inside the boat engine’s interiors. So, starting your boat frequently if it is not winterized is “crucial” to keep it in good condition.