Pontoon Spring Tips!!

The days are getting longer, the water is warming up, and Buckeye Lake is calling. But before you hook up the trailer and head to the ramp, your pontoon deserves a proper once-over after a winter in storage. A little time spent now means a full season of trouble-free days on the water — and far fewer surprises once you're already out there.

Here's a practical, start-to-finish checklist for getting your pontoon boat spring-ready.

□️ Step 1: Hull, Pontoons, and Exterior

Start from the outside and work your way in. The hull and pontoon tubes take the most abuse over the season and need a thorough inspection before anything else.

Inspect the pontoon tubes for dents, cracks, or corrosion. Run your hands along the full length of each tube. Small dents are usually cosmetic, but any cracking, pitting, or corrosion near the welds needs attention before you launch. If in doubt, have a marine technician take a look.

Check for water in the tubes. Pontoon tubes should be sealed and hollow. If a tube has taken on water — you'll notice one end sitting lower than the other — it needs to be repaired and resealed before the boat goes anywhere near the water.

Wash and polish the aluminum. A good marine aluminum cleaner removes oxidation, road grime, and any staining from sitting over the winter. Follow up with an aluminum polish or wax to protect the surface through the season.

Inspect all welds and hardware on the deck frame. Look for cracks in the aluminum frame rails and any hardware that has corroded, loosened, or gone missing over the winter — especially bolts, brackets, and railing connections.

Check and tighten the fence railings. Walk the perimeter and give every section a firm shake. Loose railings are both a safety issue and a source of annoying rattles underway. Tighten any loose posts and replace missing hardware.

⚙️ Step 2: Engine and Mechanical Systems

The engine is where most spring headaches come from. Take your time here and don't rush to the first start of the season without going through this list.

1

Change the engine oil and filter. Even if the oil looked clean when you stored the boat, fresh oil at the start of the season is cheap insurance. Refer to your owner's manual for the correct weight and capacity.

2

Inspect and replace the fuel filter. A clogged fuel filter is one of the most common reasons a boat runs rough or won't start at the beginning of the season. Replace it if it wasn't done at winterization.

3

Check the spark plugs. Remove and inspect each plug. If you see heavy fouling, corrosion, or wear, replace them. Spark plugs are inexpensive and make a noticeable difference in how the engine starts and runs.

4

Inspect the fuel system for cracks or leaks. Look over the fuel lines, primer bulb, and connections. Rubber fuel lines can crack or stiffen over a cold winter. Any cracking, stiffness, or fuel smell means replace before you start the engine.

5

Change the lower unit gear oil. Pull the lower unit drain and fill plugs and drain the gear oil into a container. If it looks milky or contains water, there's a seal issue that needs to be addressed. Refill with fresh marine gear lube.

6

Inspect the propeller. Remove the prop and check for dings, nicks, bent blades, or fishing line wrapped around the shaft. Even small propeller damage affects performance and fuel efficiency. Have a damaged prop repaired or replaced before the season.

7

Check the water pump impeller. The impeller is a rubber piece inside the water pump that circulates cooling water through the engine. It should be replaced every one to two seasons — a failed impeller overheats and ruins an engine fast.

8

Flush fresh fuel through the system. If you used a fuel stabilizer at winterization, you're in good shape — but still add fresh fuel to dilute it. If the boat sat with untreated gas all winter, drain and replace the fuel before the first start.

⚠️ First Start of the Season — Do This on a Hose, Not in the Lake

Always run the engine for the first time of the season on a set of flushing muffs connected to a garden hose — not at the boat ramp. This lets you check for leaks, confirm water is flowing through the cooling system (watch for the tell-tale water stream), and catch any problems before you're on the water. Never run an outboard without a water supply.

□ Step 3: Battery and Electrical Systems

Test and charge the battery. A battery that sat all winter may have lost significant charge or capacity. Put it on a smart charger and let it fully charge before testing the voltage under load. A healthy 12V marine battery should hold 12.6 volts or above. Anything significantly lower and it's time for a replacement.

Clean the battery terminals. Corrosion on battery terminals is extremely common after winter storage. Clean them with a wire brush and a baking soda and water solution, then coat with terminal protector spray to prevent it from coming back.

Test all lights — running lights, navigation lights, and livewell lights. Replace any burnt bulbs before the season. Ohio law requires proper navigation lights when operating between sunset and sunrise, and a Coast Guard inspection can result in a fine for non-functioning lights.

Check the bilge pump. Pour a small amount of water into the bilge and confirm the pump activates and moves water out. A non-functioning bilge pump is both a safety issue and an easy fix while you're still at home.

Inspect all wiring for chewing damage or corrosion. Mice love to winter in stored boats and they love to chew wiring. Pull back any wire covers or panels and look carefully — damaged wiring is a fire hazard that can go undetected until it's a serious problem.

□ Step 4: Deck, Upholstery, and Canvas

1

Inspect the carpet or deck flooring. Look for delamination, soft spots, mold, or areas where water may have pooled under the carpet over winter. Soft spots in the deck boards need to be addressed before they get worse — and they always get worse.

2

Clean and condition the upholstery. Marine vinyl takes a beating over the season and over winter. Clean with a dedicated marine vinyl cleaner, then apply a UV-protectant conditioner to prevent cracking and fading. Check all seams and repair any splitting before it tears further.

3

Inspect the bimini top and canvas covers. Open and extend the bimini and look for mildew, tears, or frame damage. Treat any mildew with a canvas cleaner. Check that all snaps, zippers, and straps work properly. A blown bimini frame mid-season is an annoying and avoidable problem.

4

Apply a UV protectant to all vinyl and plastic surfaces. Dashboards, seat bases, and plastic trim all suffer from UV exposure over the season. A quick coat of 303 Aerospace Protectant or similar product at the start of the season goes a long way.

□ Mildew on Canvas or Upholstery?

Mix one part white vinegar with one part water and apply it to the affected area with a soft brush. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse. For heavier mildew, a dedicated marine canvas cleaner works better. Always let the canvas dry completely before folding it back up — folding it damp is what caused the mildew in the first place.

□ Step 5: Safety Equipment Check

Ohio law requires specific safety equipment on board at all times. Spring commissioning is the right time to check every item, replace what's expired or damaged, and make sure everything is accessible — not buried under cushions at the bottom of a storage bin.

Ohio Required Safety Equipment Checklist

☐ One USCG-approved life jacket (PFD) for every person on board — check fit and condition

☐ One throwable Type IV PFD (cushion or ring buoy)

☐ Fire extinguisher — check the gauge and expiration date

☐ Visual distress signals (flares) — check expiration dates

☐ Sound-producing device (horn or whistle)

☐ Navigation lights (tested — see electrical section above)

☐ Current Ohio boat registration displayed on the bow

⚠️ Flares Expire — Don't Skip This Check

USCG-approved flares have a 42-month service life printed on the label. Expired flares do not count toward your legal requirement. Replace them before the season and dispose of old flares properly — your local fire department or marina can often help with disposal.

□ Step 6: Don't Forget the Trailer

The trailer is easy to overlook during spring commissioning, but it spent the winter sitting too — and it needs the same attention as the boat.

Inspect the tires for cracking and check the pressure. Trailer tires are notorious for dry rot from sitting. Look for cracking along the sidewalls — even a tire with plenty of tread depth can fail from dry rot. Check and inflate to the pressure listed on the tire sidewall.

Check the wheel bearings. Grab each tire and try to wiggle it — any play side to side or front to back indicates worn bearings. Repack or replace as needed. Trailer bearings fail at the worst possible times and are very cheap to address early.

Test all trailer lights. Plug in and walk the trailer. Check brake lights, turn signals, and running lights. Replace any bulbs and inspect the wiring harness for corrosion or rodent damage.

Inspect the bunks or rollers. Check that all bunk carpeting is intact and properly supporting the boat. Look for cracked or flat rollers if your trailer uses them. Worn bunks can damage the hull over a season of trailering.

Grease the coupler and check the winch strap. A dry coupler wears fast. Apply a dab of grease and inspect the winch strap for fraying. A strap that's starting to fray should be replaced before it fails on the highway.

□ When to Call a Marine Technician

DIY spring commissioning handles most of the routine checks. But if your engine won't start, you're finding milky gear oil, hearing unusual noises, or dealing with anything electrical that's beyond a bulb swap — call a marine technician before you go out. A pre-season service appointment in March or April is far easier to schedule than an emergency call in July.

Ready to Get Your Boat in the Water at Buckeye Lake?

Buckeye Beach Park has been welcoming boaters to Buckeye Lake since 1986. We're the only RV park and marina on the lake, with newly constructed docks, a calm no-wake zone, and seasonal slip rentals ready for the season. Give us a call — we'd love to have you out here.

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