TotW: Dangerous String

Tip of the week:

When you think about the “dangers of boating” you probably don’t put a piece of string at the top of the list–or on the list at all. While it’s certainly not up there with hidden rocks and sandbars, that little piece of fishing line floating along the surface can do some serious damage to your boat.

The picture to the left is a wad of fishing line that was pulled off the gear casing of a motor. That little bit of fishing line destroyed the gasket, causing the gear lube to fail. When water mixes with your gear lube, you get a milky mess that does little or nothing to protect your gear case. If you catch it early, you may only have to replace the gear lube and put in a new gasket. If it’s not caught until later, it could mean replacing your entire engine.

Every you pull your boat out of the water, take a couple seconds to check behind the prop. If you see something tangled up there, pull it out. If you think there could be damage to the motor, bring it in have it looked over. That little bit of time could save you the cost of a new engine.