Nautical terms
15 of 469 terms in Maintenance & haul-out. Show all
B
- Barrier coat (Epoxy barrier coat) Maintenance & haul-out
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Several coats of epoxy applied to the bottom under the antifouling paint to cut down water absorption, used to help prevent osmotic blisters or after repairing them.
- Bottom paint (Antifouling paint, Antifouling, Ablative paint, Hard paint) Maintenance & haul-out
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Paint containing biocides that keeps barnacles, weed and slime off the hull below the waterline. Ablative paints wear away slowly like a bar of soap, exposing fresh biocide, and don't build up; hard paints leach biocide while the film stays mostly in place.
Ablatives need the boat to move to work; many can be hauled and relaunched without repainting. Check compatibility before putting one type over another.
C
- Compression test Maintenance & haul-out
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A test of how well each cylinder holds pressure, used in engine surveys, particularly on older engines, to show whether seals need replacing or the cylinders and pistons have problems.
D
- Delamination (Voids) Maintenance & haul-out
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Separation of the layers of a fiberglass laminate, which weakens the structure. Surveyors treat it, with structural rot and a separating hull-to-deck joint, as a potential deal-breaker.
E
- Engine survey (Mechanical survey) Maintenance & haul-out
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A separate inspection of propulsion and generator engines by a mechanic trained on that make, covering controls, electrical, cooling and exhaust systems and engine mounts, with temperature and compression checks and usually oil samples.
BoatUS notes most general surveyors are not qualified to run in-depth engine diagnostics, so hire a specialist when engines are a big part of the boat's value.
F
- Fuel polishing (Diesel bug, Fuel algae, Fuel biocide) Maintenance & haul-out
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Pumping the fuel out of a tank and circulating it through filters to remove water, sediment and microbial growth, then returning it. Microbes (algae and fungi) grow where water sits in diesel, so fuel should be kept dry and treated with a biocide.
BoatUS Foundation suggests drawing a sample from the very bottom of the tank every couple of years; keeping tanks topped off reduces condensation.
H
- Haul-out (Short haul, Quick haul, Haul out) Maintenance & haul-out
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Lifting a boat out of the water, usually in the slings of a lift, for bottom painting, repairs, storage or inspection. A short (quick) haul takes an hour or less, long enough for a surveyor to check the bottom.
At haul-out a surveyor looks for water intrusion, delamination and blisters and checks props, anodes, struts, rudders, thrusters and trim tabs.
M
- Marine survey (Survey, Condition and valuation survey, C&V survey, Pre-purchase survey, Prepurchase survey) Maintenance & haul-out
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A professional inspection of a boat by a marine surveyor. The condition and valuation (C&V) survey used when buying covers the hull, structure and systems, includes a haul-out to see the bottom, and puts a value on the boat; lenders and insurers usually require one.
The surveyor works for you, the buyer. BoatUS suggests making the sale contingent on a satisfactory survey and sea trial, and hiring separate engine and rigging surveys where needed.
- Moisture meter (Percussion sounding, Hammer sounding, Sounding the hull) Maintenance & haul-out
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An instrument a surveyor passes over fiberglass to detect water in the laminate or core, used together with tapping the hull with a small hammer: sound laminate rings sharply, while a dull thud suggests a void, delamination or wet core.
O
- Oil analysis (Oil sample, Oil sampling) Maintenance & haul-out
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Sending a small sample of engine (or transmission) oil to a lab that measures metals, water and other contaminants, which can point to internal wear or leaks. It is especially useful on older engines.
Results usually need a mechanic to interpret them.
- Osmotic blistering (Blisters, Osmosis, Hull blisters, Boat pox) Maintenance & haul-out
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Blisters in a fiberglass hull below the waterline, formed when water passes through the gelcoat and reacts with chemicals in the laminate, building pressure that pushes the gelcoat into domes.
An occasional blister is not serious and can be ground out, dried and filled with epoxy; a bottom covered in them ("boat pox") means a saturated hull needing specialist repair. BoatUS Foundation notes dry storage in winter reduces blistering.
R
- Recommissioning (Spring commissioning, Fitting out, Commissioning) Maintenance & haul-out
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Getting a boat ready to use after lay-up: reversing the winterizing steps (reinstalling the impeller, removing plugs and rags, refilling systems), then checking zincs, props, hoses, seacocks, steering, batteries and safety gear before launch.
- Rigging survey (Rig inspection, Dye test) Maintenance & haul-out
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An inspection of a sailboat's mast, boom, spreaders, stays, shrouds, turnbuckles and accessible chainplates by a professional rigger who goes aloft, looking mainly for rust and crevice corrosion that can hide cracks. A dye test can reveal cracks too fine to see.
General surveys usually stay at deck level. BoatUS suggests a rigging survey for a rig over about 10 years old, one showing wear, or one headed offshore.
S
- Sea trial (Trial run) Maintenance & haul-out
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Running a boat under way before purchase so the engines and running gear can be checked under load. Buyers usually make the sale contingent on a satisfactory survey and sea trial.
BoatUS Magazine distinguishes the short "trial run" on survey day, when the surveyor runs the engines to full capacity checking for smoke, overheating and leaks, from a full sea trial in rough water. Ideally the engines are started cold.
W
- Winterizing (Lay-up, Winter lay-up, Decommissioning) Maintenance & haul-out
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Preparing a boat for a winter or long idle period: changing oil, filling tanks and treating fuel, running antifreeze through the raw-water and freshwater systems, removing the impeller, protecting batteries and closing seacocks.
BoatUS Foundation found California had more freeze-damage claims than any other state, and notes boats stored ashore are more exposed to a sudden freeze than boats in the water.
General guidance for recreational boaters, researched from the sources listed and written in our own words. Your equipment manuals, local knowledge, the Navigation Rules and a qualified instructor come first.