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Your Guide to Buying Boat Parts

Jan. 18 2023 Maintenance By Spring Brook Marina & Yacht Sales

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Keeping your boat maintained not only allows you to enjoy better overall performance, it can also extend the life of your vessel by quite a lot. Of course, doing any maintenance on your own is impossible if you don’t know what parts you need or how to find them. That is why Spring Brook Marina has created this guide to buying boat parts.  

Fluids

While not technically “parts” in the traditional sense, your boat’s fluids are an important piece of its regular functioning. Coolant keeps the engine cool, oil makes sure that the parts don’t grind against each other, and transmission fluid does a bit of both. Some of these fluids are lost every time you turn on your boat’s engine, so keep some around to top off the levels every so often. 

Light Bulbs

Unless you are talking about a canoe or kayak, your boat will probably have a lot of lights, which means a lot of burnt out bulbs to change. Unfortunately, the bulbs you buy for your home are not suitable for use on your boat. Instead, you should check your owner’s manual to find out what kind of bulb your boat requires. It is best to order a few spare bulbs to keep on hand instead of waiting for one of them to break.

Filters

Your boat’s fuel filter helps make sure that the gasoline entering the engine is clean, ensuring efficient engine function. You should change it after every 100 hours of running time, and inspect it at the start of every season regardless of when you last replaced it. As always, keeping a spare around is a good idea so you won’t be caught off guard if you suddenly need a replacement. 

Spark Plugs & Fuses

Your boat’s engine needs spark plugs and fuses to start and run properly, so keep a few extra on hand. Luckily, they are a very easy part to replace, so a break or blow out shouldn’t keep you off the water for long. 

For help finding parts or to schedule a service appointment, visit Spring Brook Marina. With six locations throughout five Midwestern states, we are equipped to help you no matter where in the Great Lakes region you reside. Whether you’re in Chicago or St. Louis, we are always happy to help, so stop on by!