Things you should do every year to maintain your boat and motor. For your motor last fall before you put the boat and motor away in storage be sure and stabilize the gas.
A product such as seafoam has stabilizer in it to keept the gas from deteriorating. In the spring if you have a four stroke you need to change the oil and filter. This is critical just like on a car engine you need to do the same for the boat. Check your engine maintenance manual to see how often you should change the oil.
I think it is every 100 hours or at least once a year. I have a Yamaha 60 horsepower. I love it. It has been very reliable. I have attached a video clip on how you can change the oil and filter yourself.
Also you should change your gear lube. Which is in your lower housing near your propeller. There are two screws one on the bottom of the skeel and one on the side up about 8 inches from the bottom. Unscrew both screws and and the gear lube will drain out the bottom. You then refill with a quart of gear lube and a little pump that screws into the top if the plastic gear lube can.
You next take the pump hose and screw it into the bottom of the removed bottom screw hole in the keel. You pump and fill up the gear case until the gear lube starts coming out of the side hole. When it does put in the screw . Then remove the pump hose and put in that screw. You can save yourself some money by doing this yourself. I just did my oil and filter and gear lube this weekend.
Then you want to bring in your boat and motor to have spark plugs changed and have it tuned up. I like to have mine tuned up by a certified Yamaha dealer. Also the dealer should go thru a maintenance check list. This might include fuel filter and greasing parts and other items on a formal checklist. It’s well worth doing. I
n the fall you should put moth balls or Irish spring soap in various area of the boat to keep the mice out. Mice can chew up and ruin your cabling and electrical. I use little pie plates and put shavings of Irish spring soap in them. You want to have the dealer at least check the wheel bearings and lube that they are in good shape. You do not want to find yourself stopped cold with a wheel bearing out because you did not do this. You might want to lube your bearing every year if you do not have a boat dealer check them.
Also check your boat lights. The lights get knocked around pretty good. I always end up replacing one or two trailer lights a year. Check your boat winch and winch strap. You can have the boat dealer who maintains your motor check your trailer. You should be doing the above each year. It will help make your fishing more enjoyable and your mind more at ease.