Ask the service writer at your local marine center to list the biggest weekend killers and the answer will be ���batteries, batteries and batteries.��� If you really push for a more complete answer, he���ll add to the list corroded terminals, bad gas, sunken float switches and general sloppy house keeping. Here are a few do-it-yourself projects���none of which should take much more than an hour���that once completed will go a long way to prevent unexpected no-go situations.

BATTERIES

Your boating day can come to a quick end if you twist the ignition switch and nothing happens. The most common causes for starting problems are weak batteries or poor electrical connections between the battery and the rest of the electrical system. A few simple do-it yourself sessions can keep your batteries in good shape and reduce lost boating days. (Also see ���Empower Yourself,��� April 2005 for additional information.)

Get in the habit of using your boat���s battery master switch. Turn it off when you leave the boat. Turn it on before attempting the start. If you don���t have a battery master switch, install one. The main reason to use the master switch when you leave the boat is to assure that any 12-volt equipment accidentally left on���lights, radios, depth sounders etc. will not drain the battery. Be sure that your bilge pumps are ���hot wired��� before the master switch to assure that they are powered regardless of the switch position.

Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a ���maintenance free��� battery regardless of what the label says. If you can check the electrolyte levels, do so at least once a month. If the battery is sealed, you still must clean any corrosion that accumulates on the terminals (posts), make sure the terminal lugs are tight and check the battery box tie down straps for security. (Allowing batteries to bounce around as the boat pounds can cause fractures in the internal plates and lead to premature failure.)

Inspect the battery posts for overheating, melting or mechanical damage. If you spot any of that, replace the battery. Invest in a battery post-cleaning tool. It���s a specially shaped wire brush���only a couple bucks��� that is used to polish the battery posts. You can also use a solution of baking soda and water (five teaspoons of baking soda per quart of water) on the battery surface to remove the white crud that builds up near the terminals. While you are cleaning the batteries, also inspect the red and black battery cables. If you see broken strands near the terminals or cracks in the insulation anywhere along the run to the starter (red) or the ground lug (black) it���s time to replace them. (Take the old cables to a good marine store. The clerk will cut the new wires to fit and swage on appropriate terminals.)

After you���ve got everything reconnected, spray the terminals and posts with a good electrically rated anti-corrosive. (CorrosionX is a good choice as is old fashioned petroleum jelly, but the latter will attract dirt.)

Remember the safety rules when working with batteries. Wear eye protection and gloves���batteries contain sulfuric acid��� keep the area ventilated and don���t smoke. Be sure to unplug or turn off the battery charger before working on the battery and remember there is a proper sequence for removing and connecting battery cables. When uninstalling a battery, disconnect the negative battery cable first. When installing a battery, connect the positive battery cable first. This sequence prevents the sparks and possible explosion that can occur if the positive cable should accidentally contact ground while the negative cable is connected. (If nothing else, it���ll scare the hell out of you when it arcs.)

If you take good care of your marine batteries, you should get at least three seasons out of them. Your local engine shop will have a sophisticated battery tester that will not only tell you the state of the charge but the aging battery���s cranking capability. Have all your batteries tested at the beginning of the season and replace them if they test marginally.

BAD GAS

Gasoline begins to deteriorate the minute it leaves the refinery. It���ll hold its specification for a month or so, then begins to fall below specs. That���s why you add a supplement to the fuel whenever you���re going to be storing the boat for more than a month or so. But even the supplements won���t work forever, especially with today���s gasoline that, in most areas, contains alcohol that can actually attract water. Your best protection is to keep your gasoline as fresh as possible, to change your fuel/water separator element often and to purchase your fuel from a high volume dealer. Also, it���s not a bad idea to keep your tank full to reduce condensation. If you end up with fuel that���s too old or too wet, you���ll have to ask the yard to pump it out. The process involves blocking your boat at an angle, sucking everything possible out of the tank, adding fresh gas then running the boat for an hour or two while constantly emptying the fuel/water separator can. Prevention is the best cure when it comes to fuel problems.

INSPECT YOUR RUNNING LIGHTS

State and federal regulations say you have to show lights when running after dark or in restricted visibility. Know your lights work before you go out and keep them working through the season with some preventive maintenance. Corrosion in the bulb holder can create high resistance that prevents the bulb from lighting or internal arcing that burns out the bulb prematurely. Remove all the bulbs from navigation and illumination receptacles.Wipe off the bulb contacts and spray the bulb holders with your anti-corrosive spray. (Be sure to caulk if necessary.)

KEEPING THINGS SHIP-SHAPE

Mom told you long ago that cleanliness was next to Godliness. Well, she was right when it comes to boats. Spend an afternoon cleaning out the bilge and rarely used compartments. Get rid of the rusty tools, moldy life preservers, beer cans, corroded fishing tackle and miscellaneous flotsam that can hang up bilge switches, clog limber holes, and cause stagnant water to pool. Take out spare dock lines that may be collecting water and mold, and let them dry out. Fenders are another source of mold and odor that seem to collect at the bottom of a locker. While you are at it, take a wire brush to the rust on the engine mounts (or other offending metals) and then give them a good spray with an anticorrosion agent. If nothing else, your boat will smell better and you may be able to spot trouble before it wrecks a day afloat. Junk in the bilge has been known to block steering gear at critical times, clog ventilation ducts, get hung up in shafts, jam through-hull valve handles, puncture log sleeves and short out electrical circuits, and even catch fire. You don���t need to experience any of that first hand to earn your sea ratings.