Boat Maintenance Question

Tiff Mapel

Tiff Mapel

Escalante-Class Member
HI all,

I am now the sole owner of our 2008 19' Boston Whaler (former Aramark rental) since our other houseboat owners sold their shares to me. So I'm not using it for the rest of the year, and will have it winterized soon. It will also need new impellers soon. So I asked AI when I should have the impellers done. For those of you experienced in boat maintenance, let me know if this is good advice, or if it's missing something:

(From AI):

For your 2008 19-foot Boston Whaler runabout, it’s generally better to replace the impeller before winterizing the boat. Here’s why, along with some considerations to help you decide:

Reasons to Replace the Impeller Before Winterizing:​

  1. Prevent Damage During Winter Storage: A worn impeller can deteriorate further over the winter, especially if it’s already showing signs of wear. Cold temperatures and prolonged inactivity can cause rubber impellers to crack, dry out, or become brittle, potentially leading to failure when you start the engine in the spring.
  2. Ensure Proper Winterization: The impeller is part of the cooling system, and winterizing typically involves running the engine to flush it with antifreeze. A failing impeller might not circulate water or antifreeze effectively, which could compromise the winterization process and leave your engine vulnerable to freezing damage.
  3. Avoid Spring Delays: Replacing the impeller now means your boat will be ready to go in the spring without additional maintenance. Spring is a busy time for marine shops, and getting the impeller replaced now could save you time and hassle when you’re eager to get back on the water.
  4. Peace of Mind: If you know the impeller needs replacing soon, addressing it now eliminates the risk of forgetting or overlooking it in the spring, which could lead to engine overheating or damage during early-season use.

Considerations for Waiting Until Spring:​

  1. Cost Timing: If budget is a concern, deferring the impeller replacement to spring could spread out maintenance costs. However, this is less ideal if the impeller is already significantly worn, as it increases the risk of damage.
  2. Storage Conditions: If your boat is stored in a climate-controlled environment where temperatures won’t drop below freezing, the risk of impeller degradation over winter is lower. However, most impellers are still subject to drying out or cracking when not in use.
  3. Usage Patterns: If you plan to use the boat lightly in the spring and can monitor the impeller’s performance (e.g., checking for proper water flow), you might delay replacement. But this approach carries some risk if the impeller fails unexpectedly.

Recommendation:​

Since you’ve indicated the impeller will need replacement “soon,” it’s safer and more practical to replace it before winterizing. This ensures the cooling system is in good condition during winterization and prevents potential issues from a degraded impeller sitting idle over the winter. Impellers are relatively inexpensive (typically $20-$50 for the part, plus labor), and replacing them now aligns with routine maintenance for a boat of your model and age (assuming it’s powered by an outboard or sterndrive engine, common for a Boston Whaler runabout).

Additional Tips:​

  • Check Maintenance History: If you’re unsure when the impeller was last replaced, check your maintenance records. Most manufacturers (e.g., Mercury, Yamaha) recommend replacing impellers every 2-3 years or 100-200 hours of operation, whichever comes first.
  • Inspect Other Components: While the boat is being serviced, ask the mechanic to inspect the water pump housing, seals, and gaskets for wear, as these are often replaced along with the impeller.
  • Confirm Winterization Steps: Ensure the mechanic runs the engine with the new impeller to verify proper water flow and completes a thorough winterization (e.g., draining water, adding antifreeze, fogging the engine).
If you’re still unsure, you could ask your mechanic to inspect the impeller during winterization. If it’s in good condition, you might delay replacement until spring, but given your comment that it needs replacing soon, doing it now is the safer bet.

If you have specific details about your engine (e.g., make, model, hours of use) or storage conditions, let me know, and I can refine the advice further!
IMG_3583.jpg
 
Replacing is better than not, and I really don’t think it matters if you do it in the beginning vs the end of the season.

I just replaced it in my inboard because I realized it had over 3 years and 300 hours on it (and it still looked new).

I’ll be changing it in both outboards sometime this winter when I get around to it.
 
I change the oils at the end of every season on my ski and wake boats. I usually change the impeller every other year, but after having a 1 yr old impeller shred to pieces I think i will start doing it every year. It's cheap insurance.
 
If you don’t know when the impeller was last done, do it with your annual maintenance. It’s usually recommended to do annual at the end of the season to clean out oil/crankcase moisture/impurities before storage.

Your post mentions winterization. My question for any cold weather folks out there…is it necessary to winterize an outboard? My understanding is water drains by gravity from an outboard so winterizing is not necessary.

Every October/November I do annual maintenance on our 115 Merc (stored at Lake Powell, elev 3700’). We do get some snow once in awhile but never have winterized, but Page isn’t nearly as cold as higher elevations.

We typically get out on the lake at least 4-5 times every winter, never had any issues without winterizing.
 
Good evening Tiff

Here is my advice from 30 years in the boat business. Change oil and change the impeller this fall when you winterize the boat. Don't care about hrs.. It's time on both the rubber impeller and the engine oil..No need to do anything more as far as draining and so forth on an outboard.
. ( That is another discussion for I/O,s

) I like to use a bit of silicone grease on the new impeller to avoid a dry start . I usually advise 3 years max for impeller replacement Avoid the cheep chienne replacements Get the real deal

YMMV. DMc
 
Being a rental you have no clue how it has been maintained. Assume it has not.

I replace mine every fall (when my season begins).
 
Dean Mc said:
Good evening Tiff

Here is my advice from 30 years in the boat business. Change oil and change the impeller this fall when you winterize the boat. Don't care about hrs.. It's time on both the rubber impeller and the engine oil..No need to do anything more as far as draining and so forth on an outboard.
. ( That is another discussion for I/O,s

) I like to use a bit of silicone grease on the new impeller to avoid a dry start . I usually advise 3 years max for impeller replacement Avoid the cheep chienne replacements Get the real deal

YMMV. DMc
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I use dawn dish soap. Help get it in and also on the first start ;)
 
Good advice all around. My boat spends the winter in my unheated shop, where it will regularly be below 0 F (sometimes -30 or colder). There is no “winterization” required. I do change the oil, lower unit oil, fuel filter. Etc. I tend to change the impeller every other year or so, but more often is better!
 
Rivergoer said:
If you don’t know when the impeller was last done, do it with your annual maintenance. It’s usually recommended to do annual at the end of the season to clean out oil/crankcase moisture/impurities before storage.

Your post mentions winterization. My question for any cold weather folks out there…is it necessary to winterize an outboard? My understanding is water drains by gravity from an outboard so winterizing is not necessary.

Every October/November I do annual maintenance on our 115 Merc (stored at Lake Powell, elev 3700’). We do get some snow once in awhile but never have winterized, but Page isn’t nearly as cold as higher elevations.

We typically get out on the lake at least 4-5 times every winter, never had any issues without winterizing.
Click to expand...
You are fine not winterizing if you are using throughout the winter months. I have never winterized but I am at Powell every month from October to May so no need. As for impeller most manuals read every 300 hours but I prefer minimal 200 hours ot every 2 years minimal.
 
Thanks, everyone. We've owned this boat in our houseboat group since 2019, so it has been properly maintained and impellers changed every other season. And, it's in surprisingly great shape for a former rental. It gets to spend winter in the Wahweap dry storage, so I'll get the boat shop boys to take care of it for me.

Here's hoping for an epic winter of deep snow and wild runoff!

~Tiff
 
I use mine almost every month during the same period but do not winterize in the colder months because I leave it in a slip and feel the non frozen water helps insulate from freezing. Plus a very small bilge heater works as extra protection.
viking842000 said:
You are fine not winterizing if you are using throughout the winter months. I have never winterized but I am at Powell every month from October to May so no need. As for impeller most manuals read every 300 hours but I prefer minimal 200 hours ot every 2 years minimal
Click to expand...
 
Those recommendations sound like they were made by a boat maintenance shop when business is slowing for the season and they need work. Rubber hardens with age. I would put a new impeller in it next April, and get 6 more months out of it.
 
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