TIP: Always test the bilge pump as soon as you get on the boat so you can 1) know both the manual and automatic switches work, 2) start your trip with a bilge that atleast is drainable to its lowest pumpable point, 3) appraise the immediate general condition of the batteries.

YOUR BOAT… a fiberglass masterpiece
Fact 8: 52% off all pleasure vessels in use today (greater than 22’ feet) were built between 1965 and 1990.   Common weak points are inadequate electrical systems, undersized / ill-designed rigs, and inaccessible engine & bilge areas.
Fact 9: The average boat gets a new owner every three years… often due to lack of use & “move-up-itus.”
Fact 10: Aside from basic US Coast Guard regulations, all common boat building standards that are adhered to today are done so voluntarily.  Prior to the standards gaining significant acceptance in the late 1980’s, each builder had its own codes for things such as fuel systems, wiring harness, and engine ventilation, etc.
Fact 11: Challenges such as fuel leaks, electrical fires, water leaks, etc. are faced by ALL boats and yet the governing bodies have specific control over only new construction.
Fact 12:  Most modern boats are built to very high standards and quality.  Failure to maintain & upgrade your boat with these standards in mind, can jeopardize your boat’s resale value and the safety of both your passengers and every boat you come near.
Fact 13: The national average for a boat’s annual use is 37 days.  In Marina Del Rey, it’s one day.
Fact 14: 4 boats sink at the dock for every 1 at sea.
Fact 15: Every marina has boats that are left unattended and are in horrible shape.
Fact 16: 71% of boats sold in 2005 were previously owned.

SUMMARY: Chances are you own a very durable used boat that was built during the fiberglass boom period and if you’re in Marina Del Rey you don’t use it enough.  Your boat most likely 1) was built only to the standards of the boat builder who made it, 2) it has an undersized, functionally obsolete electrical system that it has most likely is less than perfect, 3) it has had multiple owners and service people onboard who have tended to it in various ways (good and bad) over the years, 5) and it spends the majority of its life unattended and needs a high water bilge alarm to signal the fact that it’s sinking. 

The problems that happened on your generation of boat have helped make brand new boats better but not yours unless you continue to upgrade it.  A person’s interest in their boat can also quickly wane. In areas of the country where boating is largely a seasonal pastime, it’s common for people to either uses their boats or they sell them off.  No matter where you do your boating there you will always find people who get in over their head with boats that need tons of work or still others who feels they want to move up to a bigger and often newer boat.   Both types are slow to upgrade or even maintain their boat. 

The simple fact of the matter is that even with newer boats, there will always be maintenance costs involved… costs (such as bottom cleaning and painting) that unfortunately are protracted with the size of the boat.  There are no junkyards old boats in the same way there are for cars and motorcycles.  The end of the line for a fiberglass boat is often at the end of your dock.