JTPickering
New Member
Hi everyone...
So my family has a 1996 Challenger, we've had it since it was new and it hasn't seen a whole lot of use. In Fall 2006 we had it winterized and put it away as we did every year, with the intention to launch it again in the spring. However, because of some changed plans and other distractions in 2007, we didn't end up launching it. Then in 2008, a tornado hit our cottage property and wiped out most of the trees. We've basically been cleaning up the damage every summer since then (luckily the buildings were mostly undamaged), and so, the boat has sat in storage for 6 years without being touched.
This summer I think we've finally decided to revive it. I'd like to get an idea of what needs to be gone through/replaced/inspected before putting it in the water. I'm fairly mechanically adept but I don't have much experience with boats - if it's anything too complicated I'll be taking it in. At the very least I'm expecting to pump the old gas out, change the oil, oil and fuel filters, spark plugs, impeller shaft oil. I already have a new battery for it as the previous (factory original) one was on its last legs when we last used it.
It's been stored in a non-climate-controlled garage and we get around 4 months of below-freezing winter up here, and as I said it was last winterized in 2006. It's been covered up the whole time. So if anyone has some ideas of what I should look for when taking it out, please let me know. Thanks for looking!
So my family has a 1996 Challenger, we've had it since it was new and it hasn't seen a whole lot of use. In Fall 2006 we had it winterized and put it away as we did every year, with the intention to launch it again in the spring. However, because of some changed plans and other distractions in 2007, we didn't end up launching it. Then in 2008, a tornado hit our cottage property and wiped out most of the trees. We've basically been cleaning up the damage every summer since then (luckily the buildings were mostly undamaged), and so, the boat has sat in storage for 6 years without being touched.
This summer I think we've finally decided to revive it. I'd like to get an idea of what needs to be gone through/replaced/inspected before putting it in the water. I'm fairly mechanically adept but I don't have much experience with boats - if it's anything too complicated I'll be taking it in. At the very least I'm expecting to pump the old gas out, change the oil, oil and fuel filters, spark plugs, impeller shaft oil. I already have a new battery for it as the previous (factory original) one was on its last legs when we last used it.
It's been stored in a non-climate-controlled garage and we get around 4 months of below-freezing winter up here, and as I said it was last winterized in 2006. It's been covered up the whole time. So if anyone has some ideas of what I should look for when taking it out, please let me know. Thanks for looking!
