Maintenance Intervals

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Open

9 Models • 21' → 40'

Built for families who want serious offshore capability, premium comfort and the freedom to fish, cruise or entertain.

Sportsman 402 center console boat with tower, white hull, and outboard engine in side profile view

Open 402

White center console fishing boat with hard-top canopy and outboard engine shown in side profile

Open 352

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and outboard engine shown in profile view

Open 322

Sportsman 302 center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine in gray and white hull

Open 302

Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and Yamaha outboard engine shown from starboard side

Open 282

Light blue Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and Yamaha outboard engine

Open 262

Sportsman 252 center console boat with turquoise hull, hard-top, and outboard engine in profile view

Open 252

Sportsman open center console boat with hard-top, outboard engine, and tan seating in blue and white hull design

Open 232

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, side profile view against white background

Open 212

Series

Heritage

4 Models • 23' → 32'

A refined crossover lineup designed for coastal cruising, ample seating, family days and some fishing when the moment calls for it.

Turquoise and white center console boat with hard-top and outboard motor, shown in side profile

Heritage 321

Turquoise and white center console fishing boat with hard-top, Yamaha engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Heritage 261

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine shown in profile view

Heritage 251

Sportsman Heritage 231 center console boat with hard-top, outboard engine, and tan seating in light blue and white

Heritage 231

Series

Masters

6 Models • 22' → 28'

Shallow-water performance, fishing-focused layouts and everyday comfort built for family life and fishing.

Side profile of a blue and white center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine

Masters 287

Blue and white Sportsman bay boat with Yamaha outboard engine and T-top against white background

Masters 267

Blue and white Sportsman center console fishing boat with Yamaha outboard motor and T-top shade structure

Masters 267OE

SportCraft Masters 247 bay boat with hard-top, Yamaha outboard engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Masters 247

Sportsman center console bay boat with hard-top, Yamaha outboard engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Masters 247OE

Sportsman 227 bay boat in turquoise and white with T-top, center console helm, and outboard motor in side profile view

Masters 227

 
Blog > Maintenance Intervals

The key to keeping any new boat or vehicle in tip top shape is to make sure to keep it maintained. These can be basic things like cleaning all the way up to the more serious of matters which is keeping a regular maintenance schedule for your motor.

August 28, 2023
Cover image for the post Maintenance Intervals
  • Do the 20 hour service early to remove break in debris and protect engine life.
  • The 100 hour service adds important checks like fuel filtration, spark plug condition and water pump replacement to keep performance.
  • Track engine hours with your MFD or vessel gauge and schedule maintenance regularly for reliability.
Chase Schelble
Technical Sales Representative

Now that you’ve gotten a chance to spend some time on the water and enjoy your new Sportsman boat, it’s time to start thinking about maintenance. Time always seems to go by quicker than we’d like on the water, and unlike a car, your indicator for maintenance is hours. Each of our motor offerings, Mercury and Yamaha, have hour meters that are accessible through your MFD (Garmin Screen) as well as your corresponding vessel gauge if equipped, such as a vessel view or CL5. Paying close attention to your engine’s hours is critical for long-term performance.

First, let’s discuss the 20-hour service. This is the first recommended service for your motor, and even though 20 hours doesn’t seem like much, it’s very important to have this done as it sets the tone for the life of your motor. At 20 hours, the engine oil and filter and the lower unit gear oil are replaced. Doing this so soon is to allow the small metal shavings from the engine block and lower unit gears that accumulate from the break-in to be removed from the motor to prevent any internal damage. Once completed, you can move to a regular 100-hour service schedule or once a year, depending upon use.

Moving into the 100-hour series of services, we start to dive a bit deeper, the engine oil, filter, and lower unit gear oil are still replaced, but a few other items need to be addressed. The first is the fuel filter. Not to be confused with the fuel water separator we will discuss later; this is an internal filter on your engine under the cowling. Having clean fuel is critical to keep your engine running smoothly. Next, the spark plugs will need to be inspected and/or replaced based on their condition. Lastly, this is a good time to replace the external fuel water separator located in the bilge and your impeller, commonly referred to as the water pump.

As you move past, 100 hours more items will need to be addressed, as stated in your owner’s manual, but we hope this glimpse into the initial services will give you a better perspective on the importance of them and how they will impact the enjoyment of your boat. Tight lines and happy boating!