Columbia Marine Service Department

GENERAL MARINE REPAIRS

General Marine repairs are performed by the hour. While most routine repairs can be estimated up front, others may require some diagnostic time before an estimate can be provided. Most diagnostics can be done in 1 or 2 hours. We pride ourselves on fast, accurate diagnostics that lead to a cost effective and correct repair of your boat or engine problem.

Please call (860) 228-9343 with any questions you may have or for estimates on general marine repairs for your boat/motor.

SCHEDULED MARINE MAINTENANCE

All manufacturers of marine engines both outboard and inboard have scheduled maintenance that needs to be performed in order to ensure that your motor is fuel efficient, gives you the performance you expect, and doesn’t break down and leave you stranded at the worst possible time. Things like engine oil and gear oil service, spark plug replacement, water pump service, bellows replacement and fluid level checks all need to be done at regular intervals in order to maintain your engine in tip top shape and prevent costly major repairs. Many other boat systems require periodic maintenance as well.

Not following factory recommendations could make your boat look like this one, and that could cost you big time in the long run.

If you are not sure where you stand with your scheduled maintenance just let us know and we will help get you back on track.

Most scheduled maintenance items can be estimated up front so you know exactly what the job will cost.

Please call (860) 228-9343 with any questions you may have or for an estimate on any scheduled maintenance for your boat/ motor.

Winterization or winter service is one of the most important maintenance items for your engine and boat systems.

Performing this service correctly is a must if you want your boat to work correctly next season and not have major winter-related damage to its systems or components. Proper care must be taken to make sure nothing can freeze and all engine components are protected from cold weather and an extended period of non-use. This is not an area where you should cut corners or save expense. At COLUMBIA MARINE our techs are experts at performing this specialized service and we only use the best products to service your engine correctly.

Please call (860) 228-9343 with any questions you may have or for accurate pricing on your boat's winterization.

2 CYCLE SERVICE INCLUDES- DRAIN AND REFILL LOWER UNIT WITH GEAR OIL, ADD FUEL STABILIZER TO TANK, FOG ENGINE CYLINDERS, GREASE FITTINGS, DRAIN FUEL FROM ENGINE (CARBURETED ENGINES), TREAT POWERHEAD WITH CORROSION PROTECTANT, INSPECT PROP, INSPECT FUEL HOSE, CHANGE WATER/FUEL SEPARATOR IF APPLICABLE, REMOVE DRAIN PLUG, DISCONNECT BATTERY.

4 CYCLE SERVICE INCLUDES-CHANGE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER, DRAIN AND REFILL LOWER UNIT WITH GEAR OIL, ADD FUEL STABILIZER TO TANK, FOG ENGINE CYLINDERS, GREASE FITTINGS, DRAIN FUEL FROM ENGINE (CARBURETED ENGINES), TREAT POWERHEAD WITH CORROSION PROTECTION, INSPECT PROP, INSPECT FUEL HOSE, CHANGE WATER/FUEL SEPARATOR IF APPLICABLE, REMOVE DRAIN PLUG, DISCONNECT BATTERY.

STERNDRIVE (INBOARD) BASIC SERVICE INCLUDES-DRAIN ENGINE BLOCK AND MANIFOLDS, FILL BLOCK WITH NON-TOXIC ANTIFREEZE, DRAIN AND REFILL LOWER UNIT WITH GEAR OIL ON STERNDRIVES, ADD FUEL STABILIZER TO TANK, FOG ENGINE CYLINDERS, GREASE FITTINGS, INSPECT PROP, INSPECT FUEL LINE, CHANGE WATER/ FUEL SEPARATOR IF APPLICABLE, REMOVE DRAIN PLUG, DISCONNECT BATTERY.

STERNDRIVE (INBOARD) BASIC+PLUS SERVICE INCLUDES- ALL OF THE ABOVE PLUS CHANGE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER

BOAT SYSTEM WINTERIZATION SUCH AS SINKS, FRESH WATER, SHOWERS, HEADS, BAITWELLS AND FRESH/ SALTWATER WASH DOWNS ARE DONE BY THE HOUR AS REQUIRED.

MARINE ELECTRONIC AND ACCESSORY INSTALLATION

Adding Marine electronics and Marine accessories to your boat can add fun and safety to the time you spend on the water.

Fish finders, GPS systems, trolling motors, stereos, spotlights and VHF radios can all add utility and relaxation to your days on your boat. Some of these installations are simple and others are more complex. At Columbia Marine, we can both furnish and install any electronics or accessories you might require. Simple installations can be estimated up front while some of the more complex installations will be invoiced by the hour.

Call us at (860) 228-9343 for any pricing on electronics, accessories or installation you may need.

Shrink wrap winter protection is the best way to protect your investment during inclement weather and long periods of storage.

Enclosing your entire boat and motor in a wrap that keeps out rain, snow and damaging infrared rays from the sun is the best way to preserve and protect your boat's finish and furniture. It allows you to store your boat all winter out in the open and protects is as though it had been stored inside. All boats can be shrink wrapped no matter the type. Pontoon boats, fishing boats, sport boats and sailboats can all be protected from winter weather or preserved for long term storage.

If you winterize and clean your boat before shrink wrapping, you will enjoy unwrapping it in the spring and having it neat, clean and ready to go when you are.

Please call (860) 228-9343 for exact pricing on shrink wrap covering your boat.

RE-POWER or ENGINE REPLACEMENT

One of the most difficult decisions you may have to make occurs when you have an engine failure or dependability problem with an engine on a pontoon or sport/fishing boat that still works fine otherwise. If your vessel is still in good shape and meets your current needs, replacing your old engine with a new engine may be significantly less expensive than buying a whole new boat. Modern Marine engines are much more fuel efficient and dependable than those even 5 or 6 years old. Technology today changes on a yearly basis and fitting your older boat with a new Honda 4-cycle engine may be just the ticket for many more years of enjoyment with a quieter, more dependable, more fuel efficient engine.

See our section on Honda engines or call us at (860) 228-9343 for more info or pricing on re-powering your boat.

BOAT CLEANING and DETAILING

Boat cleaning is always a difficult subject.

If you don’t do it when the boat comes out of the water then you will be facing a much more difficult task in the spring as well as possible permanent damage to upholstery and finishes on your boat. Cleaning Pontoon boat pontoons requires a different technique.

At Columbia Marine, we offer 2 levels of fall clean-up.

1. Boat hull or pontoon cleaning only.
2. Complete detail cleaning of your boat inside and out.

Please call (860) 228-9343 for pricing on either of these 2 services.

Trailer service is one of the most neglected marine services.

Some trailers are on the road all the time and others just get used twice a year. Believe it or not the one that only gets used twice a year is probably in more need of trailer maintenance than the one that gets used all of the time. Especially if it’s used in saltwater! Water and salt are the two worst enemies of metal parts in your trailers bearing and brake system. Both can cause severe corrosion if not cleaned out and lubricated at regular intervals. Believe me it’s no fun when a bearing or axle lets go when you go to put your boat in or take it out of the water, never mind if it happens as your traveling down the road. Trailer service if done on a regular basis (every year) is usually not very expensive, but should you neglect this important service the cost of repair or trailer replacement could be significant.

Give us a call at (860) 228-9343 with any questions or for pricing on trailer service.

Water/ fuel separators can help cure one of the most common performance issues we have today,that is carburetor / fuel injection problems due to water in your fuel.

Poor idle quality, poor performance, hesitation and hard starting can all be caused by an issue known as “phase separation” caused by the Ethanol that is blended with most of today’s gasoline. “Phase separation” occurs when the water and octane are separated from the gasoline in your gas tank and then pass thru the fuel system in quantities that cannot be easily digested by your engine. This usually leads to the need to remove carburetors and thoroughly clean out there interiors or completely rebuild them. This can be very expensive.

The occurrence of this Ethanol problem can be greatly reduced by the installation of a fuel/ water separator into your fuel system. This consists of adding a special type of fuel filter (looks like an oil filter) into the line between your fuel tank and engine. This filter will trap water and greatly reduce the amount of water that can enter your engines fuel system. These fuel filters should be changed yearly or any time you think a large quantity of water may be present. Most installations are straight forward and fairly simple.

Call us at (860) 228-9343 if you would like to know the cost of installation on your particular vessel.