Sag Harbor Outboard Motor Repair

GET OUTBOARD MOTOR MAINTENANCE BEFORE THE SAG HARBOR, NY BOATING SEASON

Sag Harbor, NY is an exciting area full of history, marinas, great boating opportunities, and tremendous views across Sag Harbor Bay. The best way to enjoy this area is during the boating season from April through October. During that time you can moor your boat in the Village of Sag Harbor where you are always ready to enjoy a boating trip. The one thing that can add a dark cloud over your trip is an outboard motor that will not start or refuses to run properly. Outboard motor maintenance is a key element of safe and fun boating. If at all possible, one thing you want to avoid is trying to find a marine mechanic during the height of boating season.

FINDING THE IDEAL OUTBOARD MOTOR MAINTENANCE

Everyone is full of advice about outboard motor maintenance or repairs, but the best advice comes from a certified experienced marine mechanic. Fortunately, there are plenty of them in Sag Harbor and places nearby, including Hampton Bays, Essex, Mattituck, and Southampton, NY. You can find even more possibilities by looking further out to places like East Patchogue or even in Connecticut in Pawcatuck or Stratford. What qualities do you need to look for in a marine mechanic to ensure you get the best maintenance services?

• Has proven expertise – Anyone can claim skills, but hands-on experience matters. When talking to a mechanic be sure to ask whether the person has worked on your kind of outboard motor and if references are available. Learning the motor mechanic holds current certification by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) is a good step in the right direction.
• Works for a reliable business – Some repair businesses stay busy, especially right in Sag Harbor because of the location. You could end up taking your motor in for repair and end up waiting weeks before the mechanics get around to it. As mentioned, you can find plenty of reliable outboard motor maintenance and repair businesses further out. There are also marinas and numerous dealerships offering repair services. One of the qualities of a reliable motor repair service shop is honesty. Some unscrupulous repair places tell customers to bring their motor in right away and then fail to do anything with it for weeks or months. An honest business will give you an honest estimate of when the work will be performed.
• Has a wide range of knowledge - A qualified marine mechanic has deep knowledge of boat motors in general and specific knowledge of certain brands of outboard motors, like Volvo, Suzuki, Yamaha, Mercury, or Honda. Often, they have a manufacturer certification for more than one type of outboard motor. However, someone with years of experience has probably worked on lesser-known brands too, or their in-depth knowledge of boat motors enables diagnosing and repairing them. When diagnostic skills are strong, they were usually gained through experience.

One good source of the names of marine repair shops is the Mariner Exchange resource. You can find a variety of pros in Sag Harbor and the surrounding area. It simplifies the search, but nothing precludes you from also doing a general Google search. Whatever search path you choose, be sure to read customer reviews which can be very helpful.

CONSIDER AN OUTBOARD BOAT AND MOTOR MAINTENANCE CONTRACT

A common question is whether you should purchase a boat maintenance and repair contract. You probably should, unless the boat and outboard motor are old, and you plan on upgrading when an expensive repair occurs. A new boat has a warranty, but that does not cover maintenance costs. It covers specified components that fail. A marine services contract can include annual maintenance tasks, like replacing oil and fuel filters, repairs not covered by warranty, and winterization and de-winterization.

A service contract for annual boat motor maintenance in the New York area can cost as little as $175, and it is money well spent. The cost depends on what you want to be covered. You may want a full-service contract that includes coverage like seaside assistance that gets you to a repair facility after your outboard motor quits while on the water and coverage for the repair itself. The cost of the service contract could well be worth it because the average repair cost for just a trolling motor can run as high as $300-$1,000.