Oil Care | Outboard Motor Oil - Part 2

Prepared for Winter with Snowmobile Oil

snowmobile-1-largeI’ve got a lot of friends who are always talking about how summer is their favorite season because they believe that there are more activities that can be done. I sometimes feel like I’m the only one who disagrees and honestly, I’m always much more excited about winter coming than summer starting back up again, because I love being in the snow.

All of my favorite activities happen during wintertime. I can go skiing and snowboarding and my all-time favorite hobby, snowmobiling. Even in the summer, I like to do work and maintenance on my snowmobile, which is why I keep snowmobile oil on hand. As soon as fall hits and there’s a chance of snow, I want to be able to be ready to get out there.

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Learning about Boats and Two Cycle Outboard Oil

boat-oil-changeWhen I was in high school, I remember knowing a lot of guys that were way into cars and could talk about all the different specs and information about new cars coming out and things like that. I was kind of bewildered by it because I couldn’t fathom being one of those people, but as an adult, I’ve turned out not to be that different from those kinds of guys after all.

Rather than being into cars, however, my current group of friends is very interested in boating and all of the logistics behind having a boat. We’re constantly discussing which two cycle outboard oil to use or talking about the new boats that are coming out. We know how to do maintenance on our own boats and we’re all pretty well-versed in the subject.

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Optimax Oil For The Next Fishing Trip

wahoo-fishing-uaeI found a lake that’s not to far away from my house that’s just teeming with trout. The last time I went out there, my friends and I caught fifteen decent-sized trout and we’re going to go back to get more. We are hoping to get twenty to thirty trout so we can have a big cookout.  We will smoke them and have a giant fish feast.

I’ve made certain to stock up on Optimax oil so that I can do my boat’s maintenance myself before we head out for our next fishing trip. We’re going to do it soon because we want to have the cookout before summer officially hits; a spring cookout is always a nice way to bring the season to an end and allow summer to officially start.

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Looking For My Two Cycle Oil

P1010014GR_1-300x224I spent my entire day reorganizing my things in the garage. I’ve left it a complete mess for the last two months and it started to get on my nerves when I couldn’t find anything I needed. I usually don’t let it get to this point, but it has been a busy few months. If I kept some sort of order in my garage, then I wouldn’t have needed an entire day to get things straight again.

I couldn’t find where I put my bottles of two cycle oil which was the reason I needed to straighten out the mess in my garage. I spent over two hours sifting through junk just to find where I put it. That was a waste of time and there’s nothing I hate more than wasting time. So for the rest of that day, I threw away the things that I didn’t need, put my tools back in order on my work bench, and swept up the wood chips and sawdust that accumulated on my garage floor. When I was done with everything, you could hardly tell it was the same garage. I felt good afterwards and vowed to do it once a week.

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Outboard Motors

6a00d8341c339953ef00e54f3d08ed8834-640wiThe outboard motor is a typical propulsion system for boats and is one of the most efficient ways to get your boat around. Figuring out what kind of outboard motor you want for your boat can sometimes be the tricky part, however. Luckily, there are a few major brands that it’s typically best to select from.

Evinrude and Yamaha are pretty much definitively among the best outboard motors for boats you could possibly find. Primarily, from my experiences anyway, the only differences are related to weight, which is important for the hull you mount it on. Personally, I have an Evinrude one so I make sure to stock up on Evinrude oil now and then to make sure I’ve got everything running well.

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Fuel Additives

Since I’ve purchased a boat, I’ve started to become a bit more familiar with the different types of maintenance accessories that I need in order to take care of my boat. For instance, I always take a look at the different types of motor oil and figure out what’s best for my boat.

I often use Yamalube motor oil, but I’ve also started checking out certain fuel additives. One of the fuel additives I use most regularly is Ringfree Plus, which is also created by Yamaha, the creators of Yamalube motor oil. Ringfree Plus is good for cleaning carburetors, fuel injectors, intake ports, combustion chambers, and intake valves.

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Thunder and Lightning

When I was a teenager I earned spending money by working as a lifeguard during the summer. It’s a pretty cushy job most of the time. Who doesn’t want to spend hot days right by the pool? Any time it got too warm, I just jumped in the water to cool off.

The only times we had to shut down the pool were for thunder and lightning. Since we didn’t want to get electrocuted our policy was to wait 30 minutes after the last thunder was heard or the last lightning was spotted before we’d let patrons back in the pool. I use that policy now whenever I go boating. I don’t want to get stranded on the water during a storm, so I use the time ashore to teach my kids about 2 stroke oil and other boating necessities.

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Exceeding Expectations

Yamaha boasts on its Website that Yamalube 2M oil exceeds industry standards when it comes to carbon build up and preventing ring stick. The secret is the refined natural oil combined with exclusive performance enhancing additives. Yamalube 2M oil also has the coveted NMMA approval.

I’ve been using Yamalube 2M oil for years. I find that the company’s claims are true; the oil really does offer the best anti-wear and anti-corrosion protection. Though suitable for most outboards, the oil is not recommended for land based products or WaveRunners.

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Boating Maryland

I spent several years living in Maryland, and I have to say, there’s nothing quite like boating on the Chesapeake Bay. Though there has been a decline in the fishing industry, there are plenty of seasoned watermen who give great tips on places to fish and harvest oysters and crabs. Over the past decade or so, the state has really committed to cleaning up the Bay and restoring the Bay’s unique ecosystem.

Another Maryland/DC boating destination is the Potomac River. Not only does it have fantastic views, but there is a lot of historical relevance to the boat. Many forts and buildings of significance were built upon the river. It’s on my bucket list of places to go back to when I next get an opportunity. I’d love to see if some of my old buddies are around and swap stories and tips with them, like making sure they’re using ringfree plus in their outboard engines.

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Evinrude E-TEC Specs

I’m concluding Refresher Week by explaining the phenomenon that is the Evinrude E-TEC outboard boat motor. Simply put, the E-TEC is Evinrude’s answer to traditional four stroke motors. Four-stroke motors are touted for their easy start, minimum noise, and superior fuel economy in comparison to two-stroke engines.

The E-TEC rights all those wrongs by being a smooth-operating, quiet, gas conserving two-stroke motor. It’s so fuel efficient that it won the 2004 Clean Air Excellence Award from the EPA. I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of these engines and I recommend that you give one a try.

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Top Five Fishing Cities: San Diego


Despite having traveled to California many times in my life, I have never gone fishing in San Diego. To be honest, when I think about San Diego, I instantly think of the zoo rather than ‘I’d better bring my fishing reel.’ That being said, Field & Stream made some interesting points.

San Diego Bay has a sustainable population of small bonefish, as well as barracudas. Offshore, massive yellow fin tuna, marlin and swordfish have been reeled onto boats (maintained with yamalube oil, I’m sure). Inland, San Diego has plenty of reservoirs where catfish, panfish, and crappies flourish. Day trips to Mexican waters from San Diego are also quite popular.

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Beneficial Properties of Synthetic Oil

There are boaters who believe that using synthetic oil instead of regular oil is akin to using margarine instead of butter. It may look the same, but does it really do the trick? As a former doubter, I can attest to the beneficial properties of synthetic oil.

Several years ago I made the switch to synthetic 2 stroke outboard oil. I learned that many synthetic oils are made with ash-less components to prevent fouling. The anti-gel properties also proved better than the regular oil I was using. Plus, the synthetic oil came dyed blue which made detecting the oil in fuel a lot easier.

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