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California boat maintenance calendar

Most California boats stay in the water all year, so the calendar isn't about winterizing. It's about winter storms, king tides, the odd-year DMV renewal, the Jan 1 property tax date and a haul-out cycle set by your bottom paint. Pick your paint and start month, then print it.

By the DockDash teamLast reviewed How we research

The calendar runs 12 months from here.

Every visit or cleaning

  • HullHull cleaning (copper paint): state guidance is only when needed, no more than once every 30 days, with soft tools.
  • HullZincs: have your diver check them each cleaning; replace at about half gone. Fast wear can point to stray current.
  • SafetyBilge pump runs and cycles normally; no new water in the bilge.

Once a year

  • EngineEngine service per your owner's manual (many outboards: every 100 hours or once a year).
  • SafetyElectrical inspection by a qualified marine electrician; test the GFCI/ELCI as the maker recommends.
  • HullAt every haul-out: inspect and replace zincs, check below-waterline fittings.

  1. November 2026

    • TideKing tides Nov 24–26. Check lines and fenders at the high and the low.
    • WeatherStorm season: check dock lines before and after each storm.

  2. December 2026

    • TideKing tides Dec 23–25 (Northern California may also see Dec 22). Check lines and fenders at the high and the low.
    • WeatherStorm season: check dock lines before and after each storm.

  3. January 2027

    • TideKing tides Jan 21–22 (Northern California may also see Jan 20 and 23). Check lines and fenders at the high and the low.
    • WeatherStorm season: check dock lines before and after each storm.
    • PaperworkJan 1 is the property tax lien date: whoever owns the boat on Jan 1 owes that year's tax. File the assessor's Vessel Property Statement on time (late filing adds a 10% penalty).

  4. February 2027

    • WeatherStorm season: check dock lines before and after each storm.

  5. March 2027

    • WeatherStorm season: check dock lines before and after each storm.
    • SafetyBefore the busy season: check flare and extinguisher dates and book a free Vessel Safety Check (USCG Auxiliary or Power Squadrons).

  6. April 2027

    • WeatherStorm season: check dock lines before and after each storm.

  7. May 2027

    Routine checks only.

  8. June 2027

    Routine checks only.

  9. July 2027

    Routine checks only.

  10. August 2027

    Routine checks only.

  11. September 2027

    Routine checks only.

  12. October 2027

    • WeatherGet storm-ready: check dock lines, chafe gear, bilge pump and safety gear; sign up for weather alerts.

How this works

The calendar runs 12 months from the start month. Dated items come from the agencies that set them: king tide dates from the Coastal Commission[1] (only this winter's dates are published; later winters say to check the list), storm-season advice from the Division of Boating and Waterways[2], registration renewal by Dec 31 of every odd-numbered year[3], the mussel fee sticker for fresh water[4], and the Jan 1 property tax lien date[5].

Paint. Cleaning intervals and paint life come from the 2019 California boater's hull paint guide (paint life figures are manufacturers' claims)[6] and the Coastal Commission's hull cleaning factsheet[7]. With a paint date, the calendar adds the suggested earliest cleaning date (90 days after painting, from state guidance) and when to plan the next haul-out. Your paint label and your yard's advice come first. More in zincs, haul-outs and bottom paint.

Routine items. Zinc checks[9][10], the bilge[11], engine service[12], a spring safety-gear check[8] and an electrical inspection[13]. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.

Sources

  1. California Coastal Commission. California King Tides Project (2026–27 dates). Accessed November 11, 2026
  2. California State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways. Winter Storm Boating Safety Fact Sheet. Accessed November 11, 2026
  3. California DMV. Boat/Vessel Registration. Accessed November 11, 2026
  4. California State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways. California State Parks Announces Strengthened Mussel Sticker Program (October 23, 2026). Accessed November 11, 2026
  5. Sonoma County Assessor. Boat Property. Accessed November 11, 2026
  6. Port of San Diego, LA County Beaches & Harbors, Division of Boating and Waterways, Coastal Commission. Recreational Boater's Guide to Using Hull Paint in California (2019). Accessed November 11, 2026
  7. California Coastal Commission. Boat Hull Cleaning and Hull Coating Selection: Water Quality Factsheet (rev. Dec 2019) (December 2019). Accessed November 11, 2026
  8. U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division (copy hosted by Illinois DNR). A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats and Safety Tips (Rev. Nov 2023) (November 2023). Accessed November 11, 2026 · secondary source
  9. BoatUS. Boat Corrosion Protection With Anodes (February 2017). Accessed November 11, 2026 · secondary source
  10. BoatUS. Zincs (July 2012). Accessed November 11, 2026 · secondary source
  11. BoatUS. Keeping Your Boat Afloat (analysis of a year of sinking claims) (April 2014). Accessed November 11, 2026 · secondary source
  12. Yamaha Outboards. Maintenance Matters (outboard service intervals). Accessed November 11, 2026
  13. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Electric Shock Drowning. Accessed November 11, 2026