Preparing your yacht for a Costa Blanca summer

By the time British owners fly back out in May or June, the Costa Blanca has usually already had its first heatwave, its first calima and — in a bad year — its first proper levante. If your boat has been sitting since October, none of that has been kind to it.

Here's the short list of things worth sorting before high summer, whether you do it yourself on a flying visit or have someone do it for you.

Sun protection on, sun protection checked

UV here is brutal from May through September. Sprayhoods, biminis and sail covers that looked fine in winter often show the first signs of failure in early summer — stitching going chalky, zips seizing, panels stretched. Get them on, opened and closed, and inspected before the sun does the rest of the damage.

Teak benefits from a clean and a coat of whatever you use before the heat sets it baking. Gelcoat polished in spring lasts the season; left bare it dulls fast.

Lines, fenders, chafe

Winter storage means lines have been slack and fenders have been swinging. Replace anything frayed, re-rig anything that's not sitting square, and add chafe protection wherever a line touches a fairlead or guardrail. One bad levante in autumn will find every weakness.

Water, fuel, batteries

• Run the engine under load — not just a dock start. Listen for anything new.
• Check fuel for water and bug. Long sits + warm tanks = diesel bug, every time.
• Top up batteries and confirm the charger is actually charging, not just on.
• Run fresh water through every tap and the heads. Stagnant water turns smelly fast in heat.

A proper deck wash

Saharan dust events (calima) leave fine red film over everything two or three times a year. Salt crust from winter onshore winds is worse than people think. A proper rinse-down before the season — decks, rigging, stainless, hull above the waterline — makes everything else easier and saves the gelcoat.

A plan for when you're not there

The single biggest summer problem for absentee owners isn't the heat — it's the gap between visits. Two months without anyone looking at the boat is plenty of time for a bilge pump to fail, a fender to lift out, or a neighbour's loose line to start sawing through a guardrail.

Set up someone — a neighbour, the marina staff if they'll do it, or a caretaker — to physically check the boat at least every couple of weeks through summer. Photos after each visit are worth their weight in gold.

If you're at one of the marinas we cover and want eyes on the boat between trips, send us a message and we'll come back with a simple plan.