Marine Service Department

Boat Repair & Service in Sebring, FL

Outboard maintenance, rigging, electrical, electronics installs and trailer work, handled by certified marine technicians in our shop on US 27 South.

McKibben Boating Center of Sebring is a boat repair and service shop at 7500 US Hwy 27 S, Sebring, FL 33876, attached to our boat dealership. Our certified marine technicians maintain and repair outboards, rig new boats, install electronics and trolling motors, fix pumps and wiring, and service the trailers that get the boats to the ramp.

We work on boats that were bought here and boats that were not. Bass boats, pontoons, deck boats, bay boats, jon boats. If it has an outboard on the back, call and describe it.

Highlands County is hard on boats in specific ways. Summer heat, afternoon storms, hydrilla on the intakes, ethanol fuel, long stretches when the boat sits, and the odd trip to the coast. This page covers what we do, how the Florida seasons affect your boat, and how to keep it out of the shop between visits.

Boat and Outboard Service in Sebring

These are the jobs that come through our service bays most often. If yours is not listed, call and describe it.

Florida Seasons and Your Boat

Florida does not give boats a winter off, but the seasons still shape what goes wrong.

Summer heat is the hardest stretch. Outboards run hotter, weak impellers show up as overheat alarms, batteries lose capacity faster, and pumps that were marginal in March quit in July. Hydrilla season on Istokpoga adds grass on the intakes. A spring service before the heat arrives is cheaper than a tow back to the ramp.

Afternoon storms fill boats that sit uncovered. A bilge pump running off a tired battery eventually loses that fight, and rain in the fuel through a failed vent or cap causes the running problems we see after a wet week. Keep a cover on, keep the battery charged and check the bilge after heavy rain.

Hurricane season runs June through November. Have a plan before a storm is named: where the boat will go, how it will be tied or strapped down, and whether the trailer is fit to move it on short notice. Remove electronics and loose gear, and keep your registration and insurance papers somewhere safe.

Trips to the coast bring their own wear. A lake boat that makes a few runs to the Gulf or the Atlantic each year needs a thorough freshwater flush after every one, a rinse of the trailer frame, brakes and bearings, and closer attention to anodes and electrical connections at service time. Salt that stays on a boat through a humid week does more damage than the trip itself.

Then there are boats that sit. Snowbirds leave in spring and many local boats go weeks between trips. Ethanol fuel breaks down, seals dry out and trailer tires crack in the sun. Stabilized fuel, a full tank, a battery on a maintainer and a quick run every few weeks prevent most of it.

Service Plans and Parts in Sebring

Our Parts and Service menu includes a Pre-Paid Maintenance Plan and McKibben Preferred. Ask us what each one covers and whether it fits how often you use your boat. We would rather explain them in person than summarize them here.

The parts counter handles maintenance items, filters, impellers, props, trailer bearings and lights, and special orders for what is not on the shelf. Have your motor's serial number or the boat's hull identification number handy when you call, since it saves a round of back and forth.

Ask us about warranty work on packages bought here. Bring your paperwork and we will check what applies.

Bought your boat somewhere else? That is fine. Bring any service records you have, tell us what the boat is doing, and we will diagnose it before recommending work.

Repair, Repower or Replace

Sometimes the honest answer to a repair estimate is that the money would be better spent elsewhere. When a boat comes in with a failing motor, we will tell you whether a repair, a repower or a different boat makes the most sense, based on the condition of the hull and what you want from it.

If replacing makes more sense, our used boats for sale and new packages from TRACKER®, SUN TRACKER®, TAHOE®, NITRO® and MAKO® are on the same lot, and your current boat can be traded in. Financing applications can be started online. Rate, term and approval depend on credit and are not guaranteed in advance. Ask us whether financing can apply to a repower.

When you weigh a repower, think about the whole boat. A new outboard on a hull with a solid transom and floor can give you years of use, but the job usually includes new controls, gauges, wiring and a propeller, and it will not fix worn upholstery or a tired trailer. We will lay out both options side by side so you can compare them fairly.

Keeping Your Boat Out of the Shop

After every trip

Rinse the boat and motor, flush the outboard if you ran in salt, grass or silty water, check the prop for fishing line and dings, and turn off the battery switch. Five minutes at the ramp or in the driveway saves a lot of shop time.

Every few weeks if it sits

Start the motor on flush muffs or run it on the water, cycle the pumps, check the bilge after rain and keep the battery on a maintainer. Top up the fuel tank with stabilized fuel rather than leaving it half empty.

Before a long tow

Check trailer tire pressure and tread, feel the hubs for heat after the first few miles, test every light, and confirm the safety chains, coupler and winch strap. A trip to Okeechobee or the coast is where tired bearings fail.

Once a year, at least

Book the annual outboard service even if the boat saw little use, since oil, gear lube and impellers age with time as well as hours. Have the trailer bearings serviced at the same visit.

When you call to book

Tell us the make and model of the boat and motor, the outboard hours, what it is doing and when it started. A photo of the problem helps. The more we know up front, the faster we can diagnose it.

Boat Repair for Highlands County and Nearby

Our shop is on US 27 South in Sebring, near Lake Jackson and a short tow from Lake Istokpoga, Lake June-in-Winter, the Lake Placid chain and Lake Okeechobee. Boat owners looking for boat repair near Avon Park, Lake Placid and Lorida use us, along with customers from Frostproof, Wauchula, Arcadia, Okeechobee, Moore Haven, Lake Wales and Winter Haven.

Anglers who fish Okeechobee and tow home along US 27 through Lake Placid pass close to the store, which makes a drop-off on the way home easy to plan.

If your boat will not run, call before you tow it in and we will tell you what information to bring and when we can look at it.

Call 863.465.2814 to book service or check on a repair.

Boat Repair Questions We Get Asked

Written and reviewed by the sales and service team at McKibben Boating Center of Sebring.

Service availability, turnaround times, pricing and plan details change. Contact us at 863.465.2814 for current information, follow your owner's manuals for maintenance intervals, and confirm boating regulations with FWC. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Tell us what the boat is doing

Call the service department or book online, and bring the boat to US 27 South in Sebring. We will diagnose it and give you the options before any work starts.