Ready to admit the season is over and it's time to winterize your boat? We gathered helpful resources for PropTalk readers here.
- For BoatU.S.'s downloadable 15-page Guide to Winterization, including checklists, click here.
- For West Marine's series of instructional videos on winterizing your boat, click here.
- For Discover Boating's winterization tips, click here.
- For Bass Pro Shop's winterization guide, click here.
Winterizing Your Boat 101 The temperatures are dropping quickly and summer is coming to a close. We traded in our bathing suits and sunglasses for sweaters and boots. Instead of eating shrimp cocktails and slurping down cold ones, we will soon be drinking hot cocoa again. As the temperatures start to drop, it is very important to prepare your boat for the cold months ahead. Winterizing your boat can save you thousands of dollars in restoration, hours spent doing repairs, and the frustration of facing performance problems when it’s time to bring the boat back out. To properly put your boat to rest for the winter, follow our tips and to-dos. Tips:
- The first tip is simple: Winterize your boat! The biggest mistake you can make is choosing not to take the necessary precautions for your boat’s safety during the winter. Winter weather can cause major damages, such as corrosion and leaks. The best way to think when it comes to winterizing your boat is: “Pay now, or you’ll pay for it later.”
- Take one last trip on your beloved boat before you have to put her to bed for the winter. While you are enjoying your last cruise, take special note of things on your boat that need to be repaired so that you can make adjustments before the harsh winter ahead.
- Plan in advance. Make sure to have a decommissioning checklist on hand when winter starts to approach. This will be useful for knowing what supplies you are going to need and the steps you will be taking to keep your boat protected. You can also add specific details to the list that are recommended by the manufacturer.
- Have the manufacturers’ manuals for the boat and motor at your disposal so that you can follow all guidelines. Some boats and motors need different care than others.
- If you are not 100 percent sure of what needs to be done to winterize your boat, your best bet is to find someone who does. This can mean talking to a seasoned boater friend, researching on the internet, or contacting a marine professional. Play it safe when it comes to keeping your pride and joy in pristine condition over the winter months.
Do’s:
- Clean out the personal items. Unload the items that are not necessities for the winter. Grab your iPod, speakers, cooking utensils, canned foods, cushions, blankets, towels, and clothing, and take them home for the winter so that you can wash and store them properly for the spring.
- Give the cabin a good scrubbin’ Wipe down the head and galley with cleansing wipes, wash any linens (sheets, curtains, tablecloths), vacuum the carpeting, wipe down the wood with some lemon oil or your wood cleanser of choice, and air out the cushions.
- Air it out. You don’t want to return in the spring to a musty, stinky boat. Leave the interior doors and lockers open so that air can flow throughout the cabin.
- Fuel up. Fill up your boat’s fuel tank, giving it a little room to expand over the winter.
- Add a gasoline stabilizer to the fuel tank to keep the gas from breaking down during the cold weather.
- Tighten the fuel valves to avoid damaging moisture condensation on the interior.
- Drain all water from the boat Any leftover water in pipes or lines can freeze and expand, which can cause major damages.
- Open all seacocks and drains to prevent damage from freezing(see above).
Don’ts:
- Do not wait until the last minute to winterize your boat The best time to put your boat to bed is when you feel that your boating season is over.
- Do not forget to remove the drain plug if your boat is being stored on shore. This will allow any water that may get in the boat to get out.
- Do not tie off your tarp or boat cover on the boat stand
- Do not use a portable heater in the bilge This is unsafe and can cause a fire.
- Do not forget the engine The engine is one of the most important parts of your vessel, so make sure to take good care of it for the winter.
- Do not forget to cover your boat Covering your boat is very important to its safety over the winter. Keep in mind that rain and snow can build up on the cover, so make sure it is secure, tight, and well supported.
- Do not forget to prepare the battery Make sure to clean out the battery and disconnect it.
Winter Battery Care From the BoatU.S. Boater’s Guide to Winterizing On small boats that aren’t left in the water, you may want to take your batteries home and put them in a trickle charger. If you choose to keep them aboard, here are some tips: Top up wet-cell batteries with electrolyte. Make sure battery cable connections are tight and free of corrosion — clean them if necessary with a pot scrubber or emery board. Coat the connections with a corrosion inhibitor like Boeshield T-9. Leave the batteries hooked up to a marine charger that has a float setting or leave them unplugged but charge them up completely at least once a month. Batteries left on an automotive trickle charger for long periods of time run the risk of boiling off the electrolyte and, at the extreme, exploding. Today’s batteries do best when charged using a marine “smart charger” that varies the charge based on differences in battery chemistry and matches charging voltage to what the battery can accept at different stages of the charging cycle. When buying a marine battery charger, look for the following features:
- A three-stage charger with bulk, absorption, and float stages (or a four-stage charger with an additional pre-float stage) and battery type selection.
- Output of 25-40 percent of the battery bank capacity in amp hours.
- Temperature sensing at the batteries for automatic adjustment of charger output.
- Equalization phase for use with flooded cell batteries.\
- Ignition protection if installed in a gasoline engine room space.
Find BoatU.S.'s 15-page winterization guide here.