The Importance Of Professional Boat Winterization
How And When To Winterize Your Boat And What It Entails
Once you take your boat out of the water after enjoying it for a wonderful summer, there are steps you'll need to take to protect it from the harsh fall and winter conditions. This process is known as winterization. Winterization can seem intimidating, which is why it is recommended you get it done by a professional. In this article, we will go through the basics of winterizing your boat to help you make the best decision before proceeding to preserve it during the cold winter months.
What Does It Mean to Winterize a Boat?
Winterizing a boat means you’re setting your boat up for storage during the winter. Living in a colder climate means you’re less likely to use your boat during the cold months, and you’ll need to protect your craft from harsh conditions.
What Does Winterization Entail?
Winterization is a long laundry list, which is why it is recommended to go through a professional service. Here are a few steps the service will take when inspecting and preparing your boat for storage:
- Check for any engine issues and repair them before storage
- Fill the gas tank and add a fuel stabilizer
- Check the cables and lines
- Drain and flush the coolant system and apply new antifreeze
- Remove anything that would add weight to the boat while in storage
- Check the spark plugs and replace old ones
- Add fogging oil to the cylinders and the carburetor
- Drain and clean any part that can hold moisture
- Drain the engine and ballasts
- Wrapping the boat with shrink-wrap
When to Put Your Boat in Storage
First, never leave your boat in the water during the winter. If you don’t live somewhere warm year-round like Florida, your boat needs to go through the proper winterization process and then be safely stored indoors like a garage. It should also be securely covered with recommended tarping as much as possible. A professional will be able to advise you on this. If you cannot store your boat indoors, outdoors will be alright, but you need to secure the boat as much as possible and make sure it is thoroughly drained. Keep in mind that storing your boat in an uncontrolled environment can bring on more challenges to boat preservation. Do this for your boat just before the first frost.
Reasons to Consider Professional Winterization
There are many factors when it comes to winterizing your boat that may determine professional winterization services being preferred, in order to maintain the health and quality of your boat. Winterizing your boat involves a checklist of intricate “to-do’s” that can easily be ruined if approached incorrectly.
Engine Protection
One of the main factors of winterizing a boat is to protect the engine. Failing to winterize your boat can cause frozen water to block the block the engine itself and trigger it to split and crack open. The best way to prevent this from happening would be to use a mix of anti-freeze and regular water while also draining water lines in the boat. What an expert can offer is a professional service, as inadequate anti-freeze can also freeze and crack.
Professional Expertise
Consider your boat as your home. You wouldn’t take any risks when it comes to hefty repairs with your home, would you? Your boat should be taken even more seriously, as safety is a huge factor. For smooth sailing (pun intended), once you remove your boat from storage, consulting a professional to inspect your boat’s winterization and go through the checklist with you can go a long way.
Increase Its Lifespan
Owning a boat is a costly investment that you will want to enjoy for a long time, and if you ever need to sell it, you want to maintain its value. Proper winterization will keep it in tip-top shape, which will in turn, increase its lifespan. Keeping up with maintenance on the engine, plumbing, and the fixtures also help preserve your boat.
Prevent External Damage
Freezing temperatures and ice are your boat’s ultimate enemy. Similar to the damage that moisture buildup in your pipes and engine can lead to, moisture buildup can also wreck your boat’s finishing and exterior. Professional winterization can avoid this from happening.
Prevent Plumbing Issues
You may have had pipes burst in your home when temperatures freeze, as water freezes and expands. The same principle applies to a boat. If you are properly winterizing your boat, risk of damage to your freshwater tank and sanitation systems will significantly reduce.
Furthermore, any water left in hoses can lead to burst lines, and residual water left in your sink or shower can ruin fixtures. A pump which isn't left dry will break if it freezes up, or chew itself up if activated while frozen. Holding tanks that aren't emptied may freeze and expand, and the waste may dry out and solidify over the winter. Avoid all of the above breaking in storage by properly winterizing your boat beforehand.
Prevent Fuel Degradation
Over time, gasoline degrades as different weight compounds separate and evaporate. Ethanol in the fuel can absorb water if left for the winter. This can also lead to gumming, deposits, dirt in the engine and difficulty starting and running.
With diesel, you run the risk of algae growth which can cause clogged filters and injectors. Dirty filters will get growth and clog. Tanks left almost empty or half full are more prone to biological growth than tanks filled with biocide treated fuel.
Don’t scrimp on winterizing your boat. If you neglect your boat, plenty of nightmares can occur as water freezes and expands and damages anything it's trapped inside. Acidic and corrosive wastes, salt, and corrosion buildup can also damage delicate parts in engines. Fuels break down or grow dirty. Mold and mildew take root, and you could end up returning to a boat in the spring that is simply unusable and needs a lot of repair and attention. Save yourself the trouble and heartache by investing in professional winterization now to enjoy your boat later.