Boat Winterizing and Dry Storage
Vessel Maintenance Procedures to Use in Winterizing Your Boat
Taking a few extra steps now in winterizing your boat will make it easier to prepare and return to the water next season.
As a vessel owner, you should take a number of steps to winterize and store your boat at the end of the season. Once your vessel is correctly shored up in the boatyard, you must ensure that nothing leaks from your boat during maintenance or storage and that is safely prepared for upland storage. Following these basic suggestions can help you get back in the water, sooner and easier next boating season.
Winterizing and Storage Basics:
- Wash and wax your boat right after you take it from the water. By doing this, it will be much easier to clean up for use next season. Clean interior carpets and floors. Consider removing cushions, PFDs and other items that could mildew.
- Have your boat mechanic service and prepare your engine for storage.
- Ensure your bilge spaces are clean and free of oil. It might be a good idea to leave an oil adsorbent sock in the bilge.
- Drain, or winterize fresh water lines and fixtures with propylene glycol antifreeze. It is the pink nontoxic antifreeze commonly available at recreational vehicle supply stores. The green antifreeze, ethylene glycol, which is used in your car, it is highly toxic and hard to remove from fresh water systems. Don't use ethylene glycol to winterize your boat's fresh water system.
- Conventional wisdom has suggested boaters store their vessels with full fuel tanks and to utilize a fuel-stabilizing additive for winter storage. With the advent of ethanol fuel use in marinas, it may be better to drain the fuel tanks and have them cleaned prior to use next season.
- Remove lead-acid storage batteries and store them fully charged in well ventilated, warm location. A heated garage would be a good choice. Batteries should rest on a nonconductive surface that is up off the floor. Scraps of 2"x 6" lumber resting on a couple of concrete blocks will work well for this purpose. Depending on the battery manufacturer's maintenance recommendations, you might consider charging the batteries at periodic intervals during storage.
- Check with your boatyard's management on the electrical safety requirements for using installed or portable heaters and air dryers on your boat while it is in storage.
- Consider the use of a “shrink wrap” covering system or tarps to keep rain and snow out of the vessel. Ensure there is good ventilation under the covers to reduce corrosion or fungal damage to the boat.
Most boatyards and marinas will offer additional hints on how to store your boat successfully. Take time to discuss your vessel's storage for the winter. Effort taken at this stage will pay off when it is time to go back in the water. In the water storage of boats involves a few extra precautions that will be further discussed at Boating and Sailing.
