After a busy boating season, your boat is ready for its deserved winter hibernation. If you are new to the boating world, or you spend too much time in the spring getting your boat back in action, please read on as we give some valuable tips and advice on how to store your boat during winter.
The first thing is to decide on where to store your boat for the winter. We put together a handy guide on where to store your boat which outlines the pros and cons of each location. If your boat requires any sort of repair work though, make sure you have access and space to carry them out during the winter, otherwise you will lose valuable time on the water in the spring and summer.
Below is a step by step guide of how to check your boat and make any necessary changes to your boat as it stands for the winter.
Step 1 - Check Your Hull
Checking your hull and the underneath of your boat can be a vital part of boat maintenance and preparation for its winter storage. The most important thing to look out for are any stress cracks.
Stress cracks can identify and indicate more serious problems and even structural damage to the boat. They are commonly found around the bow eye, as this is where tow lines and trailer hooks attach. If there are any underlying issues, or you are not confident that your boat is in good condition, we recommend that you speak to a professional who will be able to diagnose the issue and suggest a course of action to repair it.
Gel coat blisters are also another common issue affecting the underside of boats. These are much easier to deal with than stress cracks. You can puncture the blister, allow it to drain and dry and then patch the hole with a marine specific epoxy-based filler.
The other things to worry about are barnacles and other creatures latching onto the bottom of your boat. A high powered pressure washer should get rid of them but, if not, other power tools can be used to remove them.
Step 2 - Motor and Engine Care
Whether you have an inboard or outboard motor on your boat, you will need to prepare them both for winter. Yes, the processes are very different, but failing to prepare your boat's engine could mean that you miss the start of the next boating season.
Preparing an outboard for winter:
One of the most important tasks you should undertake for two stroke and four stroke outboards is changing the lower-unit oil. Changing the lower-unit oil can prevent catastrophic damage. This will enable you to remove any residual water suspended in the gear lube.
Flushing the cooling system with fresh water is another maintenance task that needs to be undertaken on both two and four stroke outboards. With the engine tilted down the outboard should completely drain.
Winterproofing inboard engines:
Without a doubt, the biggest threat to inboard boat engines during winter is damage caused by freezing water within the engine's cooling passage.
To combat this, it is advised that antifreeze is pumped around the system instead of raw water. Once you can see antifreeze is flowing copiously from the exhaust outlet, you can be sure that the antifreeze has run all the way through the engines cooling passages and its exhaust components. Make sure that your antifreeze is rated for engine use as it will then contain corrosion inhibitors which protect the inside of your engine.
Another essential task is changing the engine oil and filter on your inboard engine. Leaving old oil within the engine could cause corrosion or residual water damage.
Step 3 - Winterising Plumbing and Sanitation Systems
As with your engine, flushing the plumbing and sanitation systems with antifreeze is a must. Make sure that the antifreeze that you are using is propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol, as ethane based antifreeze is highly toxic.
To flush each of the systems, make sure you have drained as much water as you can, the remove the freshwater primary hose and place it into the antifreeze bucket. The start to turn on each of the outlets (hot and cold) until you see antifreeze coming out. This will mean that enough antifreeze is in the system and will protect all the pumps, hoses and fixtures from freezing and expanding ice cracking the pipes.
The same process needs to be done for raw water systems too should you have them on your boat.
Step 4 - Taking Car of Your Boat's Battery
Possibly the worst thing to do during winter regarding your battery is nothing at all. Leaving it unattended and ignored over the winter, could result in your battery becoming fully discharged and its terminals could corrode. The best thing to do is leave your battery on what is called a trickle charge.
A trickle charger can be connected to solar panels attached to the boat or the mains at your boat yard. If you do not have access to either power source, you can disconnect your batteries and charge them at home in your garage or workshop.
Step 5 - Interior Care Of Your Boat
Looking after the interior of your boat is possible the easiest part of preparing your boat for winter. Even if you have wrapped your boat, there is still the chance that moisture and damp can cause problems and smells to your soft furnishings.
We recommend removing all soft furnishings, like cushions and seat covers. Storing them in a dry and warm environment will keep them in good condition throughout the winter and be ready for the next season.
You could use the winter time to make any alterations to your soft furnishings, such as new seat covers or curtains.
Make sure that you also remove all valuable items, or that your items are securely attached to your boat.
Step 6 - Preparing Fuel and Fuel Systems For Winter
Water, the very thing that we spend time on during the boat season, can become the enemy over the winter period, particularly when we are talking about fuel and fuel systems. With our ever changing winter temperatures, there is the chance that condensation will build up, and it can be a huge problem. We recommend adding a fuel stabiliser to your fuel tank and running this through the system before you store your boat for winter.
For diesel engines, we recommend Liqui Moly Diesel Protect and for gasoline engines, we recommend Liqui Moly Fuel Stabiliser. Both can be used for protection, but can also be used for treatment too, should your fuel become contaminated.
Let us know in the comments below if you have any further check that you carry out when storing and preparing your boat for winter. Remember to check your hull, engine, plumbing, battery, interior and fuel as per our guide above.
Where ever you store your boat, please remember to check on it as regularly as you can during winter, particularly after bad weather.
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