How to Winterize Your Boat
All good things must come to an end, and for many of us, that includes boating season. While you can use your boat in every season, many people prefer to store their boat in the winter and wait for warmer days to return.
Winterizing your boat is an important process that protects it from damage when the temperature drops below freezing, saving you money on repairs from cracked lines or a ruined engine.
What Do I Need to Do to Winterize My Boat?
Winterizing your boat can be a time-consuming process, but it is not hard. If you have basic knowledge of the mechanics of a boat, you can do most of it yourself.
While every boat owner has their own preferred process for winterizing their boat based on the type of boat and location, winterizing will focus on the main systems of the boat:
- Engine
- Fuel system
- Plumbing
- Any other system that holds water
- Whole boat exterior cleaning, interior cleaning, and repair
Winterizing, especially in cold climates, is important to keep water from freezing anywhere in the workings of your boat, which can cause much larger problems when you return to your boat next summer.
Engine
Start your winterizing process by giving your engine a once over. Check it for obvious signs of damage or wear that may need fixing. Some people like to have a professional winterize their engine, but you can definitely do it yourself.
All engines are different, so it’s important to check your owner’s manual to see what the manufacturer recommends as far as winterizing goes. In general, you need to flush all the water out of the engine and replace all the fluids and filters.
Depending on where you live, you may want to add antifreeze to your engine systems. In addition, many boat owners like to use a corrosion preventative on the engine, often by using a fogging spray on the engine.
Top off fluids like oil, coolant, steering fluid, and transmission fluid to their recommended levels.
Fuel System
Check the fuel lines for any cracking. Replace any that show wear. Because of fuel’s high evaporation rate, many boat owners add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel for the winter. Check your owner’s manual to make sure a fuel stabilizer is safe for your engine.
Should I Leave Gas in My Boat Over the Winter?
It is perfectly fine to leave gas in your boat over the winter as long as you use a fuel stabilizer.
Plumbing
Removing all the water from your plumbing system is key to avoiding broken lines and pipes. Open any faucets and let the tank run dry to remove the water.
If you have a bathroom on your boat, consider letting a professional pump out your waste tank. It’s a messy job that can be a biohazard.
When everything is pumped out, add antifreeze to the plumbing system.
Other Systems
Remove water from any other system on your boat that generally holds it, including the bilge and livewells.
Drain the cooking gas by either disconnecting the propane tank or turning the stove burners on until the gas has been used up.
Whole Boat Cleaning and Repair
Before covering and storing your boat for the winter, you’ll want to clean it both inside and outside. Check your boat over for any chips in the gel coat or tears in the vinyl. Make any repairs necessary.
How Do I Remove Dirt and Stains from My Boat?
When you winterize your boat, it’s a great time to get rid of the dirt and stains that have built up over the season. Removing stubborn dirt and stains from the interior surfaces of your boat just takes a good cleaner like Wipe Out Marine Vinyl Cleaner #12 and a clean towel.
Simply spray the vinyl cleaner onto your seats or other vinyl surfaces and wipe off. For tougher stains, use a soft brush to work the dirt out of the vinyl.
For the exterior of your boat, removing dirt and water spots from your gel coat is easy with Crush Liquid Gel Coat Compound #16. Simply apply the compound with a wool pad and rotary polisher. Use an overlapping pattern until your gel coat looks the way you want it. Remove the compound and follow up with wax and sealant.
What are the Best Products to Use to Winterize My Boat?
When it comes to winterizing your engine, use products recommended by the engine manufacturer.
To fix imperfections, scuffs, and scratches in the gel coat, choose from Hula Boat’s array of compounds, polishes, and sealants to return your boat’s gel coat to like-new status.
When you’re ready to winterize the interior of your boat, it’s important to get vinyl surfaces and carpets clean and protect them from mold and mildew. We recommend Hula Boat’s Vinyl Cleaner or RAD for general cleaning followed by #8 Chill Mold Retardant for the best protection of your boat’s interior surfaces.
How Much Time Will It Take to Winterize My Boat?
The amount of time it takes to winterize a boat depends greatly on the size of the boat. Smaller boats can take as little as an hour while larger crafts can take the whole day.
What is the Average Cost to Winterize My Boat?
The cost to winterize a boat also depends on its size. If you do it yourself, smaller boats can cost as little as $50-100 for supplies. Larger boats will need more supplies, so they will be more expensive even if you do the work yourself.
If you pay someone to winterize your boat, expect to pay more. Boats with smaller engines can cost $200 while larger vessels will run up to $1000 and more, depending on the size and number of engines.
When boating season winds to a close, take the time to properly winterize your boat. A little care and prevention before the temperatures drop below freezing will get you back out on the water more quickly when summer rolls back around.
