LAKE LIFE BY discoverboating.com
Winterizing Your Boat:
Step by Step Guide
In many areas of the country, you’ll
want to winterize a boat before freezing
temperatures set in. Deciding on an
option for boat storage is only the first
step in preparing your pride and joy
for its winter slumber. Even if you use
your boat all winter long—a practice
we most certainly endorse—there
are some systems and items aboard
that need some extra attention.
How to Winterize a Boat
• Start by prepping your engine;
ensure all water has been
drained and removed.
• Apply corrosion protection
to your engine.
• Consult your owner's manual
for specific instructions, and
complete fogging, if needed.
• Add a fuel-stabilizing
additive to your fuel system;
then run the engine.
• Change your engine’s fuel
filters and any fuel/water
separators in the system.
• Drain your boat's freshwater
plumbing systems (sinks,
tanks, and heads).
• Add antifreeze to your
plumbing systems.
• Ensure water is removed
from all additional systems
(raw water washdowns,
livewells, bilge pump, etc.).
• Remove drain plugs.
• Cover your boat or place
it into winter storage.
Ironically, it’s water that poses
the most danger to your boat during
the off-season. Freeze-damage is the
biggest potential problem, but water
in and on your boat can also promote
winter-time mold and mildew growth,
and corrosion. So as you consider all
of these tasks, remember that your
main goal is to keep out water and
moisture to the greatest extent possible.
Be sure to concentrate
on these systems during the
winterization process:
• The engine
• Fuel systems
• Plumbing systems
• All other systems that
can hold water
Winterization Guide: Specific
Engine Types & Other Systems
How to Winterize an
Outboard Engine
Outboard engines are designed
to drain all the water from their
cooling systems completely, when
tilted in the down position. So lesson
number-one is to tilt the engine
down all the way, and leave it there.
Covering it is a good idea, but make
sure there’s enough ventilation
that condensation doesn’t form.
Aside from eliminating H2O
from the equation, you’ll want to
give the engine’s internals some
protection from corrosion as it sits.
Historically, with carbureted
outboards and old-tech two-strokes
this meant running fogging oil
through the engine. Most modern
outboards, however, are “fogged”
via a much easier process.
Some manufacturers offer
products that can be mixed into
a remote fuel can of gasoline, and
run through the engine to give it a
layer of protection. And some other
modern outboards control the process
electronically—you simply navigate
to a “winterize” mode in the control
system, and press the button.
Each manufacturer’s method
is a bit different (and sometimes
different models in their line require
different steps) so this is the time
to consult your owner’s manual.
Many people feel that the very
best way to winterize an outboard
is simply to use it, and they have a
point. It’s not low temperatures that
cause issues with outboards, but long
periods of inaction. If you live in an
area where you can run the engine
every few weeks (long enough to
allow it to reach normal operating
temperature), additional winterization
steps usually aren’t necessary.
One final tip: now’s the best time
to change your lower unit and/or
powerhead oil, visually inspect it to
be sure there hasn’t been any water
intrusion, and put the boat to bed
with fresh fluids for the winter.
How to Winterize a Stern Drive
Stern drives can be a bit more
complex than outboards to winterize
because you have to worry about
getting water out of the engine’s
block as well as the drive unit, and
may need to run antifreeze through
the drive and engine. Again, there
26 LAKE WEDOWEE LIFE