how do you winterize a boat ?
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how do you winterize a boat ?
If the boat will be stored outside and exposed to the weather, make sure all of the lines that carry water are drained to avoid ice bursting the hoses/pipes, get some fuel stabilizer and follow the directions for the amount to mix in with the gas, start the motor and run for a 5-10 minutes, you can smell the fuel stabilizer being burnt as the exhaust will have a different smell to it (I usually put a extra dose for winter storage as it won't hurt), then make sure all of the water is drained from the motor, may have to tilt it, or move the boat so it will drain good so the frozen water won't break something in the motor, some change out the lower unit gear oil now, some wait until spring, a personal choice IMO. Check the wheel bearings, clean and lube, as needed, I usually wash and wax the boat since I store mine inside an unheated enclosed garage, put the cover on, spread out some rat poison, check the water levels in all the batteries, and hook the battery maintainers after the batteries are fully charged, make sure that any water that could get in the boat (if stored outside) has a way to drain out so it won't do any damage, a good cover if stored outside. Mine is more of a dust cover than anything else. Do a google search and you should come up with some good lists of things to check and do to make sure the boat gets thru the winter and you don't have much to do come spring time.
I put a jacket in my rod box and keep fishing.
Check the post by JB WINTERIZING - Page 1 - 158078
x2.......Quote:
Originally Posted by slimeyslab
Most people get some fogging oil if it's a 2-stroke and fog the heck out of the carb throat at fast idle a little at a time, and finally so much that it totally kills the motor by richening the mixture so much. The fogging oil will coat all internal parts with a layer of oil so that during long periods of time without being run, there's plenty of oil on the parts to prevent corrosion and cause the pistons and such to seize. That way in the spring you will have a motor that's not locked up. You may have to take out the plugs and change them since the fogging oil may foul them a little, but at least it won't be seized up.
good advice on the fuel stabilizer and lower unit oil change. I would say that the motor is SUPPOSED to totally drain in the down position, but you have to make sure all the drain holes in the lower unit/midsection are open and not gunked up or stopped up.
Heh Heh,
I reread your post and noticed you were in Mississippi....
In that case, I wholeheartedly agree with the jacket in the rod box thing. :)
JBJ
The most important thing is if nothing else, treat your gas with an fuel stabilizer for ethenol gas. I don't care what brand or how much is recomended on the bottle just treat the gas and run the motor for 15-20 mins to make sure the gas in the entire fuel system gets treated. Fogging the motor is good, grease all the fittings , and by all mens check the lower unit to make sure no water has gotten in the gearcase, they will crack if full of water and they freeze but the fuel system is the most important
Attachment 106904I agree with slimeyslab! I keep fishing. My boats get used more in the fall, winter, and spring time than during the hot summer. I do routine maintenance/cleaning year round.
As others have mentioned, keep fuel stabilizer in the tank. There can be much debate on how much fuel to keep in your tank or whether or not to use ethanol free fuel. Because of the ethanol, I do not fill my tank. I only get enough gas for each trip so I don't end up storing much fuel in the tank, or any at all. Picture is from the fuel line changed this week on my 2005 200hp Optimax. It was not a fuel line to be used with ethanol and was disintegrating. And, I religiously used marine Stabil. Ethanol is not your boating friend.
I also agree with ensuring water is not in your engine, including lower unit. Learned the hard way about thirty years ago on the Mississippi coast with an inboard/outboard. Who would have thought the deep south would get a hard enough freeze to crack a block. It happens. For outboards, I agree with the previous post about checking the lower unit to ensure there is no water in it
Also, don't forget basic trailer maintenance, tires, bearings, lights. Can't hurt to consider taking a few hours to repack the bearings and check the seals, or oil hubs if you have those. This also gives you an opportunity to check the wheel studs. Had two bad ones found this week on one side - found only because I had my oil hubs checked.
If you are not going to fish in the winter time, you also might want to consider marking your calender for later in the winter for rod/reel maintenance and cleaning so you are ready for warmer weather. Winter time can also be a good time to pick up new line for the reels and re-spool them for spring and summertime enjoyment.
Just some comments to reinforce what has been posted above. Happy boating and fishing! Spaceman
If i crank ( fourstroke yamaha ) the motor once a week or so will i need to do anything other than keep water out of the motor ? I use stabil in every fill up as well as yamalube in the gas .
You crank over the motor once a week during the winter come spring you will need a water pump impellor, the impellor is rubber, rolled into a stainlees steel liner in the water pump housing, and the rubber when dry will stick to the liner, cranking it dry will tear off the vanes of the impellor and come spring when you take it out, no over board steam and to the service shop , thats why you should never , NEVER crank over an engine with out getting water to the impellor first