It’s almost Winter time, and that means it’s time to start winterizing your boat. Winterizing a boat and motor is the most important maintenance a boat owner can perform to help ensure safe boating next spring. But there’s more to it than simply taking your boat out of the water. If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, check out Boatmasters’ service page. If you’re a do it yourself person, here are some (hopefully) helpful tips.
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If it looks like this, you’re doing it wrong.
- Fill the fuel tanks and add the appropriate amount of stabilizer. Run the engine long enough to get treated gas into the fuel line and engine. Left untreated over the winter, gasoline deteriorates into varnish and gum, making starting difficult.
- Flush the cooling system. (Flushing kits are available from boat dealers.) Also remove block plugs and drain all the water from inboard and inboard outdrive engines. This cleans out accumulated sediment and rust flakes. Pump in anti-freeze to avoid trapped ice pockets. Use an environmentally safe product to avoid contaminating the marine environment(we need fish for next season!).
- Fog the engine with oil to prevent rust. Available in bulk or aerosol cans, fogging oil is formulated to stick to the cylinders and not slide down the walls. Make sure to spray some of the oil into the cylinders through the sparkplug holes once the engine has cooled down. Check the spark plugs and replace them if necessary.
There is plenty more you may need to know about winterizing, so if you want the full details, have a look at this in-depth guide. Remember, if you get lost and can’t find the information you’re looking for, you can always go back and check the good old fashioned owners manual for tips that are particular to your own brand of boat, engine and trailer. But enough about winter, it’s still the Fall season, so get out there and enjoy it while it lasts!
Image may be NSFW.
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