Winterizing Your Boat

Winterizing your boat for the majority of us is the most dreaded day of the year. Warm weather is gone and so starts the wait for spring temperatures so we can hit the water again next season. Take these protective measures to assure your boat will greet you with a happy face when warm weather welcomes you again in a few months. Standard Winterization 1) Run a fogging solution through the boat engine while it is running to protect internal parts 2) Spray a protective anti-corrosion film on the external parts of engine 3) Drain the engine block and manifolds and fill the engine with anti-freeze 4) Drain the lower unit gear oil and refill with fresh oil (stern drives only) 5) Grease all external fillings on stern drives 6) Disconnect the battery / batteries and store somewhere warm 7) Cover your boat Optional Winterization 1) Remove spark plugs and spray oil on cylinders, then replace spark plugs 2) Change engine oil and filter 3) Remove prop and grease prop shaft 4) Add fuel stabilizer to prevent condensation in gas tank (run engine briefly to flush stabilized gas through fuel injectors and carburetor) 5) Winterize fresh water system 6) Remove outdrive and grease U-Joint

Julie Bostian, About.com