Winterizing your Boat

Since taking the boat out of the water for the season the weather has been tough to winterize the boat but I finally got to it yesterday. Some folks pay a lot of money to do this but it is fairly easy to do. I hope these tips help.

The first thing I do when I get the boat home is power wash the hull to remove the scum while it's still fresh. Don't worry about any barnacles on the hull because you will be able to scrape them off easy in the Spring before you touch up your bottom paint.

Next I pour marine grade fuel stabilizer ( blue stuff ) in to the fuel tanks. I use a pint on each side.
Place your ears on your lower end of the outboard....not your ears ears..LOL but a sort of clamp with suction cups that you attach a garden hose to. Place the ears over the intake vents behind the prop.

Turn the water on and start the engine, let it run for a little while to make sure the stabilizer gets in the carburetors.While its running turn off your fuel switch and let the motor run till it runs dry. Some folks have the engine fogged, I've never done it so I don't know if it's good or bad.

Changing the lower end fluid is important One it's lets you see if you have water in the oil which means your seals are gone. And two it lets you see if you have any metal chips in the oil . Unscrew the top screw on the lower end then on do the bottom one. Drain oil and take a look at the bottom screw. The bottom screw should have a magnet on it . Check for metal flakes and if the oil is milky you have water.

If everything looks alright refill your lower end fluid. Some products come with a hose that screws into the lower end or what looks like a caulking tube. Fill from the bottom hole first till it comes out the top hole.. Your done.  
 

Remove engine cover and spray WD 40 on wires and linkage. This keeps moisture from rusting parts and keeps wiring from drying up.

I have been having my boat shrinkwrapped the last 4 yrs and it is well worth it come Spring time. You can pay anywhere from $8 to $10 a foot and for a little more they can put a zipped door in if you what to.
Anyway it's not hard to do.

Sea Ya

The Capt.