Marine products and services were estimated to have cost over 42 million dollars in 2019. A damaged boat can be expensive to fix and this is why winterizing your boat is a necessity. 

During the winter months when you’re not using your boat, ensuring that it is properly stored is important. However, before you can store away your boat, you need to make sure that you winterize it correctly. 

Winterizing your boat will ensure that when you are ready to use it during the summer it is ready. Here is a look at how you should go about boat winterization.

Engine Oil

Replacing your engine oil is the first step in boat maintenance for the winter. If you fail to do this your engine oil will become contaminated. All you have to do is get your engine warmed up and drain out the dirty oil while you are on the water.

After that, you can replace the oil, so that your boat will have new oil while in storage.

Cooling Water

The next step you need to take is to drain out any cooling water from your engine. Draining cooling water from your engine will prevent the water from expanding and freezing.

After this, you can flush out the engine with clean water.

Prevent Fuel Deterioration

Fuel in a boat will often deteriorate after 60 days. This will cause a lot of sludge to start developing on your engine. The result of this is that you will have problems starting your boat and it can affect the overall performance of your engine.

The best way to stop fuel from going bad is to add a marine fuel stabilizer to help prevent deterioration.

Protect Your Engine Components

The next step you need to take is to protect your engine components. While your boat is in storage engine oil will start draining away. This will cause your engine components to be unprotected from harsh winter weather. 

Metals in the engine could start coming into contact with each other. When this happens you will have issues when the engine starts because parts will start rubbing against each other once you start using the boat again. 

To prevent this from happening you need to purchase a fogging oil spray. This will penetrate deep into your engine and act as a protective coat for your engine parts.

Grease Your Engine

The final thing you will need to do is to grease your engine’s fittings. You can use a marine lubricant to protect your boat fittings from rust and corrosion. 

Different types of boats have specific parts that need to be greased. You can check your owner’s manual to find out more. 

You can also use this great resource to find out exactly how much boat maintenance is likely to cost.

Boat Winterization Is Essential

Boat winterization is something that you need to do to ensure that your boat remains in tip-top condition throughout the winter season. 

When you take the time to prepare your boat ahead of time, when the boating season finally rolls around you will have no problems. You will be able to fully enjoy all the fun that the season has to offer without having to deal with costly repairs.

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