It’s Time to Winterize Your Boat

Now that fall is in full swing and winter is right around the corner, it’s a great time to think about winterizing your boat. This can prevent damage over the winter months and extend the lifespan of your vessel, but a lot of boat owners don’t know how to properly handle winterization. The good news is that there are some basic steps you can take to help you get your boat ready for the winter months. Keep reading for winterization tips from the experts at a marina in Lewiston, CA.

How to winterize your boat

Here are some tips on winterizing your boat in preparation for the off-season:

• Prep your engine: The first step in winterization is engine preparation. Start by draining all the water from your engine. Next, apply corrosion protection to your engine to prevent rust development when your boat isn’t being used during the winter months.
• Care for your fuel system: Next, add a fuel stabilizing product to your fuel system and run the engine to ensure it fully circulates. This product will keep your fuel stable to prevent it from expiring while your boat isn’t being used. After adding fuel stabilizer, change your engine’s fuel filter and, if you have any, your system’s fuel and water separators.
• Treat the plumbing system: After caring for your boat’s fuel system, drain your boat’s freshwater plumbing system, including sinks, tanks and heads. Once your plumbing system has been thoroughly drained, add antifreeze to prevent pipe damage during cold winter weather. Next, make sure all the water is drained from other boat systems. Check the bilge pump, livewells, raw water washdowns and any other systems where water might be present.
• Handle repairs: If your boat has any damage that requires boat repairs in Lewiston, CA, it’s best to take care of it as soon as possible. Storing your boat when it’s been damaged can cause problems to get worse due to exposure to extreme weather conditions during the winter months. Have your boat inspected and take care of any repairs before putting your boat in storage for the winter.
• Find a place to store your boat: After preparing a boat for storage, it’s important to find a safe place to store the boat during the winter. Marinas offer moorage to keep boats stored safely during the winter months. Before choosing a marina in Lewiston, CA for boat storage, ask about security. Choose a marina with restricted access and security measures to keep your boat safe and secure during the off-season.

Get boat repairs in Lewiston, CA

For more advice about boat winterization, or for information about boat moorage, reach out to Trinity Alps Marina. We are a family owned and operated marina offering a wide range of services, from boat rental to moorage and boat repairs in Lewiston, CA. If you’re looking for boat moorage during the winter months, our team is here to help. We have security gates and on-site personnel to ensure all of the boats in storage are kept safe and secure during the off-season. Find out more about mooring your boat by giving us a call today.

Categorised in: Boat Maintenance

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