Getting the boat ready for cold winter weather

[Irishrover]

It looks and feels like it is here already, those cold temp that can do damage to our boats. I pulled my boat out of the Skipanon and brought her home a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad I did because after I gave her a good bath and wash down with salt terminator, I prepped her for the winter cold. I have three bilge pumps a wash down pump and a pump in the fish hold. I pump RV anti free through each of to make sure they have no water in them. The RV anti freeze does not hurt them and will save you from having that broken pump come spring. Since my motors spend a lot of time in the saltwater I flush them with salt terminator. I have a 140 gal water stock tank that I can put two motors into a once. I add the salt terminator and water, let the motors run for about 30 minutes. After that treatment I remove the tank and let the motors drain. I make sure the plug is out then take the boat for a ride on the trailer to my favorite steep hill and .make sure the boat is drained. The last thing I do is plug the electric line into the boat to maintain the batteries. Until spring I'll be out swinging the spey rod, digging razor clams, or fishing the surf patiently waiting until it's time to put her back into the water.

I still need to add fuel stabilizer and do the fluid changes in the motor, along with putting in new filters. I think that can wait until I get the heat situation worked out in the shop!

 

[GraphiteZen]

Good stuff. If you're writing about the boat in your avatar, even better. I would loveeeeee to have a boat like! Good times putting her away for the winter. Nice sunny day, lots of alpha caveman grunting. :flex:

 

[Irishrover]

That's the boat alright. I want to take good care of her so she takes care of me. Going to give her plenty of caveman attention even if she is out of the water. The last boat I owned I had for 24 years and she is now fishing out of Westport, Wa. with a new skipper.

 

[Raincatcher]

lots of alpha caveman grunting. :flex:

Bwahahahaha! Keeping it honest...:flex: :lol:
Great info in your post for new, inexperienced boat owners. Thanks, Irishrover! :thumb:

 

[JeannaJigs]

Tons of great info! (I want to be a stowaway when you go dig razors, that's at the top of my list this year/next now that I've crossed off the chumsky)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[mikeredding]

Excellent information Lonn. I just finished mine a couple weeks ago before the cold settled in. I might add that you always want to make sure you have cleaned out any food such as snacks and goodies because they may not be in a very appealing state come spring.
Don't ask how I know this!

 

[GraphiteZen]

Excellent information Lonn. I just finished mine a couple weeks ago before the cold settled in. I might add that you always want to make sure you have cleaned out any food such as snacks and goodies because they may not be in a very appealing state come spring.
Don't ask how I know this!

Fishing offshore with my cousin one spring when we hit a riser and my Gatorade rolled out from under a rack. *Ahhh my Gatorade, that's seems nice*, so I grabbed it took a couple big swigs. Tasted funny so I look at the bottle and it's thick with moldy streamers. Turns out it was the Gatorade I had left on his boat the summer before. Guess that's what I get for not cleaning up my trash!

 

[DrTheopolis]

they may not be in a very appealing state come spring.
Don't ask how I know this!

Kind of like removing and sorting crabs out of the trap one at a time... very important in summer especially.

"Stowaways" are no fun a couple of weeks later.

 

[Baydog]

Haven't had the opportunity to run a boat in saltwater but if I did I'd be taking notes on your winterization protocol!
L