Unfortunately, in much of the United States, it's time to pull the boat, winterize it and put it away until spring. Those of you who aren't subject to sub-32-degree temperatures for days on end can generally ignore this ritual, unless you want to shake your head in amazement as to what those in the northern tier of the country go through every year. If you're subject to this frigid weather, you probably pull your boat between late September and early November. With that said, it's now time to get down to business. Here's what you need to do to winterize your boat.

Pre-Winterizing
First, you should make lists. Make a list of what you intend to do, what 'stuff' you need, and after it's all over, make a list of exactly what you did and didn't do. Whether it's your first time or twenty-hundredth time winterizing, there's a lot of stuff you'll have to purchase. Get everything beforehand, since there'll be plenty you'll still have to get.

You should also fill up the gas tank(s) on the way home. Get some fuel stabil-izer, and throw it in the tank; the bouncing of the boat on the trailer will mix it.

If you have holding tanks, dump them before you get the boat out of the water ' at the proper pumping station. It's great if you've got running water to run through the system to evacuate it as much as possible while you're there as well.

Once in the driveway, you should first divest your craft of the load it picked up during the summer. You may want to strip down canvas, electronics, ground tackle, seat pads, etc. Some may keep their canvas on, some may keep ground tackle in place, etc., but that's your call.

You should also label boxes in which all necessary stuff from the boat is stored for the winter. This makes spring commissioning much easier. Write a list of things that need replacing too.

Regardless of the boat's type, clean everything. A decent powerwasher makes this process easier and more effective. If you don't own one, you can rent or even borrow one. Hull, topside, deck, outdrives, props, shafts, etc., should be properly cleaned. If you've got woodwork, beware of the tear-your-skin-off settings on the washer.

Winterizing
On an I/O, hook up a set of 'rabbit ears' over the outdrive's intakes to flush the engine. Don't turn on the hose yet. If you have a brass valve at the hose's business end that controls water flow, there's no running back to the spigot involved. Outboarders can use this method, but most engines feature a flush port where you hook your hose. Inboards, regardless of fresh water or raw water cooled, need to be flushed and have antifreeze run through the system. Entry to the cooling system is usually via the water pump.

One relatively new item that can be aftermarket-added to many different engines is The Guardian (Marine
Science Technologies Inc., www.mstguardian.com , 800/543-3559). It's a permanent hookup reputed to be extremely efficient on cleaning salt, corrosive chemicals, zebra mussels, etc., out of engines. Prices tend to run in the low $200- to low $300 range. Clear your engines of salt, and prep them with antifreeze solution. There are various chemicals and means of introducing the antifreeze/desalt mixture to your boat's system. Whichever you choose, flush it thoroughly through the boat's system.

Once everything is ready using the chosen method of water insertion, fire up the engine, and have at it. (The Guardian doesn't require the engine to be run.) Run the engine on water to really clean it and warm up the oil. In most cases, this part gets a little busy, so it's smart to lay everything out ahead of time. You flush with fresh water while the engine is running, then go to the antifreeze/descaler, and lastly an engine fogger. After flushing and antifreezing your outboard, drain all the gasoline out of the unit. The simplest way to do this is to disconnect the gas line and let the engine run dry.

Lastly, regardless of engine type, fog the cylinders. Get a product like CRC Engine Stor (CRC Industries, www.crcindustries.com , 800/272-8963). On an I/O, have the engine running, then spray this into the carburetor/injector intakes until the engine starts to stutter. Let it come back, and spray it again. Do this three or four times, then spray it until the engine dies. Check with your engine's manufacturer before fogging because some have vastly different procedures.

On outboards and inboards, pull each cylinder's sparkplug, and spray each cylinder as you crank the engine over. Do it in short bursts, max; you just want the engine turning over.

Oil Changing
Consider using a manual-vacuum system called the Topsider MVP made by Airpower America ( www.airpoweramerica.com , 800/225-2224). It's about $40 at most chandleries. The company has recently come out with a boat-specific-designed one that's a bit more compact and easier to handle called the MarinaPro.

You can buy oil changers that mount permanently, run off hand drills, have integral pumps, attach to your oil pan, on and on. The Topsider unit has a tube that goes down the dipstick tube and sucks the oil out the oil pan in no time flat.

Next it's the oil filters. In most inboard or I/O applications, you'll need some type of shallow but relatively good size pan to catch the oil that'll come when you unscrew the filter. There are a variety of tools for performing this unscrewing, but be sure to get a proper tool. The Grip-It by Klein Tools ( www.kleintools.com , 847/677-9500) is a strap wrench that'll work with a variety of round shapes. It costs less than $15 and is available at automotive parts stores. This is a good time to change your fuel/water separator(s); ditto with a catch basin. You should also change your plugs at this juncture. It doesn't take long to put them in come spring, but it's your call.

Final Tips
With heads or freshwater systems aboard, you'll have more to do. Drain your freshwater tanks and heaters. Open all freshwater taps and faucets, and pump antifreeze (non-toxic) into the system. Stop when the antifreeze comes out. If you have a separate heater, disconnect that, drain it and fill it with antifreeze. If you have a head aboard, check your manual for what chemicals can and can't be used. Put some kind of deodorizer to go in for a while, then fill the lines with antifreeze.

Also, pull the prop(s) and store it, and check all zincs and replace them if required; don't forget the zinc behind the prop. Also, check the outdrive or lower-end unit oil. If possible, pull and store all electronics. Then get the outdrives or outboards up, and support the engine in that position. Lastly, pull the batteries, and cover your boat for the winter. Store batteries in a place with a relatively stable temperature, and a non-freezing one at that. Trickle charge them every so often through the winter.

Maybe you haven't had luck with the materials and frames you've used for covering your boat. A holding pond always develops, and one thing leads to another. Your buddy had his boat shrink wrapped last year and swore by it, so you opt for that method too. If you want to do the shrink wrapping yourself, you can't go far wrong with the products and instruction provided by Dr. Shrink ( www.dr-shrink.com , 800/968-5147). It has everything from the heat guns to a recycling envelope for used covers.

If you've picked a good day, and have most of the equipment, parts and chemicals you need, this is a good way to say goodbye to your boat for the winter. You may not call it fun, but it's a facet of boating that'll give you a better glimpse of what goes into going vroom on the water all summer.

November 2004