It wasn’t the greatest summer for boating, but hopefully you got in some extra time on the water as the temperatures stayed warm into October. Good or bad, every summer comes to an end and that means it’s time to store your boat for another winter.
If you normally pay a marina to prepare your boat and store it for the season, you may be able to save some time and money by storing it yourself in a self-storage unit.
If you’ve never prepared your boat for winter storage before, here are the main steps you need to follow.
1. Thoroughly Clean the Boat Inside and Out
Starting with the boat’s exterior, get a bucket of warm water, cleaning cloths or a gentle scrub brush and an environmentally friendly detergent. Scrub the algae form the hull and clean the sides of the boat too. Once everything is as clean as you can get it, apply a coat of wax made especially for boat fiberglass.
Inside the boat, you should empty and clean your bilge and spray it with a moisture displacing lubricant.
2. Winterize the Engine
You’ll need to consult your owners’ manual or check online to make sure you take all the right steps in the right order for your engine.
3. Fill’er Up
Leaving the fuel system completely empty runs the risk of condensation building up over the winter. Fill the fuel tanks and add fuel stabilizer.
4. Book Your Storage Space
Between winter storage for cars, RVs and all sorts of other summer toys, storage space for vehicles can disappear quickly at this time of year, so don’t put off booking a storage unit until the last minute.
