As delightful as winter can be with its holiday cheer, snow days, and fun outdoor activities, it also comes with a list of responsibilities. If you are an outdoor enthusiast and own a boat, you need to add one more item to your winter to-do list.

Winterizing your boat.

Whether your boat is your baby or the bane of your existence (you can be honest, it does feel like that sometimes, doesn’t it?), it is important you take care good care of your investment.

Winterizing a boat is a critical type of preventative maintenance that can save you thousands of dollars and weeks of repair.

Here are the 15 reasons why winterizing your boat is the best thing to do come to the colder, winter weather.

 

1. Prevents an Insurance Claim

Sustaining any sort of winter and freeze damage is a pain, but filing the insurance claim for your boat’s damage can be an even bigger hassle. The Boat U.S. Marine Insurance Program found that over 95 percent of freeze claims for boats could have been prevented had they undergone the appropriate winterization.

Do yourself a favour and prevent spending the time and energy chasing down your boat insurance company in the springtime and winterize your boat well before the first hard freeze of the year.

 

2. Saves Your Engine

Your boat’s engine is a costly piece of equipment. New engines can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to over ten thousand dollars. Winterization protects your engine and engine block and prevents you from needing to buy a new one.

Fogging your engine, changing the oil, and running antifreeze through the engine block can help preserve your engine and save it from needing to be replaced.

 

3. Protect Your Tanks

It is critical that you drain every last bit of water that may be hiding in your freshwater tanks to prevent freeze damage.

It is also recommended that you empty out your fuel tanks as part of the winterization efforts. Fuel should not be left sitting idle for months at a time with fuel inside of it. It can cause damage and corrosion to your gas tank if you do not.

If you cannot empty out your fuel tanks for whatever reason, add a fuel stabilizer to your tank.

 

4. Keeps Your Fiberglass in One Piece

Any expansion of water can cause the glass to shatter or crack. Protect the fibreglass components on your boat from this freeze threat.

Using pink antifreeze in your windshield washer fluid line can help protect your glass during the winter months.

 

5. Preserves Your Boat’s Battery

Replacing a battery in your boat can be very expensive. Because your boat won’t be running during the winter months, the battery is in jeopardy of dying from not being used.

To winterize a boat, it is important to disconnect and turn off anything electrical that may be draining your boat’s battery. Clean the battery terminals as well.

Be sure to recharge your boat’s battery every month or so while it is not being used during winter. If this is not an option for you, invest in a trickle charger that can keep your boat’s battery charged and operational come spring.

 

6. Keeps Your Boat in Good Condition

As exciting as a new boat can be, you want to get the most out of your current boat. A major reason to winterize your boat is to keep it in the best condition possible so you can enjoy taking it out on the water.

Winterizing your boat keeps it in better condition for longer than if you do not take the time to winterize it.

 

7. Prevents Mold and Mildew

It is inevitable that moisture and condensation will sneak into your boat if it is shrink-wrapped or tightly covered with a tarp to protect it from snow or ice. Before you cover up your boat for the winter, make it as immune to moisture as possible.

Wash and thoroughly dry the interior of the boat with a water and mild white vinegar mixture to kill any current mould. Place moisture-absorbing items throughout your boat underneath the cover to help prevent any further mould or mildew growth during winter.

 

8. Winterizing a Boat Increases Resale Value

Repeated damage and consecutive repairs following winters can seriously harm your boat’s resale value if you plan on selling in the coming months or years.

The way to sustain your boat’s resale value is to prevent damage wherever and whenever you can.

Winterizing a boat is considered to be important preventative maintenance. Every dollar spent on preventative maintenance can save $6 in maintenance and repairs.

 

9. Keeps Your Boat Above Water

Improperly winterizing a boat can cause the boat to sink. The expansion of water left inside pipes, hoses, tanks and the engine can cause splitting or cracks to form underneath or on the exterior.

This can cause water to leak into your boat, causing it to slowly sink over time.

You may not be checking your boat as frequently during the winter and could come upon the problem once it is too late.

 

10. You Cannot Trust Electric Heaters

Electric and space heaters will not protect your boat against the effects of a harsh winter. Be sure to read this statement again. Portable heaters will not save your boat.

In fact, the best-case scenario is that running space heaters can create moisture in the air and create mould and mildew inside your boat. Worst case scenario is that space heaters can cause your boat to catch on fire.

Save yourself the trouble and do not rely on space or electric heaters. Go through the proper steps of winterizing your boat.

 

11. Gets You Out on the Water Faster Come Springtime

You do not want to emerge after winter to find that your boat sustained major damage from the winter weather. It will most likely take weeks to make repairs, meaning you can lose out on valuable time on the water with your friends and family.

By taking care of your boat during the winter, you can get out onto the water faster once the weather gets warmer.

 

12. Gives You Peace of Mind

A great incentive to winterize your boat is that it gives you peace of mind that your investment is protected against the elements.

Winterize your boat once the weather begins to cool and you are done using it for the season. It will save you from rushing about the days ahead of the first hard freeze to get your boat ready.

 

13. Prevents Blisters and Storm Damage

One way to winterize a boat is to keep it off the water for the duration of the season. While this can be an expensive option, it can help preserve your boat during the winter.

Storing your boat onshore in an indoor, protected facility can prevent the exterior of your boat from suffering blisters from prolonged exposure to the colder waters.

It can also prevent the randomized storm damage that can come from high winds and heavy rains that accompany nor’easters and winter storms.

 

14. Prevents Split Hoses and Pipe Bursts

Freshwater expands when it freezes, creating a hazard to any boat that goes out on a freshwater lake. This has the potential to cause major damage if any freshwater is trapped inside your boat’s hoses, pipes, and tanks during the winter.

It is important to drain your boat’s hoses, pipes, and filters as part of your winterization process to clear them all of the freshwater.

Running pink antifreeze through your pipes and hoses can help protect them in case there are any remnants of water after draining them.

 

15. You Do Not Have to Do It Yourself

This may be the best thing about winterizing your boat come wintertime. You do not have to do the full winterization all by yourself.

Many marina or boat shops offer winterizing services to make sure your boat is prepped and ready. Look up ones closest to you to see if they can take care of this tedious winter chore for you.

 

Contact Us Today to Winterize Your Boat

Winterizing a boat is an important task for any boat owner, especially if you live in the Canada and Winnipeg area. It is the first step to preserving the quality of your boat for many years to come.

Our knowledgeable and experienced staff at Westshore Marine & Leisure can help winterize your boat for you. We can guide you on best practices for winterization and tips for success as well.

Contact us today to get a quote and some peace of mind that your boat is in good hands this winter.