Boat Storage

[LucG]

Even though most of us are in denial, its almost time to put away the boat. Being a first year boat owner, what kind of check list am I looking at before storing my boat for the winter. Remove any water inside outboard, fog the motor, anti-freeze in the live-wel and bilge systems etc ????

 

Is it worth my while just to pay someone to do it. Then the shrink wraped and storage would be included?

 

Any quick tips or a good website will be very helpfull.

 

Thanks guys!

[cityfisher]

Even though most of us are in denial, its almost time to put away the boat. Being a first year boat owner, what kind of check list am I looking at before storing my boat for the winter. Remove any water inside outboard, fog the motor, anti-freeze in the live-wel and bilge systems etc ????

 

Is it worth my while just to pay someone to do it. Then the shrink wraped and storage would be included?

 

Any quick tips or a good website will be very helpfull.

 

Thanks guys!

 

I always do it myself.. Easy !!

 

Empty the gas or add stabilizer.

 

Change lower gear oil

Tarp it but allow for airflow so you dont have a Mold issue in the spring.

[ryansusanna]

and miss the best 2 months of the season... you are crazy....

[LucG]

haha...she's not getting put away just yet. Just want to get organized. Allthough I won't be fishing come November due to Hunting and Trapping, but I still have another month in me

[OhioFisherman]

Mine was always stored inside my garage or barn. I had a wheel on the trailer stand, I took a few short pieces of 2x6 made a hole in one with a large hole saw and screwed them together. The hole held the wheel from rolling and gave me extra height to make sure all the water was drained, if any out of the boat.

 

Mine was a deep v and just cranking up the stand wouldn`t get it all.

[smally21]

get it as clean as you can but more importantly as dry as you can. take everything you can out and store inside (all gear, electronics, safety gear). its a good time to get organized anyway, give you a fresh start in the spring. prop open all compartments. crunch up a million dollar-store dryer sheets and put them everywhere! fill with gas, oil and appropriate stabilizer. fog engine, change gear oil. remove speedo cable and blow out water. bilge and livewell pumps ok just ensure the drains are clear. (run some freeze thru if it makes yo fell better) remove batteries - or place on trickle charger or maintenance charger or charge every few weeks thru the winter, only discharged batteries suffer from the cold. build cheap supports for top, cover with expensive boat cover, then cover with cheap blue tarp. park on solid ground, jack up and support trailer just enough to get tires some releif. in the spring uncover, reload, and hit the water.

 

PS replace drain plug!

 

seems to work for me - anything ive missed will get added. just for interest's sake it costs about 80 bucks to winterize your boat the first year - that stuff lasts for about 5 years, so each year its just stabilizer and oils. last year i put my boat away for about 9 bucks. local marina will winterize, cover and store from between 400-1500 bucks. lot of gas money for a half days work!!

[mercman]

don't mean to hijack the thread but i've been following closely.do 4s stroke otboards require fogging also.

thanks

Paul

 

 

[landry]

4 strokes no - they do not get need to be fogged - but you should change the oil and also lower unit oil and do stabilizer. I just start putting stabilizer in during my fall trips so it is in the motor and tank already.

[Fisherman]

crunch up a million dollar-store dryer sheets and put them everywhere!

 

Recent studies by RV and Boat owners have confirmed the only thing bounce drier sheets do other than support Johnson&Johnson is provide a nice smelling home for mice and other tree rats. I left a box in the garage at ground level, sure enuf, the mice had burrowed in there and made a nice nest.

[lew]

jack up and support trailer just enough to get tires some releif.

 

Good to hear I'm not the only one who jacks up the trailer for winter storage. I actually raise mine high enuff to get the tires completely off the floor then support it all around with a bunch of jack stands.

[smally21]

"Recent studies by RV and Boat owners" - well what could be more comprehensive and conclusive than that. what a fantastic debating tool. kind of like dressing up as a doctor for a hemmorhoid commercial. i dont care if it works or not, all i know is my boat smells like snuggles in the spring and yours smells like tarp, wet carpet and dead fish. im sure my 2 bucks at the dollar store is buying johnson and johnson a new yacht.

 

Quite frankly, recent studies have shown

[mercman]

"Recent studies by RV and Boat owners" - well what could be more comprehensive and conclusive than that. what a fantastic debating tool. kind of like dressing up as a doctor for a hemmorhoid commercial. i dont care if it works or not, all i know is my boat smells like snuggles in the spring and yours smells like tarp, wet carpet and dead fish. im sure my 2 bucks at the dollar store is buying johnson and johnson a new yacht.

 

Quite frankly, recent studies have shown

 

 

no ifs ands or butts....

[LucG]

don't mean to hijack the thread but i've been following closely.do 4s stroke otboards require fogging also.

thanks

Paul

 

Thanks for bringing that up....I have a Honda 30HP 4 storke