Hello boat lovers! Because the cold season is here already, it’s time to talk about proper ways of taking care of your beloved boat! Low temperatures and frosty weather can irreversibly damage your boat! So, storing it during autumn and winter implies a lot of know-how in order to help it face strong wind and frostiness. Read below the most important steps you need to follow, as to protect your boat against cold weather!                                           

– Fill up the tank with gas, then add 1 ounce of fuel stabilizer for each 5 gallons of gas.

– After the tank is full, take your boat for a 15-minute ride, in order to let the treated gas make its way to the engine.

– As soon as you get your boat out of the water, pull out its drain plug, so that all the water drains.

– Also, after you get it out of the water, carefully clean the boat’s body, deck and interior. Precious tip: it’s much easier to clean it while its surface is still damp! Afterwards, leave it outside for a couple of days, until it’s completely dry – this will keep the mold away!

– Next, the attaching hardware needs to be removed from the propeller shaft coupling. After that, decouple the flanges and cover the boat with a waterproof cover.

– Rinse the engine’s cooling system with fresh water, for about 5-10 minutes. Don’t go over 1500 RPM!

– While the engine is operating (working) at its minimum, slowly add lightweight engine oil into it. Turn off the engine after you added the oil (preferably SAE-10).

– Roll the fuel supply pipe on-off, in order to stop the valve. Fulfil all the planned maintenance procedures. Take special care of adapting and cleaning the engine and changing the fuel and oil filters.

– Look into your boat’s owner manual and find the location of the exhaust manifold. Then, after you’ve found it, remove its drain plugs.

– Remove the ignition safety switch and start the engine for a few seconds, to get rid of the water excess from the pumping filters.

– Remove the battery’s negative cable. Charge the battery or remove it. Don’t ever keep it near a heating source!

– Clean the engine of all the soot, dirt, oil and grease traces. Check areas (engine and transmission) where the paint was cleared away.

– To avoid rust, rub the engine with oil if the boat will be stored for more than 2 months in a humid environment or outside, while the weather is cold

– Protect the propeller shaft in its entire length with a metal protective solution against corrosion (use it on the inside and outside the boat).

– Cover the whole boat with a canvas.

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Image source: worldfishingnetwork.com