How to Store a Boat for Winter

Proper boat storage during the winter is crucial to keeping your vessel in tip-top shape. Depending on where you live, you might get away with locking the boat in the shed or garage. However, if you live in a place with severe winters, it’s crucial to winterize your boat to protect it from the elements. Failing to do so can cause some serious damage to your boat that often result in costly repairs.

From engine cracks and electrical systems faults to ruined upholstery or flooring, not taking the steps to winterize a boat can lead to a range of issues. To avoid the worst, it’s best to winterize your boat and learn how to store it properly during the cold months. These measures will make spring relaunching easier and faster while extending the life of your boat. That means more time on the water and less time worrying about things going wrong. Learn how to store your boat for the winter with these five top tips from CubeSmart.

1. Clean and Tidy Up Your Boat

To prepare your boat for winter storage, start by giving it a deep clean inside and out. If you’ve kept your boat clean through the season, this task will be less time-consuming – but don’t worry, now’s always a good time to start.

Cleaning the Boat Exterior

On the outside, you can spray a solution and wipe it with a microfiber towel. This will get rid of all the dirt and hard water spots, maintaining the gel coat longer. More than likely, your boat will have bugs on the tower, racks, and tower speakers, so make sure that those are cleaned thoroughly. Don’t forget to clean underneath! If your boat has scum lines and you find it hard to get them off, take it to a dealer for a complete scrub. Usually, boat owners opt for a wax coat to prevent scum build-up. You also want to keep the trailer looking good. Take off all the grime from the frame, crossbars, axles, tires, and wheels but beware of the brake pads if using any chemicals.

Cleaning the Boat Interior

Moving on to the interior of the boat, you have to fully dry everything. Remove all gear and wet things like suits and towels. Open up all compartments and air them out, detach any removable cushions and wipe the fiberglass portions under them. Stains can be rubbed off with a cleaning product that’s suitable for your boat’s interior material. Last but not least, vacuum and degrease the floor. To keep the interior dry in the storage, as an extra measure, you can place some dry bags or buckets that absorb moisture.

2. Winterize Your Boat

Winterizing your boat is necessary before temperatures drop below freezing, whether you put it away in winter storage or use it through the cold season. It’s recommended to begin the process during fall, or as soon as it gets chilly. You need to take care of all the systems in your boat to prevent freeze damage.

Steps to winterize a boat

1. Drain the engine from all water and other fluids, including stern drive and inboard engines – on the side of your engine, you’ll find a valve called a petcock that allows you to clear it out.
2. Fog the engine – fogging oil keeps the rust away and protects the engine’s components. Check the engine owner’s manual to find which oil to use.
3. Add a fuel stabilizer and run the engine – fuel treatment keeps the fuel fresh, works as a lubricant, and cleans the engine, injectors, and possible carbon deposits.
4. Add antifreeze – used for the inboard engine’s cooling system, or any other systems that hold water or have pipes.
5. Drain freshwater plumbing systems and additional water systems – any sinks, tanks, live wells, raw water washdowns, bilge pumps, etc. need to be drained.
6. Remove drain plugs – this helps empty out all the water.
7. Take care of the batteries – this step is important when you’re not going to use your boat for long periods. Simply disconnect the batteries, top them up to 70-80%, and put them away in a designated place.

Some boat owners take extra actions as part of winterizing, like checking the prop shaft for fishing line or lubricating grease points.

You don’t need to winterize your boat if you’re lucky enough to live in a warmer place with mild winters that don’t have temperatures below freezing.

3. Change the Oil and Fill Up the Tank

Generally, an oil change is part of the 100-hour maintenance cycle for gasoline engines and 50 hours for diesel engines. If your boat has been on the water for less than that time in a year, you should still change the oil to be safe. Leaving dirty oil idle can damage the engine’s internal surfaces. Mechanics often advise changing both the engine oil and filter at least once a year, if possible before winter. Filling the engine with fresh, clean oil prevents breakdowns, and corrosion, and reduces the build-up of moisture during storage by reducing the room in the tank for condensation to form.

You can change the oil and oil filter yourself, however, it’s a messy job that requires a lot of space. Ensure you have the right tools to access the oil drain plug or to get it out through the dipstick tube if the plug is inaccessible. To change the oil and oil filter, you will need:

• Manufacturer-recommended oil
• Oil filter
• Oil filter wrench
• Absorbent pad
• Funnel
• Container

Before storing your boat, fill up the tank! You should store your boat with the tank almost full, with just a little volume left, in case of expansion when the temperature goes up. When the tank is full, the air in it is dispersed and condensation won’t form inside the tank.

4. Cover the Boat

A boat cover is an essential investment that protects your vessel when not in use. Whether your boat is in winter storage, or outside, you need to cover it. Covering your boat shields it from many weather hazards, such as:

• Ice and snow
• Animals and insects
• UV rays
• Rain
• Wind
• Moisture build-up
• Debris

These issues can depreciate the value of your vehicle, ruin its condition, and even affect its function. High temperatures lead to sun damage, which could fade your boat’s colors. Humidity can bring rust and mold. Heavy rainfall may accumulate water inside the boat, cause water damage or even sink it if left docked. Animals, insects, or other pests can eat from wires and cushions, or nest in the nooks and crannies.

There are a lot of ways to cover your boat – you may have heard of the common practice of shrink-wrapping your boat. That’s not a great choice as it can cause mold and mildew to grow. It’ll trap the moisture too, which could harm the gel coat and discolor your boat, especially if you have a metallic coating.

Thankfully, there is a range of boat covers available on the market to suit your needs and budget. For winter storage, the best cover you can get is a bow-to-stern cover, known as a mooring cover. Try to find a custom-fit cover that is made for your boat model and year rather than a universal one. A tight-fit cover offers better protection, and it can be trailed. The material a boat cover is made of also matters. Acrylic and polyester are excellent materials for boat covers, both breathable, and resistant to UV, and water. Select a light-colored cover for your boat, as it reflects the sun, so it lasts longer.

5. Pick the Right Kind of Storage

No matter where you live, storing your boat unsupervised is never a good idea, particularly during winter and for long periods. Besides cold weather conditions causing damage.

We know how challenging is to find the right storage place for your boat. Many homes don’t have the space needed for a boat, its trailer, and other equipment. At CubeSmart, we provide long-term and temporary storage options to meet your needs. Our storage facilities accommodate most types of boats, from skiffs to motorboats.

Your boat is important to you, so is important to us. When storing your boat with CubeSmart, you’ll benefit from facilities with electronic gates access, 24-hour video recording, and the convenience of picking up your watercraft when you want. Now that you know how to prepare your boat for winter and how to store it correctly to maintain its lifespan, why not check out our boat storage options.