The Importance of Winterizing Your Boat

Unfortunately, not everyone can enjoy their boat all year. Areas with colder seasonal conditions aren’t ideal for boating, so owners must store their boat and prepare it for the winter months. Our team at Clarks Landing strives to be a resource for all of your boating needs, so we’re here to tell you why it’s so important to winterize your vessel and provide a few steps you can take to prepare it for the season ahead. 

Why is Winterization Important?

The thing about cold weather is, of course, that it can cause water to freeze. Since boats are designed to be in the water, there is a good chance there are areas in the boat that will collect water throughout the boating season. The winterization process helps remove the excess water from your boat, preventing the freezing and expansion of any water left on board! It’s important to winterize your boat to prevent serious damage, plus it makes it easier to get back on the water in the spring!

Steps of Winterization

Now that you understand why it’s necessary to complete boat winterization, let’s talk about some of the steps and tasks you can complete to prepare your own boat for the colder months. 

1. Find Your Owner’s Manual 

The first thing you’ll want to do before anything else is locate your owner’s manual. Your manual will provide detailed information about products to use, functions to know, and concerns to have as you prep your vessel for the off-season. 

2. Engine Preparations

One of the most important things to winterize will be your boat’s engine. You want to protect it and preserve its current condition! The first thing you’ll do is make sure no water is present. Then, you’ll want to cover it, add any lubricants and corrosion protectants, and check the oil if necessary. 

The fuel you use in your boat can also affect the engine, so you may need to add a fuel stabilizer and allow it to run through the system before storage or dormancy. You can also change the filters at this point. 

3. Plumbing Preparations

If you have a boat with a plumbing system or any form of water storage, you need to ensure everything is adequately drained and completely clean. As we mentioned before, water can freeze and expand, so any holding tanks that still have water could crack in the wrong conditions. If you cannot completely drain your system, you can add antifreeze

Double-check that all drain plugs have been removed and there is no residual moisture in your live wells, pumps, and washdowns. 

Winterization is no small task. Lucky for you, our Maryland and New Jersey locations offer winterization and storage services to help keep your boat in tip-top shape. Visit our service pages for Stevensville, MD, and Point Pleasant, NJ for more information, or give us a call today!