Winterizing

Winters Can Be Tough On Your Boat And Motor… Or Any Type Of Personal

Watercraft. Major Damage Can Affect The Lifespan Of Any Boat And Especially The Motor. The Good News Is That With Proper Storage And Winterization Costly Repairs Can Be Avoided

Winters can be tough on your Boat and Motor or any type of personal watercraft. Major damage can affect the lifespan of any boat and especially the motor.

The good news is that with proper storage and winterization costly repairs can be avoided…and you can rest assured it will be ready to go for the coming season. There are two areas that most boat owners don’t pay proper attention that can cause damage leading to an expensive repair/replacement bill, and they are:

(1) Winterizing The Motor Properly (2) Battery Storage

Winterizing Your Motor: The tiniest amount of moisture can lead to cracked cylinders or engine block, and rust can built up in the crank case, bearings, and cylinder walls. So, when the motor sits all winter the results can be a seized motor.

Here’s a checklist of what needs to be done when winterizing your motor. It’s what we do and you should to.

12 Point Motor Winterization Checklist

– Inboards – Drain all the water completely out of it.
– Outboards – Even though outboards are usually self-draining, you still have to check to make sure there is no water getting into the gearcase. – Two stroke engines – Run them dry and make sure carburetors are drained otherwise you can get a varnish build up on the inside which makes the engine excessively hard to start in the summertime.
Flood the motor with anti-freeze so the cylinders don’t crack.
Inspect all the hoses to make sure none are punctured or wearing out.
Draw out the oil completely.
Oil change on the engine block and gear cases.
Fog the motor with oil to make sure everything gets coated.
Inspect to make sure there are no water leaks or cracking.
Pressure test the gear case to make sure the seals are OK.
Battery check
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Battery Storage includes:

Battery removal from the boat
Storage in a temperature-controlled room
Battery charging
Installation back in boat so your boat is ready to go without a worry.

WARNING: Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your battery In The Boat

Some boaters just think that leaving the battery in the boat is OK. However, if you leave the battery in the boat and anything goes wrong the clean up and replacement costs can be expensive. For instance, let’s say it’s a weak battery, it could be prone to freezing and if it freezes, and cracks, the acid can go all over the boat and destroy the interior. That can be more of a mess and costly cleanup than you might imagine. Not to mention it can be a nightmare to get everything fixed up again. As well, the resulting damage may require new upholstery, plus you’ll need a neutralizing agent to wash out the hull so it doesn’t reek with that acid smell. If you don’t get to it fast it can rot the floor out.

If that happens, to replace the floor replacement, the motor might need to come out, plus pulling out all the vinyl.

And of course, there’s the cost of a new battery which can be from $195 – $250.

Battery Storage $29.95

In The End Analysis, Leaving The Battery In Your Boat Isn’t Worth The Risk!

While your boat is in storage you might want to consider a little clean up.

Winterization Fees (Includes Labour and Materials)

Inboard / Outboard Oil and Filter
4 Cylinder	$270.00
6 Cylinder	$295.00
8 Cylinder	$325.00
Imore and Indamar (Includes oil & Filter)	$385.00

4 Stroke Outboards
0 – 40 hp	$120.00
41 – 120 hp	$180.00
121 – 200 hp	$285.00
2 Stroke Outboards
0 – 30 hp	$80.00
30 – 140 hp	$100.00
Over 140 hp	$165.00

Winterizartion of PWC 2 Stroke	$145.00
4 Stroke	$235.00
Chemical Hull Wash (Per Foot)	$14.00
Interior Cleaning (Per hour)	$48.00
Hull Waxing (Per foot)	$9.00

Percy Little (Winterizing)	$150.00

Environment Charge for old oil & filter disposal	$74.00

Battery Storage and Charge
12 Volt small	$22.00
12 Volt	$29.00