Winterproof Your Boat – boatus.com
TNT Custom Marine is a beautiful full service marina, with custom rigging, sales, storage and repair. Started in Miami in 1984 by John and Mike. Photo Credit: WavetoWave.com
Whether you live in Alaska or Alabama, these nine winterizing steps will get you back on the water faster come spring.
Yes, you read that right — Alabama. That’s where BoatUS Marine Insurance’s second most expensive ice/freeze claim came from last year. In that claim, water left in the engines of a 21-foot jet boat froze and cracked the blocks. In fact, 40 percent of the ice/freezing claims in the past year came from nine states we don’t normally associate with freezing weather, including California, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee. Even if you keep your boat in an area with a moderate winter climate, you need to put it to bed properly. The nine steps that follow will ensure that your pride and joy has a good winter’s rest — and is shipshape and ready to hit the water as soon as spring arrives.
1. Create your personalized winterizing checklist.
Start with the BoatUS Winterizing Checklist. Review our in-depth information on winterizing and add to the checklist any additional notes that apply to your boat. Then go through your owner’s manuals to find the specific winterizing to-dos for all your equipment. Don’t just pull out your engine manual. You’ll need to add to-do items for everything from deck-washdown pumps to refrigeration, and your boat owner’s manual may include other items as well. By the time you’re finished, you’ll have a comprehensive checklist tailored specifically to your boat.
2. Put together your winter refit list.
Take your boat out for one last spin and try to remember all those little things that bothered you over the summer. Did a leak soak a cushion down below? Maybe you have some deck fittings or a hatch that needs rebedding. Was your depth sounder unreliable? The electrical connections may need cleaning and resealing. Your winter refit list gives your nearest and dearest a handy holiday shopping list, and gives you a great excuse to spend time messing about the boatyard. Instead of thinking, “Darn, I meant to fix that over the winter. …” as you step aboard in the spring, you can revel in the sense of satisfaction that comes when you scratch that last item off your to-do list. Just don’t expect that feeling to last — it is a boat, after all.
3. Tuck your boat in.
You may choose to leave your boat in the water, tied snugly into her berth at the dock, or on the hard, either blocked up in a hardstand area or on a trailer… or you may tuck your boat away at TNT Custom Marine!
TNT’s dry, outdoor and wet slip storage makes TNT one of the largest marine centers in Miami. We store all sizes of pleasure craft, high performance boats and cruisers.
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This article was originally posted on boatus.com.
