Winterising Your Boat

Winterising your boat is not the most exciting thing in the world but it is vitally important… you don’t want to be this guy:

To help to you make your preparations at this time of year we have put together a brief winterising checklist – always refer to your owners manual for the manufacturer’s instructions. In the meantime here’s a quick list to get you started:

• Remove the boat from the water, if possible

• Thoroughly wash and clean all areas of the boat and drain all water from it

• Add fuel stabiliser to the fuel tank and then fill it with new fuel

• Run the engine for long enough so that the treated fuel reaches the fuel lines and engine

• Top up the fuel tank – ensuring it is full avoids condensation building up over the winter

• Drain any coolant and replace with antifreeze to prevent ice in the lines

• Flush through any raw water systems with an antifreeze solution and drain the lines afterwards

• Spray the engine with fogging oil to prevent rust build up

• Remove the spark plugs and spray fogging oil into the carburetor and into each cylinder before replacing the spark plugs

• Replace the oil and the oil filters

• Replace the gear lube to ensure no water is left in the area as it can freeze and cause damage

• Examine the prop for any damage

• Cover the boat and store it, preferably indoors

• If your boat is on a trailer put it up on blocks to take the pressure off the tyres

Remember, if you require any specific advice the GulfStream Marine team are always here to take your questions, just email or call us and we’ll be happy to help you out.