Winterizing a boat is quite an easy job when you have the proper equipment and clear instructions and is an essential task for keeping your boat in good shape.

The first thing you are going to want to do is to remove all the water from your boat. This means that you need to remove the water from your engine and bilge pump. Once all your water is removed, you are going to want to remove most of your fuel (if not all) and pour in some fuel stabilizer. After this, let your engine run for about two or three minutes to ensure that the stabilizer is in your fuel lines and your carburetor as well. You may also want to give it a good cleaning and if possible store it in a heated facility to reduce the chance of cracking plastic or fiberglass and prevent the metal from rusting.

Learning how to winterize my boats was a step towards keeping my boats in good workable condition even when I wasn’t using them. It’s something every boater and fisherman should know how to do.

Photo: David James Ovens