Are you thinking about winterizing your boat? If so, then you have come to the right place! Winterizing a boat is pivotal, no matter where you live. Contrary to popular belief, even those in warmer climates need to winterize their boats or else irreparable damage can occur. If you are wondering how to winterize your boat or how much it costs to do it yourself/ hire someone, then this is the article for you!
Winterizing a boat includes ridding the boat of any water and replacing it with antifreeze. In addition, repair any damages before the winter weather begins. Prepare the boat for cold weather and frigid temperatures. To winterize a boat yourself, it costs $50. Hiring a professional costs $200.
Winterizing your boat is much easier and cheaper than many think. If you have $50 and a little time on your hands, then you can definitely do it yourself! By reading below, you will discover everything you could ever want to know about winterizing your boat.
Do I Need to Winterize?
Winterizing a boat means getting rid of any water on the boat and replacing it with antifreeze. To winterize a boat means to prepare it for cold, frigid weather.
Contrary to popular belief, many freeze claims actually come from warmer states. This surprises many as they assume that the claims would come from more frigid areas. However, those in warmer states underestimate just how cold the water gets in the winter so they never even consider winterizing their boats.
Individuals in warmer states are sometimes unaware of the damages that can occur if they do not winterize their boat, and many boat owners do not even know what winterizing is.
This kind of naivety can be lethal to a boat. Boats need to be protected during the winter months. While some winters are warmer than others and you do not need to winterize, it is impossible to know when this will occur. You should always be prepared for the coldest winter, even if it does not happen. This will allow your boat to be ready for any weather, and it will be able to survive even the harshest of winters.
Winterizing your boat is necessary. If you do not winterize your boat, it will result in severe damage, and it may be beyond repair.
Doing it Yourself
How to do it yourself
The first step to winterize your boat is to of course check the owner’s manual. Because all boats are different, you will want to ensure you are doing everything properly and that you are not causing harm to your boat. By following the owner’s manual you will know that you are winterizing your boat correctly.
The second step is to check your engine. You will want to make sure there are no damages. If there are, you will want to get them fixed immediately. Check for loose wires, cracks, etc. After that, remove all the water from the engine. Next, apply a corrosion product to the engine.
Next, add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel system and then run the engine for ten minutes. This will allow the stabilizer to diffuse throughout the system. After you’re done with that, replace the engine’s fuel filter.
Fourth, empty the freshwater plumbing systems. You will want to check any sinks or anything else that uses freshwater to ensure it is drained. Next, add antifreeze to the plumbing systems. Then remove all plugs to the drains.
Fifth, place a cover on your boat. Make sure it is a quality boat cover that can help protect against harsh weather. The final step is to place the boat into storage.
Cost
Many people do not winterize their boats because they fear how expensive it is. They do not want to purchase all the products and then do the work to winterize them. However, is it actually as expensive as everyone thinks it is?
Below is a table of the cost to winterize a boat. The products below are commonly used because they are inexpensive yet effective.
| Product | Where to purchase | Link | Cost |
| Camco winterizer engine flushing system | Walmart | Flushing system | $24.68 |
| Sta-Bil 360 Marine Fuel Stabilizer | Auto Zone | Fuel stabilizer | $12.99 |
| RV and marine antifreeze | Auto Zone | Antifreeze | $4.99 |
As you can see, winterizing a boat is fairly inexpensive. If you purchase all of the products above, it costs $42.66.
In most cases, it costs under $50 to winterize a boat, which means that winterizing a boat is very affordable. Keep in mind that there are certain products that you may have to purchase, although you likely already have them or they only have to be purchased occasionally. For example, a boat cover or filters. Although you still have to do the work to winterize the boat, it is fairly inexpensive.
Hiring Someone
Hiring someone else to winterize your boat is a great option. Winterizing your boat by a professional will mean that it for sure gets done correctly and that you will not have to take on the responsibilities that come with winterizing a boat. If you do not know how then just hire someone to do it for you!
What to Expect
When you hire someone to winterize your boat, you can expect it to be done with quality. They will know how to do everything properly and you will not have to worry about them causing damage to your boat. All you have to do is call and hire them, and then they will take care of the rest.
Because they are a professional, they will prepare your boat so that way it is ready to withstand any type of weather.
Cost
The cost of hiring someone to winterize a boat is on average is $200. You can find some services for as cheap as $150 but you can also find some costing as much as $300. This is far more expensive than it costs to do it yourself. However, you have the convenience of not having to do any of the work yourself. You can leave the job up to the professional and sit back and relax!
