Stupid Question About Winterizing

[gandude]

Hi,

Is the winterizing process only for areas the get freezing temps?

Where my boat is at, the lowest winter temps are in the high 30's and that is only about 5 days a year. Most of the time, low 40's.

Do I need to winterize? I plan on fishing year round, though not as much in winter.

Thanks!

-Glen

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Stupid Question About Winterizing

What kind of boat/motor?

My winterizing consists of putting the leg down after backing it into it's parking spot, but that's one reason I like outboards. As I used mine all winter (our big lake doesn't freeze) I didn't fog it etc.

 

[gandude]

Re: Stupid Question About Winterizing

Oh yea,

sorry, It is a 2006 Bayliner 195 w/Mercury 3.0 I/O. Seawater cooled.

 

[bhammer]

Re: Stupid Question About Winterizing

You still need o do your regular maintenance though. What type of boat / engine. If it is an I/O, just keep a 75 watt light handy that you can place in the engine compartment if you have a freak cold front that will drop the temps below freezing. I have friends down in South Texas that never see a hard freeze but once in a while, it does. The first thing to get freeze damaged for them is the power steering cooler. I guess it holds little water and it pretty thin walled.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Stupid Question About Winterizing

Water freezes at 32 degrees and two days of that will pop a lower unit if there is water in it. Therefore the fall service (call it winterizing if you wish) should include a lower unit lube change. That will tell you not only if the lower unit has water in it, but that it does need to be repaired. Other than that, keep the engine tilted down so the prop hub doesn't collect rain water and freeze. If you use the boat as infrequently as one a month or even two months, there is no need to fog the engine.