Winterising the boat (english)

[shanook]

hi ppl any suggestions as to how to winterise a boat.

[bigboy]

No idea shanook as we never winterised any of our boats.

Im trying to think using my common sense, are your engines saltwater or freshwater cooled? maybe if they are saltwater cooled you can flush them with freshwater not to let salt accumulate in the cooling system.

Then also the normal service ey changing oil and filters and i think you are ready.

Guys please correct me if im wrong

[skip]

The boat in general, hull, superstructure and electrics etc or are you including the engines etc?

[shanook]

the whole works nick including trailer

[LapsiBoy]

trailer i would suggest a good wash with soap and water then grease all the rollers etc and as for the boat if it is double bottom open the caps so that they will keep dry ..for the engine i wouldsuggest what bigboy said flushing them with fresh water and general service..wash the boat well...thats what i do to my boat basiccaly.

[Perla 165]

Shanook, for the trailer spray it with " wax oil ". Always after you use the boat, clean it with fresh water : engines,hull. As Lapsiboy

[Tatanka]

Just a couple of small points that might help anyone. If you have an outboard motor especially rinse out with fresh water by means of headphones & disconnect the fuel line while it is working to get rid of any petrol that might still be in the carburator to avoid getting the carburator dirty. Also try & get rid of any unused petrol as it could be a problem the next time you want to start the boat. alot of people have this problem every begining of the season as they leave the petrol in the tank & it does not burn properly after being in the tank a while. !!!!! important make sure you switch the ignition key of when engine stops running after the fuel line is disconnected as you can damage the ignition control box!!!!

Rinse the motor well with fresh water not with high pressure washer as you could do more damage by pushing saltwater in places were you do not notice , Grease all the grease points well & would suggest to remove the propellor & grease the shaft. I normally leave the propellor off anyway while it is winterised.

With regards to fibreglass hulls I am not sure if there is anything you could / need to do apart from giving the a clean with freshwater. ( If anyone knows anything else that they need done to them please advise ? )

With regards to the trailer do the same as Lapsi boy & Perla 165 said but would also jack the trailer remove the wheels clean the hub & grease , I also like to clean & grease the studs as they can really become stiff after a season.

The other note is with regards to any seafasteners you have I just let the boat a little loose from the winch not alot just let the boat slack and any other straps in the middle etc just losen them up too.



 

[shanook]

mmm very good advice anything else we should know...............

[LapsiBoy]

You could also put some support (wood blocks) under the trailer to share the weight with the tyres.

[Perla 165]

shanook what is the type of material of the hull, its made up by wood or by fibre?

[ramio]

I would like to add on electrical system wintering. Electrical panels that are exposed to salt water spray are most valnerable, but the humidity around all boats kept out on the water is also a killer.
Most people suffer problems with switches when starting the season.
If you can open the panels and check the connections for any corroded ends that need changing. I usually use some multipurpose oil spray to clean with. It leaves a thin layer of oil that protects.
Best thing is to give a coating of electrical wax film. I use "All Defend" by MaFra. Have been using it for ages. My Electrics are 12 years old and barely had any trouble. best done on new wiring, but still can be applied to old once they are cleaned. Also inspect plugs and sockets, espetially to VHF radios, GPS and other plug in apparatus.
Somthing else I do every year is take apart my push-and-pull stearing mechanism. I once experienced the helm geting stiffer, and when investigating found the s/s rod at the end of the cable, works inside an aluminum housing. This had corroded on the inside and expanded causing the rod to start jamming. I now take it apart each winter, clean and apply a new coating of marine grease. I found the white marine taflon grease best.
Gear pumps and bilge pumps can be flushed with fresh water. I suggest that they are periodically switched on for a couple of seconds while boat is wintered. Where you have rubber impellers, a good spraying of silicon spray will help lubricate the impeller for a quick dry run.
It helps as well to remove all floorings to have the air circulate in the bilges, so drying any humidity better. So cleaning the bilges, flushing with fresh water, and drying out...........and mind your step if you go inside the boat!!

[shanook]

sorry Perla its fibre

[Tatanka]

Would anyone know of some kind of polish that you can apply on a fibreglass hull to avoid applying antifouling? I only leave the boat in the water 2 weeks every month in the season as I garage it when I go abroad. 

[skip]

What you could do is just apply one thin coat for basic protection. If you don't want to apply any, a good marine polish will give the hull some protection but I doubt it will last 2 weeks. You'd have to clean it to prevent growth.

What would concern me more is possible osmosis effects. I would personally apply 2-3 coats of anti-osmosis treatment, something like Gelshield or West Systems.

[The_Gaffer]

Tatanka - Skip is right.  You still need to protect the hull below the water line.  Gelcoat is porous...and 2 weeks in the sea would allow enough time for the hull to soak up some water.  As skip recommended, a good water barrier, such as West system or Gelshield by International would help prevent water being soaked up by the hull.  You could then apply a good waxing, which will fill in the minute pores and finish off with a protective hull polish.  That should do the trick I suppose.