It’s that time of year again, when the aspens turn to gold, the sun starts setting earlier every week, and toe once again meets pigskin all over Colorado. It’s autumn, and as surely as the Rockies begin to don their white coats, winter is coming.
To paraphrase our Nobel laureate: come in, she said, I’ll give you shelter from the storm.
Almost every boat owner here on the Front Range knows that it’s almost time to take the boat out of the water and get ready for winter. And that means winterizing the boat and its engine for the cold winter months to come.
It just makes sense–a few minutes of preparation now to close down your boat and its systems will make it quick and easy to get up and running in the spring, and save you thousands in repair costs.
Our trained and factory authorized technicians at Colorado Boat Center know how to winterize your boat. They are not only factory trained, but we get regular factory updates, warranty notices and recall information from both the boat brands we represent and from the engine makers: Yamaha, Mercury and Volvo Penta. When you put your boat in our hands, you’re turning it over to experts.
But protecting your boat for the winter should be a no-brainer. Your boat has hoses and oil and gas and a bilge full of stuff that needs to be drained to protect against freezing. And a good final hose-down and cleaning before storing the boat away for the winter is just good maintenance best practice.
The main goal of winterization services is to remove all water from the boat’s systems to prevent freezing damage. Here are the main steps our Service Department will take to winterize your boat and have it ready for spring.
Clean the boat. A good cleaning of hull, props, rudder, shaft and other exterior parts will help prepare your boat for the winter. Our technicians will check the bottom to see if it needs scraping, cleaning or special attention.
Fuel stabilizer. We prefer to fill your outboard’s tank for the winter, to prevent condensation during the winter. We will also add a fuel stabilizer through the system.
Clean the bilge. We drain, dry and wash the bilge area with soap and water, then spray any exposed parts with WD-40.
Clear the water lines. All freshwater systems need to be drained before winter. This includes water lines, livewells, and head connections. Once drained, we’ll air-blow the lines to make sure no moisture remains.
Clear all drains. All drain plugs are opened and left that way during the winter, to allow any rain or melting snow to escape. And when we say “all,” we mean it: our technicians know the location of every last one!
Clear the gear. Before you bring your boat in for winterization service, please remove your personal gear: PFDs, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and other safety gear. All these items should be stored in a dry and covered space for the winter, such as your garage or basement.
You can trust Colorado Boat Center for your winterization job. We’ve been boating in these waters for decades and we know and understand what needs to be done to protect and preserve your valuable investment: your boat.
Stop by or call (970) 663-6473 and make an appointment for your winterization. And ask us about winter storage…we can help with that as well.
