November 07, 2019
Winter is here!
Understanding Winterization & Storage
As days grow shorter and another boating season winds down, it’s time to get ready for the cold months ahead. But there’s far more to preparing your boat for winter than simply storing it on land until summer returns.
Unlike your car, freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on a boat’s engine, outdrives and water systems, cracking blocks and housings, ultimately resulting in expensive repairs and lost time afloat. An idle engine can quickly fall victim to destructive rust and corrosion.
When it comes to maintaining all systems aboard through the winter, proper preparation is critical. Many marinas offer various “winter packages”, but not all packages are the same and many boaters may not understand what a full winterization process entails, or why it is vital to your boat.
The Winterization Process
Annual Check-up
It is easier to understand winterization if you look at it like your boat’s annual check-up.
Like a physical you may receive from your doctor, we check the boat’s vitals.
- idle speeds
- oil pressure
- operating temperatures
- voltage
- trim tabs
- and more
Oil Change
A pre-winter oil change will leave your engine cleansed, protected and ready for spring.
The oil and filters on every engine reduce friction and prevent corrosion while washing away the nasty by-products of combustion, such as carbon, silica and acids. We also change the gear oil for your outdrive and look for leaks.
Fog & Antifreeze
We fog all 2-stroke engines, which coats intakes and cylinders to protect them from rusting.
Freezing temperatures can crack a block and destroy an engine. We apply antifreeze to all inboard engines to protect from internal corrosion, as well as ensure there is no water in the engine to freeze.
Fuel Stabilizer
To prevent issues, we add fuel stabilizer to all tanks.
Fuel that sits over the winter will begin to degrade as hydrocarbons react with the oxygen in the air. Oxidized fuel can clog fuel filters, gum up injectors, and generally hurt performance.
Each of the above steps ensures that when your boat is all tucked in for the winter, it has been cleaned, prepped and treated with protective coatings inside and out.
More Than Storage
Spring Start
When spring rolls back around, we perform our spring start on all boats that have been winterized and stored. All the winterized systems are re-commissioned and the boat is launched and run through all its paces to ensure all is running well.
This is when everything can be compared to that fall “check-up” list.
As you consider where to store your boat for the winter, keep in mind that there is more involved than simply the storage per-foot fee.
- What does, and doesn’t the winterization package include?
- Is it truly a total care package or will you be faced with added costs for winterization and spring starts?
- Are all parts and services included?
With upfront pricing and certified technicians who have the experience and know-how to properly winterize, store and spring start your boat, Geist Marina will have your boat ready for next spring without any unwanted surprises.
November 07, 2019
Winter is here!
Understanding Winterization & Storage
As days grow shorter and another boating season winds down, it’s time to get ready for the cold months ahead. But there’s far more to preparing your boat for winter than simply storing it on land until summer returns.
Unlike your car, freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on a boat’s engine, outdrives and water systems, cracking blocks and housings, ultimately resulting in expensive repairs and lost time afloat. An idle engine can quickly fall victim to destructive rust and corrosion.
When it comes to maintaining all systems aboard through the winter, proper preparation is critical. Many marinas offer various “winter packages”, but not all packages are the same and many boaters may not understand what a full winterization process entails, or why it is vital to your boat.
The Winterization Process
Annual Check-up
It is easier to understand winterization if you look at it like your boat’s annual check-up.
Like a physical you may receive from your doctor, we check the boat’s vitals.
- idle speeds
- oil pressure
- operating temperatures
- voltage
- trim tabs
- and more
Oil Change
A pre-winter oil change will leave your engine cleansed, protected and ready for spring.
The oil and filters on every engine reduce friction and prevent corrosion while washing away the nasty by-products of combustion, such as carbon, silica and acids. We also change the gear oil for your outdrive and look for leaks.
Fog & Antifreeze
We fog all 2-stroke engines, which coats intakes and cylinders to protect them from rusting.
Freezing temperatures can crack a block and destroy an engine. We apply antifreeze to all inboard engines to protect from internal corrosion, as well as ensure there is no water in the engine to freeze.
Fuel Stabilizer
To prevent issues, we add fuel stabilizer to all tanks.
Fuel that sits over the winter will begin to degrade as hydrocarbons react with the oxygen in the air. Oxidized fuel can clog fuel filters, gum up injectors, and generally hurt performance.
Each of the above steps ensures that when your boat is all tucked in for the winter, it has been cleaned, prepped and treated with protective coatings inside and out.
More Than Storage
Spring Start
When spring rolls back around, we perform our spring start on all boats that have been winterized and stored. All the winterized systems are re-commissioned and the boat is launched and run through all its paces to ensure all is running well.
This is when everything can be compared to that fall “check-up” list.
As you consider where to store your boat for the winter, keep in mind that there is more involved than simply the storage per-foot fee.
- What does, and doesn’t the winterization package include?
- Is it truly a total care package or will you be faced with added costs for winterization and spring starts?
- Are all parts and services included?
With upfront pricing and certified technicians who have the experience and know-how to properly winterize, store and spring start your boat, Geist Marina will have your boat ready for next spring without any unwanted surprises.
