One of the best things about summer is that it’s ideal for so many water activities.
The warm, sunny weather along with the calm blue waters on the beach or at the lake are practically an invitation to take a boat out sailing, fishing, or for a relaxing cruise.
Any sort of moisture that manages to sneak in can freeze up in the nooks and crannies of your boat, eventually causing rust and corrosion.Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to ensure that your boat can withstand a prolonged period of winter storage.Here are tips on how you can keep your boat dry:Always, always clean your boat.
Before you put your boat away for the season, give it a thorough cleaning: wash the deck, bottom, and topsides with soap and water, wipe the hardware and trim clean, and apply a layer of wax on the boat’s topsides once they’ve been washed and dried.If your boat is made of fiberglass and if it has spent extended amounts of time in the waters, check the surfaces for any blisters and patch them up immediately if you find them.
It also keeps the fuel from freezing up or separating during the cold winter months.To add a stabilizer to your fuel system, refer to the boat manual for instructions on how to introduce it into the engine and use the appropriate stabilizer as per the manual’s recommendations.
These tend to attract corrosion, so flush them out with fresh water and then drain out all the water from the engine once there are no traces of dirt or salt left.You may also want to do the same for your raw water cooling systems to remove or flush out the same kind of build-up.