Winterizing Your Boats

[Hoosier_Steelheader]

How many of you use Stabil on your boats over the winter?
I used it a couple of times, without incident, but the last time I used it I had to drain 20 gallons of fuel and have my carbs cleaned at the marina....
I'm Still using my boat in the rivers, but when I put it up for the winter, I think I'll just drain the fuel tank...

[ccavacini]

I've always used it when winterizing my boats. Use it on a 2 stroke oil injected and a 25 horse 4 stroke. Never had any problems. I even put it in my lawn mower tanks.

[pigeonflier]

Was just getting ready to ask that question. What is the best thing to do for winter and outboards?

[Hoosier_Steelheader]

On the outboard itself, I fill the lower unit with gear oil, starting by opening the lower port inserting the oil filler tube, then open the upper port and fill until the oil starts to come out the top port (screw hole) re-insert the top screw, then the bottom one.

I then Make sure the outboard is in the lowered position to allow any water to drain out through the hub.

As for the gas tank, If I can't burn it up on my last fishing trip, I use dump it into my lawnboy gas can and store the empty can for the winter.

I don't know about the stabil, I might have had a bad can, or even bad gas in my other boat I just know that experience made me leary of using it.. I had heard of similar incidents, but was wondering what others had to say about it.

On my Lake Michigan Boat it's a little different story, can't quite hold 100 gallons in my lawnboy gas can...:chillin:

[QuailDancer]

All I do is stick the oars in the garage closet and flip the boat upside down behind the gargage. There's beauty in simplicity, don't ya think?

[Hoosier_Steelheader]

Man, don't let my wife hear that :yikes: ... It's taken me 24 years to convince her otherwise...:evilsmile

[QuailDancer]

whoops , my bad.

That's like the ultimate sportsman's sin. Like my wife actually asking, "just how many shotguns do you really need, anyway?"

Correct answere, at least one more than I currently have.

[goggleye57]

That lower unit service is very important. If you have had any water enter your lower unit, the water will freeze, expand and crack the metal housing of the lower unit. If you live near Hamilton Lake you can take your boat to the four county vocational shop and they will winterize it for free :)

[QuailDancer]

Actually that happened to me in late archery season last year. Sitting on the deer stand during a sleet storm, got a little water frozen in my lower unit, took hours to start feeling better again.

[Hoosier_Steelheader]

Not even going there! :coco:

[Slowretrieve]

Don't forget the batteries. I always check them for water and put them on the charger a couple of times throughout the winter. Also, if you are storing your boat outside and under a tarp, it is a real attractant to field mice, stray cats and the like. They get in where it is warm and start nesting. They'll eat your carpet and your wiring and your landing net if you keep it on the boat. So, you want to take a few dryer rags--those little squares of cloth your wife uses in the dryer and they get caught in your pants and you take off to work with a little white rag hanging out of the back of your pants--around under the tarp and the animals will never bother you. Some guys use mothballs but they are hard enough to find, let alone toss them around a boat. lol

[Slowretrieve]

If you keep the boat outside under a tarp be sure to reinforce the tarp so it is peaked. If you don't, a freezing rain will come along and that water settles into the boat but on the outside of the tarp. Essentially, you will then have a large tub of frozen water too heavy to lift out. The first nice day when you have the itch, you won't be able to do anything about it because that heavy clump of ice will take several big guys to lift out, so you'll have to wait for it to melt. Could take weeks. Been there. Done that.

[Hoosier_Steelheader]

The first nice day when you have the itch, you won't be able to do anything about it because that heavy clump of ice will take several big guys to lift out, so you'll have to wait for it to melt. Could take weeks. Been there. Done thatMe too! The tarp on my very first boat somehow developed a"fold" that held water, then a tear that allowed water to run into the bottom of the boat. Went out to check on it the last of February and was I ever scared thought I'd have popped rivets and the works, luckily enough all rivets were intact it was just a big chunk of ice.....:bowdown:

Good advice Slowretrieve!