Using Your Boat in Freezing Temps

Question for all you late fall and early winter boat ers…

When you take your boat out and the next day or so it freezes below zero, do you need to worry about your lower unit? Or anything else? I would avoid using my livewell and baitwell as a precaution (don’t want to have to blow out my lines) but was wondering if there is anything else I need to know?? Anyone have some good winter boating tips?

Thanks,

JJ

I have never had any problems with the lower units during winter operation. I do change lower unit lube and run fresh through the cold water seaon. Make sure you let the water drain from your motor after your outing.

With my motor I just turn it over real quick when it is on the trailer to pump the last bit of water out of it. It runs just a few seconds.
If you have bunks you will also want to watch haveing the boat freezing to them or haveing them freeze and then the boat can slid off while backing down the ramp. I think Steve vick gets to see this just about every year at the resort.

Yup…just tilt it down and make sure all the water is out. Make sure you do this with your kicker as well even if you don’t use it….the prop on my T8 gets wet in boat wake and during take offs so when I tip it down a little water always drains out.
Something else I normally do is dump some wiper fluid down through my livewell and bait well after being in the water…even if I don’t use them water backs up into the lines and this will keep them from freezing.
John

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Something else I normally do is dump some wiper fluid down through my livewell and bait well after being in the water…even if I don’t use them water backs up into the lines and this will keep them from freezing.

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Now that seems like a good call! I was wondering what to do without using RV antifreeze. Have to give it a shot.

This doesn’t have anything to do with the boat, but slowly pull your trailer out of the water to help prevent ice buildup on the ramps. You will appreciate this a bunch when it comes time to pull the boat out at the end of the day.

To prevent water from getting into the livewell pump pickup line, I got a few garden hose end caps and put one of those on. Same threads as the pump threads.

Anybody ever consider using an air compressor to blow out water through the engine flush (garden hose connection) on the motor? Wouldn’t than ensure that the water in the motor gets drained? Here’s another off the wall thought, you can get these magenetic oil pan heaters to put on your car, if you put one of those on the lower unit would it ensure that you don’t freeze it up. Some of you guys who do a lot of winter fishing are probably thinking we’re over analyzing this thing.

To be honest I just don’t give it much thought at all.

Lower the motors to drain? Check.

Don’t use the livewells / baitwells in the winter? Check.

Don’t leave electronics out in the boat over night or for an extended period of time during periods of frigid weather? Check.

And that’s just about it. Plugging the intakes for the livewells / baitwells is a great idea. Just make sure you’ve got all the water out of the lines first. Other than that there’s very little other precautions to take. Boats and motors do remarkably well in cold weather.

Does anyone know if the boat dealers actually do anything to get water out of the live well hoses for their boats that have been sitting outside? I have never done anything to my hoses and I use the live well when it is below freezing. Maybe I am just lucky but I would think if the dealers leave their new and used boats outside all winter with no problem, then the boat should handle winter fishing.

In the winter I put duct tape around the live well cover to keep the lid carpet from freezing to the deck carpet. I also put some plastic around the electric tiller motor to keep its latching mechanism from freeing up with ice (I get a water spray on it from the big motor). Other than these two things, plus just lowering the motor to drain the water before leaving, I am good to go for the next winter trip.

Dave Gulczinski

MY big thing………unload boat PULL AHEAD JUST ENOUGH TO LET ALL WATER DRAIN SO YOU DO NOT TURN RAMP INTO A SKATING RINK….once your in, you do need to get out…and once it is iced it is alot of months before the thaw…
Now that said..
I always trim the motors down and let them drain. I use my live wells all year long…However my boat stays in my living room so when I get home it is a nice heated garage.
Before such comforts I did have a couple of T connectors freeze and crack.. just replaced them good as new.
When the temp dips into steady 30s I never fill up with out seafoam in my tank..And I can say My Suzuki has been the BEST cold weather starter I have ever seen turn the key your driving that simple. No warm up no stalls..Simply start fishing…….I change my lower unit lube once a year every spring. So far thats been working for me.
Good luck and don’t forget your long johns.

I’d suggest changing the lower unit gear grease in the mid Fall, before it gets cold. If you have any moisture or water in there, it is out and drained before it gets cold. if you wait til Spring to do the change, if you did have water in there from the previous year, you could freeze up the lower unit . and that is expensive . doing it in the Fall avoids any problems . Jack..