Winterizing and boat stroage

This is my first year owning an outboard that needs winterizing. Couple questions

1. I live in the NE metro and would prefer to store it versus having it sit on the side of my house for winter, but I am not willing to pay $350 bucks to have it sit outside somewhere else, anybody know of any cheap winter storage options?

2. As far as winterizing is it a hard process? i would be willing to pay to have somebody do it but if it is relatively easy i could do it myself?

Thanks guys

Step 1: Use boat the entire Winter and save $ and minimize the hassle

I live in Blaine and do my own motor and have been for 20 years. Its not hard to change the oil and lower gear lube. Cost are about $60 in parts for my 115 hp. I also grease the zerks, and try to get most of the water out of the system with draining the fresh water flush I have on the side of the motor. Then I wash the boat and vacuum it out. Load it up with moth balls or fabric sheets and but it away.

What year and size motor do you have Justin?

buckybadger wrote:

Step 1: Use boat the entire Winter and save $ and minimize the hassle

I would love to but when it is 25 below out side for 2 weeks I can’t get out and my garage is too small to store it. I usually like getting fishing again at the end February.

Will I have to worry about the boat sitting out on some nights in the spring when the temps drop below freezing?

bigcrappie wrote:

What year and size motor do you have Justin?

2012 115 hp 4 stoke merc

I have an 18′ boat with a main outboard and a kicker. Both get winterized. The boat is shrink wrapped each winter and stored outside at their fenced in facility. I usually spend around $500 total to winterize both motors include oil change, shrink wrap and storage. PM me if you would like to know who I use. you have to drive a ways out of town to get those kind of rates keep in mind. those services in the city would cost me $800-$1000

It always makes me sad to see these topics come up. The fun season is coming to a close.

It can be worth learning to winterize yourself and find storage. Note, winterizing takes time.

I signed up for Isanti Co Fairgrounds without asking about their timing. Turns out all boats must be stored by the end of October. I’m in the south metro and used to use the boat into November then winterize to be stored early December.

Winterizing takes me two days. One day to clean it out, then a few hours on the second day to winterize. The cleaning is the hard part, vacuuming, cleaning the hull, scrubbing the carpet, removing all the fishing stuff.
I usually spread this over two weekends in November.

Now I’ll have to have it all done before the end of October. Most likely that means my last weekend out will be 10/6 – 10/7. Less than a month away. I’m not happy about that.

Isanti is cheaper but I’ll probably look somewhere else next year.
Any other suggestions on a location?

Edit, the 2012 Merc should be easy. Assuming it’s a 4-stroke.

Change the oil. They should have an easy outlet to drain from.
Change the filter. Piece of cake. Unscrew. Oil the gasket on the new one and firmly hand tighten it. I have never used a wrench to tighten an oil filter in my 30 years of changing oil.
Check the lower unit oil for water. Top it off. If foamy, plan to get it in for service before it freezes, or at least drain it before it freezes.
Change the fuel filter.
Add fuel stabilizer and run it in. This can be a touchy subject. I use it. Others don’t. It’s your call.
Fog the cylinders.
Disconnect the batteries, remove if you want or if required.
Put it away.

Winterizing is super easy. Replace lower unit oil. If 4 stroke, give it an oil change. I used to fog motor but don’t anymore. Add some grease to the recommended spots. I also do my trailer hubs at this time. Charge up all barriers and clean up the boat.

Storing a bout out side is 100% okay to do. I’d tarp it, mothball it, and clean the snow off it.

Winterizing is simple, but I take it a step further.
change oil
change lower unit lube
fog cylinder
replace spark plugs
grease zirks
grease trailer hubs
dump a full can of seafoam in the gas tank. I do this right before my last trip out fishing to get the seafoam run thru the whole motor.

I run a gallon of RV antifreeze thru the livewells while the boat is tipped up to get any water in the lines pushed thru.

I then acid wash the boat, wash with soap and water, then a coat of wax(for a glass boat). Back it into the barn and good to go next spring.

The old Skeeter Boat Center wraps and stores boats. Give them a call.

Justin riegel wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>buckybadger wrote:</div>
Step 1: Use boat the entire Winter and save $ and minimize the hassle

I would love to but when it is 25 below out side for 2 weeks I can’t get out and my garage is too small to store it. I usually like getting fishing again at the end February.

Will I have to worry about the boat sitting out on some nights in the spring when the temps drop below freezing?

No, so long as you get the water out of the motor. I don’t run the live wells in the winter either.

I cover my boat and use all winter long. I just do grease, oil, etc once a year and that’s usually in the spring. I wouldn’t worry about winterization even if you shut it down for a couple months.

Get a good cover and knock the heavy snow off and don’t worry about it.

The MINIMUM any boat owner should do is drain the lower unit and check for water. Cheap insurance against a cracked expensive lower unit come spring.

nhamm wrote:

The MINIMUM any boat owner should do is drain the lower unit and check for water. Cheap insurance against a cracked expensive lower unit come spring.

NO DOUBT! and how long does that actually take, 90 seconds? Heck, I’ll spend more time looking for the screwdriver.

Matt Moen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Justin riegel wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>buckybadger wrote:</div>
Step 1: Use boat the entire Winter and save $ and minimize the hassle

I would love to but when it is 25 below out side for 2 weeks I can’t get out and my garage is too small to store it. I usually like getting fishing again at the end February.

Will I have to worry about the boat sitting out on some nights in the spring when the temps drop below freezing?

No, so long as you get the water out of the motor. I don’t run the live wells in the winter either.

I cover my boat and use all winter long. I just do grease, oil, etc once a year and that’s usually in the spring. I wouldn’t worry about winterization even if you shut it down for a couple months.

Get a good cover and knock the heavy snow off and don’t worry about it.

Thanks I might do this and at least drain lower unit this fall. I would hate to think when we get some 70 degree temps in the March and I cant go because the storage place wont let me get my boat out.

Routine maintenance will go a long way into making your boat and especially your outboard motor run how its supposed to down the road. I pay for mine to get professionally winterized and stored every winter (indoors). It costs me about $600 for that (6 months of storage). I have no intention of using from November through March so its not an issue. There’s no way I’d just throw a tarp on my boat and park it outside next to my house all winter.