Winter seasons can be detrimental to the lifeline of your boat. And if you live on the water during the warmer months of the year, then you need to ensure that you winterize your boat. But as is human nature, you can forget to winterize your boat.
To make sure you do not forget, we will explain what happens if you don’t winterize your boat.
Do You Need To Winterize A Jet Boat?
Yes. Failure to do so could cause several problems that will cost you a tidy sum of money to fix. The problems include;
- Parts of your engine may crack or break depending on the amount of water they get exposed to when the snow thaws and refreezes around the delicate parts of your boat engine.
- A mix of oil and dirt left in your mixed in with salt water may corrode parts of your engine, which can significantly reduce your engine’s life and cost you a ton of money to fix. Additionally, dirt may clog the engine.
- Fuel left in the engine can absorb water and turn into a murky gummy texture that can make it difficult for your engine to run without you cleaning it out and filling it with clean fuel.
- Water left in the boat’s hoses may freeze, which leads to expansion and cause them to crack. The same case may happen to your hot water pipes and exchangers. Additionally, waste in the holding tank will solidify causing it to crack leading to a horrendous leak come next spring.
- Lead-acid batteries that do not have full charge will lose charge over winter and freeze as research shows fully charged batteries have a much lower freezing point. Freezing can lead to cracking of the battery or damage of the lead plates needed for the battery to work.
- On the other hand, Lithium batteries lose their capacity to function optimally at temperatures below 32°F or 0°C. The cold water may also damage the batteries. Please note that you should not fully charge your lithium batteries, as this will damage them.
- Melted snow and ice can seep into your boat’s fixtures and fittings and damage them. Wooden fitting will warp, rot or grow mold and or mildew. This will require extra cash to fix. Water may also seep into seals and destroy them.
How To Winterize A Ski Boat
- Drain your pipe, holding tank, the water tank, and engine to prevent them from getting damaged.
- Add fuel stabilizer into your fuel to prevent the fuel from getting destabilized and corroding your engine. Run the engine for a few minutes afterward to circulate the fuel stabilizer.
- Add antifreeze into the boat plumbing system to prevent the pipes from cracking if any water left in them expands during winter.
- Cover your boat properly and, if possible look for a covered winter storage space, especially if the winters in your area are extreme.
- Remove the boat’s batteries and store them indoors to prevent them from getting affected by the cold winter snow and air.
As a guideline, refer to your manual to verify the manufacturer’s steps as to how you should winterize your boat. Some engines are not fuel stabilizer friendly. And adding it may damage your boat’s engine.