With the summer winding down, you might be thinking about storing your boat for the winter. After all, once the temperatures drop, you probably won't be using your boat much anymore. Storing your boat in a boat storage facility is a smart decision, but you'll need to make sure that your boat is prepared for winter before doing so. Luckily, following these steps can help you get your boat ready for the season so that it will be ready to use next year when you retrieve it from storage.
1. Give it a Good Bath
First of all, you won't want to store your boat while it's dirty. Otherwise, the dust, dirt, salt water and other debris could cause damage to it over time. Make sure that you give it a thorough washing, paying attention to the bottom and sides of the boat, which might have come in contact with water and anything that the water might have been contaminated with. You'll also want to clean the windshield and windows.
2. Lube it Up
One maintenance task that many boat owners slack off on is making sure that all of their boat's moving parts are properly lubricated. Use a good oil to lubricate these parts now; then, you won't have to worry about them "sticking" and can help prevent them from rusting or otherwise being damaged during the fall and winter months.
3. Prepare the Fuel Tank
During the winter months, the fuel in your boat's fuel tank can separate, causing potential problems with your fuel system. The best way to prepare your boat's fuel system for the winter months is to top off the fuel tank; not only will you have a full tank when you take your boat out of storage next year, but you also don't have to worry about there being extra room in the tank for condensation to build up. You can also add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel to help prevent it from separating, and you can change the fuel filter to help ensure that your boat's fuel system is ready to deal with any contaminants that might be in the fuel.
As you can see, there are a few steps that you can take before storing your boat this winter. If you follow these three tips, you can help ensure that your boat is in prime condition to survive the winter in storage so that it'll be in great shape when you break it out next year, when the weather warms up. To learn more, contact a company like Riverside Marina.
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