If you own a fishing boat, it’s about time to get it ready for storage this winter. And to help you along your boat storage journey, here are a few tips to help you make sure that your vessel stays in prime condition for the duration of its stay in storage.
Change Your Oil
Changing your engine’s oil is one of the simplest, yet most important things you can do to prepare your boat for winter storage. Whether you fish from pontoon boats or a smaller fishing vessel, making sure you have fresh oil in the engine is essential. Changing out your boat engine’s oil ensures that any moving components are coated in fresh lubricant for the winter months. This helps ensure that, come spring, you won’t suffer any engine failure or frozen parts! This will also help reduce the amount of maintenance you’ll need to perform on your boat once it comes out of storage for the season.
Add Fuel Stabilizer
If you can’t empty your fuel tank before storing your boat for the season, then it’s a good idea to add a fuel stabilizer right before you take your boat out for one last spin. If you’ve already had your last hurrah on the water, you can add a fuel stabilizer and let the engine run for a few minutes to make sure the product is fully incorporated through the fuel injector or carburetor. Adding this component to your fuel tank will help ensure that your fuel system doesn’t get clogged up or sustain any damage while it’s not in use over the winter. In addition, a fuel stabilizer will, as the name suggests, stabilize the fuel in your tank and make sure it’s usable for about six months.
Make Repairs Before Storing
Whether your vessel is one of many used boats for sale that you purchased or it’s like new from your local powersports dealership, make sure you check up on anything that might need to be repaired before you put it in storage for the season. The last thing you want is to find damage after you take your boat out of storage for the new boating season. So before you throw it in storage, make sure your fishing boat is maintained and any outstanding damage is taken care of.
Storing your fishing boat for the winter is an important part of caring for it. Just make sure it’s prepared for storage the right way and you’ll be good to go!
