News 24 january 2025 Michael
Sailing yacht in winter in white snow and ice on a frozen lake

Yacht conservation for the winter. Storage rules

We at Bimbarent – as yacht charter service – have noticed that many owners are rather negligent in preparing their vessel for wintertime storage. And failure to follow simple conservation rules leads to expensive repairs during the spring launch. We explain how to extend the operational life of your favourite boat after cold season.

Washing & covering the boat

Autumn. Do not sit in the marina until the first cold weather, otherwise you risk spending the winter dirty and paying additional expenses in the spring. If you did not carry out cleaning work on the hull before wintering, then by the new season last year’s algae become a dried layer, – the underwater part of the hull will have to be sanded. But if you do everything according to the regulation, then the self-polishing layer of antifouling (antifouling paint) does not require any grinding. Polishing plus applying the protective quartz composition SOFT99 H-7 can be postponed to the next shipping season. How to make yacht detailing on your own, we tell in a separate article.

How to Winterize a Boat - Tip 1

Wash the boat not only outside & inside. In addition to “cleaning”, try to remove easily accessible on-board electronics, as she does not like cold, dampness, humidity. Also do not forget hide all organic materials, including leather, canvas or fabric of any type. It is removed & hidden. This way in the spring it will not start to rot, – during the winter the ultraviolet will not add burnout. Finally, if your vessel has an open stern, then the steering wheel needs to be lubricated water repellent lubricant.

After all washes & cleanings, the boat can be waxed. It will prevent rusting when the vessel is stored outdoors. We recommend using a quartz protective composition, as it lasts for 1 year, and the wax will be washed off by the summer.

Also, do not save on a case or a disposable film. It protects from street dirt, sand dust, mould, teak repair, UV problems.

Winter parking of yachts in a cover and in the snow

Engine oil change, drive belts and exhaust pipes

Wet ukrainian winters can corrode the engine. To avoid this, it is recommended to change the filter and blow it with a jet of air so that not a drop of water remains there. Then change the oil in the engine (if you didn’t do it during the season).

If you have a carbureted engine, then use conservation oil to protect the moving parts of the engine during the frosts. To do this, spray oil into the carburetor. If not, try through the spark plug hole.

It is better to loosen or completely remove the drive belts before wintertime parking, as prolonged storage in a taut position can deform them.

Have you ever heard that pest animals settle through the exhaust holes on motor yachts with a stationary engine? And this is true. To keep your engine running properly, we recommend sealing the holes with plain duct tape.

Antifreeze is the head of everything

In older engines, fill in fresh antifreeze. Antifreeze helps to get rid of corrosion – prevents parts from freezing in severe frosts.

Also drain the watertanks, black waste, run antifreeze based on food grade propylene glycol through the water and sewer pipes.

How to Winterize a Boat - Tip 2

Prolong battery life

Everyone knows the first rule – remove the terminals. Second, if the batteries are of old production, then add distilled water up to the neck (boiled-water will not work). Distilled will help to avoid evaporation of the electrolyte in the batteries, that is, to maintain the charge level for the new season. In modern batteries, this is not necessary, just every 3-4 years you need to check the charge level. Either put LiFePO4 batteries, they last 10 years without replacement.

Other checks

Inspect the keel for mechanical damage and check the strength of the keel bolts.

The steering gear should be serviced once per season. Maybe in the fall, maybe in the spring.

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