Winter may not be out to get you, but it sure seems to be after your boat. Reading through 10 years' worth of winterizing claims, the Seaworthy editors were astonished at how many ways cold weather and ice can damage something made of metal, plastic, and fiberglass that lives its life out in the elements. The single most common winterizing mistake is not getting all the water out of — or enough antifreeze into — the engine, which is why our new winterizing brochure focuses on making sure you don't end up with a cracked engine block or manifold. But there are a lot of other ways winter can get your boat, most of which could be avoided with good winterizing practices. Engine damage aside, these are the 10 most common winter "gotchas" and how to avoid them.
Number-9 from the list is a pretty common one here at Port of Call.
This summer two of our biggest jobs were due to the "Buddy Special". While we appreciate the work, it is heartbreaking to present the boat owner with a repair quote.
The Buddy Special
A lot of the freezing claims we get start with an owner calling and saying, "I let my buddy winterize the boat." The rest of the news is never good and most often involves cracked engine blocks spewing brown bubbles or muddy-looking oil. Winterizing is not rocket science, but forgetting even one detail, or doing it incorrectly, can spell disaster for the boat — and your friendship — next spring. If you're not comfortable winterizing your boat, have an experienced professional do it.
This summer we did two engine replacements that were not drained properly.
