Winterising Your Boat
As we start a new year and the weather gets to that dry, icy, frozen level of cold, it is vital to keep your boat engines clear from frost damage.
In this blog we’ll be going over some of the key steps you should take to winterise your engine so it stays free of damage during these months, and limit any repair costs that may ensue later in the year when you want to get out on the water again.
Drain The Engine
Nothing damages an engine worse at this time of the year than frost damage. So the most important thing to do, if you are not going to be using the boat during these colder months, is to winterise the engine by fully draining it of all water.
Little pockets of water can build up throughout the engine which will freeze and expand due to frost and may lead to burst cooling veins within the engine block.
An easy way to remove the excess water is to flush antifreeze through the engine by using a Sierra Engine Flusher, available on Boatspares.ie or in our store in Portumna.
Drain Pumps
In the same vain as point one, draining the various pumps and water systems throughout your boat is equally as important for winterising your boat.
Check all the water pumps for the engine, sinks, showers, toilets, domestic water systems, and any other water-related features your boat may have. There’s nothing worse than getting the boat out for the first warm day of the year only to discover the toilet pumps have burst due to frost.
During your checks, if you happen to notice any cracks or breaks in any of your water pumps, be sure to check out our full range of replacement water pump parts on our website.
Fog Engine Cylinders
Have you got all the water out of your engine and pumps? Great, now the next step we recommend in the winterisation of your boat is to fog the engine cylinders.
Because of our wet climate in Ireland, sadly most people use their boats on average only 6 months of the year. This lack of activity commonly leads to corrosion in various parts of the engine while they’re laid up for long periods of time.
We recommend using Sierra Fogging Oil which will help prevent corrosion on the engine’s rings, pistons and cylinders during the long periods of non-use.
Fuel Additives
Another potential engine-killer during the winter months is the potentially dangerous build up of bacteria, fungi, viruses and yeast in your engine. These primarily build up over long periods of unuse of the engine to cause sludge or slime and can lead to cracks or holes being corroded out of your engine components, leading to extremely expensive repairs.
Naturally, this is something you’ll be wanting to avoid, and so using fuel additives is a great way to winterise your engine against the build up of these deposits.
We have several Fuel Additives available on our website, including Sierra Fuel Stabilizer and Sierra Marine Fuel Stabilizer, both of which will work well to keep your engine clean and fresh even when not in use.
Get Out On The Water
Finally, the best way to really ensure your boat is winterised is to actually use it. It might not be the most enjoyable experience being out on the water in the frigid temperatures and winds, but boats absolutely hate inactivity.
So, if you can brave it even for a short period of time, there’s really no better remedy than the continued use of your boat.
We recommend morning time because there are few things more beautiful than a crisp, clear, winter sunrise from the open water.