Keeping Your Boat Safe in Winter

The thing with boats is: little problems can become big problems if you don’t deal with it quickly. Just because your boat is safely moored in the marina doesn’t mean it immune from weather and other problems. So, even if you not going out on the water this winter, the weather is still there, and so are tit’s effects on your boat.

So there’s only one piece of advice for winter:

Visit your boat! While you’re  sitting by a warm fire your boat is outside, enduring the winter weather. Bundle up and take some time to visit and check your boat.

If your boat’s moored in the water. Look for changes such as bilge for water, (a good practice to do any time). If there is water in the bilge, find the source.

Make sure all seacocks are closed. Clean out any  leaves or other material clogging the scuppers.

Check the dock lines. Make sure you use a chafe guard, and that boat is secured so it won’t tend up under the dock when the tide changes.

Check the bilge pump. Turn on the switch to verify the pump works.

Inspect the shore power cord and the battery charger. Verify the battery electrolyte hasn’t evaporated. If you spot corrosion, clean the battery terminals if necessary.

Look for fuel, oil, or coolant leaks to prevent contaminating the water.

Remove expensive electronics to prevent theft, and

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