No matter where you choose to store your boat during the off-season, there are a number of steps you must take to winterize that boat before boat storage. The following is a helpful list of those steps every boat owner should take to winterize their boat before putting it into storage.
We are Blue Mound 287 Self Storage, serving the Greater Fort Worth area with auto storage, boat storage, RV storage, trailer storage, and household good storage. Call us at 817-439-1380 for all of your storage needs.
Now, let’s learn how to winterize your boat prior to boat storage.
Treat your fuel
A can of fuel stabilizer will cost you between $5-$10. Not using it will cost you $250-$1,000. Fuel stabilizer will prevent varnish deposits from forming, and varnish deposits can ruin a fuel system. Go by a can of fuel stabilizer, add it to your fuel, and run the engine for about fifteen minutes.
Fog the cylinders
A can of aerosol fogging solution will cost you about $10. It prevents corrosion inside of your engine, and corrosion inside of your engine can, literally, kill an engine, costing your thousands of dollars for repair or replacement. Simply spray the fogging solution into the air intake valves. Problem solved before it even occurs.
Drain the engine
Drain the engine of all water before winter, water which could freeze and completely ruin the engine. The cost of this important step: $0. The cost if you don’t do it: $1000 or more.
Change the oil
To eliminate moisture and to prevent corrosion, change your oil before winter. The cost of this minor task will be less than $50. The cost if you don’t do it, from thousands to total cost of engine replacement.
Cover the boat
The cost of a boat cover can run you a couple hundred dollars, an expense which may seem steep, but consider that boat cover can be used year after year after year, and each year that same boat cover will prevent your boat from damaging chips, scratches, and other minor damage which will add up in cost.
Choose where to store your boat
We will be upfront with you on this one: we are not big fans of wet storage for your boat. We think wet storage causes more problems than it may solve. If at all possible, dry boat storage is always preferable.
That being said, most people will seek out a boat storage facility, quite often a marina, which is all well and good, but it is also expensive. Our solution: boat storage at a self storage facility. You will pay considerably less for the storage, and it will, on average, be much more secure self storage than you will find at a marina. Places like Blue Mound 287 Self Storage will provide you with high quality storage at a fraction of the cost you would pay at a marina.
A word about Blue Mound 287 Self Storage
Serving the great people of Fort Worth for more years than we can remember, Blue Mound 287 Self Storage has the very best in secure self storage for boat storage, RV storage, auto storage, just about any type of storage you can imagine. Call us for all of your storage needs.