Winterizing your Pontoon Boat
Winter can be a difficult season for pontoon boats, since they’re generally out of commission and put into storage for months on end. While some people might just tow their boat on its trailer into the garage and leave it until spring, it’s better for your boat if you do some maintenance on it first. Taking some preventative measures will ensure that your pontoon boat operates well come spring and hasn’t suffered any deterioration over the long storage period. Your local pontoon boat dealer is Spicer's Boat City, located in Houghton Lake, Michigan, and we’ve taken the time to list out our tips for how to winterize your pontoon boat properly.
Cleaning Your Boat
Your first step when you’re about to store your pontoon boat for the winter should be to give her a thorough cleaning from top to bottom, inside and out. Scrub off all the algae and grime that’s accrued on the pontoons, sweep your deck clean of leaves and debris and mop it down, work a soft-bristle brush into crevices and apply a marine boat wash to the hull. A good coat of wax can shine her up and keep her protected during storage, too. Not only will this process make you feel good and give you less work to do when you retrieve your pontoon boat from storage, but you’ll also be protecting your boat’s components during the winter by preventing build-up and mildew from doing real damage.
Remove all gear from your boat that doesn’t need to stay there, including water skis, fishing rods, towels, flotation devices and tarps. Anything that could collect mold or mildew should be removed and stored in a dry location. Allow your boat to dry thoroughly before you store her so that moisture doesn’t get trapped in every nook and cranny.
Engine Care
Consult the owner’s manual for your boat’s particular engine to administer the proper care to it. This will be the easiest way to maintain it, but just in case you don’t have the manual, here is what we recommend you do for an average outboard motor before storing it.
Fill up the tank with fuel and add a fuel stabilizer to keep it from breaking down. Run the engine for a bit to allow this stabilized fuel to circulate throughout the engine and hit the cylinders with some fogging oil to protect them from rust and corrosion. Once you’ve done this, change your boat’s oil and the oil filter so that the oil is clean and ready to go next spring.
Storing Your Boat
Finally, when storing your boat, if you don’t have an indoor garage or other space to keep your boat protected from the elements, you should invest in some form of cover. A breathable cover is the best option since it will prevent moisture from accumulating on your boat. Make sure the boat cover snugly fits around your boat to prevent rain and snow and debris from seeping in. Check on your boat every so often during the off-season to make sure nothing terrible has happened. This might involve driving to a storage space, but it’s worthwhile to have peace of mind about your boat being in good condition.
Right before you put your boat in storage, remove the battery and store it somewhere cool and dry. Connect it to a tender or trickle charger that will keep its juices from completely running out. Otherwise you’ll have to charge the battery yourself on a monthly basis to prevent it from discharging completely while it’s in storage.
Looking to buy your own pontoon boat? Come down to our showroom in Houghton Lake to see our wide selection of pontoon boats available for sale in both new and used models! Spicer’s Boat City serves the communities of Bay City and Flint as well as greater Detroit. We welcome our customers from all over the Great Lake State of Michigan.
