Boat Storage

When considering wet versus dry storage, start by penciling out the costs in financial terms. How much does it cost to keep your boat in the water all year long versus six months. One of the conversations that came up was whether a fellow boater should store his boat inside with heated storage or outside under shrink wrap. Several people weighed in for both sides, but now I would like to hear from you. Which do you think is better, inside or out ? 

Boat Storage Maintenance Musts

• Change the Oil
  Maintenance should also be performed if you want to have safe boat storage or jet ski storage over the winter. Not doing so can result in damage due to how long the vehicle has to remain idle. One of these tasks is certainly performing an oil change. Oil changes are especially important for watercraft. There is a good chance some water or acid got into your oil over the summer. If it’s not removed, it could corrode your engine. Replace the filter, flush out the oil, and then pour in new oil.
• Change the Antifreeze
  Another maintenance task you should perform is refreshing your craft’s coolant system. This will help stop components in your engine from freezing and corroding over the winter. First, drain out the coolant. Second, flush what’s left out with water. Next, add the new antifreeze. However, make sure you don’t forget to dilute it to the proper specifications of your vessel.
• Protect the Drive Belts
  You should either significantly loosening the drive belts or removing them entirely and placing them into storage until next spring. Not doing so will cause them to remain in tension during the long winter. With the freezing and thawing process, there is a strong likelihood that cracks will develop in the belts.
• Other Maintenance Tasks
  The boat’s steering and control mechanisms also need to be protected. You can do this with simple grease. Just make sure they can still move smoothly and all the joints are well greased before the boat is put into storage. The battery can also drain over the winter if it’s left connected. Solve this problem by disconnecting it and topping it off with a bit of distilled water. Lastly, fill up the gas tank. An empty gas tank can collect condensation and slowly corrode.