Boat Winterization
by Alberto de Capitani

It is that time of the year again and those of us who are not lucky enough to live in areas where you can sail all the year round are busy preparing their boat for the winter.
As winterization is a fairly complex process, I find it useful to have a checklist of things to do.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a good-for-all, standard checklist since a great deal depends on the type of boat you have, what systems you have aboard and the severity of winter climate in your area.
In my case, I currently have a Beneteau 381 (which I usually leave in the water during the winter) and live in an area where it often freezes in winter. All I can say about the attached checklist is that I have used it with some adaptations for the last twenty years and it has worked for me:

1. Add diesel fuel stabilizer and fill up the fuel tank with about 5% expansion room left at the top.
   
2. Check/clean up the raw water strainer, check the cooling system

coolant with an antifreeze hydrometer, change the fuel/water separator filter or drain water from it, change the fuel filter, check/replace the zinc in the heat exchanger, check/replace the transmission oil, grease the dripless shaft seal, run the engine to achieve normal operating temperature, change the engine oil and the oil filter, run the engine briefly, check the oil level and add oil if needed, close the raw water intake seacock, remove the intake hose from the seacock, insert an extension hose connected to the intake hose into a bucket of antifreeze solution (propylene glycol antifreeze is environmentally safer than automotive type ethylene glycol base), run the engine briefly until the antifreeze solution starts to be expelled from the exhaust, put the intake hose back, slacken the alternator belt, plug the exhaust pipe with a rag, spray the engine with WD40.

3. Take the dinghy outboard motor home, flush the cooling system with fresh water, remove the gasoline from the tank, remove and clean the spark plug, inject fogging fluid into the carburetor and the cylinder, lubricate the carburetor and choke linkages, drain the old gear oil from the lower unit, add fresh gear oil.

1. Clean up the strainers in the bilge, shower and fresh water pumps.
   
2. Clean/sterilize the heads, close the intake seacock, pump out any

residual sea water, pour some head lubricant or antifreeze mixed with fresh water into the toilet bowl, pump out 2-3 times to spread the lubricant on the internal parts, close the discharge seacock.

3. Empty the fresh water tanks, disconnect the water heater from the fresh water system, drain the water heater, connect and clamp the hot and cold water hoses together to bypass the heater, pour two gallons of non toxic antifreeze solution into each water tank, open both tank selector valves on the manifold, turn on the fresh water pump, open each hot and cold outlet (including the stern shower) starting from the outlets furthest from the tanks until the antifreeze runs through, pour antifreeze into the sink drains, close the discharge seacocks.
   
4. Drain the residual water from the deck wash pump (with the intake seacock closed).
   
5. Remove the depthfinder and knotmeter transducers, clean them and replace them with their respective plugs.
   
6. Pump out any water left in the bilge, clean and dry up the bilge.
   
7. Make sure that all seacocks are closed, including the engine raw water intake and the water intake for the dripless shaft rotary seal.

1. Remove food, drinks and all perishable items from the boat.
   
2. Sterilize both the refrigerator and the freezer, place a glass of baking soda (or other deodorizer) in each, leave the lids open for ventilation.
   
3. Clean the stove thoroughly, close all valves, depressurize the propane system, clean the propane tanks, apply a light layer of WD40.
   
4. Place a glass of baking soda in each head, in each cabin, inside the galley cabinets and inside the cockpit starboard locker.
   
5. Spray silicon on porthole gaskets and other rubber fittings to keep them soft.
   
6. Close all hatches and portholes.
   
7. Apply curtains to all hatches and portholes to protect the boat interior from the sun.
   
8. Leave all cushions propped up on edge to allow ventilation.
   
9. Leave all interior lockers clean and open for ventilation.

1. Check/add distilled water in both batteries, clean the battery terminals, apply a protective layer of petroleum jelly.
   
2. Turn off the battery main switch, but leave the battery charger on.
   
3. Make sure that the automatic switch of the electric bilge pump is operating properly.

1. Remove the sails, wash them with mild soap, let them dry thoroughly, check whether any re-stitching or other repair is needed, fold them and store them below.
   
2. Remove and store below the dodger and the bimini.
   
3. Remove and store below the radar reflector, the life ring and the man over -board pole.
   
4. Remove the steering wheel, spray the wheel leather cover with silicon, apply the brake, store the wheel below.
   
5. Cover the compass, depth finder, knometer and wind instrument with their plastic covers and make sure that they are well protected against rain and snow.
   
6. Check and lubricate (with engine oil) the steering wheel chain, the autopilot chain and the steering quadrant.
   
7. Spray WD40 on the rudder stock plastic gaskets.
   
8. Store the dinghy below or ashore.

1. Wash the deck, repair gelcoat nicks where rain could penetrate and autopilot chain and the steering quadrant.
   
2. Cover the cockpit (make sure that air circulation is allowed and pooling of water or snow is prevented).
   
3. Make sure that fenders are appropriately placed and that mooring lines are protected against chafe ( fasten the mooring lines to slip piles rather than to the potentially weaker cleats and leave the bitter ends at the dock to be able to adjust the boatís position without going aboard).
   
4. Leave the companion way key with the Marina.

1. Diesel fuel stabilizer, fuel/water separator filter, oil filter, fuel filter, motor oil, oil absorbing pads, sacrificial zinc for heat exchanger, grease, WD 40.
   
2. Gearcase lube for outboard motor, fogging oil, gasoline conditioner.
   
3. Antifreeze liquid (propylene glycol) for engine (2 gallons), nontoxic antifreeze for water systems (4 gallons).
   
4. Baking soda, silicon spray, covers for cockpit.
   

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