Winterizing Mistakes You Don't Want To Make
Living at the Lake of the Ozarks means that winterizing your boat come winter time is an important step that should not be overlooked. Despite the myths or what you’ve heard about saving time or money with your winterizing routine, Surdyke Yamaha knows that there are no short-cuts if you want to do it properly and avoid damaging your boat. The best boat dealership at the Lake of the Ozarks knows that a boat is a big investment and we want to make sure you are properly prepared to winterize your boat.
Adding Fuel Stabilizer to “Fix” Gas Issues
Come springtime, some boaters think that any phase-separated gasoline in the tank can easily be fixed by adding a fuel stabilizer or additive. But that is not true. Once the gasoline separates, there is no fixing it. The only solution there is is to have a professional remove the contaminated fuel and water mixture and start from scratch. This is a difficult and costly task for boats with built-in fuel tanks. However, it’s critical to use a fuel stabilizer each fall to help keep the fuel fresh through the winter, keep corrosion to a minimum, and to help prevent phase separation.
Put the stabilizer in before you fully fill the gas tank before winterizing your boat. This will allow the stabilizer to fully course through the fuel system as you run the engine when filling it with anti-freeze.
Not Filling the Tank with Fuel
If your boat has a built-in gas tank, it’s a good idea to leave the tank as full as possible during the winter. Don’t fill the tank to the top though, you want to leave a little room for fuel expansion. By leaving the tank nearly full, it limits the amount of moisture that can potentially condense inside on the tank’s walls as the temperatures outside fluctuate. This will help prevent phase separation of ethanol fuel.
Note: If your boat is stored in a rack system or indoor storage, you should always check with the marina. They may require you to empty the fuel tank to reduce the risk of fire.
Not Anticipating a Winter Freeze
According to BoatUS, many boat insurance freeze damage claims come from southern, temperate states hit by an unexpected freeze or when space heaters fail due to a sudden storm power loss. Most claims do come from the colder climates, but this shows that they can come from other unsuspecting places as well. In northern climates, storm power outages are also the cause for engine block freeze related claims. However, both areas of the country have winter freeze claims due to the failure to follow proper winterizing procedures.
Using a Space Heater to “Winterize” Your Boat
You should never “winterize” your boat by leaving a space heating running onboard. Besides the sudden power outage issue, it creates an extreme fire hazard. Unless you live in the Florida Keys or Hawaii, BoatUS recommends that you winterize your engine if you will be laying up the boat for even a few weeks to lessen the chances of sudden freeze damage.
Surdyke Yamaha wants to make sure that your investment is protected this winter. If you need help winterizing your boat for the season, give the best boat dealer at the Lake of the Ozarks a call. We can help you with all of your boating needs.
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(573) 348-6575 (573) 348-9283 (573) 348-3178
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Highway Store Location Marina Store Location Surdyke's Port 20
5863 Osage Beach Parkway 1660 Yamaha Drive 5395 Spruce Lane
Osage Beach, MO 65065 Osage Beach, MO 65065 Osage Beach, MO 65065
(573) 348-6575 (573) 348-9283 (573) 348-3178
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