Winterizing for YANKEES

[NJWardy]

Well, I have poured through the threads to get advice on winterizing my 2007 195CC with the Yamaha 115 FS. I understand you folks below the Mason Dixon Line probably have no need for winterizing based on the many responses making fun of us Yankees. However, I would love to do the task myself when I take her out for the season in early December. My dealer charged $310 for the 10 hour oil change so they are not an option for anything other than fixing the broken beyond my skills.

Here is what I gathered from the winterizing posts:

1. Fill tank and add fuel stabilizer
2. Keep the engine in the down position
3. Fogging is an option
4. Adding oil to the cylinders is an option
5. Remove the prop and regrease in spring

What else?
Add antifreeze to baitwell drain?
Disconnect or remove batteries?
Grease motor lift area in spring?

I understand that I may still need the dealer to do it right to protect my investment, but I feel better knowing I am not forced to use them if I can avoid it. Any help woudl be appreciated.

ty

[NCangler]

Great thread topic. I am planning to have a section of the much promoted DVD on winterizing, so I'll be interested to see what folks come up with here. The target for the DVD is late November.

[BobW]

Good thread! I just winterized my 170CC & Yamaha 50 in Vermont.
Per Yamaha instructions:
1. Drained & replaced lower unit lube. Do it in the fall to be certain to remove any water that may have leaked in due to seal failure. Ice in the LU is a certain repair job in the spring.
2. Removed spark plugs, fogged cylinders with fogging oil, replaced plugs. Made mental note to install new plugs next spring.
3. Greased at grease points.
4. Sprayed power head with WD40.
5. Tilted motor to down position.
6. Removed & stored batteries in a non-freezing basement.

Boat:
1. Tilted bow end as high as trailer provides.
2. Pulled hull plugs.
3. Removed & stored PFDs & other removeable items. Seems mice like 'em.
4. Covered CC & seat with normal mooring covers.
5. Propped open hatches in inch or so for air circulation.
6. Built a steep tent on the hull with a 12X20 tarp & PVC frame.

Then did something similar to the cottage.

I'll try & post a pic of the tented boat.

HTH,
BobW

[BobW]

Here's that pic, I think.

[Jan from Humboldt]

Here's my .02, all of the above with the execption of using Star Tron enzyme based fuel stabilizer.

Also open up the tent a little for air flow, I covered mine tightly 2 years ago and in the spring I had mold and mildew all over the boat due to a lack of air circulation.

I change out part of the fuel during the winter months as the E10 fuel does not store well, I just siphon off 5 gallons or so and put it in the car and replace with fresh once a month.

I also have not been fogging the motor, I was told to run it every 2-3 weeks at a fast idle (11-1200 rpm) for about 30 minutes. I've done that the last two years and it's kept things running smoothly.

[BobW]

Thanks, Jan. I left the stern end of the tent open enough to allow airflow but still discourage snow accumulation. Vermont gets plenty of that. I also added Sta-bil to the full fuel tank. Hopefully a Spring re-commissioning report will be posted in May.

BobW

[Jan from Humboldt]

Try the Star Tron stuff, I swear by it. I use the Star Tron for Diesel as it has more of the enzyme ingredients and I use around a half oz per ten gallons.

When we switched to the E10 fuel in '05 I was so fed up with the problems it was causing I was literaly thinking of selling the boat. Yamaha suggested I try the enzyme based stabilizer and it worked.

[agereety]

I just tried to winterize my E-tec today, but I was unsuccessful. The manual said to follow a couple/few steps- I followed them, but I omitted the prop removal because I ran it in a trough. I was supposed to put the warm up at half throttle for 15 seconds, drop it back down to neutral for 15 seconds, then raise it back up to half throttle. At this point, the E-tec was supposed to raise the throttle on its own, work its magic (fogging - I believe), run for a while and then shut down. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Should the prop have to be removed? Thanx. - Andrew

[Jan from Humboldt]

Yeah Andrew, pull the prop and make sure you grease the shaft, inspect for fishing line and leaks.

Also make sure you use a good grade of marine grease, I use the blue stuff, use a torque wrench to tighten the hub nut back down and replace the cotter pin if it's raggety.

If the prop hub corrodes and freezes on the shaft you will pay major bucks to get it fixed, shop labor is running about $100 an hour now and the cost of a new prop.

Spend the 15 or so minutes it takes to pull the prop and perform the service, you'll be glad you did.

When you are doing boat maintenance it's the little stuff that you don't do that will come back to bite you in the fanny during the season.

Little stuff like checking the electrolyte levels in those "No service batteries" and while you're there messing with the battery how's about popping the terminals off the posts and giving them a cleaning and a dab of anti fouling grease and tightening them back down.

This by its self will save one of those zero dark thirty "Aw CHITS!" at the ramp where the key turns and nothing happens, there will be 16 other fishermen lined up behind you when this happens.

Boat Gremlins also like to loosen the screws in electrical terminals and splash saltwater on the crimped lugs so they corrode right at the wire/lug joint. This is usually done during the off season when they are bored to tears and the stuff has all winter to get worse.

Boat Gremlins never sleep.

[fridaysoff]

Jan,
Thats good info. We call the gremlins "Murphys Law" (If it can happen, it will) where I'm from and "Murphy" rides in my boat everytime I go out. Preventive maintenance is the way to go when you're dealing with a boat and mother nature.
John D.