Tips For Preparing Your Boat For Storage
Posted on: 6 October 2015
As the warmth and sun of summer begin to fade away, the reality sets in that summer is officially over. If you are fortunate enough to own a boat, this also means that it's time for you to start prepping your boat for storage. Make sure you know how to properly prepare your boat to ensure it remains in good condition.
Clean The Hull
Make sure you are cleaning the hull of your boat before you store it away for the season. The hull is often one of the more overlooked areas on a boat, but it gets a fair amount of abuse.
Toxins and other contaminants in the water can adhere to your boat when it's in the water. If you fail to remove them before storing the boat, they can start to eat away at the surface of the hull. Rinsing the area with clean water on a low pressure setting is a great place to begin.
Change The Oil
This is also a good time to change the oil in your boat, even if you have recently changed it. Each time you power on your boat, small particles of dirt, dust, and water can make their way into the oil. Over an extended period of time, these contaminants also get inside the engine and cause internal corrosion.
Storing your boat away with dirty oil only increases your risk for this type of damage. When changing the oil, make sure you also replace the filter as it may contain contaminants that can get back into the oil.
Inspect The Cover
It's important to inspect the condition of the boat cover. Covers are designed to protect your boat from damage, but if the cover is damaged, it won't be effective. For example, on a snowy day, a hole in the cover provides an ample inlet for moisture.
As the temperature drops and then raises, the left behind moisture will go through a dangerous freeze-thaw cycle. If this moisture is located anywhere near the boat deck, as it freezes and thaws, it can cause the fiberglass to constrict and expand which will ultimately cause it to detach from the core of the boat and cause costly damage.
As a boat owner, one of the main things on your mind is enjoying your boat for the upcoming warm season. How well you prepare your boat for storage at a facility like Nine Mile Self Storage determines whether this becomes a reality. Make sure you are making boat prep a priority.
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