To many of us fall marks the beginning of getting
that boat ready for the long cold winter. Soon the ice will
be too thick to get the boat in the water and all of us who
own boats need to get them winterized.
Winterization of a boat is not a complicated task, but you should
take precautions to make sure all the things that might be in
your boat that would freeze are stored in a warm place. Don’t
forget items like the suntan lotion and the half-empty bottled
water that ended up in your storage compartment.
These are the obvious things to remember, but many people forget
food items and when winter is over they discover that items
have exploded or you might have had a visitor from the rodent
family that could not resist that Snickers bar and decided that
it would be a good place to stay and rear their young.
Of course fogging your engine is necessary and I like to change
my lower unit oil and put in a new set of spark plugs for the
up coming year. I make sure that all my live wells are drained
and that the bilge area is free from any water. To most of us
that is the complete list of getting our boat ready for winter.
Oh you might tarp the boat down and find that secluded spot
in the backyard for the boat, but for most of us that is all
there is to winterizing the boat.
Some words of caution before you put “old blue”
away. Have you checked your batteries or your trailer? These
are the two most over looked parts of the boat.
Often forgotten items to check before storing your boat is the
condition of your trailer. The first place I start to check
are the connections. Does the trailer rest on the hitch ball
correctly? Can my safety chains cross and do they have any weak
links? What condition are my electrical connections in? As I
go along the frame of the trailer I also check to see that the
boat is resting on the keel rollers or skid plates. I inspect
the winch and strap to see if they are in need of repair. Finally,
I spend a great deal of time on the tire and axle area. If my
trailer is sitting outside all winter I want to make an inspection
of the tires, check to see if they are weather checked or if
they need inflation.
Probably the most important area to check and maintain is your
bearings. So many anglers assume that if the trailer has grease
in the bearing area they should be all right. Again, this is
an area that is just as important as the hitch and the hookups.
In fact, the leading causes of breakdowns are the bearings.
If you have bearing buddies installed on your trailer you have
an advantage. You can easily use a grease gun and check to see
if the bearings are properly lubricated. If you don't have the
spring-loaded device, it might be something that you should
check into. If not, you have to remove the dust cover on your
bearings and check the amount of grease on your bearings. A
word of caution if you do this, is make sure that you get your
dust covers back on properly and don't smash the bearings as
you reattach the cover.
Don't forget to check out the lights on the trailer. Check brake
lights, signal lights, brightness and don't forget when you
arrive at the lake it might help if you unplug those lights.
Most new trailers have the lights sealed, but they do get cracks
in the housing and they can get a cold blast of water on a hot
bulb.
Yet another area that is commonly overlooked when winterizing
are the batteries. I know professional fisherman who carry extra
batteries with them all the time and at the end of the year
they are purchasing new batteries to replace ones that they
either left in the boat or simply ones that did not hold their
charge during the winter.
When you start to winterize your boat this fall keep these things
in mind and don’t forget the Snickers bar or you might
be replacing more than bearing and batteries. You might need
a new interior for your boat.
Storage of your boat is critical for the long winter months
and if you want more information on winter fishing contact me
on the web at http://www.walleye.info/. Hope to hear from you
soon! |
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