What Goes Into a Winterize?
What's all the fuss about Winterizing your boat!? I bet you're thinking "Winterize!? But I JUST got it serviced at summerize!"
In early spring we took a deep dive into "What Goes Into a Summerize" because we wanted you to understand how important it was to get your boat ready for the water.
But equally important (if not MORE so) is preparing your boat for winter.
Something we want to stress is that if you see places around the valley offering cheap winterizes, you are not getting the same type of service that Captain's Marine offers. These "winterizes" will usually only include draining the water from your engine. They usually do not include putting hoses back on, drain plugs back in, or even running antifreeze through your systems - which are still truly the bare minimum of what needs done!
So what goes into a winterize?
Captain's Marine has a specialized, in-depth checklist for each different type engine we see, plus a checklist if all you're wanting is a basic winterize (which still had more on it than those ones we talked about above. These separate checklists include:
- Inboard Winterize Checklist
- Outboard Winterize Checklist
- I/O Winterize Checklist
- Basic Winterize Checklist
Our winterizes include everything listed in bold above, as well as: all manufacturer recommended annual services such as
- Oil change
- Oil filter change
- Fuel filters
- Gear lube
- Stern drives/drive service (which includes removing the drive and checking engine alignment)
- Checking for any other services that may need to be done during winter/early spring so you're ready to get on the water when it's time!
If you'd like to know more about what goes into a winterize, our Service Department is more than happy to give you a point-by-point run down. Keeping your boat in great condition is our top priority!