what is the procedure to winterize my boat for the summer/

I am not planning to use my boat for the next six months, what procedures should I go thru to insure proper storage.
The basics is a 1996 Johnson 130 hp main motor with pre-mix gas and oil, a 79 gallon fuel tank. a 15 hp Suzuki two stroke kicker with a 6 gallon fuel tank. Three batterys, two are auto and one marine. An older rusting e-z loader tandum wheel trailer. The fuel here in Hawaii is mixed with 10% ethanol. I have never done this in 30 years of boating. Normally I take it out every three or four weeks when I am not usinf it for fishing, but since the State and Feds have taken control of the fishery that I fish in we have closed season this year for the next six months and also gas on Maui is currently $4.25 per gallon and that for regular.

Please be complete in your procedures. Pleas do not refer me to a web site. This topic is to allow you cold weather guys to strut your stuff because you have to do the each year. Oh by the way the boat is on Maui and is normally storaged under a boat cover on the side of the house with a 6' fence so we are protected from the hot tropical sun, dust and bird poop and rain. The same sunshine that gives you that wonderful Hawaiian Tan during the winter months. This is the same sunshine that has destroyed a boat cover guaranteed for 5 years in a year and a half. I filed my claim with the manufacturer and they gave me a new one.

Hopefully this will keep some of you busy while you wait for the ice to deforst off your favorite fishing hole

Re: what is the procedure to winterize my boat for the summer/

Since it doesn't freeze where you are you can bypass some of the "cold weather" stuff. As for details, the procedures are not that detailed.

1) There are a number of fuel system treatments on the market such as Stabil and SeaFoam (and there are others) that are a must for long term storage. In your situation where moisture is an issue, I would burn as much of the fuel in your car as possible so that only a little fuel remains in the tank. Ethanol blended fuel can absorb moisture so the more fuel in the tank, the more it can absorb. So do whatever you need to do to use that fuel. Then treat the fuel with whatever additive you can find, following the instructions on the label. IMPORTANT: After you treat the fuel you MUST run the engine long enough to get the treated fuel into the fuel system on the engine. That part of the system is now protected. If you want to carry things one step farther, you can inject "fogging oil" into the air intake system (or via the Schrader valve on the primer solenoid if using the Johnson/Evinrude fogging oil system). This protects the mechanicals inside the engine. For a six month layup fogging is peace of mind, but not an absolute requirement.

Store the boat with the engine in the full down positon and if critters and bugs are an issue, cover any openings (prop and tell tale) to prevent mud daubers and other creepy things from taking up residence in those openings. Critters that chew like electrical wiring and rubber stuff so moth balls, placed in the boat will discourage those critters.

Lastly, change the lower unit lube. When you drain it check for evidence of metal particles and the condition of the oil. If water comes out and the oil has a light chocolate/milky appearance that is a sign of water intrusion. Many times this is due simply to bad seals on the fill and/or drain plugs. Always use new seals when doing this procedure. You remove both plugs to drain. Then you fill the lower unit from the bottom. Yes -- that may sound weird but if you try to fill from the top you are trying to force fluid into a closed container. That doesn't work. Fill from the bottom until fluid comes out the top. Insert that plug and then quickly do the bottom plug. You will lose a little lube but the amount is of no consequence. If a large amount of water came out and/or you saw metal particles, that indicates a more serious leak and possible problem in the lower unit so during layup you may want to investigate that. Pressure testing the lower unit will identify seal leaks. Metal particles are not a good sign so disassembly and inspection might be prudent during the layup.

If your boat is equipped with an on-board smart charger plug it in and let it run. This will keep the batteries topped off. If there is no on-board charger. Disconnect the batteries, charge them with a portable charger after ensuring the electrolyte level is ok. After that, you might want to put the charger on for an hour or so each month.

Cover the boat and let it sleep.

Re: what is the procedure to winterize my boat for the summer/

A little clarification on "metal particles". It is quite normal to see a small amount fine particles in your oil, this is a result of the dogs going in and out (normal wear). However larger or copious amounts of particles is another thing. Don't forget to hit all the grease zerks until fresh grease comes out purging all the old contaminated stuff. DO pull your prop, check for fishing line around the shaft (if found DO NOT grab an end and pull it off by unwinding around the shaft). You should try to pull it out as a unit or, if you will, as a sleeve to keep from cutting your seals. Now you can clean and regrease (marine grease) your propshaft splines. These are IMPORTANT things you need to do to keep your boat in good order.

Re: what is the procedure to winterize my boat for the summer/

Thank you for the excellant answer.

The local shops here tell us to try to have our gas tanks topped of most of the time. Does the seafoam prevent the ethanol gas from absorbing moisture. I was foing to fill my tank and pour seafoam at the proper mix. That a lot of Seafom for about 60 gallons of gas. Right now I have 25-35 gallon in the tank. My car does burn up this pre-mix gas pretty well. One other thing is if I fill up now it may be cheaper then six months from now. but fresh gas six months from now might mean fewer future problems.

Lower gear oil what is the reccommended change cycle. I had it changed by a dealer when I took it in for some other problems and have probably put on at least 100 hours since then.

I will charge and check the battery water and recheck them perodically. I use auto batteries because I usuall recharge my batteries after each fishing trip since I use electric reel to fish for the deep bottom fish and also the marine one I have found will die after three years or less. If these auto ones die within three years you can take them back in wnder warrantee and get a new battery.

Also for my storing even for short term I open all the hatches and compartments so everythinh can dry out. When the boat cover is on the boat it gets like an oven under it. One of my Alaskan friends who spends the winters down here takes his batteries out of his boat and stores them in a work shop where the temperture stays cooler.

He also takes his removable electronics off the boat.

Thanks for the info

Re: what is the procedure to winterize my boat for the summer/

Since you are running in salt water a fresh water flush of the engine is also a good idea.

Re: what is the procedure to winterize my boat for the summer/

Your fuel will easily last 6 months if you use Stabil or any good stabilizer. I always use Seafoam so my winter gas gets stored with both & I've never had a problem. Auto batteries are NOT made to absorb the vibration & pounding that a boat does to a battery. They can break apart, leak & the plates can delaminate. It's kinda like carrying a couple of quarts of acid in a zip-lock bag! Marine products are different than their automotive equivalent. They are much sturdier & able to withstand the humidity of the environment & physical abuse they are used in. Electric parts for inboards are explosion proof. They won't withstand an explosion but they won't spark & cause one! An auto alternator can run creating sparks where a marine one will not under your possibly fume filled doghouse. Even the wires you use should be marine rated. Marine wiring should be tinned copper, you won't get that with car parts. Things will fry long b/4 their function wears out. People who don't like to get stranded use marine parts. Auto parts will fail b/4 marine ones.

Re: what is the procedure to winterize my boat for the summer/

Since we run in the ocean, the salt water kind, its standard procedure to flush out the engine with fresh water at the end of each trip. I have gone another step and flush it out with salt away and during the flushing procedure I only run for a short period of time, usually less then two minutes. One minute for fresh water rinse and one minute for salt away rinse.

Another thing that needs to be addressed. I did some preventive maintenence on my trailer wheels and hubs. Took off the wheels, cleaned up the lug nuts, got the rust off with a wire brush, knocked off the rust scale off the galvanized wheels and painted with galvanized paint. Also knocked the excess rust off the hubs and cleaned up the lug nut holes. Took of the buddy bearings and took the hubs off and cleaned all the wheel bearings and repacked with marine grease and put back together. I had some time to take care of some of the problems that are always problems for salt water boating. Galvanized trailers alway rust, its just a matter of time, unless you never stick them in salt water.

Stainless steel also rusts in these waters unless you got the real ggod stuff and do not assume that all marine stores sell you the good stainless.

I also made my trailer lights detachatable from the trailer for the launching and retreval of the boat. I silconed some magnets to the back of the trailer lights, they will hold the lights to the frame and then I use wing nuts to bolt to the frame. I use extension cord lenghts running down each side of the boat to make the connections. It takes some extra time to put these on and off, but no more replacing rusted out fixtures. And its Federsl legal, becaused the trailer lights are actually attached to the trailer, although not permemnetly.

Does any one know if the waterproof trailer lights are really waterproof and if so how long before you had to replace them and do you use then in freash water or salt water?

Even the Marine electrical wiring gets all black and trashed with salt water intrusion, it only lasts a few years longer.

Will automotive batteries really breakup in ocean use or is it they cannot be drained down as far as a marime battery and recover or get re-charged that high back. I assumed that was the main reason to use marine batteries.

If an auto battery can easily break up from the rough use as mentioned by an earlier comment on this tread, why are they sold with 4X4's and off road vehicles?

I searched the other treads and they gave enough information on Marine battery verses Auto.