While the boating season hasn’t come to an end just yet, autumn is on its way and it’s important to start preparing your boat for storage. To help you, we’ve written up a guide on how to prep your ship ready for the off-season. If you’re located in the cities of El Dorado Hills, Roseville, or Folsom, California, and need to have your boat serviced or parts replaced, we hope you’ll stop by Superior Boat Repair & Sales!
Storage
Before the end of the season arrives you’ll want to make sure that you have a safe place to store your ship. You can simply store your boat outside if you like, but even with a boat cover your ship will likely be impacted by seasonal weather and require some extra care. If you have the space, and you’re confident that your garage is pest-free, a storage shed or garage is a great place to store your boat. Just remember to keep your cover on and keep a sharp eye out for pests. If you don’t have the space to keep your boat in your shed we advise looking into dealerships with boat storage facilities. These are a great option for keeping your boat safe throughout the winter and some facilities will even regular maintenance to keep your boat in optimal condition!
Cleaning
Before your boat goes into storage you’ll need to give your vessel a good cleaning. To start, we suggest washing, polishing and waxing your boat to ensure that there’s no left over dirt and grime to corrode your ship. Be sure that your boat has dried completely before placing your cover on and putting it into storage. If you notice blistering on your hull we advise putting down rust remover and getting your finish retouched by a professional. Once the outside is spick-and-span you’ll want to give your deck a good scrub. We also advise going over all your boat’s other features to keep them in working order. This can include anything from wiping down windows to cleaning out your bilge.
Maintenance
If your ship has been running pretty well all season, maintenance should be a fairly easy task. Before you get started you’ll want to give all your machinery a good inspection, making note of any issues as you go. If there’s a serious technical problem you can’t fix, we encourage you to visit a mechanic before your boat goes into storage so that its condition doesn’t worsen. Once these more serious issues have been solved remember to change your ships oil and flush its coolant before storing it. You can do either of these tasks yourself or have a mechanic do them, but it’s important that they are done. If these fluid aren’t replaced properly it’s likely that your boat will not run when you remove it from storage next season.
We hope our guide has been helpful in preparing you for the upcoming off season. If your boat needs to be serviced you can make an appointment on our website here. Or, if you’re interested in having your boat stored with us, you can make a request online here. We have two locations in the cities of Rancho Cordova and Homewood, California and we look forward to helping you with all your boating needs!
