After a wonderful boating season, winter is approaching again. In winter, you have the choice to leave your boat in the water, but you can also take it out of the water. In both cases, you need to winterize the boat to prevent damage and other problems. But how do you winterize a boat in the Netherlands? In this text, we will discuss the most important things that need to be arranged.
Winterizing your engine
Of course, as a boat owner, you know which regular maintenance tasks need to be performed. This includes, for example, changing the oil, renewing filters, and other minor maintenance tasks. For winter, however, it is important to perform extra maintenance tasks.
In the Netherlands, it regularly freezes in winter. The frost can cause damage to the boat. Therefore, you need to make the engine frost-resistant. Do you have a closed cooling system? Then the cooling system is filled with fluid, and you run little risk.
This is different with an open cooling system. Water is drawn in from outside. This is done to cool the engine, but the water should not remain in the system in winter. So carry out the necessary work and use safe antifreeze products.
Toilets and drinking water
It is important not to use toxic antifreeze products for water systems. Toxic antifreeze products are particularly bad for your health, so make sure you have a healthy variant.
In addition, you must of course also pump the toilet dry. Water can also remain in the bends and crevices of the toilet. Therefore, you must disconnect the hose from the winter inlet and hang it in a reservoir of antifreeze. Then pump the antifreeze product through the toilet. You must then, of course, also close everything properly. Also prevent damage to the pipes and drain them.
Clean Hull and deck
Many boat owners forget to clean the hull and the deck properly. In the first place, you should clean them thoroughly with the right products. In winter, dirt can get stuck and then it is difficult to get it clean at all.
Has paint peeled off somewhere on the roof? Touch it up before winter. This will prevent extra paintwork after winter. It is also advisable to use a tarpaulin. Water can remain in corners and cracks and then freeze. This can cause irreparable damage to the deck.
The boat's equipment
You also need to take good care of the boat's equipment. Do you have cushions on board? Take them off board and store them in your garage, for example. If you leave the cushions on board, there is a good chance that they will mold due to the large amount of moisture. Also remove food and other perishable products from the boat. This also applies to bottles and cans, as they can freeze in winter.
General maintenance tips
In the previous paragraphs, we have given various maintenance tips. Of course, the tasks may differ per type of boat. It is especially important to see where water can remain and then solve that problem. This significantly reduces the chance of damage to the boat.
Boat in or out of the water?
Many boat owners wonder whether it is better to keep the boat in the water or to take it out of the water. Of course, you have to make your own decision, but according to experts, it is wiser to take your boat out of the water. This is beneficial for several reasons. In the first place, moisture damage can be prevented. In addition, maintenance can be carried out on the boat during the winter months.
However, there is also something to be said for leaving your boat in the water. This is a lot cheaper. It can be quite complicated to take the boat out of the water. Often there are costs involved. You then also have to rent a storage place for the boat.
