Lateral Lines

For boating anglers who live in northern half of the United States, fall takes on additional urgency as the inevitable date of permanent freeze approaches. Days tick slowly, but surely, toward the the date when we must perform the sad but necessary feat of winterizing our boats to endure the harsh winter ahead - for those of us unlucky enough to have a heated garage, that is.

With that in mind, here are some winterizing topics that can save northern anglers headaches when that magic spring day comes and the boat is re-introduced to it's native environment: the water.

The first part covers the engine and it's fuel system. Additional resource links are below.

Corrosion Concerns

Most winterizing maintenance involves your engine's fuel system. The challenge, in this day and age, is that what is tried and true is not necessarily the best for your outboard. Older, carburated, motors required a process of fogging which was performed by disconnecting the fuel system and spraying a "fogging agent" directly into the cylinders to provide a corrosion-resistant coat on the cylinder walls for the winter.

This still applies to older engines, however with todays fuel injection systems - specifically pressurized injection like Mercury's Optimax, Yamaha's HPDI, and Evinrude's E-Tec/FICHT systems- this process may hurt more than it actually helps. Reputable dealerships are beginning to recommend not fogging these types of fuel systems because of increased incidents of injector clogging, excessive buildup on piston rings and spark plugs. Mercury doesn't recommend their own Storage Seal product, but remains mum on the subject in general, while Evinrude specifically advises against and even has an auto-winterization feature on their E-Tec's which injects outboard oil to coat the cylinders in lieu of fogging oil. Even more confusing are owners manuals which provide winterizing instructions in direct contradiction to the manufacturer's website instructions.

 

Since my boat usually goes in the garage for good in late November and comes out again in late March, I prefer the "less is more" treatment option of not fogging the cylinders on my 2004 Optimax - as recommended by my dealer. That being said, the 25HP merc on my duck boat gets the full fogging treatment.

Fuel Managment

What all manufacturers do seem to agree on, however, is that the fuel in the outboard and in the tanks should be mixed with a fuel treatment such as Sta-Bil or SeaFoam (my personal preference since it has additional side benefits and can also be used as a diesel fuel treatment). After mixing the treatment in your gas tanks, ensure that all of your gas operated motors are run thoroughly to ensure that any non-treated fuel is expended. This helps to prevent varnish and/or gum residue from forming while the engine is inactive over the long winter.

The fuel treatment also stabilizes the gasoline and, in some cases, bonds with water molecules to ensure that the gasoline left sitting over the winter keeps it's octane rating and doesn't pose a threat to your engine on key-turn next spring.

Fill 'Er Up

To fill or not to fill is another hotly debated topic on the subject of winterization. Many advocate the complete filling of all gasoline tanks on the boat before the onset of freezing weather. The reason for this is that the more air which is contained in the tanks, the more easily condensation occurs and water is introduced into the fuel. This is especially the case during transition periods when days are warm and nights are cold. Boats stored indoors are less prone to condensation risks than those stored outdoors since your garage or shed provides an insulated buffer for the temperature changes - sheds and detached garages less so than attached garages. Boats with internal fuel tanks, surrounded by hull and decking, are even less prone to condensation.

The downside of filling the tanks is that, even with gasoline which has been treated with a stablizer, some degradation of the gasoline occurs. The best stabilizers on the market show a 1-3 octane level degradation over the course of a three month period. That means that the 20 gallons of 87 octane gasoline (you probably should be using 89 or the mid-grade equivalent) you filled up with in late October may only be 84 octane by the time you take it out in late April - which can contribute to additional buildup and plug fouling in the spring. If you do decide to fill up the tanks, it may be wise to use a higher octane gasoline to counter the effects of degradation over the winter months. Since my boat is stored indoors and has internal fuel tanks, I generally will make sure the gas is treated and leave the tanks where they stand on the last outing of the year rather than have to burn through 50 gallons of lower-than-recommended octane fuel come spring.

Take Time for Your Impeller

We'll cover more of the important specifics of lower unit maintenance in Part 2 of this series - Keeping the Freeze at Bay. As if you didn't already have enough to do, however, now is an excellent time to pull your lower unit, inspect, and replace your water pump's impeller - since you may be draining the fluid anyway. When I used to live in Illinios and fish the Mississippi River every other weekend, I would change it once a year. Now that I'm fishing the cleaner, clearer waters here in Michigan, it's bi-annual event. Just remember, the dirtier the water you run your boat in, the more frequently you should change your impeller.

Some anglers wait until after the impeller has taken a distinct set before changing it out. It's your call, but once it takes a set from wear and tear, the efficiency of your cooling system is greatly decreased and that can cause big headaches on a hot summer day. I favor changing it at regular intervals since I don't want to be bothered with it during the course of the fishing season. If you're especially handy and know how to remove and reinstall your gearcase (with out messing up your ability to shift in and out of gear), doing it yourself is no problem. Otherwise, this is an excellent job for your dealership on annual maintenance trips and there's no downside to making this part of your fall tradition.

Additional Links:

• How to Winterize an Outboard Motor
• Winterizing and Outboard Motor
• Winterizing Your Outboard - Step by Step
• Winterization Topics - OutboardRepars.com

Next: Part 2 - Keeping the Ice at Bay