Can you winterize a boat yourself?

For the handy, self-sufficient boat owner, taking care of winterizing yourself is a great way to save money. Ironically, DIY can potentially even save you some time. Winterizing a boat can be done in less than an hour in many cases, less time than you’d spend just driving the vessel to and from the marina or shop.

How do you winterize a houseboat engine?

Winterizing any sort of inboard engine involves removing the raw-water intake hose from its closed supply seacock, placing it in a five-gallon bucket full of antifreeze, and then running the engine until antifreeze is flowing copiously from the exhaust outlet.

Do you leave antifreeze in boat engine?

Note: Sam likes to leave the engine block flushed but empty for the winter. However, some marine engine manufacturers recommend filling the entire engine with RV antifreeze. Always follow your engine manufacturer’s advice.

How do you winterize a bass boat?

The simple steps in bass boat winterization

1. Fill the gas tank.
2. Add gas stabilizer to the tank.
3. Run the motor for about 10 minutes to check gas.
4. Spray fogging oil to fog the engine.
5. Remove spark plugs and spray more fogging oil (a few seconds each).
6. Remove prop and check.
7. Grease the shaft before replacing the prop.

Can I use RV antifreeze in my boat engine?

Can you use RV Antifreeze to winterize a boat? RV antifreeze and marine antifreeze are chemically the same. For most parts of winterizing your boat, RV antifreeze can absolutely do the job for a boat.

How do you put antifreeze in a boat motor?

Remove the raw water intake hose from the seacock (this is sometimes difficult, as hose clamps and hoses may be mechanically frozen in place) and insert the end into the antifreeze in the bucket. Start the engine and run at idle until antifreeze discharges from the exhaust outlet for 30 seconds or more.

How many gallons of antifreeze do I need to winterize my boat?

two gallons
To winterize the engine with antifreeze, you’ll need a five-gallon bucket, and enough antifreeze for your engine and related plumbing (at least two gallons). If your engine takes a lot of antifreeze, you might also need a helper to add antifreeze to the bucket as needed.

Can you use regular antifreeze to winterize a boat?

If auto antifreeze is used in a boat engine, it can damage components of your engine and cooling system. It also does not have the same corrosion inhibitive properties of marine antifreeze. The two are not interchangeable and you should avoid using auto antifreeze in your boat engine.