Winter Storage – ? for Northern boys

This topic has 9 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 7 months ago by BassinMikeIT.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

Author

Posts
October 26, 2015 at 10:07 am #280358

BassinMikeIT
Participant

I typically get my boat winterized, take the batteries out, and store my boat in an unheated garage over the winter. Up here in western PA there are abandoned mines that people have turned into underground storage facilities, and a lot of people store their boats in them for the winter. Just wanted to see if anyone here has done that. I heard some of them could have humidity issues. But this facility I talked to last week said they have a climate controlled section of the mine where the temp is consistent at 55 degrees year round, and humidity at 60%. Anybody have any experience storing their boat in this type of underground facility? Do you still get your boat winterized? Just put stabilizer in?Thanks,Mike

October 26, 2015 at 11:34 am #280359

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

Fuel additive of course we generally suggest, and DO NOT top off the fuel like they did a decade back and before. Fuel today degrades entirely too fast and it is better to have less fuel issues, as adding fuel and additive in spring neutralizes the fuel issue. Moisture was a concern decades ago, though fuel degrades in a few months now ansd ethanol phase separation is another problem. From your description it should work fine to store there and your batteries disconnected after fully charging should store there fine also. If the area is 55 degrees we would not remove them. Sounds like a good option.

October 26, 2015 at 3:12 pm #280360

Grapela08
Participant

This is interesting so on a 13 margay left in an unheated garage through the winter months in Chicago it is recommended to not fill the gas tank entirely? The last 2 winters we have done this on recommendation from our marina, how much gas should be left in the tank say from thanksgiving until end of march of course with stabilizer in it and additives in the spring?

October 26, 2015 at 6:03 pm #280361

kent7351
Participant

I like to store mine with about a 1/4 tank. Then in the spring I fill it full with fresh gas. I always run marine stabilizer and seafoam in mine.

October 27, 2015 at 1:03 pm #280362

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

I store mine in a climate controlled space until this year and will add winterizing the live well heres what I do I add sea foam slightly more then the recommended amount and run my boat a few times to burn off as much gas as I can. I pull the prop drain and refill lower unit oil grease the prop shaft. I pull the plugs and squirt about a table spoon of dfi oil into each cylinder and put in old plugs ( once I fire it in my driveway in the spring I re install fresh plugs)I drain the remaining gas out of the engine by removing one of the lines off the filter cavity and typically get a liter of gas. thats it nothing elsethis year I ll pour antifreeze into the pumpouts and use a funnel to add some to the fill ports of the livewell

October 27, 2015 at 1:16 pm #280363

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

The livewells should technically drain low enough and remove enough water that you should not have to deal with livewell outlets. There will be a minor amount of water in the aeration valve that wont effect in a freeze.

October 27, 2015 at 1:45 pm #280364

MossBoss
Participant

I always use Mercury Quickstor, which is there additive #, in about a 1/4 tank for storage.

October 27, 2015 at 5:43 pm #280365

MeanV2
Participant

MossBoss wrote:I always use Mercury Quickstor, which is there additive #, in about a 1/4 tank for storage.Same here!Dan

October 27, 2015 at 8:53 pm #280366

gitzit
Participant

I have never used the mines, but I have known guys that did, and they had no problems. Where you at in Western Pa, I am in Somerset.

October 29, 2015 at 10:21 pm #280367

BassinMikeIT
Participant

Im in Murrysville….border of Allegheny and Westmoreland county.
Author

Posts

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login Register