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Boat Winterization:
Helping You Get Your Boat Ready for the Off-Season
Boat winterization is an essential part of protecting your investment. Dandy Auto & Marine performs comprehensive Airdrie boat winterization services to ensure your boat stores properly through winter and is ready for use next spring.
Alberta summers are short and sweet, and each year we hope to spend a little more time on the water than we did last year. But when the air temperatures begin to drop and the cool wind starts coming in out of the north, it’s time to bring the boat out of the water and store it.
But before we store our boats, we have to winterize them, and that’s where Dandy Auto & Marine comes in. In business for more than 35 years and proud to leverage over 100 years of combined experience thanks to its veteran marine technicians, Dandy Auto & Marine is the best marine service business in Calgary, Airdrie, and the southern Alberta region. Dandy is also the longest standing business in Airdrie with the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce, and it’s a business that’s been recognized for its community involvement, accomplishments the shop could only achieve by first and foremost offering exemplary services to its customers and by being consistent with that service over 35 years.
What is Involved in Alberta Boat Winterization?
What goes into an Alberta boat winterization process? What must be done to ensure a boat makes it through the cold weather and snow without any harm, ready to perform at shipshape condition next season?
The Dandy Difference, excellence in its own class, means your service will be the best boat winterization in Calgary, and it will look something like this:
1. Fuel Stabilization
If a boat’s engine is not going to be used for several months at a time, the fuel system must be stabilized. This is done by filling the gas tank completely, adding special marine engine fuel stabilizer, and running the engine for several minutes to allow the stabilizer to mix into the fuel and move through the lines.
· What does this accomplish? A stabilized fuel system will not allow for fuel to break down inside the engine, which prevents condensation and other problems.
2. Oil Changes
The engine oil is the lifeblood of a marine engine, and, even if the oil was replaced somewhat recently, it must be replaced again before winter storage. The best Alberta marine technicians like ours replace the oil and filter during winterization.
· What does this accomplish? Engine oil and filters absorb much of the acidic contaminants produced during engine operation. The boat must be stored with fresh oil so that it does not sit with acidic contaminants in the oil that will corrode internal parts all winter.
3. Fogging the Engine
An essential part of winter boat maintenance is to “fog the engine.” This task refers to the process of coating a marine engine’s internal metal parts (think cylinder walls, piston crowns, valves, etc.), with a specialized anti-corrosion spray. The spray lubricates, coats, and protects internal components.
· What does this accomplish? Fogging spray forms a protective film on the engine’s internal components, which prevents moisture and oxygen from developing rust and corrosion on the engine’s internal components during long-term winter storage.
4. Draining all Water from the Engine Block
Water freezes easily during an Alberta winter, and frozen water expands. When in a confined area, freezing water can cause cracks or ruptures in an engine block. A critical step in boat winterization is to drain all water from the engine block, manifolds, and hoses, and then to flush those areas with non-toxic RV and marine antifreeze.
· What does this accomplish? This step prevents devastating damage to your boat’s engine that could result from even just a few ounces of water freezing during winter. Even if you store your boat in a climate-controlled space, you must still do this step. Should a power outage occur or other incident that causes a loss of the storage area’s heat source, in Alberta during winter, it takes just a matter of hours for a stored boat’s engine to drop below freezing and for water to freeze, expand, and cause serious damage.
· Fun Fact: Think your engine block is tough enough to withstand cracks or ruptures from just a few ounces of water left in the engine? Think again. The expansion of water as it freezes from a liquid to a solid is, from a physics perspective, one of the most powerful forces on planet Earth. Freezing water can exert immense pressure up to 30,000 to 43,500 pounds per square inch (psi) 2,000 atmospheres or 200 megapascals (MPa)—when completely confined.
5. Changing the Lower Unit Gear Lube
Every autumn, drain the lower unit gear lube and refill with fresh gear lube, so that the gears remain lubricated all winter long and the boat is ready for use next spring.
· What does this accomplish? This task effectively flushes the lower unit of all old oil, and it allows one to physically inspect the gear area for water contamination, metal shavings, and other telltale signs of additional maintenance needs.
6. Draining All Plumbing Water and Ballast
Where else on the boat is there water? Answering this question is critical during winterization. Anywhere there is water left unattended on a boat, it will freeze during winter. One must drain all water from ballast tanks, heaters, livewells, and freshwater systems. One must also blow out all water lines with compressed air, or pump RV and marine antifreeze through those systems.
· What does this accomplish? Removing all water from a boat’s internal systems (or treating water systems with antifreeze) prevents costly damage to those areas during the winter’s freeze/thaw period.
7. Performing Battery Maintenance
Winter temperatures are harsh on batteries, especially when those batteries are not in use. During winterization, one must fully charge the battery and disconnect the terminals. Depending on the storage environment, one may also want to remove the battery completely and store it separately, in a warm, dry place.
· What does this accomplish? Charging and safely storing the boat’s battery ensures it will be working in tip-top shape next season.
Three Additional Winterization Tasks Most Mechanics Wouldn’t Do but that Dandy Always Takes Care of for You
Boat winterization is not as simple as merely draining the engine and adding fuel stabilizer (which is what most people do). Here’s how the Dandy Difference comes into play, because at Dandy Auto & Marine, we remember to:
· Drain the Exhaust Manifolds Manually: Water can pool in low points of the exhaust manifolds or risers and crack them when it freezes, hence the importance of draining these areas, too.
· Lubricate Steering and Control Cables: Boats must be kept dry during winter, which is no easy task if they were in the water all summer. Moisture can get inside steering cables and throttle linkages. One must spray them with a marine-grade corrosion inhibitor or grease them before the winter freeze sets in.
· Leave Compartment and Locker Doors Open: A wise boat owner always props open cabin doors, glove boxes, and seat storage areas slightly, to promote air circulation and to prevent mold and mildew from growing in those areas over winter.
What Happens if I Don’t Winterize My Boat?
If a boat owner does not winterize their boat and it is left exposed to the elements over winter, it will not be a seaworthy vessel come spring.
A non-winterized boat will likely experience engine cracks and a compromised engine block. It may suffer split hoses, and it will almost certainly experience ruined internal plumbing that must be replaced come spring.
The Dandy Difference and the
All-in-One Winterization Special
To simply winterize one’s boat is not enough. They also need to shrink wrap it and store it. Dandy offers all of these services.
Some customers have their own shrink wrap or storage option, but for those who are looking for convenient boat winterization Airdrie or the best boat winterization services in Calgary, there is no other name in this business than Dandy.
When customers sign up for winterization, shrink wrap, and storage, Dandy Auto & Marine will discount $100 off their bill.
For convenience and to provide customers with options, Dandy also offers two primary packages for winterization services:
Basic
This is the basic winterization package, what you need to ensure your boat is protected during winter. It involves running the boat’s engine hot until the thermostat opens. Dandy’s marine technicians drain all water out of the engine, run RV and marine antifreeze through it, and add fuel stabilizer to the gas tank. Our team will also fog the engine via the carburetor, and provide a courtesy trailer safety check.
Premium
The premium boat winterization service is quite simple. It involves all of the above services, plus Dandy marine mechanics will change all of the fluids, including engine oil, gear oil, and drive leg oil. They will also perform an engine alignment and inspect the bellows, gimbal bearings, and prop seals.
The Winter Workshop: Upgrade Your Boat During the Off Season with Dandy Auto & Marine
What better time to upgrade your boat than during the off-season? While customers are getting their boat winterized, or at any point during the offseason when a boat has been winterized, Dandy recommends customers take advantage of the shop’s Winter Workshop.
What is the Winter Workshop?
The winter workshop is a discount period from November 1 through March 1 in which all marine accessories and upgrades are offered at the lowest price points possible, with some select items installed at as much as 20% off.
The Winter Workshop can be thought of as the “Dress Your Boat Up” event. It is an opportunity to perform seasonal maintenance, and to also select upgrades and add-ons at the same time; like lights, Monster Towers, sound systems, UltraDeck marine flooring, new wakeboard accessories, boat ballast systems, underwater LED lighting, power backup, towing tech, fresh air exhaust, and more.
Check out our Accessory Services page to see brands and products for which Dandy Auto & Marine is a certified dealer.
I’m in Calgary, When Should I Schedule Calgary Boat Winterization Services?
Dandy’s precision engineering, diagnostic accuracy, commitment to excellence in its own class, and certified peace of mind are the foundational pillars of our top-rated Airdrie marine shop, providing year-round mechanic services to all those who need it in southern Alberta. And our commitments extend well beyond our marine service in Airdrie. We also service boat owners in Crossfield, Balzac, Beiseker, Irricana, Calgary, and Rocky View County.
If you are in Calgary, Airdrie is just a ten-minute drive north, and the drive is worth it to experience the best marine services in southern Alberta. Since you will be commuting here and dropping off your boat and trailer for winterization, be sure to contact us well in advance to ensure we can work with your schedule before winter arrives.
Thank You for Shopping Local & Supporting Local at the Best Marine Mechanics in Southern Alberta: Dandy Auto & Marine in Airdrie
If you need boat maintenance, trailer work, winterization, or shrink-wrapping, winter boat storage, accessory installation, or any other marine service of any kind, schedule with Dandy Auto & Marine by booking online or by emailing sales@dandy.ca.
Contact us in advance and let us know what kind of rig you’re working with. We’ll tell you what we can do. Dandy offers the best marine repair in Airdrie, employing the best marine mechanics in southern Alberta, guaranteed.
Until next time, we hope you have a Dandy day!