With the hottest days of summer past and cold winter days ahead, winterizing your boat in an important step in making sure your boat is ready to hit the water next spring. Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUS) advises boat owners to pay special attention to the gas in your boat’s tank and the insurance coverage on your vessel before storing a boat this winter.
Today it’s highly likely that your boat’s gasoline contains a mixture of up to 10% ethanol, which is known to damage engines and boat fuel systems, especially over the long winter storage season. If you have a portable gas tank on your boat, try to use as much gas as possible before you put the boat away at the end of the season. Any remaining gas or gas-and-oil mix that’s left in the portable tank can be put in your car or outdoor power equipment, respectively. The goal here is to use it up as quickly as possible.
Read the full story, and find out what to do if your boat has a built-in gas tank and why all boat owners — even in warmer states — should consider freeze protection for their boats.
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Photos: Jonhall/Wikimedia Commons (top); Rick Varley (above)
