Arizona Boat Winterization Guide- Is It Cold Enough To Care

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Autumn in Arizona has arrived and you’re feeling a refreshing chill in the air. Does this mean you will need to winterize your new boat?

It might not surprise you to hear that a lot of folks living in the desert; where the boating season is nearly year round, think they don’t need to winterize their boats. However, according to Boat US, a major marine insurance company, sunny States like Arizona, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and California, have the highest rates of freeze-related insurance claims. So what temperature do experts recommend you start the winterization process?

A general rule is to winterize your boat before temperatures drop to 30°F. In Arizona, where winter temperatures can drop to an average of 32°F in the Valley and below 32°F in the mountains, the risks of not winterizing your boat are far less than colder climates, but it's still recommended.

Cold weather can damage your boat’s engine, internal components, fuel injector, carburetor and battery. Additionally, anything made of steel can crack as the freezing water begins to expand making the financial risks of not winterizing your boat far outweigh the cost of making it a priority.

Now that you know the temperature in Phoenix can drop enough to ruin your 1st spring boating day, you might be wondering what winterization actually entails. Don’t worry we’ve got you covered. Below we’ve put together a simple 9 step process to walk you through winterizing your boat, before it's too late!

How to Winterize Your Boat - A Step by Step Guide

Whether your boat has an inboard, outboard, or stern drive engine, this DIY Boat Winterization Checklist will help you get it ready for freezing temperatures, and the best part is, you can do it yourself.

As previously mentioned, water expands as it freezes which will crack steel and other necessary components. Oil and fuel also have acids, moisture, and create a sticky gum that causes fuel system damage. Thus, the basic idea when winterizing a boat engine is to remove all water and corrosive elements from the system.

The Boat Winterization Checklist

Step 1: Replace engine oil

Start winterizing with an oil change. Old oil has acids and moisture which will pit bearings and other engine components when the boat is stored for winter. Fresh oil will hold up better in freezing temperatures and do more to protect your engine from condensation which can lead to water expansion and subsequent damage.

Step 2: Flush the engine and drain cooling water

You need to make sure water is drained from the engine block, exhaust system, sea-pump, hoses, and coolers.

There are a few ways to do this and it depends on what kind of engine your boat has. An inboard engine, and any engine with pipes that carry water, needs to be flushed, drained, and filled with antifreeze. An outboard motor can skip the antifreeze because it doesn’t have pipes or hoses that carry water.

If you have an inboard engine, use water muffs to connect a regular garden hose to the cooling system then flush until it reaches its normal operating temperature. Be sure you never run an engine without water! Then remove the drain plugs; usually in the engine block and manifold, and drain the water. After it’s flushed, use antifreeze to prevent any trapped water from damaging your engine and components.

Pro Tip: Make sure to choose a marine antifreeze that uses propylene glycol. This type of antifreeze is non-toxic and biodegradable which is better for a boat than automotive antifreeze. Automotive antifreeze has ethylene glycol which is toxic to humans and wildlife when released into the environment.

With the inboard engine hooked up to an antifreeze pump, start the engine and run until the antifreeze has filled the entire system and is coming out of the exhaust. This is a good indication the antifreeze has circulated through the entire fuel system.

If you have an outboard motor, you only need to drain the engine. If you only use your boat in the freshwater lakes found in Arizona, you can even skip the fresh water flush step. To make it really simple, leave the drain plugs in place and just lower the outboard engine vertically until the residual water drains out.

Step 3: Stabilize the fuel

During storage, old fuel can leave gum and varnish build up in the fuel system. This happens when fuel mixes with water (usually in the form of condensation) and separates creating a sticky glue-like gum. This can damage the entire fuel system, reduce fuel efficiency, and cause overall poor performance.

If you’re contemplating simply draining the gas out of the tank, it won’t work. It’s literally impossible to get every last drop of gasoline out of the tank and whatever is left will turn into the sticky gum discussed above and begin to build up. Plus, your engine gaskets may dry out and crack allowing additional water to penetrate your tank once springtime rolls around.

To stabilize the fuel, completely fill the tank with fresh gasoline and add a good quality marine fuel stabilizer. Next, run the engine for a few minutes to get the treated gas through the whole system. This is also a good time to check for leaks.

Step 4: Protect internal engine components

When a boat sits in storage and doesn’t have oil constantly working it’s way through the system, engine components can become corroded. Thus, when you turn the boat on in spring, you’ll have a new problem on your hands: cylinder scuffing. And as many boat owners know, scuffing can lead to scoring which can lead to seizing up and ultimately cause engine failure.

To prevent this, spray fogging oil, an anti-corrosion spray, on the engine and outdrive package. It layers the engine and its components with a protective layer formulated for storage and low temperatures.

Step 5: Replace gear oil and grease and lubricate fittings

This is a good time to change gear oil. It gives you a chance to assess if your boat has been exposed to moisture contamination and whether you’ll need new seals before spring.

Drain the lower unit of old gear oil and replace with new oil. As the old oil drains, watch for alumpy, watery, or milky consistency. This is a sure sign that moisture has been getting into the gears and you’ll need seal replacements before you start another boating season.

To protect against corrosion, rust, and oxidation, this is also a good time to lubricate your engine’s grease fittings. You’ll find them in the steering mechanism area. Liberally apply a quality marine lubricant to these to protect them from winter moisture.

Step 6: Disconnect the Battery

Forgetting to disconnect the battery is an often missed step in boat winterization. We’re so busy thinking about the engine and draining water that we completely forget to preserve the battery. If you want it to start right up again in spring, and avoid the cost of a new one, be sure to unplug the battery in winter.

Step 7: Protect the Upholstery and Clean Your Boat

If your boat is being stored outdoors, putting on seat covers becomes especially important. The Arizona sun, combined with the introduction of other fall elements, will almost guarantee you’ll have worn and damaged upholstery come spring. Seat covers are a simple and easy way to make sure your boat still looks good the next time you take off the cover.

Pro Tip: Cleaning and waxing your boat before storage will also prevent stains and corrosion from water and other contaminants.

Step 8: Final Inspection

Before covering your boat for winter storage, take the time to complete a final inspection.

Check for any damage to the fuel system, loose belts and cables, plus any cracks, scratches, dings, or rips
Remove water from the livewells, baitwells, and bilge
Use a wire brush to remove corrosion
Check your boat trailer to be sure your lights, tires, wheel bearings, winch strap and tie downs are all in good working condition
Remove any valuables

Step 9: Shrink Wrap or Cover with a Tarp

To protect your investment, you’ll also need to either cover your boat with a strong tarp or have it shrink wrapped. Options for this range from fairly cheap to a bit pricey, depending on the quality of cover and whether or not you do it yourself.

The Arizona Alternative We Do Not Recommend

Since the coldest weather in the Valley only borders on freezing some Arizonans opt for less safe alternatives to winterizing a boat. One of the more common is to use a portable heater near the engine compartment.

To be clear, winterization is the safest way to protect your watercraft. The following is not a safe practice and we don’t recommend it. However…

Plugging in a portable engine heater instead of winterizing has been known to get boats through a short term cold snap. It’s pretty straightforward. Just plug in a portable engine room heater and let it stay on, unattended. It can keep the engine and all its steel-made parts warm enough to prevent freezing.

Why is this not a recommended practice

According to Boat U.S., portable heaters are the leading cause of winter boat fires, usually from overtaxed electrical systems. Even if these tipsy unattended portable heaters don’t get knocked over and spark a flame, a fire can start simply because of the amount of power it’s drawing from the boat’s electrical system. Which is why most boat storage facilities and marinas have policies against using them.

A safer alternative to winterizing your boat is to find boat storage at an indoor facility that doesn’t freeze. If you choose this option, you’ll still need to drain the water from the boat (See Step 2, above) to avoid corrosion and moisture contamination.

Final Thoughts

Even though temperatures in Arizona don’t stay below freezing for very long, it’s still safer to protect your investment by winterizing your boat. Mother Nature can be unpredictable and the damage done by freezing water in your boat can get very expensive. It’s less expensive to take the time to winterize your boat, even in Arizona. And the best part is, you can do it yourself in 9 easy steps.