Preparing the boat for wintering

– on the water:

Well-organized boat winterization saves us a lot of trouble in the spring, because it prevents costly pre-season repairs. So how do you secure your boat? We have more and more yachts and fewer and fewer places with the possibility of a covered hangar. Storing your boat in a covered area is ideal, but for the less affluent, wintering under a cloud remains. While the boat is still in the water, we can start cleaning its interior of tools, sleeping bags, clothes, etc.

– outside the water:

Remember that once the boat is out of the water, you should remove mattresses, life jackets, stormwear, ropes, sails and some items of equipment, such as batteries. Only those items that will not be damaged by large temperature rises should be left on the boat.

How to secure yacht

The best way to secure your boat is to place it on specially prepared for this purpose keel. Place the cradles under the hull in the places of structural reinforcements, so they do not crush into the hull and provide stability. If we do not have a suitable bed for wintering the boat, then laying the boat on old tires, popular among sailors, is acceptable. However, you should put a washer between the hull and the tires so that the tires do not leave dirty marks on the surface of the hull that are difficult to clean.

– after slipping:

the yacht it should be thoroughly washed both inside and outside with water and added detergent and then rinsed with clean water. This should be done before dirt stuck to the hull dries. Otherwise they may remain permanently. The yacht should also be thoroughly cleaned of all equipment that can be removed: floors, drawers and cabin covers. After drying the yacht we can protect it against the attack of mold. After this operation we should air the boat well. All loose elements should be arranged in such a way to leave as much open space as possible – floors should be raised and doors of all cabinets should be left open. Empty and rinse the drinking water and toilet tanks.