Details
Well, Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and most of us have hauled and at least partially winterized our boats by now. In the middle of the process myself recently, two thoughts surfaced – 1) checklists are valuable 2) there are a lot of items that need attention and can be easily overlooked.
For example, batteries will easily survive the winter in the boat, if they are fully charged before starting the lay-up period. Have you charged the batteries? Remembered to bring the charger? Set aside enough time to give each one a decent charge?
Bilge pumps are perhaps even more rugged than batteries, but do you have a small pump located near the transom that is still in bilge water which will turn to ice and break open the plastic housing on a cold winter night?
If you’re covering the boat, did you bring lots of rags for points of winter cover abrasion?
And, have you remembered some unpopular rodent “foods” like Decon to encourage at least the second generation of local mice to steer clear of your pride and joy as it sits dormant for the next 6 months?
You get the picture, there are lots of important details to cover when putting the boat away for the winter, and there’s definitely a price to be paid for ignoring them. When you start to wing it, things get inefficient and sometimes ineffective, too. Take the time before going onsite, to think things through a bit and get organized with the aid of a checklist. It will make your life a whole lot easier, I promise
