Summer’s Over. Should You Winterize Your Boat Yourself?

It was another awesome season on the Metedeconk and the Barnegat Bay with our pontoon, the Princess Diane.

We had a couple of weekday stops at F Cove, including one time when we got there early enough to have almost the whole cove to ourselves—which was a pretty cool experience. We also dropped anchor a bunch of times right near the Mantoloking Bridge, which is one of my wife Diane’s favorite spots.

But no matter how many times you get out, it never seems to be enough when this time of year comes around and it’s time to tuck her in for a long winter’s nap.

I did a little research this year for expert advice on what needs to be done to winterize a boat. DiscoverBoating.com is pretty clear: The best place for your boat is covered inside a climate-controlled storage area. After that, the next best option is to store it out of the water and shrink-wrapped.

DiscoverBoating.com also has step-by-step instructions for each area of your boat, whether it be an in-board engine, outboard engine, fuel, stern drive, head, etc. BoatingMag.com has a shorter checklist that includes estimated maintenance costs if you ignore common winterizing tasks. Of course, you also should review your owner's manual for details related to your boat.

It's kind of a time and expertise vs. money question.

I have to admit, I'm not huge on doing maintenance myself, so I'm happy to let my marina winterize and store my pontoon. I also had an excellent experience buying the pontoon at NJ Outboards, so I'd highly recommend them as a place to store and service your boat.

NJ Outboards offers both indoor and outdoor storage, winterizing packages—and spring launch service. The storage area is fenced with security gates and cameras, and their mechanics are Five Star Gold Yamaha certified and Master Technician certified with Yamaha Schooling and Certification.

Click here to find out more about their service department or to schedule an appointment.

Now, my family is counting the days to our first launch, hopefully in April. In the meantime we’ll just look at all the pictures we took this summer and dream of warmer days. Good luck getting your boat all buttoned up for winter!