End of season for the boat: off to winter storage!

The golden autumn is just around the corner, the cold season is approaching - and what happens to the boat? Blauwasser-expert and passionate sailor Sönke Roever answers the most important questions about winter storage here.

What are the basic ways to winterize a boat?

The first question is whether or not to take the boat out of the water. In frost-free regions, boats can also be wintered in the water. If the boat is taken ashore, there are two options for wintering: outdoors or inside a storage hall. Here a distinction is made between heated and unheated facilities. Obviously, wintering a boat in the water or outside under a tarp will always be cheaper than indoor storage.

Which is the safest option and what are its advantages?

The safest and most gentle way to store the boat is in a hall, where it will be protected from the elements and doesn’t need to be covered with a tarp. As long as the hall is heated, frost damage cannot occur. However, wintering a boat in a heated hall is also the most expensive option and offers are limited.

What are the steps in the water draining process?

There isn’t that much to consider when craning or slipping, as the staff at the winter storage unit will give you clear instructions. For sailing yachts, it’s usually necessary to lay the mast flat beforehand. In addition, the waste and water tanks should be flushed and drained as well as the plumbing system or any other system holding water – if there’s any chance of frost in the winter storage hall.

What should you pay special attention to?

In our latitudes, it’s a good idea to add antifreeze to the engine's cooling system. This is done with the engine running, immediately before draining the system. Since the antifreeze is coloured, you can see in the exhaust when the water has been flushed. Then switch off the engine.

The boat is out of the water – what happens now? How is the boat transported to the hall?

The storage facility has vehicles with special trailers available for shifting the yacht – either in a rack or on a trailer. In the winter storage itself the boat stands on its keel, with additional supports to prevent the hull from tipping or sagging.