Four areas of focus when your winterize

The cruiser had twin 5.7-liter engines, and the Connecticut boat owner had gotten friends to help him winterize it. The men did a lot of things right, says marine mechanic Erik Klockars, but they made a catastrophic error.
They used plenty of antifreeze, but they didn’t realize that the thermostats in the raw water-cooled engines were preventing the circulation of the antifreeze through the blocks and heads. Water sat in the blocks during the winter and froze. When the owner fired up the boat for a prospective buyer in the spring, water spilled out of 6-inch cracks in the engine blocks, says Klockars, who was involved as a surveyor.

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Installing hardware on cored decks

You’d think that installing new deck hardware, such as a cleat or a sheet winch, would be a simple procedure: Decide where the fitting will go, drill a few holes and bolt it in place. Sadly, it often is not that simple, and a little planning and care will save you some sleepless nights and perhaps a hefty repair bill later.

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Patience pays off

Two-plus years might seem like a long time to restore a 25-foot boat, but Jeff Koenke says his 1984 Boston Whaler is better than new

Hurricane Katrina had beaten up the old Boston Whaler pretty badly, though not enough to scare Jeff Koenke away. Despite its crushed port gunwale, a blistered bottom and a corroded aluminum fuel tank, the 1984 25-foot Outrage was perfect for Koenke, who first saw the boat on eBay.

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Sea sense

Seamanship is as much a mindset as it is skills and tactics, from knowing your own limitations and watching the weather to having the right tools on board

Chaucer wrote (and I paraphrase): When April with its showers, breaks the drought of March ... boating season is almost upon us! Whether you live in an area where winter is cold or boating is a 365-day-a-year pastime, it's wise to pause and reacquaint yourself with some safe practices that will help you enjoy the warmer days ahead.

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