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How to Prep Your Boat for Long-Term Storage

Aug. 18 2023 Maintaining A Boat By Gordy's Marine

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Disuse can be surprisingly hard on a boat, and it is possible for your model to exit long-term storage in worse shape than it was before. However, with a little extra TLC, it’s possible to keep your boat looking shiny and new even after it’s spent months tucked away in storage. To learn how just read through our helpful maintenance tips below!

Clean Your Model

To ensure your boat stays in great shape while in storage, you’ll want to give your model a thorough cleaning both inside and out. To start, go through the deck, cabin, and storage spaces on your boat to remove any trash or debris that may cause pests to appear. Afterward, be sure to give your deck a good scrubbing with some boat soap and a long-handled brush. You’ll also want to tend to other amenities that may require your care—such as windows and upholstery— before you put away your cleaning supplies. 

Once the interior of your boat is clean, you’ll want to tackle washing the hull. Make sure to work in small sections—once again using your scrub brush and boat soap—all the way around until your boat has been scrubbed and rinsed from top to bottom. Don’t forget to also apply a new coat of wax and polish to your model to help protect against rust and corrosion. 

Maintenance Tasks

Now that your boat is looking spic and span, it’s time to tackle some of your model’s more difficult maintenance tasks. To begin, we recommend flushing and replacing your model’s various engine fluids, including the coolant, engine oil, and fuel. If your boat has a battery, be sure to remove it before placing your model into long-term storage. To keep your battery alive throughout months of disuse, we recommend attaching it to a handy drip charger. 

Having trouble finding a safe place to store your boat long-term? Then visit us here at Gordy's Marine and take advantage of our secure boat storage facilities! We’ve got plenty of space to safely store your boat model at any of our locations across the states of Wisconsin and Illinois, and we proudly serve the nearby cities of Madison & Janesville, Wisconsin, as well as  Waukegan, Illinois.