How to Winterize A Boat / Mercruiser / Alpha One

How to winterize a boat. Getting your boat ready for the long winter.

[@SirScottland]

Found you a couple days ago and this is the third video of yours I have watched! Now I feel like I’m ready to winterize my my boat for the first time myself! Thanks for the great videos!!

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Good luck

[@Kalinago27]

Thank you. New boat owner here and this particular video was very helpful.

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Glad it helped

[@rileyheiman1161]

Dude, you are a rockstar! Thank you for the amazing video. 🎉

[@samueelb1]

Thank you, Chris, clear and easy to follow, thank you for sharing.

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Thank you

[@wolfevickery6081]

Great Video Chris thanks for sharing.

[@mjo8856]

Replace blue plugs with metal ones. They get brittle. I had one blow out during our first trip on the water. Bilge came on. End of a day of fun. The bad part is the plastic threads stayed in and had to be drilled out. Not cheap to fix and had to wait a week to get my boat back. Get rid of the plastic or replace often.

[@Xoxma1013]

Thanks a ton, I'm from Minnesota and you know what it's mean.

[@DJNelsonNunezColombia]

Muchas Gracias... Great video.

[@aestheticsinger]

Gonna give it a go for the first time this season. 2005 searay. Same motor.

[@daisy8luke]

Great vid, bro. Saving people tons of cash !

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

I hope so

[@Rivreed1963]

Thanks! Looks easy enough and save $$$

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Very easy. The hardest part is running the boat with stable. Otherwise it would take less than 30 mon

[@jeremymclellan1289]

Good video

[@yumkieyumkie]

I just picked up a 2001 180sse chaparral because of your videos!! 🙌🙌 we’ve enjoyed it a couple times on the lake already and I took my kids tubing. Is there any chance I can send you a picture of my boat and get your opinion on it?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Sure. Send photos. [e-mail]

[@gabewickert445]

Hey Chris! Been watching as we have a new (to us) '96 Sea Ray 180 (Has the 4.3L V6) and it doesn't appear to have 5 blue plugs, but only 2, I manually drained the waterline hoses, is there typically a different amount of these from engine layout to layout?

[@scottcureton6055]

Bit overkill but, well done. Just need to check that there is no water by briefly taking out plug . Don't need additive if you use non ethanol fuel. Drain block....done.

[@BARSSTUDIO]

I have 19ft H2O. I dont have all that room around the engine to work on as you do. I guess every boat has different engine compartment

[@adamprince2611]

Thanks great video. I will winterize mine tomorrow. I live in Columbus Ohio and it's supposed to be 75 so I will take it to the lake to run the fuel stable through and get one last ride. It's a 1994 350, has a 60 gallon tank and about half full right now. should I fill it up before I run it and put it a way for winter?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

It is recommended that the tank should be full ti prevent condensation getting into the tank. But, just running stable is the important

[@michaelcarlo2899]

You should do a video on how you made your canopy

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

I might this coming week

[@shueyang2229]

do you have a video on 2006 mercury optimax winterize?

[@hunterfaison6126]

Was wondering if you could do a video of your depth/fish finder set up and how you like the set up. And if you run side or down scan would like your option on it while traveling with speed. I have a 06 tracker Tahoe and with a 4.3 mercury and trying to figure out what to use and how/where to put the transducer. Thank you in advanced

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

My boat is stored but, I couod film how I mounted it when I openthe cover next week

[@hunterfaison6126]

Yea that would be amazing thank you

[@keiththompson7980]

Chris, What about changing oils and water/fuel separator? Do you recommend doing it when winterizing or should I wait and do them in the Spring? Also, I did both in August and only went out on the Lake a couple of times for less than a few hours total run time?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Check the oil to make sure there is no water mixed with the oil. I change my fuel water separator after I burn the first tank of gas in the spring. It doesn't hurt to do both. I do mine I. The spring. I only used my boat a couple times also.

[@bobpike6727]

Thank you for you excellent video. I have a 1982 3.0 Mercruiser. What do you recommend if I can't find the 5 openings to drain my block in this older boat?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

You should just have two. I made a video. 3.0 drain plugs

[@bobpike6727]

@@BigIslandMNMinnetonka Thanks! I've found them both! Next flood my block and manifold with AF. Which brand of environment friendly do you use?

[@rvglover]

Do you leave the outdrive in the down position all winter after you have winterized the boat? Or can you raise it up?

[@Spacesprocketz]

Wow! The Marina wants to change me $200 for this LOL

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Normal. Time

[@seancalleja1]

Chris, I have done all the same stuff as you. So far so good. However, I have dumped two gallons in that large tube and still nothing has come out of the metal tube where the large hose was connected. Was I supposed to put the drain plugs back in?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Yes put plugs back in. Otherwise it just drains out of those holes. Some people say just draining the block by removing the plugs is good enough .

[@davidvenne1134]

Hey Chris, What are your thoughts about antifreeze that has alcohol in it? (ethanol). I have heard that alcohol causes that gaskets to dry out. Have you had or heard about any issues regarding that?

[@ClayFick]

Ethanol near gaskets and o-rings is never good. My opinion would be to avoid it

[@evanssaxophonejourney]

Hey Chris I'm going to be winterizing my boat for the first time this year and I can't decide whether to use fogger or not. I live in dry northern California weather. Lowest temp is 25 F. I don't wanna ruin my spark plugs by fogging the carburator. But I don't want to be lazy and cheap either and risk ruining my boat engine. Any thoughts?

[@JessieNalls-ik3mc]

I don’t think it’s necessary.. putting new plugs in could be a good thing to tho

[@keiththompson7980]

Do you recommend filing the gas tank before winter storage? I will be transporting the boat several hours to the Lake in the Spring and a full tank adds a lot of weight.

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

I recommend filling it with premium gas. But, I have not filled it many times and have had no issues.

[@johnharrison712]

Hey Chris so I just did what you did on another video that contains to a 3.0L when you drain the block and the exhaust side, do you drain all the anti-freeze from the block/exhaust side or just let a littlebit out?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

If you drain the water out you don't have to drain any of the anti freeze out. It can stay in there. I've done both. Left it in a d drained it. It is a anti burst. It turns to slush

[@2genders]

Why not empty the gear oil reservoir?

[@davidvenne1134]

Hey Chris, sorry for all the questions, but why don’t you pull all four of those black hoses off and fill with antifreeze? Are they all interconnected?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Two go to the manifolds, one goes to the lower end. I try to circulat it through the motor.

[@silverhillleesfamily3691]

I like that rag technique much easier to than taking apart all the hoses . I’m actually going to try to put a a large cork to let it recirculate - following your lead with the rag .

[@silverhillleesfamily3691]

I order a large cork from Amazon

[@davidvenne1134]

Besides the 5 plugs on the engine, does water need to be drained anywhere else on the boat? I have heard some say there is a transmission cooler that has water? But I think that was for a ski boat so I am probably not comparing apples to Apples

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

If you have the same engine as mine you are good.

[@davidvenne1134]

Thank you Chris. Love your videos

[@jasonbrown4590]

Hey. What do you think about sea foam - marine pro?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

Any seafoam is better than non

[@johnharrison712]

Could you take a 5 Gal. Home Depot Bucket, fill it will Antifreeze, Electric Water pump, put the muffs on and Winterize it that way?

[@BigIslandMNMinnetonka]

I wouldn't recommend it. It couod work. Make sure you drain the block first. The thermostat needs to open. Which the engine gets hot and does. But, drain the block and you could do it thst way

[@johnharrison712]

@@BigIslandMNMinnetonka I have the 2007 SeaRay Sport wit the 3.0L engine is the plugs is the same on the 4.0L? If you have a email or something that I can contact you, I’m going to do it this weekend. This is my first time doing it by my self. The marina wanted $550 to do it.

[@Jstars200]

Dou need to run the boat after changing sterndrive oil?

[@todosube]

No, is just seating oil there to lube

[@egondzintars8209]

there's no mention of changing the engine oil

[@fiddynutz68]

Wow that is a lot of shit to winterize a boat, long time boat owner and all i do is add some sea foam, unplug fuel pump let it die and drain water. Every boat has survived multiple -30 montana winters.

[@njmallday]

What do you mean let it die

[@nicholasm2239]

Unplug fuel pump (it's gonna run out of fuel and die...)