Boat winterization checklist

No sign-up, no email. Print it and tick the boxes as you go.

Boat winterization checklist · theseafolk.com

This is the list we would use to lay a boat up for winter or haul-out. No sign-up, no email. Print it (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and tick the boxes as you go.

It is a general guide. Your engine manual, your boat's manual and your yard's rules come first. If in doubt, ask before you touch anything.

Download to print and pin up at the club (PDF, A4)

Before you haul out

Book your slot at the yard and ask what they require (cradle, slings, wash-down, deadlines).
Check the dates on your boat documents and on your policy with your insurer.
List what stays aboard and what goes home with you.
Take photos of the boat as you leave it. You will want them in spring.

Engine

Change oil and filter with the engine warm, as the manual says.
Change the fuel filters. Drain the water from the separator.
Fill the diesel tank or treat it as your manual says (less air, less condensation). Add biocide if you use it.
Flush the raw-water circuit with fresh water.
For the raw-water circuit, your engine manual rules, because makers do not all say the same: some say drain it at the drain points (block, manifolds, heat exchanger), others say flush it and leave an antifreeze mix in until launch. Use the antifreeze and the mix your manual names.
Do not drain the engine's closed coolant circuit: check its level and antifreeze protection as your manual says. Close seacocks only once the boat is out of the water and the circuit is drained or protected.
Check belts, hoses, clamps and the raw-water pump impeller.
Check the engine anode and the shaft anode. Replace them if they are worn.
Grease whatever the manual says to grease.

Sails

Take the sails down and rinse them with fresh water. No harsh detergents.
Dry them completely before storing. A damp sail grows mould.
Check seams, slides, reef lines and the boom cover. Note what needs sewing or replacing.
Fold without sharp creases and store dry, away from rodents.
If you have a furler, check the drum and the halyard. Take the genoa off if the boat stays outdoors.

Rigging

Look from top to bottom: shrouds, stays, terminals, turnbuckles, split pins. Look for broken strands, rust and cracks.
Check the spreaders and their ends, the mast base and the chainplates.
Replace any split pin or ring you are unsure about. They are cheap.
Rinse the blocks with fresh water and check they turn.
Inspect or replace halyards. Leave messenger lines in the mast if halyards come out.
Tie halyards off so they do not slap the mast in the wind. The noise also wears them.
If the yard unstep the mast, ask how it will be supported and check the wiring inside.

Fresh water and plumbing

Empty the water tank, the hoses and the water heater completely. Leave water in the tank only if there is no frost risk, and make it treated water.
Drain the water heater and the hot water circuit.
If frost is possible, pump propylene-glycol potable-water antifreeze through the pipes (never car antifreeze). Do not fill the tank with it.
Empty and clean the holding tank. Check valves and pumps.
Open taps and showers so nothing stays under pressure.
If frost is possible, protect the bilge pumps and the shower pump too.

Batteries and electrics

Fully charge lead-acid batteries (flooded, AGM or gel) before you disconnect them. If they are lithium, follow the maker's instructions (some ask for a half charge) and do not charge them in frost.
Disconnect the positives or open the main switch.
If they stay aboard, connect them to a maintenance charger or a solar panel, or recharge them once a month. Better: take them somewhere dry and frost-free.
Check the electrolyte level on open lead-acid batteries. Top up with distilled water only.
Clean the terminals and protect them with petroleum jelly or a terminal protector.
Check for phantom loads. Switch off fridge, lights and radios.
Take sensitive electronics home (plotter, handheld VHF, GPS).
Check the shore-power inlet and the charger.

Hull, haul-out and deck

Wash the hull and take off growth before it hardens.
Check for osmosis, blisters, cracks and the state of the antifouling.
Check the propeller, rudder, skeg, shafts and stern gland.
Check the seacocks: they turn, they do not leak, and they close properly.
Grease winches, sheaves and fittings that need it.
Check the cradle or stands: firm supports, boat level.
Take off food, liquids and anything that can freeze or rot.

Cover and ventilation

Dry the inside of the boat. Damp is winter's enemy.
Rig the cover over a frame (boom, poles or hoops) so it does not rest on the deck and air can move.
Pad the chafe points (corners, stays, spreaders).
Leave an air inlet and outlet. A fully sealed cover breeds mould.
Tie it down well. Winter wind turns it into a huge sail.
Open lockers and drawers and keep the interior ventilated. Use moisture absorbers if needed.
Visit in January or February. Look for leaks, cover tension and the cradle.

Before you leave

Close hatches and portlights.
Check the yard has your details and a contact number.
Write down what you did and what is left for spring. You will not remember in March.

Winter is when a boat sitting idle costs the most

A boat on land still costs money: yard, berth or cradle, upkeep. And it does not sail.

At The Seafolk you swap it for weeks in other ports. You spend a week on another member's boat; another member spends a week on yours. Every exchange is with the owner aboard or with a professional skipper.

What there is today, no gloss:

We are a young, small club. You would be among the first.
There are founder places, capped at 1,000 boats.
It is free until 31 December 2026. After that, 90 € a year, for life for founders.
Bareboat charter is not open for now.

Reserve your founder place