Well – here we are. Summer has come and gone – way too quickly! Cool nights are upon us, leaves are starting to change color and soon we (northerners!) will be shoveling and plowing snow!
With all of that ahead – you may be wondering what you need to do to winterize your Nauticraft boat.
First of all, if you live in a climate that is going to freeze, you will want to take your boat out of the water. Ice can cause damage to the pedal drive system and moving ice flows may also cause the hull to become misshapen.
You will then need to drain any water which may have entered the boat during the year and accumulated between the hulls. This step is especially critical for boats that are stored in freezing weather conditions.
Drain holes for both the Encore & the Sprite can be found at the rear of the boat on the keels. These drain plugs should be removed to allow any water (this should be very minimal) to drain out. MAKE SURE TO REPLACE THE DRAIN PLUGS AFTER THIS PROCESS!
Water in the Escapade should first be pumped out via the bilge pump. A sponge can then be used to clean out any excess water in the Escapade’s bilge.
If you have an electric boat, we suggest disconnecting the battery after charging it fully and then attaching a trickle charger to protect it from becoming too depleted. If storing the battery on a concrete floor, you may want to set it on a piece of wood. This will prevent it from getting too cold and reducing storage capacity.
We highly recommend storing your boat inside. If it is necessary to store it outside, you will want to cover it tightly to keep dirt, moisture and squirrels out. Make sure that the cover is heavy enough so it won’t rip and let water inside. You will also need a support to keep the cover well above the windshield to protect it from the weight of snow accumulation.
You might want to check out the videos on our website which further describe winterizing your pedal, pedal/electric or electric boat. We think that you will find these very helpful!
By Camille Devaux -
A friend of mine brought up making sure her boat is ready for the winter. She wants to get a boat cover to help with this issue to protect it from the elements. It would help her a lot to know that she should disconnect the battery as well.
By Mary Davis -
That is a great comment – thank you for posting it. That particular blog does discuss disconnecting the battery & attaching a trickle charger to it. I may just re-post it, though, to refresh persons on the steps they should take in winterizing their boats. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention!
By Elizabeth wexler -
Can I put it on my boat lift under covered dock for the winter in tn.