Winter Lay-up - Are you Ready?

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Winter is here again!

With Winter already here and the weather soon to worsen, a short list of items you may want to think about.

  1. Check that you are happy with the manner in which the marina boatyard have propped or cradled your vessel. I see time and time agin vessels poorly supported by shores or cradles causing damage to the hull or worse a vessel on her side... Make sure the boatyard have used large pads to spread the load from the pads and if you see any signs of indentation or doors and sole boards no longer fitting inside, then speak to the yard.
  2. Remove all your canvas items if you can as sprayhoods act as good sails with a vessel ashore.
  3. Remove all your sails and send them for cleaning or take them home.
  4. Secure all halyard as they can damage the fittings on the mast or themselves when slapping against the mast during the Winter.
  5. Drain the water system and pump anti freeze through your heads.
  6. Have your engine winterised.
  7. Place a heater inside the vessel and a dehumidifier. This will help mainatin the interio condition minimising condensation. If you have a motorboat try to place a separate heater in the engine compartment.
  8. Lift all cushion up to alow circulation of air so reducing condensation and damp.
  9. Empty your chain locker, lowering your anchor and ground tackle onto a pallet. This will allow the anchour and chain to ve cleaned/re-coated and the chain locker to be cleaned out.
  10. Empty those cockpit locker allowing them to be cleaned out and hang up all those mooring lines.
  11. Check all your safety equipment, send for servicing or dispose ready for new purchases at the Boat Show. Do not leave Horse Shoe Buoys or Danbuoys sitting on the pushpit. Put them down below.
  12. Service the seacocks, leave them open and grease and operate them until they are smooth and clean of surface corrosion. Check the stainless steel jubilee clips making sure both (and yes there should be two) are secure and without corrosion.
  13. Remove your log trasducer and clean this and insert the blanking plug.
  14. Note your anodes and buy replacements now, but do not fit them until after you ahve antifouled the hull/re-sprayed the saildrive leg.
  15. If you can remove your propeller so that it can be cleaned and polished. Do not place a plastic bag over the prop thinking this will help protect it, it will promote corrosion.
  16. Make sure you diesel tank(s) are full to prevent condensation.

The list is endless, but all these basic items will see your vessel through to the Spring avoiding freeze and wind damage.

Best of luck.