Posted: October 19 2006 at 23:01 | IP Logged

lets try this again....goofed and hit the wrong button..

ok....if you don't want to pay a pro to do this then this is what I'd do...run the engine till it's warm...change all the oils in the engine and outdrive...also pump the water out of the fresh water tank and the sanitation tank....make sure that tank is empty cuz your going to put anti freeze in it thru the head....also fill the water tank with the anti freeze stuff and pump thru your water system....restart the engine and run the antifreeze thru the drive....and thru the engine..make sure the engine is up to temp so the thermostat is open....lastly while the engine is running ..you have to pour a fogging oil down the intake while it's running till it almost stalls at that point shut the engine off...it's now fogged....lift the drive unit up and support it if it's on the trailor or leave it down.....finally...take the batt's out and store in a warm place....cover the boat completely with a tarp or one of those plastic covers......also if you can keep pwr to it...stick one of those electric dryers in the salon or use those dry-eze thingys to draw water out of the cabin to keep mold down....

Posted: October 29 2008 at 18:56 | IP Logged

Hey Kensema - fellow New Englander and Maxum boat owner here.  In addition to everything Steve201 mentions, there's one very important thing you'll need to do - add a quality marine fuel stabilizer to your gas tank. 

You'll want to have a full tank of gas before you store your boat for the winter.  The thinking behind that it less condensation will form in the tank, thus less chance for water in your gas when you recommission her in the springtime.

Also, it's a good idea to drain and refill the oil from the lower unit - if the oil is milky then you have water in the oil - which means at the very least you'll need drive gaskets in the spring... at any rate you'll be a lot better off than if the water froze in the drive causing internal damage. 

Another thing is to get all the water out of the bilges - so make sure your drain plug is removed.  Some folks also add a little bio-friendly anti-freeze to the bilge, others just ensure it's dry. 

If you plan on keeping your boat on the trailer, or blocks in the off season - water is your boats worst enemy.

There is some great info out there on the web about winterizing your boat - just do a google search on "boat winterization".

Hope that helps!