How to Prepare your Watercraft for Winter Storage
When it comes time to put your watercraft away for winter storage, there are a few steps that can help make either your life easier or your service shop’s life easier. Plus, it will give you a piece of mind that your watercraft has been protected from potential mold or rodent problems come springtime. Let’s take a look!
Contact Your Local Service Shop to Schedule:
The first step is to contact your local service department to schedule a day to either drop off your watercraft, meet them at a local ramp, or have them pick it up from your location. It’s recommended to plan this out a few weeks in advance so you are able to choose a date that fits your schedule. The Odyssea Jet and Prop Shop offer a few options for scheduling: call/text (267-718-2969), email us at [email protected], or fill out our online form at the bottom of the page here.
Leave Your Keys and Lanyard:
This may sound obvious but you will want to make sure you leave your keys, lanyard, or any security fobs on your watercraft. Keys will be needed to complete a winterization as your watercraft will be started. After the winterization is complete, your keys will be kept safely on the boat during storage. Then in the Spring, the keys will be available to make it easier and more convenient for the service shop to complete your spring prep and have you back on the water.
Are There any Known Issues with Your Watercraft?
If you know of any known issues with your watercraft, you will want to make the service department aware upon drop-off or scheduling. Doing this can save time and allow the shop to better plan for your equipment. Depending on what the issue(s) are, will determine whether the work needs to be completed prior to having it winterized or waiting until Spring but having the parts on order so they are in stock when the time comes.
Empty Your Watercraft Prior to Dropping-Off:
This is an important one! When planning to store your boat or jet ski for the winter, it’s a good idea that you take most if not all items out of your boat/Jetski especially if you plan to have it shrink-wrapped. Look at this as a way to re-organize and “spring clean” your boat, just doing it in the fall. With the number of boats that most service shops store for winter, it’s not possible to store everyone’s items inside a warehouse so all items will have to be kept on the boat/jetski.
Here’s why:
If items are left on the boat and the items are wet, it can cause moisture under the shrink wrap. When this happens, mold can form on the seats which can be cleaned but it could also leave stains.
The second reason is rodents. Any items that may have a food or fish smell could possibly attract rodents. If this happens they may try to get to that item in any way possible which means ripping the seats.
How do we help to prevent this?
When you have your boat/jetski shrink-wrapped with Odyssea Jet and Prop Shop, there will be moisture bags hanging from the stanchions that help hold up the shrink wrap. This helps to prevent mold issues.
Under the seats, a tray will hold moth balls and Irish spring soap. The smells of these will help deter rodents from coming inside the boat. Moth balls will then be tossed around the outside of the boat, again to help deter them.
Now that you have this information, you will be ready for drop-off once you’re ready. We are always happy and available to help answer questions and we look forward to serving you at our family service shop.
Contact Information:
- 267-718-2969
- Website
- Location: Ocean Pines, MD