Boat Lovers Guide

Boat tips: winter care

If you don’t winterise your boat properly, you’ll soon discover when spring arrives, your boat could have paid the price. So unless you have a specialist boatyard to do this for you, read our guide to keeping your boat in tip top condition over winter.

If you’re not planning on sailing over the winter months, take some time to put your boat to bed until the warmer weather returns.

You can’t expect to pack your boat away for months of harsh weather without problems. By spending an hour bedding it down properly, you can be sure that next it will be ready to go, without repairing the damage the winter has caused.

If you don’t winterise your boat properly, you’ll soon discover when spring arrives, your boat could have paid the price. So unless you have a specialist boatyard to do this for you, read our guide to keeping your boat in tip top condition over winter.

Engine Your engine is the most important and expensive item on your boat. Unfortunately, it is also the dirtiest job to do, so it’s far better to take care of your boat’s engine first. Dirty oil will stagnate throughout the winter, so you need to change the oil and filter.

You’ll also need to drain the engine’s cooling system by opening the coolant drain at the lowest point. If it’s a closed system, fill with antifreeze and water solution. If it’s an open system, flush it with clean water. If you have a carburettor, drain the gas and fill the tank with fuel stabiliser.

Toilets Ensure any tank used for toilet waste is pumped as dry as possible. Unless you can remove the tank easily, get a professional boatyard to carry this out for you. Always deodorise the tank. Marine shops offer specialised deodorisers made for this.

Clear the Boat Any items left on your boat over winter will inevitably collect moisture and mildew. Remove life jackets, cushions, sails and anything which could be affected and store in indoors.

Cupboards and hatches If you are storing your boat inside, keep all the hatches and storage cupboards open. If you’re boat is staying outside, you’ll need to ensure that all openings are firmly closed.

Cleaning your boat Give the boat a good wash before you tuck it up for the winter months – rinse rope and blocks in fresh water to rinse out salt particles, clean away any dirt and remove any loose ropes or sheets. It’s always best to remove the sails, and put them somewhere dry like a garage.

If you don’t plan to sail over the winter, it’s the perfect opportunity start on those repairs you’ve been putting off, and get ready for 2010.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/boat-tips-winter-care-1623926.html

Where to find boats for sale

The summer holidays are the ideal time for leisure activities and what better fun could you choose than boating? There are lots of boats for sale advertised in the paper. With a boat you can go fishing, exploring waterways, learn to ski or just cruise around having fun. But first you need to get a boat, and it must be the correct size and type for the activity that you are likely to do the most.

The type of boat you will buy needs a lot of thought  and you may even like to be democratic and put it to a family vote. But once you have decided, the next thing to think of is where to get your boat from? Boats for sale are not generally as obvious as cars in a car saleyard. Used boats for sale are often advertised in the classifieds of the major newspapers, or in the newspapers that are dedicated to selling cars, boats and other things.

You can also go to many online websites where people who have cars, motorbikes or boats for sale advertise. Once you have found a suitable boat in a nearby location, the next step is to go and have a look at it. While there will probably be a photo of the boat for sale with the advertisement, you really need to inspect the boat personally. And if you dont know much about boats, it would be a good idea to take along someone who does. You dont want to buy a boat that is not seaworthy.

Of course, you may want to look at all those beautiful new boats for sale and one of the best places to do this is at a lifestyle expo that features them. Looking at boats for sale will also give you a better idea of what would suit you.

Mel writes about boats for sale among other automotive related topics.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/where-to-find-boats-for-sale-1622235.html

Hunter 40 5 Sailboat. Best in class!

Beautiful 40′ Hunter Sailboat, for sale in ventura, CA. This boat has won the “Best in Fleet” award for their Yacht club. You won’t find a nicer version of this boat.