Preparing your RIB for winter storage
What is winterizing ?
Winterizing a boat - of any kind - involves carrying out a series of maintenance operations on it before storing it for the winter, and thus protecting it properly against cold, frost, and other inclement weather.
This is a vital routine in the life cycle of your boat, especially if you own a Zodiac-type craft. Indeed, semirigid boats are the most sensitive to winter.
Wintering must be done properly, and requires a certain investment of time and energy if you want to maintain your RIB inflatable boat as well as possible, and guarantee that it's back on the road, running smoothly and performing well when you relaunch.
So, in this article, Orca Retail takes you through all the steps needed to properly winterize your RIB.
1. Empty your boat
There are many good reasons why we as boat owners should empty our boats before wintering.
First of all, it allows you not to misplace anything or have anything stolen while storing your boat. So you may need some of this equipment when you're not out and about.
As a second step, this is the ideal opportunity to review the inventory of your equipment, and in particular to check its state of wear and therefore to plan replacements so as not to be caught short next season. Who knows, you may even find items you thought were lost !
Finally, evacuating your boat helps protect it and its equipment during the movements required to move your RIB into its shed or storage room.
Also take the opportunity to rinse and clean anything that can be, whether sporting equipment (masks, fins, snorkels, wakeboards, fishing rods), electronic (GPS, VHF), safety (life jackets, buoys, flares, fire extinguishers ...), or other.
2. Saddlery and battery care
These are the parts that can suffer the most during winter, being sensitive to cold and damp. Pull them out to store them in a dry place.
Here, too, is an opportunity to pamper these parts of your boat, especially the upholstery, which you can clean and maintain with the appropriate products. As for the battery, this is your chance to recharge it !
If you can't disconnect your battery from your RIB boat, try to check it anyway and recharge it once a month. In fact, over-discharged batteries wear out more quickly.
3. Winterizing the motor
If you can, remove your motor. But before you do, don't forget to carry out the maintenance steps: fresh water rinse, oil and fuel change.
Now turn your attention to your engine parts.
- The propeller : remove it to check its condition and to grease the shaft.
- Spark plugs : check if they need changing.
- Baseplate drain : drain your gearbox every 100 hours of cruising.
- The anodes : as with spark plugs, inspect them and change them if necessary.
- The fuel system : clean or change the engine system filter and drain the carburetor bowl.
- Launcher rope : check that it's still solid.
- Other parts and joints : to be greased.
4. Cleaning
Now it's time to clean your RIB boat. This begins with the carénage.
Boat careening involves cleaning the boat's hull and applying several coats of antifouling to avoid oxidation. Clean with a sponge and cleaning products before rinsing (preferably with a karcher). Once clean and dry, apply your coats of antifouling to the hull.
For the rest of your boat cleaning, see our dedicated article " How to maintain your RIB boat ". Here, too, we describe all the steps, products and equipment you need to take good care of all the parts of your RIB: hull, tubes, deck and engine.
This is also the time to deflate and check the condition of your tubes. If you see wear and tear or want to change their appearance, consider our cut boat repair fabrics !
5. Storage
Your boat is now ready for the final stage, storage. Find a suitable location so that during the winter, your boat is protected :
- from UV rays
- from cold
- humidity
- acid rain
- various pollution
Privilege an enclosed and dry location (garage, warehouse) and cover your boat with its tarp or a wintering tarpaulin.
Beware, it's important to let air circulate to avoid mold. This is particularly true if you have cupboards or storage : it's advisable to leave them open.
Would you like to hire a professional to winterize your RIB boat ?
Consult on our website our page dedicated to our partner network of boat repairers, or our blog articles by department or region to find where to service your Zodiac near you.
Discover our products:
Read more about the world of RIBs:
- The best RIB boat accessories
- Why buy a RIB boat? Avantages
- The best RIB inflatable boat models
- Preparing to launch your inflatable boat
- How to maintain your RIB boat
Queries: AB inflatables repair, BRIG repair, Highfield repair, Capelli Tempest repair, Nueva Joly repair, Valiant repair, Zar Formenti repair, Walker's Bay repair, Yamaha repair, Honda repair, Pirelli repair, Joker Boat repair, Grabner repair