Many threads on winterizing here. Some difference of opinion on what it takes, too.
I followed this recipe (not including washing / waxing / other cosmetic routine):
- Fuel stabilizer in last tank before pulling (run it to circulate stablizer) and filled to near top (minimize room for condensation but leave room for expansion when it gets warm in spring)
- Oil change (Not required for winter, but I did this annually and subscribe to theory that changing in fall is best so fresh oil sits in your engines during the long winter nap - no sludge, varnish, or particulate to settle out. Others prefer to change in spring and have their own set of reasons. Do a jetboaters.net search on this.)
- Run on hose for a bit to circulate fresh oil
- Get as much water out of boat as possible: rev engines a couple times to clear water boxes (won't clear 100%, but less water is better), jack up bow as high as safe & practical to drain as much water out of sump as possible (if any), check nooks & crannies for any pooled water & remove if found (usually did not find)
- Lightly fog engines following Yamaha procedure for my engines
- Check if main bearings needed grease (I think I added a squeeze or two to each side one year)
- Pull batteries to put on conditioner over the winter
- Use painters tape on all thru-hull holes to keep any critters out
- Remove all items from boat & stored in basement to allow air circulation inside boat & minimize chance for mold or mildew (including all removable cushions)
- Place a couple of cheap plastic buckets with Damp Rid inside in different areas of boat (buckets catch any excess water if the damp rid gets saturated)
- Store at indoor unheated storage facility* with mooring cover on and jack stands to take load off tires**
- Make sure mooring cover belt is snug but not overly so to avoid distorting hull
Effort rating: two beers
Never used antifreeze. Spent more time maintaining trailer bearings as it got older, usually during season, added a bit of grease before winterizing last year or two.
*Stored in heated facility the first couple of seasons mainly because I got a screaming deal, not necessary
**Jack stands in a commercial storage facility took a little coordination w facility, they were not thrilled but did cooperate
Anyway, this is what I did in SE Wisconsin. Our winters are a bit colder than yours, but not by much. For me, the biggest pain was shlepping all the boat contents down into the basement for storage (and I carried a lot of gear - more than most would - as my main boating waters were Lake Michigan and I was always prepared for whatever). But, it was worth it: I never fought mold or mildew at all, my boat was always in pristine condition, gave me eight seasons of zero-trouble service, and brought top dollar when it came time to sell.
Recommissioning in spring:
- Install charged, happy, ready--to-go batteries (and put lawnmower battery on now-available conditioner)
- Remove painters tape from thru-hull
- Remove Damp Rid buckets & discard
- Re-stow various boating gear
- Replace cushions
- After first launch, run boat gently for first 15 minutes or so to make sure lube everywhere and fog oil burned off
- After first run of season (and fog oil is definitely gone), I replaced all spark plugs (note my MR-1 engines were SUPER spark plug sensitive, so I proactively replaced each spring... not sure this is necessary on newer 1.8s)
Effort rating: one beer
That's about it. No lower unit work. Nearly all annual maintenance done. Reliably safe for winter. Reliably ready fpr spring. No big deal.
PS: I may have forgotten one or two steps, will edit/update later if remember more. Also, this is what I did, on a 2008 SX-230, which was similar to but not exactly the same as newer Yamahas and other models. YMMV.
BTW I read today that someone on this forum mentioned they found areas in the Yamaha engine that retained water.
