www.iFourWinns.com

I am curious what your winterizing method is?

I used the kit once with bad luck - I opened my block drains a week later because I was paranoid, and all water came out!!

So now I drain everything and flush anti-freeze through until it comes out all of the orifices. Then I shrinkwrap it and wait til spring.

My step by step winterization:
1.) A week or two before haul out, start adding sta-bil to the gas tank. Drive boat and use generator to circulate.
2.) The day I haul out, change oil in the engines and generator. After I change the oil, I start the engines and generator to circulate the new oil and then I fog the engines.
3.) Pull block drains & manfold hoses, pull fresh & raw water hoses too. Coat hanger out the block drains
4.) Remove t-stat housing. Remove plug on intake manifold and drain water from there too.
5.) Pour anti-freeze in the t-stat housing until all residual water is pushed out and I see anti-freeze coming out of the manifolds, block drains, and intake.
6.) Pour anti-freeze into the hose that comes in from the transom, until anti-freeze comes out of the outdrives.

The generator is MUCH easier to winterize!
1.) Like I said, I change the oil and restart it to circulate the fresh oil.
2.) Then, I disconnect the sea cock intake. Pull the spark plug wires. Turn generator engine over a few times to purge all water out of the system.
3) Reconnect spark plug wires, put raw water intake hose into a gallon of anti-freeze. Start generator.
4.) When anti-freeze starts blowing out the side of the boat at the exhaust thru-hull, kill engine. Its usually pretty quick
** The generator has a closed cooling system, and raw water is used to cool the exhaust only. The engine requires no "winterization" in the sense of draining water.

Thats really about it for the engine and generator. I always check the outdrive lube for water intrusion out of the bottom plug. If its clean, I top off and leave it for spring.

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

I leave the engine to the pros as my insurance requires it for coverage.

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2004 248 Vista "Amante"
MC 5.0MPI/B3

Funny you mention that...

My marine insurance requires that the boat is winterized to "standards set by the region". It is perfectly ok to winterize the boat yourself and you will be covered, so much as you did it properly. I do pay a small additional premium for extra "freezing and cracking" coverage. Thankfully, Ive never had to use it! I am the self-proclaimed king of boat damage paranoia and OCD/overkill. Ive been known, in the past, to add a bilge heater even after the engine is drained and backflushed with anti-freeze. Fortunately, Ive made great strides in the past few years and I realize that Im worrying over nothing.


Btw, I added an option to the poll for having the marina/mechanic do it.

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

OK, changed my vote.

The way my insurance lady put it is:
You winterize yourself and it freezes/cracks = no coverage
Pay a certified mechanic to winterize and it freezes/cracks = Covered

I don't mind it at all. $125 gets my fuel stabilized, outdrive lube changed, fuel filter changed, engine drained, fogged, and filled with AF.
Worth ever penny not to have to do it myself.

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2004 248 Vista "Amante"
MC 5.0MPI/B3

I agree! Thats a great price for winterization you've got there and it assures you will be covered.

Where in Michigan are you located?

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Just paid to get it winterized. I would do myself, but I don't want to accept the liability.

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

Dont forget to cast your votes

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Charlevoix.

It would be $200 with the oil change but I do that myself.

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2004 248 Vista "Amante"
MC 5.0MPI/B3

That is still a great price! I only spend about $70 to do it myself, but I spend a lot more time then what it is worth for that kind of money. I hate changing the drive lube and doing the engine oil myself. places around here want around $350+ for what you described!!

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2006 Vista 278
First Boat:
2005 Sundowner 205
Columbus, OH

Well I could not check off any of the questions. I have a closed system on my 2 Volvo engines and I did not buy my 5gal kit from W.M.

Once the boat hits the hard I take the 5gal can and connect it to the hose intake to each engine. Open the valve, start each engine until the pink hits the ground. That takes about 30 secs. and I shut it down. I leave the AF in, I don't want air in there.

Take the boat across Lake Ontario to Wilson, NY (42 miles), dock it, and leave it. The awesome guys at Wilson Boatyard Marina do the rest. All in, much less than half the cost of winterizing/storing at my home marina, plus in the spring I save enough on my fuel bill to make the trip over basically free.

My insurance also requires winterizing to be done by a marine mechanic if i wish to have coverage.

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1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

No more fogging. VP bulletin has you hook up an external fuel tank (oil and fuel mix). Fogging is dorking up the ECM's some how. Just an FYI...

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

"My insurance also requires winterizing to be done by a marine mechanic if i wish to have coverage."

Not in the U.S.A. at least that I have heard of.

I follow step by step the OMC manual, which LouC has described in detail on this forum before, and it worked and is straight forward. Old school doghouse take 30 seconds to unfasten and get out of the way, giving full access to engine, plugs, etc.

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1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

No one is mentioning one of the most important parts of winterizing. Drive removal. It is a recommended annual task for VP. Bellows, U-Joints shaft, seals, gimble need to be inspected annually.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X