Drain Your Outboard Motors

General Boats and Motors
1

It’s going to start getting colder at night, so don’t forget to habitually drain the water from your motors after use and after flushing so you don’t pop something when the water freezes.

Edit: In other words, tilt the motor all the way down, and let the water all drain out. Then, tilt it back to where you normally store it. Also, it’s a good idea to pull your plug and let any water drain out of the bildge, too. *(Just don’t forget to put it back in before you put your boat in the water! :smiley:) Freezing water breaks things.

Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance Agency, Inc.
https://stricklandmarine.net
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862

2

Also add RV antifreeze to or use a wet vac to pull any water from pump casings.

3

I forgot to add that freshwater tanks can also freeze and cause damage, so if you have a boat with a freshwater tank that’s exposed enough to the cold that it might freeze, now’s a good time to consider draining it.

Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance Agency, Inc.
https://stricklandmarine.net
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862

4

I always store on the trailer with the motor down. Keeps the rain from accumulating in the exhaust and freezing.