If you have a charter boat in Vancouver then you will know how important it is to look after your yacht and ensure that it is maintained well in the winter in order to give you the maximum benefit come summer!
Here are some of the top tips that we recommend for winter maintenance on your charter boat in Vancouver.
Make a plan of all the jobs that you intend to do come layup and always allow some contingency….be realistic about how long jobs take too!
Water systems – ensure all your plumbing systems are well drained, that includes all pipes, pumps, tanks and strainers – any residual water left on board can freeze over the winter and cause water damage which can be expensive not to mention tedious to have to to fix come spring, when you just want to get out on the water!
Holding Tanks – should be completely emptied and follow the correct procedure for your charter yacht to ensure the heads are laid up correctly.
It is also a good idea to remove all your linen and soft furnishings from your sailboat. Curtains, bed linen and cushions can all get damp and suffer with mildew during the damp cold conditions. This also goes for loose electronics like torches etc.. this can suffer from corrosion and will then need replacing.
Give the boat a good clean all over before you close it up, at least you know you have left it clean and won’t reboard in Spring to unpleasant smells of unwanted food left in the refrigerator!
Another top tip we recommend is looking over all your safety gear and checking that fire extinguishers, buoyancy aids etc.. are all working well and up to standard.
Have your engine properly serviced and follow your manufacturers advise on how to leave your fuel tanks correctly for the winter.