Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

ok it's time to start thinking about the end of summer. I have had a jet boat the last couple of years now I own a tritoon and would like to leave it in the lake yearround. I live in Kentucky and will be leaving it in lake Cumberland. Is there anything special I need to do to protect the motor? I hope to use it some on decent days if possible

I leave mine in also during the winter and use it on nice days. But I live in the south where the water doesn't freeze. I would think as long as the water didn't freeze around your motor it would be fine. You don't want the water in the motor to freeze that would cause some problems for sure. So I guess it depends on how cold it gets where you are at. Not much help,I know but I do know from past experience you don't want water in the. Motor to freeze.

depends on how cold your area gets... Just because the lake doesn't freeze, doesn't mean that bit of water left in your water passages, water pump etc wont freeze....

Not to familiar with your weather, (and live in SWFL so i've never had to do it) But, from what i understand once you winterize you can't take her back out until you're ready to "de-winterize". So ride it out until you see the other boats on the lake starting to get wrapped up and motors fogged and call it a day.

Every manufacturer has a different winterizing procedure. They are basically the same, but Google your engine year/make/model and you should be able to locate it.

If your area freezes, and I'm guessing it does, I would be very leery of leaving your boat, and engine in the water. We have our boat on a lift, completely out of the water, and the area freezes and gets some snow, but on nice days we can take the boat out as the lake itself does not freeze.

I was told my my dealer to just make sure the engine was trimmed all the way DOWN..... no trimming up at all. That way all water drains out and won't freeze within the engine.

No de-winterizing, hook up the battery and have at it.

as long as the motor is down it will be fine

ron nh wrote:No de-winterizing, hook up the battery and have at it.

Thanks - sorry again, if never done the process. Only looked into it with my last I/O, and that seemed like a nightmare

We're on KY Lake about 6 miles north of TN. Our toon is on a lift at the dock, engine down. If the water freezes where you are and you're not on a lift, you might consider throwing a bubbler into your slip to keep the water moving and not freezing. We also add a little Staybil to the gas tank. Can take her out all winter with a quick charge to the batteries.

MH Hawker wrote:as long as the motor is down it will be fine

Whhaaaaaat?
IN the water...no bubbler?
Could NEVER get away with that in Michigan. The ice movement crumples docks, breaks stones & cinder blocks at the edge of the lake and would twist the logs right off your boat (after crushing them like the thin beer cans they are).

^^^^Right, Up here I've seen ice destroy as strong a dock as you can build. If things are going the wrong way your boat will flex and buckle. Now you might get lucky. "Do you feel lucky punk"?

i am more or less the same climate as the OP here in wv, its very common to leave the boat in all winter, very few pull it out, and as far as i know no damage is done, or at least i have never heard any one bitching about it

I have been in ky 12 years and I have yet to see Cumberland freeze. I can get down to zero but usally to much movement in water for it to freeze

I had the bubbler when I had a boat on Mississippi. In the back of the marina at HPYC, the water froze. Down here in KY, we're on main part of lake with deep water so no issues. TYJ!

You will be fine on Cumberland in the winter

You could certainly leave your boat in Lake Cumberland all winter. But why would you leave it in the water when you're not using it?

Pontoons are incredibly long lasting boats--when they're kept dry and out of the weather. My last pontoon was good for 28 years, and it was still in great shape without a dent on the hull even. And I want my bottom as clean as possible.