Winterizing a Houseboat - Preparing a house boat for Winter

by Penny
(Oklahoma)

How do I go about winterizing a houseboat, or prepare a house boat for winter storage? Looking to winterize a 1974 Stardust houseboat in Oklahoma....ie....some bad weather here.

Leaving it outside in a covered slip. Be beginner friendly please, and looking for A-Z instructions. This is my first houseboat and have only had it a month.

Thanks, Penny



Reply - Answer
Well Penny, congratulations on your houseboat purchase. I imagine it's a sad time of year since you have had it a month, and you now need to winterize it for winter storage :)

One of the biggest recommendations I can make about winterizing a house boat, is to remember that when the temperature drops below freezing, you have to protect items or things that can be damaged.

In other words, the plumbing, outdrive (s), engine (s), interior humidity levels, and the houseboat exterior should be protected from the elements. Since you're in a covered slip, you can decide to what extent that you want to protect the exterior.

You may want to look at what your neighbors are doing regarding whether the lake water freezes or not. If it freezes, you want to use a "bubbler system" to keep the water moving. (this keeps water from freezing around the houseboat)

You will find the following articles on our site of interest to you:

Winter Houseboat Storage Tips

Outdoor Storage Tips for Houseboats


Lastly, hopefully some of our readers will share and post comments about their winter houseboat storage winterization experiences. Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments." link found at the bottom of this page.


Thanks again for sharing, IAN - from www.all-about-houseboats.com

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