I hate to think about it, but one of these days I am going to have to put my boat away for the season. At what point do I need to winterize? It is a small boat, so basically it is the motor I am concerned with. Will freezing temps at night harm the motor?

The generic answer is "as soon as you've used it for the last time this year - don't wait."

Freezing temps could hurt your engine, if you didn't drain the motor of water when you pulled it out of the lake. Just tilt the motor down and ensure no more water is draining out before trailering home. Or if it is home, then do it now. Water freezing in the lower unit can cause a lot of damage.

Aside from that, you shouldn't need to winterize it if you're still using it every weekend or two. But when you know you're done for the year, winterize it as soon as possible.

Freezing temps could hurt your engine, if you didn't drain the motor of water when you pulled it out of the lake. Just tilt the motor down and ensure no more water is draining out before trailering home. Or if it is home, then do it now. Water freezing in the lower unit can cause a lot of damage.

That water in the motor and overnight temps is exactly what I was worried about. I usually do tip the motor down when I first pull off the ramp, and then tip it up and put my transom saver in before I hit the road. Once I get home I tip it down again for storage through the week.

Once I get home I tip it down again for storage through the week.

That right there is a smart move.

In addition to trimming it down, early and late in the season I also bump the motor to pump any water out that may be just sitting in there.

I winterize around Thanksgiving. First ice is normaly 2-3 weeks after that.

In addition to trimming it down, early and late in the season I also bump the motor to pump any water out that may be just sitting in there.

I winterize around Thanksgiving. First ice is normaly 2-3 weeks after that.

What do you mean by bumping the motor?

Turn it over a bit.

i winterize my boat by backing it an extra few feet in the garage.

ya, that's about it. We keep ours in an insulated, heated garage. So....

Besides, we fish throughout the year (except when the roads are icy).

Is winterizing a boat really worth it?

I don't "winterize" personally. But I make sure that I have proper gas treatment in the fuel, and make sure that there is no water draining into or out of the motor. I do this all year around however. If you keep your batteries charged up correctly and use it 2-3 weekends a month you should be good to go.