Winterize Your Boat!
For $350 + parts
Boat Winterization Services on Lake Martin
Cold snaps around Lake Martin and across Alabama can crack blocks, split hoses, and ruin your spring boating plans. At Russell Marine, we make boat winterization simple and easy. Get professional boat winterization service at one of our locations, or pick up the essentials to winterize your boat yourself. We have expert boat technicians and the equipment to protect your boat and keep it in great shape all throughout the year. We'll protect your boat's engine, fuel, cooling, and electrical systems during the winter season. Plus, our boat storage options will keep your boat clean, dry, and ready for spring.
⭐ Multiple Locations
⭐ Storage Available
Why Boat Winterization Matters
Even in Alabama, brief freezes and off-season moisture can cause:
- Water left in your boat’s engines/systems to freeze and cause cracking
- Ethanol fuel issues, phase separation, and gummed injectors/carburetors
- Corrosion in your boat’s cooling systems
- A dead boat battery and moldy interiors from poor storage
A proper plan now means a Stress-free launch in spring!
New Customer?
Existing Customer?
Download and send in our PDF Winterization Form
What’s Included When We Winterize Your Boat
Our standard boat winterization service covers the essentials, along with the small details that prevent freeze damage, corrosion, and headaches when the boating season starts back up. Our boat winterization service protects your boat’s engine, fuel system, and interior. We’ll remove your boat from storage, add fuel conditioner, and run the engine to circulate the winterization treatment. We’ll also warm your oil and change your boat’s oil, filter, and fuel-water separator if you have one. The next steps of winterizing your boat involve greasing your steering and fittings, topping off lower-unit lube, removing drain plugs, draining the bilge, and restoring your boat.
Boat Winterization Services By Power Type
| Power Type | Core Winterization Steps |
|---|---|
| Inboard / V-Drive | Fuel stabilize & run, oil & filter, block/manifold antifreeze, gear lube check, steering lube, bilge dry |
| Outboard / Sterndrive | Fuel stabilize & run, oil (if 4-stroke), lower-unit lube, cooling flush, anodes check, bellows/gimbal inspect (I/O) |
| PWC / Jet Boat | Fuel stabilize & run, oil (where applicable), cooling flush, system drains, battery care |
Boat Winterization Service Pricing
Our pricing for boat winterization services includes $350 for labor per engine plus the cost of parts, which vary by the boat’s make and model. If you have a personal watercraft, the labor costs are still the same, plus the cost of the jet ski parts needed to complete the winterization.
If you store your boat at one of our locations and choose not to winterize it, Russell Marine isn’t responsible for freeze damage. The same applies if we don’t receive your notice by December 1, 2025. Book your winterization early to prevent boat damage and costly boat repairs.
Boat Winterization & Boat Storage
Keep your investment safe and close to Lake Martin, stored at one of our boat dealerships or marinas. Booking winterization services and properly storing your boat is seamless. We offer our boat winterization services along with outdoor and indoor boat storage at the following locations.
DIY or Pro: Your Boat Winterization Options
If you’d rather winterize your boat yourself, our locations carry boating accessories and parts to help, including complete boat winterizing kits. In preparation to winterize your boat, you’ll need non-toxic antifreeze, stabilizer, fogging oil, gear lube, filters, and more. Follow this simplified checklist— then call us if you need a sanity check:
Stabilize the fuel and run the engine to circulate.
Change oil & filter (warm engine first) and replace fuel/water separator if needed.
Drain raw-water circuits (block/manifolds) and add marine antifreeze as specified.
Fog the engine (carb/throttle-body or via cylinders) where applicable.
Service lower unit/gear lube; inspect for water/milky fluid.
Flush cooling system; inspect belts, hoses, and anodes.
Charge or disconnect batteries; use a maintainer.
Clean & dry the interior, add mildew prevention, and secure a snug cover.
Not sure about a step? Hand your boat to our expert technicians and we’ll complete your boat’s winterization, so you can relax this off-season. We’ll handle the service, flag any issues, and prepare it for spring with our summarization services (spring de-winterization and commissioning) as well. When the weather turns, all you have to do is turn the key and hit the water.
Book Your Boat Winterization Services
Existing Customers
(We already store your boat)
Sign & submit your Winterization Form to the location that stores your boat. Our experts will pull your boat from storage, complete the boat winterization service, note any recommended repairs, and return it to storage. You’ll get a confirmation with what services our team performed, anything we found, and your summerization (spring commissioning) options. This way, you’ll be the first on the water when the weather turns. Make sure you include your preferred service date window and any add-on boat services you’d like us to bundle in.
New Customers
Request a winterization quote for the make, model, and engine of your boat so you’ll know parts and labor expectations up front. Then, choose a Russell Marine location for service. If you store your boat elsewhere, we’ll schedule drop-off (or pickup where available). If you decide to store your boat with us after your winterization service, we’ll help you reserve a spot at one of our locations during the off-season. We have both outdoor and indoor boat storage options across our locations. We'll winterize your boat, document everything, and arrange pickup or storage for you.
Boat Winterization FAQs
Yes, short freezes happen here in Alabama, and moisture plus ethanol fuel can cause costly damage to your boat. Winterize your boat before the first hard freeze of the season.
Absolutely, we can service your boat and complete repairs to the impellers, props, upholstery, fiberglass, and more during winterization. Add a list of the additional boat repairs you want done on the Winterization Form in the “Additional Work” section.
Yes, call one of our Business Managers listed below about our boat service contracts and boat insurance packages while you schedule your winterization.
Jackie Stearns - 256-397-1100
Hannah Jernigan - 256-397-1108
Bob Parker - 256-397-1738
Yes, you can drop off your boat; we can winterize it and store it on-site at our locations. If the boat is already stored at one of our locations, we will retrieve it to winterize and return it to storage.
When available, we will pick up your boat to perform service and boat repair and deliver it back to you. Call one of our locations for options and a quote.
Our boat winterization labor is $350 per engine plus the cost of parts (which depend on your make/model and what your engine requires—e.g., oil & filter, fuel/water separator, marine antifreeze). Jet skis are also $350 plus parts. Multi-engine boats are billed per engine. Plus, add-ons like shrink wrap, storage, and other service add-ons like boat detailing or boat repairs are optional and priced separately. If you want an estimate, you can request a more detailed quote here: Winterization Quote
