Key points at a glance Key points at a glance. Original editorial diagram. Writing "winterize the motor" on a service request takes about five seconds. And it covers the motor, which is all it covers. Maybe there's a livewell you stopped using in June.
Quick answer: Start your request with the boat's equipment list and anything that acted up this season. Then spell out the engine work, any livewell, shower or washdown systems, the battery plan, and the covering and storage. "Winterize the motor" doesn't automatically cover the rest of the boat. Fill in the form at hbwservice.ca, then drop off.
Key points at a glance. Original editorial diagram.
Writing "winterize the motor" on a service request takes about five seconds. And it covers the motor, which is all it covers.
Maybe there's a livewell you stopped using in June. Maybe a previous owner added a washdown pump and never mentioned it. Maybe the bilge switch needed a second try in August. By the time the boat comes up our ramp in Gores Landing after a Rice Lake season, nobody remembers any of that, and none of it is obvious from the yard.
A good service request brings that history along. You don't have to diagnose anything. You just have to tell us what the boat has and what it did.
Start With the Equipment, Then Agree on the Work
Write down the boat and engine identification first. Then list every installed system that holds water or needs its own storage steps. A phone photo helps when you're not sure what something is called.
Princecraft's 2026 owner's manual shows why this matters. Its storage section sends owners to the engine and trolling-motor manuals, then deals separately with the livewell and the shower, and it specifically includes livewell hoses and pumps in the freezing-weather preparation. That's one maker and one boat, but it's a good reminder to look at what's actually installed on yours.
| Item on your boat |
What to put in the request |
| Main engine |
Model, serial number, recent work and known symptoms |
| Trolling motor or auxiliary engine |
Identification, and whether you want storage prep included |
| Livewell or bait system |
Which systems are fitted, plus any pump, drain or leak concern |
| Freshwater, shower, washdown or head |
What's installed and which maker's instructions you have |
| Batteries |
Number and type, charger details and any existing concerns |
| Cover and storage |
Which work you want us to handle and where the boat will sit |
The list tells us what we're dealing with before anyone picks up a wrench. Fishing rigs with a livewell and a kicker, pontoons with a freshwater shower, runabouts with nothing but the motor: they all go through the same form, and the form only knows what you tell it.
Describe the Symptom While You Still Remember It
"Check the bilge" leaves a lot to interpret. "The pump ran from the dash switch, but I never saw it come on by itself" gives us a place to start.
Same goes for an intermittent gauge, an alarm, a weak start, or a pump that ran without moving water. Note what you saw, roughly when, and whether anyone has already worked on it. Please don't run a suspect system again just to make the description tidier.
Also mark the difference between work you want done and a question you want answered. "Please look at the livewell leak and tell me what the repair is" is a clear ask. Hoping winterization quietly fixes it isn't.
Give Installed Water Systems Their Own Line
A tank that looks empty doesn't tell us what's left in the hoses, pumps and fixtures. Each fitted system needs attention under its maker's instructions, and that work belongs in the scope.
Skip the one-size-fits-all antifreeze recipe. Products, plumbing layouts and engine procedures vary, and a video of somebody else's boat running on muffs isn't your boat's procedure.
Here's an easy way to word it: "This boat has a livewell and a freshwater shower. Please confirm what each needs and include the work." We'll identify the equipment and the right steps from there. We winterize and store all brands, not just Mercury, so it doesn't matter what's on the transom.
Agree on the Battery and Belongings Plan
Here's how batteries work at Harris Boat Works: they're disconnected and left in the boat, which is what battery makers now recommend. We check them and charge them as required in the fall and again in the spring. If you'd rather take them home, you can ask. We'd advise against it.
Tell us which batteries and chargers are installed, and mention anything that's been weak. Our battery guide covers battery care in more depth.
Then make a separate list of what's coming home with you before drop-off: food, personal gear, loose electronics, anything damp. Tell us about equipment that has to stay aboard. That saves an April scavenger hunt for the tackle box each of you thought the other one took.
Keep Covering and Winterization Visible as Separate Work
You can't read a work order through shrink wrap.
So ask for a plain description of three things: the engine and installed-system work, the cover or shrink wrap, and storage. Keep any declined work or unresolved fault with the paperwork. In spring, whoever prepares the boat needs to know what's still outstanding.
At Harris Boat Works, winter storage is outdoors, shrink-wrapped. Winterization is its own service, and the storage rate never includes it, so put both on the request. Every boat we wrap gets a 925 g container of Damp Guard moisture absorber under the wrap. If you leave a boat cover with the boat, it stays on in the fall to protect the boat while it waits for wrap. We take it off, store it inside the boat for winter, and put it back on in spring after the wrap comes off. Want it removed for pickup? Just ask.
For the full comparison of outdoor wrap against indoor options, see our shrink wrap vs. indoor storage guide and the Rice Lake storage page.
What We See at HBW
The requests that go smoothly share one trait: the owner told us about the odd stuff up front. The aftermarket washdown pump. The livewell that drains slowly. The trolling-motor battery on its own charger.
The ones that turn into a spring surprise usually involve a system nobody mentioned because it "didn't seem like part of the motor."
If you're storing with us, the spring check is free. It comes with storage, so winterize-only and shrinkwrap-to-go jobs don't include it. For rough numbers on what the fall work costs, our winterization cost guide lays it out.
When Is the Last Call for Fall Drop-Off?
Mid-November. We close December 1 and reopen April 1.
- Complete Service Request: hbwservice.ca
- Drop off boat
- Done
Bring it by trailer or by water. We have our own launch ramp for fall haul-outs, and if getting the boat here is the hard part, we can generally arrange pickup. Storage isn't capped, so there's no spot to reserve. Coming from the city? We're about 90 minutes east of downtown Toronto. See winter storage near Toronto.
Sources
Ready to Send Your Request?
Pull together your equipment list and any notes on what acted up this season. Then complete the service request, drop off the boat, and let the crew handle the rest.
Service request: hbwservice.ca
Phone: 905-342-2153
Address: 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON K0K 2E0
Web: harrisboatworks.ca | mercuryrepower.ca
