Autumn Boat Maintenance Checklist
Your guide to a smoother boating season
Autumn is the ideal time to prepare your boat for next season. Take advantage of stable conditions to clean, inspect, and repair your hull.
Autumn prep for a smoother season ahead
Tick off essential maintenance now to save time in spring
With your boat out of the water, autumn is the perfect window for key upkeep. From hull cleaning and repairs to inspections and priming, cooler conditions and quieter yards make it easier to get ahead.
Why start now?
Mild conditions and easier access to yard services make this the ideal time to get the groundwork done.
- Lower humidity and temperatures provide better coating drying conditions
- Easier access to service providers and potential haul-out deals at marinas
- You’ll have time to assess, blast, repair and properly prime your boat to get it ready for spring
Autumn prep checklist
Key maintenance tasks while your boat is out of the water:
✅Pressure wash the hull and remove any fouling
✅Scrape back loose or flaking coatings
✅Inspect underwater areas for damage
✅Take hull moisture readings
✅Book any insurance surveys or professional inspections
✅Make necessary repairs to hull or appendages
✅Replace or reseal skin fittings
✅Prime exposed or bare areas
✅Service outdrives, sail-drives and other underwater running gear
✅Start researching products for your next antifouling application
Don’t forget the interior
Autumn is a great time to empty, dry, and clean lockers, storage areas, and bilges. While skin fittings are being replaced or renewed, this is also the perfect chance to refresh your protective bilge or locker coatings with Danboline®.
Timber care
If you have removable or lift-out timber items such as cockpit seating, sole boards, or hatches, take them off the boat now and prep them somewhere warm and dry. Autumn evenings are ideal for varnishing, saving you time and stress when everything else needs attention in spring.
Autumn-ready products
These products are ideal for the tasks best done now, from repairs to priming.
Primers & barrier coats
- Primocon® – Single-pack anti-corrosive primer with long overcoating windows
- Interprotect® – Two-pack epoxy primer for underwater protection
- Gelshield 200® – Osmosis prevention barrier
- Gelshield Plus® – For treatment of osmosis and other GRP damaged areas
- Danboline – A robust and chemically resistant locker and bilge coating.
Fillers
- Watertite® – Epoxy filler for fast, strong, waterproof repairs
Tip: Cast iron keels
Wash and grind back to bare metal, then apply a few coats of Primocon early. This helps protect over winter and makes re-coating easier in spring.
Tip: Rudders
Inspect rudders for damage, especially at the lower edges.
Drill out low spots for moisture to escape and allow to dry thoroughly.
Seal GRP rudder damage with Gelshield Plus.
For shaping or filling, apply Watertite filler.
Once cured and sanded, reseal with multiple coats of Gelshield 200 or Interprotect.
Plan ahead with antifouling you can trust
Our coatings are designed with extended immersion windows, giving you the freedom to plan on your terms and launch with confidence.
Here are four popular options to get you started. You can also explore our full International® range to find the right fit for your boat.
Boat Paint Guide 2025
Your step-by-step reference for choosing the right coatings and planning seasonal maintenance.
Need help choosing?
Ask our team or your local retailer for expert guidance.