What Winterizing a Boat Costs in Maine & New Hampshire (2026)

The best part of owning a boat on the Seacoast is the boat days: a flat-calm run out past Whaleback, an early start for stripers, an October afternoon in York Harbor with the place to yourself. Winterizing is the price of getting all of those back next spring. It's a real bill, but it's a known one. Here's what Maine and New Hampshire yards actually post for 2026, so you can budget once and stop thinking about it. Consider it a way to keep both the engine block and your budget from freezing up.

Every number below comes from a yard's own published rate page, read on October 30, 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom. Yards change prices, add fuel or environmental surcharges, and quote your specific boat, so treat these as a budgeting guide and get the final number from your yard.

The quick answer

For a typical 20–30 ft outboard boat stored outside on the Seacoast, the posted pieces look like this:

Line item	Posted 2026 prices (ME & NH yards)	Notes
Outboard engine winterize	$120–$300 labor (up to 300 hp), $360–$425 for big Verado / Yamaha V8	York Harbor Marine, York ME. Parts extra
Outboard winterize (Portland)	$118–$445 by hp and 2- vs 4-stroke	Portland Yacht Services, Portland ME
Inboard / sterndrive winterize	$420 (4-cyl), $510 (6 & 8-cyl)	Portland Yacht Services
Outboard / I/O winterize (inland NH)	$275 per outboard, $350 per I/O plus antifreeze	Granite State Dock & Marine, Derry NH
Shrink wrap	$28/ft (up to 19'), $31/ft (20–25'), $36/ft (26–35'), $40/ft (36'+)	York Harbor Marine. Towers, arches and masts extra. Spring removal and disposal $130
Shrink wrap (inland NH)	$20/ft, includes 2 vents and 2 moisture bags	Granite State Dock & Marine
Haul or launch, one way (blocking & stands included)	$18/ft under 30', $22/ft 30'+	York Harbor Marine
Bottom wash	$17/ft under 30', $19/ft 30–45'	York Harbor Marine
Outdoor storage package (haul, wash, block, launch included)	$52/ft under 30', $64/ft 30'+	York Harbor Marine "Storage Plus"
Outdoor storage package	$57/ft up to 34', $62/ft 35'+	Great Bay Marine, Newington NH (Sept 1–June 30 season)
Indoor cold storage package	$115/ft up to 32'; $12/sq ft for 33–48'	Great Bay Marine (haul, wash, launch, stands included)
Indoor heated storage package	$192/ft up to 32'; $18/sq ft for 33–48'	Great Bay Marine
Battery storage with periodic charging	$80 per battery	York Harbor Marine

Per foot means length overall (LOA). Per square foot usually means length × beam, so a 24' × 8.5' boat is about 204 sq ft.

What it adds up to: one worked example

Here is plain arithmetic on York Harbor Marine's posted 2026 rates for a 22' boat with a 150 hp four-stroke outboard, stored outside. It is not a quote:

• Storage Plus (haul, bottom wash, blocking, stands, storage, spring launch): 22 × $52 = $1,144
• Shrink wrap (20–25' bracket): 22 × $31 = $682
• Four-stroke outboard winterize, 130–300 hp (labor only): $300
• Spring shrink-wrap removal and disposal: $130

That comes to about $2,256 before parts, oil, filters, tax and any surcharges. Spring commissioning for that engine is posted separately at $180. Run your own boat's numbers and the same lines show up at most yards. Only the rates change.

Indoor vs outdoor: what the premium buys

Inside storage costs roughly double outdoor on the Seacoast. At Great Bay Marine, a 30' boat runs about $1,710 outside ($57/ft) versus $3,450 cold inside ($115/ft) or $5,760 heated inside ($192/ft). Those are all packages that include haul, wash and launch. What you get for the extra:

• No shrink wrap needed in most indoor setups, which takes about $28–$40/ft off the outdoor side of the comparison.
• No snow load or wind working on covers all winter.
• Heated space makes winter projects possible (varnish, fiberglass, upholstery) and is gentler on electronics and soft goods.
• Trade-off: access to your boat is usually limited to yard hours, and indoor space fills first.

Farther up the coast, yards price by the square foot: Portland Yacht Services posts $6.75/sq ft outside, $14 cold inside and $17.50 heated inside (Oct 16–May 15). Rockport Marine posts $6 outside, $12.50 unheated inside and $17 heated inside (Oct 15–May 15), with travelift haul, pressure wash and launch included.

When Seacoast yards haul (and when freezing nights start)

• Storage seasons on the posted rate sheets: Great Bay Marine runs Sept 1–June 30. Hampton River Marina's winter period is Nov 1–April 15. Island Marine Service in Kittery runs Nov 1–April 30.
• Book early. Great Bay Marine's storage page currently notes a waitlist for this season. Many yards fill their haul calendars in late summer.
• Freeze risk comes earlier than most people expect. NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Greenland, NH station (closest long-term station to Portsmouth) put the median first 32°F night around October 8. One year in ten it comes by about September 27. The median first hard freeze (28°F) is around October 21.
• The practical rule: if the boat is still in the water after early October, protect anything holding raw water, or haul it, before the first cold-night forecast. The water stays warmer than the air for a while, but the engine, lines and pumps sitting above the waterline don't get that protection.

A practical winterization checklist

Your yard and your engine maker's manual come first. This is the short version Seacoast owners actually use:

1. Book haul, winterize and storage with your yard, and book your spring launch while you're there.
2. Take one last good boat day, then run the engine to temperature and write down anything odd (vibration, a weep, slow cranking) for spring.
3. Fuel: fill and stabilize, or follow your yard's practice. Change fuel/water separator filters.
4. Engine: change oil and filter on four-strokes, change gear oil, fog the cylinders, and get freeze protection through the cooling system. Ask the tech to confirm it actually reached the block and manifolds.
5. Fresh water and head: drain, or run non-toxic marine (propylene glycol) antifreeze through them. Never use automotive antifreeze.
6. Bilge and drains: clean and dry the bilge, pull the drain plug once the boat is on the hard, and make sure the cockpit drains are clear.
7. Batteries: charge them fully, then leave them on a maintainer or have the yard store them.
8. Soft goods and gear off: cushions, electronics you care about, PFDs to dry out, and paperwork.
9. Cover: shrink wrap with support and vents, or a fitted cover, so snow sheds and moisture escapes.
10. Insurance and paperwork: tell your insurer if your policy has a lay-up period, and note the yard and storage dates.

For the full Seacoast walk-through, use the Seacoast winterize & haul-out guide and the interactive checklist.

Ways to lighten the bill (without cutting corners)

• Compare packages, not line items. A $52/ft package that includes haul, wash, blocking and launch can beat a cheaper storage-only rate once you add those back.
• Self-haul on your own trailer if you have one. Great Bay Marine posts $46/ft outside on your trailer when you haul yourself, versus $57/ft on their stands.
• Do the easy parts yourself (gear off, cleaning, batteries). Leave freeze protection on inboards and sterndrives to a tech.
• Ask about spring. Booking commissioning when you haul usually gets you an earlier launch, which means more boat days.

Looking for a place to put her? See Boat storage near Kittery & Portsmouth: options and prices for the nearby yards in our directory.

Sources (prices read October 30, 2026)

• York Harbor Marine (York, ME), Service, Storage & Labor Rates: haul/launch, bottom wash, outdoor storage, shrink wrap, battery and trailer storage, outboard winterize and spring commissioning.
• Great Bay Marine (Newington, NH), Boat Storage, 2026–2027 season: indoor and outdoor storage packages and the waitlist note.
• Hampton River Marina (Hampton, NH), Pricing: winter storage period.
• Island Marine Service (Kittery, ME), Winter Services: storage season and what's included. Prices are "call for pricing".
• Portland Yacht Services (Portland, ME), Rates: per-square-foot storage and outboard / inboard winterize.
• Rockport Marine (Rockport, ME), Rate schedule effective Sept 1, 2026 (PDF): per-square-foot winter storage.
• Granite State Dock & Marine (Derry, NH), Winterization & Wrapping, 2026 season: shrink wrap per foot and outboard / I/O winterize.
• Freeze timing: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals for Greenland, NH, as presented by Harman frost dates for Portsmouth, NH.

Advisory only, not a quote. Posted rates change and most yards add surcharges, materials and tax. Confirm with your yard and follow your engine manufacturer's procedures.

FAQs

How much does it cost to winterize a boat in Maine?

For an outboard, York Harbor Marine posts $120–$300 in labor for engines up to 300 hp (2026), and Portland Yacht Services posts $118–$445 depending on horsepower and 2- vs 4-stroke. Inboards and sterndrives at Portland Yacht Services are $420 (4-cylinder) and $510 (6 and 8-cylinder). Parts and materials are extra.

How much is shrink wrap per foot in New Hampshire and Maine?

York Harbor Marine posts $28–$40 per foot by boat length for 2026, plus $130 for spring removal and disposal. Granite State Dock & Marine in Derry, NH posts $20 per foot including two vents and two moisture bags. Towers, arches and masts usually cost extra.

Is indoor boat storage worth it on the Seacoast?

It roughly doubles the storage line. At Great Bay Marine, cold inside is $115/ft and heated $192/ft (up to 32'), versus $57/ft outside. In exchange you usually skip shrink wrap and keep snow and wind off the boat. Heated space also lets you do winter projects.

When should I haul my boat on the Seacoast?

Book in late summer and plan to be out, or have raw-water systems protected, by early October. NOAA normals for the Greenland, NH station put the median first freezing night around October 8, and one year in ten it comes by about September 27.

Does winter storage include the haul-out?

Often, but not always. Great Bay Marine's jack-stand storage includes haul, bottom wash and spring launch. York Harbor Marine posts both a storage-only rate ($34–$38/ft) and a "Storage Plus" package ($52–$64/ft) that includes haul, wash, blocking, stands and launch. Always ask what's in the package.