Winter Boat Care: Why Leave It to the Professionals

For most owners, the season on the water ends in autumn, when the boat is moved to its berth, onto dry land, or into a hangar. From then until the spring launch, four or five months go by during which the boat is left to fend for itself, while the owner might be just a few kilometres away – or on the other side of Europe. The question many people ask themselves every autumn is a simple one: check the boat yourself over the winter, as much as time and distance allow, or leave it to someone who does this professionally and regularly?

As we wrote in our article Boating in Winter, staying connected to the sea is possible all year round, even when the boat isn’t sailing. But while keeping in touch with the sea in winter is a matter of mood, keeping watch over a boat that sits idle most of the winter is, above all, a matter of responsibility.

What Can Happen If No One Keeps an Eye on the Boat Over Winter

We’ve gathered detailed instructions for physically preparing a boat for winter in our Boat Winterization Guide; here, though, it’s worth pointing out what happens if nobody checks the boat after that preparation is done. Frost can damage pipes and systems, a flat battery loses capacity within a few weeks or drains completely, moisture in a closed-up cabin leads to mould, and small leaks, left unchecked, grow into serious damage before anyone notices. The problem is that an owner typically doesn’t see these warning signs until they come to collect the boat in spring – by which point the repair is often more expensive than the entire winter’s worth of monitoring would have been.

Winter Care at the Berth: What’s Included

That’s why at Marina Portorož we’ve put together winter service packages that let boat owners rest easy, even when they’re away for long stretches. As part of the monthly winter care package, our service team inspects the boat’s interior, the bilge area and pump operation, and the condition of the batteries once a month, opens and closes the through-hull valves, and starts the engine or generator when appropriate and not laid up for winter. After every visit you receive a photo report, so you know exactly what condition your boat is in – even if you’re hundreds of kilometres from the sea.

The service is available for boats at berth in Marina Portorož, and the price depends on the length of the boat:

Winter Layup on Land and Battery Care

In addition to the basic monthly berth care, we also offer two additional services, tailored to each boat and quoted individually:

• Winter layup on land: preparing the engine and the agreed systems for dormancy and draining the freshwater system; the period of monthly interior checks is set separately, and a layup and a monthly start-up of the same engine cannot be booked together.
• Battery care: a monthly check and charging based on the number of batteries and the scope of work involved; charging, removal and refitting are not included in the basic monthly price list.

Reporting and Seasonal Benefit

After every job we prepare a written record and photos; with the monthly package you receive them together with your invoice, and with a one-off service, at the end of the job. Any additional work is always confirmed in writing before we carry it out. If you book the winter programme for all five months, from November 2026 to March 2027, we’ll give you a 15% discount on antifouling (AF) work in spring 2027 – this benefit cannot be combined with the loyalty discount or other discounts.

Leave your boat’s winter care to a team that knows every corner of your yacht or boat. Our boat service at Marina Portorož makes sure your boat gets through the winter safely and without surprises, while you receive regular reports, as if you were there yourself. To sign up for the winter programme, contact us through our contact form or directly at +386 5 676 12 24 or servis@marinap.si.