Winterization is one of the busiest yet most repetitive stretches on your service calendar. Most boats coming through get some version of the same job: draining and winterizing raw water systems, fogging the engine, adding antifreeze, stabilizing fuel, and prepping for storage. Rebuilding that same multi-line order from scratch for every customer wastes time and invites inconsistency.
Canned Orders let you build a winterization order once, save it as a reusable template, and drop it into new or existing orders all season long. Pricing always pulls from your current canned services, so you're never stuck manually updating rates mid-season.
Here's how to set your team up to run a faster, more consistent winterization season.
Step 1: Build Your Winterization Canned Order(s)
Start with a normal order and add every line item that belongs in your standard winterization job (engine fogging, water system draining, antifreeze, fuel stabilizer, shrink wrap, etc.), pulling from your existing canned services where you can.
Once the order looks the way you want it to look every time:
Open the order.
Click the three-dot menu in the Order Detail section.
Select Save as Canned Order.
Boatyard auto-generates a name and description from the order details — review and edit as needed.
💡 Most yards get the most value out of building a few variations rather than one universal template. For example, consider creating separate templates for outboard vs. sterndrive vs. inboard engines.
For further instructions, read our full article on canned orders here.
Step 2: Tag Each Template So Your Team Can Find It Fast
When saving a Canned Order, select the tag fields that describe which boats it applies to:
Vessel Type (powerboat, pontoon, sailboat)
Length (25-34ft, 35-44ft, etc.)
Engine Type (outboard, sterndrive, inboard)
Fuel Type (gas, diesel)
Number of Engines (single, twin, triple)
OEM / Brand (Mercury, Yamaha, Suzuki, etc.)
Tagging is what makes your templates searchable later. The more specific your tags, the faster your team can pull up the right one during a busy week.
💡 Before winterization season ramps up, build out your core set of templates (by engine type at minimum) and tag them consistently so the whole team is searching the same way.
Step 3: Use Your Templates All Season Long
Once your templates are saved and tagged, there are two ways to put them to work:
Starting a new order from a template
Go to the Canned Orders tab in the Services section, select the right template, and click Create Order from Template. Choose the customer and boat, and the order is created with every line item pre-populated. You can also start this from the regular order creation flow after selecting the boat.
Importing a template into an order that already exists
Open the existing order.
Click the three-dot menu and select Import Canned Order.
Search by name or description (e.g., "winterization" or "winterization for mercury outboard").
Preview the line items, then click Import Canned Order.
If the order already has line items on it, Boatyard will confirm before replacing them.
Step 4: Let Pricing Take Care of Itself
Every time you use a Canned Order, line items are priced from your current canned service rates— labor, parts, and flat rate services included. If you adjust a rate partway through the season, every order created from that template afterward reflects the new price automatically. No template maintenance required.
Why This Matters for Winterization Specifically
Speed— build the order once, reuse it for every boat that fits the profile, instead of rebuilding it from scratch dozens (or hundreds) of times.
Consistency— every technician quotes and performs the same standard job the same way.
Fewer pricing errors— rates stay current automatically, even during your busiest weeks.
Faster estimate-to-invoice turnaround— less manual entry means orders move through your pipeline faster.
FAQ
Can I edit a Canned Order after saving it?
Can I edit a Canned Order after saving it?
Not directly. Import it into an order, make your changes, and save that as a new Canned Order then delete the outdated one.
Can I use one template for any customer?
Can I use one template for any customer?
Yes. Templates hold the service line items only you choose the customer and boat each time you create an order from one.
What if I import a template onto an order that already has line items?
What if I import a template onto an order that already has line items?
You'll get a confirmation prompt before anything changes. Confirming replaces the existing line items with the template's.
Are Canned Orders shared across my team?
Are Canned Orders shared across my team?
Yes, everyone at your location can see and use the same saved templates.
Bringing It All Together
Winterization doesn't have to mean rebuilding the same order over and over. Build your core templates before the season starts, tag them so your team can find the right one fast, and let Boatyard handle pricing as rates change. The result: a faster, more consistent winterization season for your whole team.