Water in the bilge during the winter?

[Minnesota_Slick]

Hi folks,

Is it absolutely imperative to get ever last drop of water out of the bilge before the winter freeze sets in? Wifey and I got every last drop out of the bilge last weekend while up at the boat, but the shrink wrappers weren't able to get the shrink wrap on yet because it's been raining this week. We have most of the leaks plugged, but we noticed that there is still a small amount of water getting into the boat during a good rain.

So, after it dries up tomorrow, do we need to run up to the boat and get every last drop of water out again, or is it acceptable to have an inch or so of water in the bilge, which will of course turn to ice in a short while?

 

[Emerald]

I find it near impossible to get any bilge fully dry, so i always add a few glugs of non-toxic anti-freeze like you'd use in your fresh water tanks.

 

[tcooper]

The antifreeze is a great idea! With our Ericson the hull and pan are separate pieces that were assembled during fabrication. Water froze between the pan and hull and pushed it up in the bilge. Fairly straight forward fix, but PO would have been very wise to put some antifreeze in the bilge, so I second the antifreeze idea.


Tom Cooper
36RH

 

[Minnesota_Slick]

I find it near impossible to get any bilge fully dry, so i always add a few glugs of non-toxic anti-freeze like you'd use in your fresh water tanks.

Fantastic idea, thank you!

Wifey is on the way to the boat right now with a jug of the pink stuff.

 

[cawinter]

No hope!

Get used to a wet bilge and to running back and forth to see if your float switch is frozen in the up position draining your battery of its last electron! Water comes down the mast (make sure it can get OUT and into the bilge) in significant amounts, and short of creating a moat/barrier around the step which then drains into a separate compartment, I have not found a solution to the problem. Not a happy story!

 

[tcooper]

I drilled my plate on the mast step and tapped it with 3/8" npt and put piece of hose on it that goes into my bilge. the water from my mast goes into a small jug that I can lift out. That has kept the constant little bit of water from the mast out of my bilge. Really would like to figure out a way to put a plate inside of mast so any water could just go on deck, but haven't figured out how to do that yet, but it's on my list.

Tom 36RH

 

[Minnesota_Slick]

Get used to a wet bilge and to running back and forth to see if your float switch is frozen in the up position draining your battery of its last electron! Water comes down the mast (make sure it can get OUT and into the bilge) in significant amounts, and short of creating a moat/barrier around the step which then drains into a separate compartment, I have not found a solution to the problem. Not a happy story!

Oh dear, I don't even know what a float switch is. But it's not going to drain my batteries because they are disconnected.

BTW, I just saw the film "All is Lost" today, about the guy who wakes up to find his sailboat filling with water while out on the Indian Ocean. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. Very interesting(and scary!). At least I won't have those worries being out on Lake Pepin.

 

[Tom Metzger]

My boat lives in the frozen north also and, as Chris said, takes in lots of water down the mast from rain in the fall after hauling. The batteries are disconnected and there is no way that I could put enough pink stuff in the bilge to do any good. Antifreeze would just add to the danger of overflowing the bilge so I don't waste the money. Boat designers know this and build boats strong enough to handle the ice without problems.

I do leave something open so that the water can't get up the the cabin sole, but that is the extent of my winterizing the bilge.

 

[e38 owner]

I use a full boat cover in the winter that ties around the mast. Although I vacillate sometimes, I use roof heat gutter tape in the bilge, around the thru hulls and around the shaft seal. With the Bilge boards open the small amount of water that makes it down the mast evaporates. When the boat is stored out of the water with no power the full cover keeps most of the water out. The cover also keeps the cockpit fairly dry. The most problems I have had is with water trapped in the low part of the hose on the inboard cockpit drains. The water freezes and pops the hose off. Then the water runs into the boat. For the winter I seal the drains below the water line, push out the water with a vacuum. Put in some pink stuff and close the thru hull. The drains that are above the water line I vacuum out the water and put on the cover.

 

[cawinter]

Something?

...and the 'something' is where? Do you have a plug in the hull?

I like the confidence in designer and builders. Especially those that manufacture our keel bolts, washers and the caulking material. I guess at some point we just close our eyes and try to shut off those voices...

My boat lives in the frozen north also and, as Chris said, takes in lots of water down the mast from rain in the fall after hauling. The batteries are disconnected and there is no way that I could put enough pink stuff in the bilge to do any good. Antifreeze would just add to the danger of overflowing the bilge so I don't waste the money. Boat designers know this and build boats strong enough to handle the ice without problems.

I do leave something open so that the water can't get up the the cabin sole, but that is the extent of my winterizing the bilge.

 

[Tom Metzger]

...and the 'something' is where? Do you have a plug in the hull?

I like the confidence in designer and builders. Especially those that manufacture our keel bolts, washers and the caulking material. I guess at some point we just close our eyes and try to shut off those voices...

The design of our boats is generally quite good, the majority of the problems are with the engineering details and the construction. I don't think we can blame Bruce King for the over sized dead light cutouts or the cabin soles rotting.

I disconnect the icebox drain hose and leave the seawater seacock open, and also pull out the knotmeter transducer at the base of the Vberth. I put a piece of screen over the latter opening to keep out the critters. I have to admit that I don't have much faith in either opening really being successful because of ice blocking the limber holes in the grid when the spring rains come. The correct way to do it would be to put a thru hull with a plug in the bilge compartment behind the mast step to prevent the water build up initially.

On my previous boat the knotmeter was installed there and I pulled it out each winter after a scupper hose let go and caused a flood. Not a good place for the knotmeter, but as a drain it was a great location.

 

[Loren Beach]

One detail to bear in mind is that the OP has a model with a deck-stepped mast. At least the E-29 boats I have seen all have one....

In theory, IF the stuffing box is not leaking, there should be no water getting inside his boat except for maybe a little condensation.
Of course deck/port light leaks are a possibility, but that's another different project.

OTOH, our model has a keel-stepped spar, and I have to use a turkey baster to clean out the bilge water every week in the winter.
What with two sets of spreaders and lots of halyard exit openings, our spar can channel quite a bit of water down its inside during windy rainy weather.

Loren

 

[Minnesota_Slick]

One detail to bear in mind is that the OP has a model with a deck-stepped mast. At least the E-29 boats I have seen all have one....

In theory, IF the stuffing box is not leaking, there should be no water getting inside his boat except for maybe a little condensation.
Of course deck/port light leaks are a possibility, but that's another different project.


Loren

Yessir, In fact Wifey and I spent the better part of one day caulking the deck hardware and port lights for just that reason. We've got the boat to be mostly leak free, at least much better than before. No leaking from the mast.

 

[celtic sea]

I have an E27, 1973 and there is a brass plug in the aft part of the keel on the starboard side. It looks original to me and it drains my bulge completly. If it wasn't for that I would always have a bit of water in the lowest part of the bulge. I was wondering if it is original to the boat when manufactured? It looks like it. It def is my answer.
Anyone else with an early 27 have that?
John

 

[Akavishon]

OTOH, our model has a keel-stepped spar, and I have to use a turkey baster to clean out the bilge water every week in the winter.
Loren

turkey baster? you're lucky ... my mast channels several gallons into the sump/bilge/TAFG during each rainstorm

This has been one of the most frustrating and futile maintenance battles for me, and there is always an inch of water in there, courtesy of the keel-stepped mast and TAFG. I usually run the sump/bilge pumps deep into the winter, checking on the boat bi-weekly. Once temperatures drop below freezing, I pull the pumps before the whole mess freezes up ... then we have a temporary truce, until the ice thaws in the spring

 

[e38 owner]

leakage around the mast

Water from the mast enters two ways. From around the mast and through the openings in the mast.
I had a boat maintenance book that suggested a truck inner tube for around the mast. Since then I have used a piece on inner tube with hose clamps.
wrap the edges with Tommy tape. Put on a canvas cover and wrap the edges with clear tommy tape. Seams to work great.

 

[716Ericson27]

I have an E27, 1973 and there is a brass plug in the aft part of the keel on the starboard side. It looks original to me and it drains my bulge completly. If it wasn't for that I would always have a bit of water in the lowest part of the bulge. I was wondering if it is original to the boat when manufactured? It looks like it. It def is my answer.
Anyone else with an early 27 have that?
John

I have a brass plug in the same spot on a 1976 Ericson 27 I just purchased. The broker I purchased the boat from told me his shop installed it exactly for the winter storage water infiltration headaches everyone is discussing. So to answer your question, No, I don't think it was a factory job. I'm glad it is there though as it seems to be working very effectively, and I don't know if I would have had the guts to cut a hole in my hull and put one in myself.

-Chris

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Does anyone recognize this boat. Wet keel in winter. The keel is split from freezing. The split is in front of the hollow part of the keel, problem probably started there and got worse with more water and repeated freezing. I saw this boat when picking up a Pearson 30 in CT a couple of years ago.