Cold climate winterizing of engine and tanks when keeping boat in water

[bsangs]

I'm in NJ, keep my boat in the water during the winter, and have winterized the engine and water tanks each time. My marina doesn't freeze due to the brackish water and bubbling system, but the air and water get cold. I have several marina neighbors that never winterize since they also keep the boat in the water, claiming it acts as heat bath and those things won't freeze. (I should also point out, several of these neighbors rarely leave their slips, and some live aboard year round, which I don't.) I'm certainly not willing to take the risk, but was wondering if anyone here thinks similarly.

 

[Kenneth K]

Many people here in the PNW don't winterize because we don't often get extreme cold temperatures and when we do they usually don't last long. But one deep freeze can burst hoses or rupture your heat exchanger. To me it all depends on your work schedule and how far you are from your boat. I travel often so I can't guarantee I'll be around if we get a freak deep freeze. So, I winterize every year.

 

[Frank Langer]

I sail year round in BC coastal waters, so I don't winterize. I think it's better for the boat, and for me, to keep everything active and moving, rather than sitting unused all winter.
But I'm retired, live 15 minutes from my boat and can monitor it and start a small electric heater during cold spells.
It really is a judgement call, depending on your various factors.
Frank

 

[Elgyn]

I'll drain the water tanks and put fuel stabilizer in the gas tank. That's about it. If it gets really cold out I'll disconnect the lithiums. This year i might try programming the diesel heater to come on when when the temp drops below freezing

 

[Gary Filgate]

The minimal cost of 6 gallons of Non-Tox antifreeze and one to two hours labor, will give you peace of mind and ensure your F/W and R/W systems are safe from freezing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We should contact all the Northeast 35-3 owners and have a meet up some time!

 

[Loren Beach]

The minimal cost of 6 gallons of Non-Tox antifreeze and one to two hours labor, will give you peace of mind and ensure your F/W and R/W systems are safe from freezing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We should contact all the Northeast 35-3 owners and have a meet up some time!

Get out the crank handle, and Wind up your computer! The monthly EY "zoom" meeting is on Friday this week.....

 

[Dave G.]

Yes, winterize. It only takes one frigid day/night to create big problems. The down side is definitely not worth the risk imho.

 

[bsangs]

Yes, winterize. It only takes one frigid day/night to create big problems. The down side is definitely not worth the risk imho.

Oh it's not a question of me winterizing it or not - I will always winterize. Was just surprised how many people didn't find it necessary with the boat being kept in the water.

 

[Bolo]

Oh it's not a question of me winterizing it or not - I will always winterize. Was just surprised how many people didn't find it necessary with the boat being kept in the water.

I use to always pull my boat for the winter right after winterizing it but no longer. I do winterize to the point of obsession maybe because I use 14 gallons of the "pink stuff" and here's how it's dispersed:

• ENGINE ——————- 2 GAL
• HEAD ———————- 1/2 GAL
• PORT TANK ————- 4 GAL
• STRBD TANK ——— 4 GAL
• MAIN BILGE ———— 1/2 GAL
• MAST BILGE ———— 1/2 GAL
• AC/HEAT PUMP ——— 1 GAL
• FRIG ———————— 1/2 GAL AND USE FOOT PUMP
• COCKPIT SCUPPERS - 1/2 GAL - DRAIN AND REFILL,THEN PLUG.
• (I drain all the water from the hot water tank before running anti-freeze to it from the fresh water tank)

The way I see it I'd rather spend the money on anti-freeze rather then the time and trouble replacing fittings and lines. That said, rain water always finds its way into the mast bilge and sometimes main bilge, although I can't figure out how, but I do have some suspicions. None of this water ever freezes when the boat is in the water in Annapolis. Although it has frozen up on me when the boat was "on the hard" for the winter. Especially the mast bilge when the anti-freeze I put in the bilge has been diluted. I now only take the boat out in August, when it's almost too hot to sail, for the bi-yearly bottom jobs and inspections. Keeping the boat at the dock also allows for shore power to keep the batteries charged and I run a West Marine "air dryer, with fan, dehumidifier" as they list it. All that plus I do visit the boat every month in the winter for peace of mind which gives me a good excuse to visit Annapolis when the room rates are cheap, the crowds are down and the bars and restaurants are all open.

 

[bsangs]

Along these same lines, anyone with scupper hoses that empty below the waterline, what do you do to winterize? Of my four scuppers, two lead below the water line. The seacock is under the galley sink. These lines seemingly always have water in them, no way to completely empty them without pulling her out of the water. Is it simply at matter of closing the seacock and pouring antifreeze into the hose? She gets shrink wrapped during the winter, so I don't really need those scuppers to function for a few months.

 

[Bolo]

My E32-3 has the same arrangement. When I’m the water for the winter I first open the seacock to drain as much water as possible. I always close the seacock when I’m away for long periods of time. Then I close the seacock and pour antifreeze till it overfills in the cockpit. Then I open the seacock again to force the water out with the weight of the antifreeze I just poured in. Close the seacock again, fill the line back up to overflowing, take the grates off and lay some aluminum foil over the holes to avoid evaporation and rain water entry. Then screw the grates back on over the foil. I did have a leak in the hose once caused by frozen water (I think) so this method keeps the water in the line ice free.

 

[Christian Williams]

rain water always finds its way into the mast bilge and sometimes main bilge

The general theory is that rain enters the mast through the halyard slots and shroud terminals, and with keel-stepped masts there's nothing we can do about it.

 

[Kenneth K]

....Close the seacock again, fill the line back up to overflowing, take the grates off and lay some aluminum foil over the holes to avoid evaporation and rain water entry.

I do what Bolo does, but I plug the scupper inlets with rubber stoppers and leave the grates off until spring.

 

[Bolo]

I do what Bolo does, but I plug the scupper inlets with rubber stoppers and leave the grates off until spring.

I use to use rubber stoppers but ended up loosing them someplace. They also got stuck in the drain making them hard to get out. If rubber stoppers are used I suggest drilling a hole though the center and then threading a line through the hole to the other side and securing it somehow with knotting it through a washer or something so that you can more easily pull them out in the spring. When I could find my rubber stoppers I improvised with foil.

 

[Bolo]

rain water always finds its way into the mast bilge and sometimes main bilge

The general theory is that rain enters the mast through the halyard slots and shroud terminals, and with keel-stepped masts there's nothing we can do about it.

So very true and so don't loose sleep about it. Just keep a fair amount of antifreeze in the bilge and visit the boat every month or few weeks to refresh the antifreeze if you live in a very cold climate.