How do you winterize a boat for winter sailing?

[thinwater]

Busted pipes and engine suck.


In my case...

• Head. On my last boat I winterized the head from intake to tank, closed the intake, and then flushed with diluted AF. On my current boat I use a desiccating head, no winterizing required.
• Potable water. On my last boat I winterized the system and used bottled water in the off season.
• AC. On my last boat I winterized it. This boat, no AC.
• Engine. All of my boats, including the cruising cat, used outboards. Just tip them up. The manual says this might not work, but for 40 years it has, without damamge.
• Galley. Remove anything that can freeze.
• I have used an ice melter in the slip in very hard winters, but generally not. The ice does not get that thick.

As for the rest, since I'm still sailing, stuff stays where it is. I make a point of spring cleaning and detailed inspection. The boat gets hauled for paint every 2 years.


What about water freezing in the centerboard case? I do get some slush in there but never solid, since it is open to the water at the bottom. Ice in a conventional bilge is probably impossible.


Bilge pump lines cannot have check valves (they will freeze) or low points.


Cockpit drains may require special attention. Covering the cockpit may be smart.


Dinghies on davits should have snow covers, the drain open, and a lot of slope.


If you have a heater smoke stack, clear it of snow before turning the heat on.


Decks can be thawed of frost with buckets of seawater. Be careful with warm water.


Do NOT attempt to roll vinyl windows below about 55 F. They can snap, depending on age.


Water repellent treatment can be handy on any ropes you will handle. Ice climbers treat their ropes to prevent freezing. Polar Proof is good.


What have I missed?

[rslifkin]

During early spring and late fall when we still have the boat in the water and want it available for use we don't winterize any systems fully, we just drain and turn off a few things like the anchor washdown when there's freezing weather. The fresh water system stays up and running, as does HVAC.

We keep the heat running all the time at the dock in colder weather to make sure the coldest parts of the boat stay above freezing. The water heater being on sheds a little bit of extra heat into the engine room as well (it's not much, but it does make a 2* or so difference in temperature down there).

If it's cold to the point where I can't keep most systems up and running within reasonable means then realistically I'm going to call it and winterize the whole boat as it won't be pleasant to use it anyway.

[S/V Illusion]

All I do is one thing - the main reason I like Florida:

Put more air in the fenders.

Sorry, couldn’t resist. We used to live in New England.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

All I do is one thing - the main reason I like Florida:

Put more air in the fenders.

Sorry, couldn’t resist. We used to live in New England.

Hurricane prep? (I couldn't help either . Sort of related, but different.)

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Hurricane prep? (I couldn't help either . Sort of related, but different.)

Big difference in time too. The trip to Carriacou can take 10 days but it’s worth it if you like rum.

One thing you might have omitted - th cockpit shower line

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

One thing you might have omitted - the cockpit shower line

Yup, but included as part of the potable water system. I would suck in AF at a fitting and hose near the tank, and one by one, open each of the taps (kitchen sink, head sink, head shower, and transom shower). A 10-minute job.


There was also an installed hose and tap/valves at the head suction and AC suction. Very easy. The water tank itself is emptied and dried (no AF). I would scrub it down in the process so that it was clean for spring; you always put the dishes away clean, right?

[deblen]

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ng-272764.html

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by deblen

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ng-272764.html

^^ Good thread for those with inboards.


It seems like the most practical approach for regular winter users would be some sort of safe heat set to about 35F. It would not take a lot. You don't need to heat the whole boat, just the engine space, though you do need to get all of the hoses.



Thru-hulls don't freeze outside the valve, but there is some chance of freezing the water in the plug when it is turned closed. I've seen that plug blow the sides on the valve out; when you winterize you need to flow AF OUT through each plug before closing it.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by thinwater

^^ Good thread for those with inboards.


It seems like the most practical approach for regular winter users would be some sort of safe heat set to about 35F. It would not take a lot. You don't need to heat the whole boat, just the engine space, though you do need to get all of the hoses.



Thru-hulls don't freeze outside the valve, but there is some chance of freezing the water in the plug when it is turned closed. I've seen that plug blow the sides on the valve out; when you winterize you need to flow AF OUT through each plug before closing it.

This ^^^



I'm in Canada. One (or more) of my Canadian insurers(over the years) forbade any kind of heat aboard my boat while it is winter stored. (Fire hazard-their rules)



Also,consider loss of your heating due to-power outages,heater failure,etc.
If you are not checking your stored boat (daily?),perhaps it may be safer to just antifreeze /drain/etc.-such that there are no freezable liquids or solids aboard. It is simple to do,simple to clear in spring & worry free.

I am talking about land storage.
In salt water storage is less risky for freezing below deck,but it can happen.
Cheers/Len

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by deblen

This ^^^



I'm in Canada. One (or more) of my Canadian insurers(over the years) forbade any kind of heat aboard my boat while it is winter stored. (Fire hazard-their rules)



Also,consider loss of your heating due to-power outages,heater failure,etc.
If you are not checking your stored boat (daily?),perhaps it may be safer to just antifreeze /drain/etc.-such that there are no freezable liquids or solids aboard. It is simple to do,simple to clear in spring & worry free.

I am talking about land storage.
In salt water storage is less risky for freezing below deck,but it can happen.
Cheers/Len

For true winter storage (on land or in water) just winterize, don't rely on heat. Heat is only for boats that will be used somewhat regularly in the winter.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

For true winter storage (on land or in water) just winterize, don't rely on heat. Heat is only for boats that will be used somewhat regularly in the winter.

Yep. It is an easy decision.
Will you use the boat over the local several days below 30F/-1C or not?
Your boat/engine/eqpt.--your decision.


Cheers/Len

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by deblen

Yep. It is an easy decision.
Will you use the boat over the local several days below 30F/-1C or not?
Your boat/engine/eqpt.--your decision.


Cheers/Len

Also



"For true winter storage (on land or in water) just winterize, don't rely on heat. Heat is only for boats that will be used somewhat regularly in the winter"


I thought the implication in my first post was somewhat regular useage. Otherwise, it's too simple to invite a thread. But I was not clear (other than my comment about flushing with AF).


We've had a few days already with highs just above freezing and nights in the low 20s. Today it was 55F and nice. We will have some days below 30F for a high. The outboard drains just fine. But yeah, an inboard would pose challenges. And yet some local die-hards (with inboards) sail all year. I'd love to hear from a few. I suspect they run some heat and I suspect they visit the boat regularly, perhaps weekly.

[Nicholson58]

We spent several winter seasons on the hard in Muskegon, Michigan. Despite all efforts, every spring commissioning there were broken pipes etc.

We finally solved the problem by sailing to the Eastern Caribbean and never looked back.

[thinwater]

Unfortunately, most of the responders are either in non-freezing climates (wise guys?) or from so far north winter sailing is impractical.


I started this thread as a guy from the mid-Atlantic region where we get some below freezing weather and lots of very hard frosts, but no ice on the water in many areas and no more than a few weeks of below-freezing highs.


In other words, places you need to winterize, for sure, but not where ponds freeze over for months. Not where snow is a regular winter fixture, but rather something we might see for a few weeks. For example, the most we have seen so far is a skin of ice on a few puddles. But we can get a few inches on harbors in a very bad winter, though often none.


---


The my current boat all I do is drain the water system. The outboard is managed by tipping up and the head is desiccating. I have an ice melter, but only deploy it about one winter in four.

[Dalestr]

A heat exchanger cooled engine is easy enough to perform a quick winterization on after each use if there's a bit of supplemetal heat (light bulb). You want a tee that allows quick attach of a garden hose to suck in antifreeze while the raw water cock is closed. Run a gallon or so through the raw water and exhaust system. Replace hose with a cap.
One trick to prevent seacock bursting in general is to insert snug fitting polyfoam hammered down from above (or from below) with dowel then pour in some AF and close the cock for the winter. The valve can chop through the foam.
Cockpits draining fresh water are a big problem and so should get a cover so only salt water in thru hulls or use the above trick.