Preparing for 5 months on the hard

[RickyEM]

I'm sure this question must have been asked, but I can't find the relevant threads...

How to prepare a boat for 5 months on the hard in the Bahamas?

There are of course hurricane related issues, which I think I understand (anchor straps to buried cement, remove all sails and canvas, etc...). I'm unclear on more general issues. Water/fuel tanks filled or empty? Biocide in fuel? Desiccants? What else should I be thinking of and do?

Thanks in advance...

[Cheechako]

Is there a way for the bilges to self drain? Not a bad idea if you are not around and rainwater leaks in..... could be pretty catastrophic if you get a foot or two of water buildup... Tape over any tank vents if they dont have screens. Are there any critters in the bahamas that will nest in your larger hoses or exhaust? Water tanks empty preferably, fuel additive would be good. Dessicants dont last long. either a dehumidifier if power available (some drain issues related to that too), some way to crack a water protected screened portlite or two would be nice, but hard to work out often.

[neilpride]

Engine . close seacocks after flushing engine with freshwater, change oil, spray fog oil in the air filter conduct and put a plastic bag with tape , oil filter to, change it,
Top Off bateries with water , if you have a wind generator, swicht off or remove blades better, big solar panels need to be inside of the boat in case of a big blow,
Yes sails and canvas around out, same as fenders , life rings etc..., keep the deck clean , no loosing stuff around, toilets flushed and cleaned , i use engine coolant for long periods in the hard, put a small amount and pump some strokes , later close seacocks and valves.
Leave the speed or depthsounder if you can out of the hull , so rain water in case of flooding can drain out, bilge pumps in auto, bilge pump discharge valve open, all the cokpit lockers secure , remove loose runing rigging from mast, secure main boom to the deck , same for spinaker poles etc...
All the valuable electronic gizmos out, better in a secure location , chartploters in cokpit , gps, radios etc...

Ask the yard if is posible to screw the straps to sand screws , 3 for each side with a good angle , straps tend to be loose in rain and heavy winds , so think about to tie together straps, jack stands plenty, in each side , tie together or braced together by welding or chains, put some plywood pads in the legs , rain tend to sink jack stands , keel same , be sure is welll suported by wood blocks,.

Dingy deinflated and secure inside or in case is not posible in the hard ,outboard to.

Idk if i remember more things i post it... Good luck..

[roverhi]

1. Solar powered vents. Need to keep air moving inside to prevent mold from forming. 2. Drilling a hole to let in the bilge to let water out is a good idea. Easily fixed with a little epoxy and filler or screwed in fastener when before you put it back in the water. Believe there are commercially available drains with plugs but I wouldn't bother. Had my boat play bathtub when water came in through some uninstalled hardware pukas. 3. Fuel tanks full so you limit condensation adding water to the fuel. 4. Biocide, by all means. The microbes that crawl into diesel love warm temperatures. 5. Take all the sails off the furlers and boom and store below. Good idea to rinse thoroughly with freshwater and let dry before doing so. 6. Some way to trickle charge the batteries like a small solar panel. 5 months is long enough to sulphate and ruin a battery that is allowed to self discharge. 7. Change the engine oil. 8. Fogging the engine with a top end preservative oil probably isn't necessary but wouldn't hurt.

Probably more things that I haven't thought of.

[DeepFrz]

If you use the "Google Custom Search" you should get lots of hits. The regular search engine is useless (almost)...

[CarlF]

If your water tank has access, its worth the effort to get it completely dry using a sponge. Also drain your water lines by unhooking fittings and blowing out the water with your mouth. Really nasty stuff can grow in five months.

[SVNeko]

Our northerners should have a regular routine to share with your for winterizing. Just skip the anti-freeze parts.