Winterizing

[AlanInSeattle]

I am a new boat owner (Islander 28) and I'm seeking insights on winterizing for our first winter.

Our boat is moored in Everett, WA - typically mild winter temps but lately its been cold and the surface of the marina is frozen!

What steps should we take to winterize our boat? Should these and other systems be winterized? and any suggestions on the best methods:
-Freshwater system?
-Raw Water Engine Cooling? (We have an A-4)
-Head?
-Thru Hulls?
-Auto Bilge Pump?

Do Northwest sailors keep their boats heated just above freezing in the winter? If so, how do you deal with the condesation on the interior?

Thanks in advance!

-Alan

[Tempest]

Boat US has a lot of information on winterizing on their website. They also have a free brochure that you can send for. I've seen them in their stores for free as well.

Rather than re-type it all out here, I'd suggest taking a look at their site and then see if you have any questions.

BoatUS.com: BoatUS Home Page


Winterizing Your Engine by Don Casey

BoatUS.com - Seaworthy Magazine

[downeast450]

Alan,

I just finished winterizing my I-28 today here in Northeast Harbor, Maine. It is all fairly standard stuff. If you are not aware of Moyer Marine's forum on A-4's it is worth the effort. There are all the steps for winterizing your engine there. I added a bilge strainer and hose that connects to my raw water hose with a gate valve. I can simply put the strainer in a gallon of antifreeze, open the gate valve to the strainer with the RW thruhull closed and fill the raw water side with antifreeze before I shut off the engine. It also gives you an engine powered bilge pump in an emergency. Lots of RV antifreeze. Pump it through your manual pumps and leave some in the head after flushing enough through to displace water. Don't forget to clean out your holding tank and treat that.

One thing I discovered, in time to save the boat's frames, was that the cockpit drain hoses cross and can have a low point that freezes solid. This prevents the cockpit from draining when the boat is on the hard and frozen. My solution was to install a garboard plug at the lowest point of the bilge and to install a third cockpit drain flush in the middle of the cockpit floor. It has a valve and a hose bib connection under the floor and in the winter I run a hose from that cockpit drain to the location of my garboard drain in the keel. That way if I suffer a cover failure and get water in the cockpit that can't drain through the normal (frozen) drains it has a way to exit the boat before it freezes wherever it might collect.

Good luck with your new boat. It is a very well mannered craft.

George

[mitiempo]

I'm in Victoria B.C. and all the years (40) I've had boats I've never winterized one. The bilge is going to be about the temp of the water. If it's salt water it doesn't vary much in Victoria (or Seattle). The surface can get frozen but that is just the fresh on top. As long as you have a small amount of heat on board you should be fine. The Caframo heater is good as it has a "anti-freeze" setting. Automatically comes on at 38 degrees to maintain that temp. They're very popular in this area. Just leave the engine compartment open a bit. With out winterizing we can sail all year long. Sailed in a snowstorm once. I now live aboard but haven't always. I now keep the boat a bit above 38 degrees.
Brian

[Faster]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

I'm in Victoria B.C. I now live aboard but haven't always. I now keep the boat a bit above 38 degrees.
Brian

Sounds more like a sauna, Brian! we rarely reach 38 degrees mid summer!

We are in Vancouver, not far from Brian and also don't 'winterize' per se.. we add a dehumidifier and a small electric heater and keep the cabin spaces around 12 deg C - as Brian indicates all below-bunk areas are going to be closer to water temperature than air temperature and so except in the most extreme (for us) weather the temps in the boat are quite mild...

And the boat's ready to go anytime we get a weather window!

[mitiempo]

I was using fahrenheit for our American friends.

[blt2ski]

YEah yeah yeah, some kooks from up north and there weird temps! LOLOLOL

I do not not winterize here a bit south in Edmonds either. Most of us will use some kind of heater that is set to about 3-5 degrees........ooops, using that funky centigrade rate.......ok about 40F. I have a heater I got at west marine with a setting that is supposed to be at about 40F, I prefer to have it a bit higher when it has been as cold as it has been over the last week.

I got in my boat last wed morning about 9am, while it was above freezing, I had some ice on the inside of the windows when it was 15-20F or there abouts. So set it a bit higher, next morning no frost, inside was warmer, with out the damp feeling too. My Jeanneau Arcadia is really close to the same size as your I28.

Marty

[mitiempo]

As is my CS27. Here is the heater I mentioned. Made in Ontario where they know cold well.

[blt2ski]

Brian,

That looks like the one WM sells as theirs down here but in white instead of charcoal.

Marty

[mitiempo]

It's available in white here as well - apparently it's the "new" color.