Freezing Temp

[larman]

I mid October I did some damage to the running gear on my boat as we are heading down to Florida with it. I am currently still waiting on the repairs to be completed. The boat is in Delaware City, De. I have posted the ten-day forecast and I’m little concerned about a couple of days of freezing temperatures in the early a.m. do you think I’ll be OK with daytime temperatures reaching the 50s?

 

[jgwinks]

I assume you're in salt water which freezes at about 27deg F so any sea water in the engines, aircons, etc will be fine. Your domestic water system is more vulnerable but at 31 or 32 deg it would take a really long time to freeze. It's not like your home freezer that can make ice cubes in a couple hours, it's around -10 in there. I doubt the boat interior would get much below 40 in a single night with a low of 31. It's the days that don't get above freezing all day that will get you. Here in Michigan we get about a month of those in a row in Jan and Feb. Can you leave an electric heater running just in case?

 

[DavidM]

When I lived in Oriental, NC which is maybe a degree or two warmer than where you are, I never worried about freezing until it got to the low 20s overnight. You aren’t even close over the next ten days.

David

 

[larman]

Thank you!! Feeling much better about the situation.

 

[rgano]

If the boat is out of the water, your vulnerability is increased. A light, short-lived freeze should be tolerated ok, but anything longer could be hazardous.