I’ve heard I don’t have to winterize but it’s going to be 18 degrees....

[Steve91T]

Since I winterize every fall, I have found it is relatively easy if you do a couple of things. For the water system, I leave the tanks mostly full. I have installed a ball valve with faucet in the intake water line to the pump after the valve from the tank. I take 5 gallon bucket of RV antifreeze and connect a hose to the faucet. Turn on the pump and run each faucet until they run pink. This also winterizes the sump. For raw water in the toilets I do the same thing with the bucket of RV antifreeze but shut the through hull. Winterizing the generator and main, are done through the strainer with the thru hull closed. Start the engine and dump RV antifreeze in the strainer, 8 gallons in the main and 3-4 gallons in the generator. The whole process takes about 1.5 hours.

Tom

That’s good to know. I was wondering how to properly winterize a boat in the water. Thank you.

For us we plan on using the boat through the winter. We’re actually headed down there in a little over a week to spend a couple of nights. So that wouldn’t work for us.

 

[sdowney717]

We are getting upwards possible 8 inches of snow, plus high winds 25 gusting to 40, starting wednesday evening thru thursday.
Today I need to fold up my bimini top, I don't want the snow to collapse it.
Going to hit mid 30's today so will be warmer than yesterday's highs. Right now is 14*

I have family in Myrtle Beach, and supposedly they are getting up to 4 inches of snow, which is unheard of.

 

[ranger58sb]

That’s good to know. I was wondering how to properly winterize a boat in the water. Thank you.

For us we plan on using the boat through the winter. We’re actually headed down there in a little over a week to spend a couple of nights. So that wouldn’t work for us.

I did go to Myrtle on Monday, back home Tuesday. 951 mile round trip. Times picked largely to avoid DC traffic and to avoid the predicted winter storm in the Carolinas. Didn't have to do much work, though; I just blew out all the freshwater hoses with an air compressor. The main reason I did that is because of the two cockpit spigots and the cockpit shower; since they're outside they get no relief from internal cabin heat.

One of our reverse cycle heaters was on and set at 60°F and cabin temps were fine when I got there.

Water temps were 48°F at about 12' below the water surface, and 46°F at about 18" below; these readings from our own DST transducers.

FWIW, when we winterize up here, I use the air compressor for the FW system and water heater. Easy enough to do; compressor to a hose fitting connected wherever easy on the boat (our shorepower inlet works easily for that). Then only about a pint of potable antifreeze through the FW pump/accumulator, while those are temporarily disconnected from follow-on hoses. Saves having to deal with all that AF in the Spring.

-Chris

 

[Wxx3]

A lot of guessing going on....rightly so as many have had different experiences with boats and freezing temps.

There is a huge difference between water lines in the bilge and in the superstructure and where they penetrate the topsides.

Cockpit showers, city water inlets, topside sinks, fresh water washdown spigots,vetc can all freeze and break with just one solid night of low 20s temps....if the temps get down fast and stay down all night and the fixture is in the shade.

Bilge piping, especially the salt water stuff is good for 2 or 3 days where the nights might be freezing but the days are above 32F.

I'd only add that the engine room will stay within a few degrees of the outside water temperature. Some current is helpful in keeping that temperature moderate.

When Dauntless was in Waterford, with days on end of 35F and windy, the cabin temp never went below 50F because the water temp was 55F in a strong current.

 

[psneeld]

I have had 3 liveaboard boats of completely different handling of outside cold air.

The Cape Dory was like a mummy sleeping bag.

The Albin stays a few degrees warmer in high winds but does pretty well on calmer sunny days, probably from window heat gain as much as anything.

The 1988 Silverton Convertible was a wind tunnel if I didnt mylar the windows and stuff foam everywhere

 

[meridian]

I’m on the hard in Savannah getting the hull painted. Yesterday I checked the outside hull temp, 34 degrees. I’ve got a small heater in the engine room, 54 degrees. I also put a small heater in the holding tank area.

 

[sdowney717]

We have a thin layer of ice forming on Chisman Creek here in Seaford Va.
I checked my bilge, and there is about the same thin layer of ice on the small amount of water in there. So the creek's water must be about 30* As you move closer to shore, the creek ice gets thicker.

So the temp is about the same between bilge and creek.
This last summer I raised up my two 3700 gph bilge pumps so they will stay dry. If my bilge freezes, they will get locked in ice and cant pump in an emergency, if too low in the bilge.

 

[Benthic2]

will paint cure in those temps ???

 

[meridian]

Above 50 degrees to paint

 

[DHeckrotte]

Gettin' a bit brisk here in Philly! Second week w/o temps above freezing. I'm beginning to fret about my 'freezeproof' hose bibs, especially now that I've finished the basement ceiling and they're all above it. I've depended upon our NJ marina to have done a good job winterizing Revel.

I've seen one sailboat that we were looking at to buy (in 2003/4 or so) which was in the water in Rock Hall, MD, and apparently had frozen cockpit drains. I hate to think what her owner found when that cockpit FULL of ice thawed.

I've tried to heat our sailboat using both electric and propane heaters when it was a balmy 25 deg but blowin' to beat the band. She was on the hard with her stern into the wind. I had planned to winterize her the day following Thanksgiving, but something dreadful blew in. I drove down after TG dinner when I saw that the dog's bowl was frozen solid. I ran extension cords for the heaters, and tried to sleep. (No damage, and I was able to winterize her.)

Our marina does not allow untended electric heaters. Another marina in Rock Hall suffered the loss of several boats and the covered slip roof due to a failed electric heater. A barn I designed for an antique motorcycle collection burned to the ground due to a failed electric heater left on for the owner's Vietnamese pot bellied pigs.

Winterize.

 

[markpierce]

Thankfully, we don't have "winter" here unless going to the mountains.

 

[klee wyck]

I'd only add that the engine room will stay within a few degrees of the outside water temperature. Some current is helpful in keeping that temperature moderate.

When Dauntless was in Waterford, with days on end of 35F and windy, the cabin temp never went below 50F because the water temp was 55F in a strong current.

My experience has been as above. The first year or two I had the boat in Seattle I was nervous but much less now and interesting to see that Richards frp seems to be affected the same as my steel in terms of projecting the water temp throughout the boat. With air temps as low as a breezy 18 degrees, water temps as low as 48, I have never been able to catch the main cabin under 40 and the bilge a little warmer.
I don't Winterize.

 

[angus99]

Yesterday it was clear and beautiful here on Kiawah Island, with a very high tide due to the Super/Wolf moon. Today, it’s freezing rain and snow with many roads between here and Charleston closed. I decided to keep the outboard on our Skiff down in the water, consistent with most of the advice I got in another thread. We walked on the beach at sunset and it was weirdly wonderful to see everything covered in snow and ice.

 

[ranger58sb]

Looks like the cold snap where OP's boat is (and ours is) could end on Monday, temps back up to the normal 36-60°F range after that... at least for the predictable week or so after that.

-Chris

 

[Ski in NC]

Got 2-3" of snow last night here in SE NC. Now about 23F and sunny. Oh, and the power is out. So on gennie power...

 

[BandB]

The most damage I've ever seen to boats or houses has been in periods of "it never gets this cold." I am reading many comments about the water temperature. However, assuming temperature in boat and water are both the same, it will take far less time for the cold to make the temperatures inside the boat drop. Less volume of liquid. You can have freezing inside a boat with water outside 50 degrees, even in the engines. One night or slightly below freezing won't do it. But several nights in the teens and day time remaining below freezing and it won't freeze every boat but it will get one here and there. Plus a trawler type boat has the engine much deeper and protected than the OP's boat or ski boats and cruisers. I've seen the damage of those record cold winters.

 

[Ski in NC]

Got down to 16F last night. I drained the piping and ran the main engine and gennie for about 15min, so engine room should be ok. Getting some decent ice around the hull, will go see how thick it is getting. Got a few more days of this stuff.

I think these are coldest temps and longest cold snap duratipon that I have seen in my 25yrs here.

 

[Steve91T]

:::UPDATE:::

I called the marina this morning and they said all the boats are still floating and no known damage. I asked if they could check on my boat. They called back later and said they opened the engine hatch (which was covered in ice) and the Bildge was nice and toasty. The space heater is working well. I’m really glad I turned the heat on and left a space heater in the Bildge. It’s so cold and it’s been cold for days. It was 10 at my house this morning in Charlotte, a record low.

 

[sdowney717]

We have a special low temp warning tonight.
A severe drop expected, has not been this cold in a long time I think.
Hope everyone got prepared.

Special Weather Statement for York, Virginia
Issuing Office: Wakefield
Source: National.Weather.Service
2:51pm EST, Sat Jan 6

... BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS TONIGHT... ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF CLEAR SKIES, LIGHT WINDS AND THE SNOW COVER WILL ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM COOLING WITH MANY AREAS BREAKING THEIR RECORD LOWS. TEMPERATURES BY SUNRISE SUNDAY WILL RANGE BETWEEN TWO DEGREES ABOVE ZERO TO EIGHT DEGREES BELOW ZERO. IN ADDITION, ANY MELTING OF THE SNOW THAT TOOK PLACE TODAY WILL REFREEZE. MANY SECONDARY ROADS ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA WILL AGAIN BE ICE OR SNOW COVERED RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING, KEEPING PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER MOTORISTS.