Early winterization question

[f4rioboy]

Hi all,
I'm not ready to put my boat to sleep yet, but have already starting thinking about winterization.

Well, I'm in CA and garage my 3.0 180 Sport (2005 with about 47 hours). Freezing is not a problem. Last year, I just changing the engine oil, fuel filter, drive lube, fill and stablize the fuel, and lube some points.

Here's a couple question:

a. I will not be fogging the engine because I usually take it back out in late Jan or early Feb. for fishing trips. Will I experience any issue if I don't fog my engine?

b. I will not drain the block, since freezing is not an issue. I heard that I should not drain it b/c it can introduce rust. Anythoughts on this?

c. I like to start the boat on the watter muffs once or month or every 6 weeks to keep things moving and lube. Is this necessary?

thanks.

 

[comsnark]

I think the bottom line is that you are NOT winterizing the boat.

Think more in terms of "periods of inactivity". I would run it once a month for an hour, just to make sure everything is happy. Then, follow the rest of proscribed hourly maintenance at 50, 100 hours etc.

The only thing I think you are missing is checking out drive seals with a pressure test.

 

[wkearney99]

So if you have an ice storm and lose power for a week you'll still be sure the engine won't freeze? I'd double check your insurance policy regarding coverage and winterization. Some *REQUIRE* it.

 

[f4rioboy]

I guess I'm not winterizing but just performing fall maintenance.

wkearney99 -
I actually have three digital therometer setup: on in the bilge, one in the garage, and one outside. Last year we had a unsually cold period of about a week in January. The coldest outside got was 21 degree, in my unheated garage it was 45 degree and the bilge register at 49 degree.

 

[f4rioboy]

I guess I'm not winterizing but just performing fall maintenance.

wkearney99 -
I actually have three digital therometer setup: on in the bilge, one in the garage, and one outside. Last year we had a unsually cold period of about a week in January. The coldest outside got was 21 degree, in my unheated garage it was 45 degree and the bilge register at 49 degree.

 

[wkearney99]

Thermometers will only tell you how screwed you are WHEN you lose power. If you're not going to be able to use the boat then what's the trouble with winterizing it? It's not really that much trouble or expense, certainly nowhere near the same cost as replacing what will get destroyed by being frozen. But they, suit yourself, just DOUBLE-CHECK that your insurance policy on the boat doesn't have specific requirements for winterization.

 

[f4rioboy]

Hi wkearney99,
I don't know what's your problem, but I'm just asking a couple newbie question. I'm sure you were there at one time. My boat is in my garage and temp does not drop below freezing. My garage is not heated, so i'm not too concern when there is a "lost of power".

 

[comsnark]

Wait. . .what part of CA are you in?

Lose power for a WEEK? If that happens, what are you doing for the house?

But if you really can routinely see the low 20's. . you do need to think about the possibility of freeze damage. Will you always be home when the weather turns cold? If ambients at night get below 25F, I would definately put a heater into the garage. If your daytime high doesn't break 32F at any point during the winter, then I would definately look to do proper winterization.

And yes. . .you are taking a calculated risk. I do that every year. Last year, I had two 30F nights before I pulled the powerboat out of the water. I did sweat it a bit, and I made a two hour drive to the boat to put a heat lamp into the engine compartment.

Another year, I discovered my de-icer was dead the day I put it in the water . . . .with my sailboat still at the dock and the lagoon starting to skim over. . . . yikes! An emergency trip to West Marine occurred at 9am the next morning. . . .(but two weeks later, I was sailing the boat in late december on a 55F day -> Made it all worth it! [I love sailing in December!])

 

[SearayPaul]

The 3 liter block is very easy to drain. On my block there were just two freeze plugs. One is on the port side of the block half way down and the other is under the exhaust manifold on the port side. As I remember they require a 7/16 wrench. Not a big deal. Remove the plugs let drain. Next time you run the boat put them back in. Do not over tighten. Five minute job max. Good luck.

 

[ruf1967]

I lived in Denver, CO for 12 years, and even during subzero nights there would be puddles of water on the floor of my unheated garage from the snow melting off my truck. I think a week without power would be fine in CA unless you live at a high elevation.

 

[thomas]

The least I would do is put stable in the gas. The price of gas today is expensive and the quality of it is not like it used to be

 

[skibum]

My engine has the orange colored coolant in it. What is this called?

Does it also serve as "anti-freeze"?

Michael

 

[boatrboy]

Do we really have to talk about WNTERIZING already?? :smt021
:grin:

 

[comsnark]

Orange: hmmm. Isn't that the "dex cool" stuff.

I was going to say more, but my lack of knowledge of cooling systems is limited. Suffice it to say that even with closed loop cooling, I think you have raw sea water running through the risers.

 

[Sundancer]

I lived in Denver, CO for 12 years, and even during subzero nights there would be puddles of water on the floor of my unheated garage from the snow melting off my truck. I think a week without power would be fine in CA unless you live at a high elevation.

Ditto that. In Spokane it has to be below zero before stuff in the garage starts freezing. I can't imagine where it would be that cold in California! If 21 was a "Cold" spell, you have no worries in the garage. You've got heat from the ground rising up through the garage, insulation of some type on the garage walls (Even if it's just siding) and then the engine is inside the boat insulated again. You'd have to be down in the teens for a LONG time before the garage would start to freeze. Unless you are in Tahoe, I wouldn't worry about it. My boat has survived many nights below freezing while sitting outside. As long as the daytime temps are in the 50's, you won't freeze your block.