I winterized my boat today...

[Freebyrdjason]

Well mostly, I took out the drain plug, I staggared the cushions around in the cabin, I took out all non essential items, I cleaned the upholstery, I vaccumed the whole carpet, I ran anti freeze through the engine and outdrive, as for the batteries, I leave them in there and come spring time I give them both a full charge.

All I have left to do is, top off the fuel tank and grease the fittings on the outdrive and the wheel bearings on the trailer. How about you?

 

[Shining]

Winterizing is such a dirty word!
I miss my boat. :smt089
-Mike

 

[thunderbird1]

Winterizing is such a dirty word!
I miss my boat. :smt089
-Mike

I know how you feel. For the past couple seasons we've pulled our boat from the water and had to deal with withdrawal. I recall driving to the dealer's storage lot one weeked just to look at her thru the fence. This year the boat is staying in the water, with pink in her veins and a bilge heater installed inside her.

 

[sbw1]

Winterizing is such a dirty word!
I miss my boat. :smt089
-Mike

Depends on what you winterize. I did my lawn equipment this w/e. No more yard work until March. :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[osd9]

Winterizing is such a dirty word!
I miss my boat. :smt089
-Mike

Depends on what you winterize. I did my lawn equipment this w/e. No more yard work until March. :grin: :grin: :grin:

But now we have to get out the snow blower... :smt101

 

[Dave M.]

This year the boat is staying in the water, with pink in her veins and a bilge heater installed inside her.

Good for you. Will you be taking the boat out during the winter? Any good spots there to go to in winter?

 

[Alex D]

I did too on Saturday ..... put my bilge heater and West Marine cabin heater in and left the head door open ... done ... :grin:

 

[Dave M.]

I did too on Saturday ..... put my bilge heater and West Marine cabin heater in and left the head door open ... done ... :grin:

Way to go Alex! Come to think of it, I have done mine too. Cleaned out the pellet stove that heats the shop the boat is in, test ran it, set the thermostat. I am ready for winter, but it was nearly 60 today.

But now I need to start the real work, doing the maintenance on the boat that needs done. Also needs a good cleaning and polishing. I don't know how people that are not retired get it all done. I'm retired and I still can't keep up!

 

[chuck1]

Sorry to hear about having to winterize your boat. I'm doing the bilge heater and pink stuff in the fresh water system. Took it out the other evening for a 1/2 hour or so was the only one the lake. It was priceless :thumbsup:

 

[thunderbird1]

Good for you. Will you be taking the boat out during the winter? Any good spots there to go to in winter?

Yes, we're planning to boat into Decemeber when the weekend weather allows. Don't know yet where we'll go, but we have the river pretty much to ourselves now. There is an island about 10 miles from our slip that we frequent with nice docks, Beacon Rock State Park, Downtown Portland OR on the Willamette river, and the town of St. Helens (about two hours away) to name a few possibilities.

How about you Dave M? Any winter boating plans?

 

[Alex D]

Thanks Dave !!
Well this will do for now for me. I will eventually put 20 gal AF in the water tank and run it through the lines and fawcet and also winterize the head system. All of this just for safety sake.

I won't do the engines and genny.

Talk about difficult work ... someone tell me how to get to the a/c strainer open and clean it out on a 340 Dancer without crushing at least two to three ribs. I flat out cannot believe where Searay put that sucker ...

 

[Dave M.]

There is an island about 10 miles from our slip that we frequent with nice docks, Beacon Rock State Park, Downtown Portland OR on the Willamette river, and the town of St. Helens (about two hours away) to name a few possibilities.

How about you Dave M? Any winter boating plans?

I will be spending some days locally just enjoying being out on the boat. If I ever get my wifes to-do list out of the way! I really had wanted to pull the boat downriver a ways, and check out some new areas. Also wanted to go boating around Portland. But I have not gotten all the things done I wanted to this year.

I have never been to Beacon Rock State Park, but know roughly where it is from driving by. Used to live west of Portland, and put the old boat in the water near Sauvie Island or the Troutdale area. But have not done that in many years. Now the weather is closing in, so it may be a 'next year' trip.

 

[Dave M.]

Thanks Dave !!

Talk about difficult work ... someone tell me how to get to the a/c strainer open and clean it out on a 340 Dancer without crushing at least two to three ribs. I flat out cannot believe where Searay put that sucker ...

I am lucky with my single engine 270, there is a lot of room around it to work. I normally take a fender or two and lay down outside the stringers alongside the engine to have something softer to kneel on or lay on. I bought a couple of cheap pillows to try there also, but have not put them to the test yet. But every time I get that 'newer-bigger-better' urge, I try and think about all the room I have to work, and that really for what I do with it, my boat serves me just fine. Just gotta keep the boat show off my calendar!

 

[Alex D]

deleted

 

[Alex D]

Good for you dave! My Four Winns 248 Vista had three times the useable room for service compared to this 340 ... here is a pic of the strainer, but you have to lay on top of the engines and then slide forward and down until you are making a headstand in the forward bilge (LITERALLY!!) to reach it. You must brace yourself with one arm and use the other hand to open it. then the strainer can hardly be pulled because the a/c cooling hose and cable boom directly above it, you must wedge the strainer outta there. This pic is taken from about the height of the top of the engines where you would lay. the upper edge of the pic is the cockpit floor. I can stand on the battery, but I cannot crouch down to get to the strainer then which I tried. The other pictures show you how tight it is around the front of the engines. Not enough space tor eally get anywhere. I have not yet found anyway to get to the tranny drain plugs to put one of franks contraptions on there.

 

[Dave M.]

Alex, I see what you mean! They did not do you any favors with that one. It looks like it would be a bear to check and water those batteries too.

 

[RiverGalsMan]

Alex, that's pretty tight in there. The 320 is even worse! I've got a few boating buddies with 320's and they hate life anytime they've got to do anything in the engine compartment.

Have you thought about one of those oil change manifolds? It won't help with the strainers, but at least changing fluids will be easier. What about laying a wide board across the engine compartment opening? It's got to be better than laying on the engines.

 

[Alex D]

YEah Dave and RGM ... THose are tow of the four batts .. the other two sit on the shelf between the large lift mufflers behind the engines. You have to lift them out with two boat hooks to exchange. To check water, I also have to make a head stand (Literally!). On top of that there are obviously tons of sharp corners so I always draw blood evrytime I am in there. Even the corner of the cockpit deck is sharp as a razor.

Changing oil is actually easy. I have a Jabsco bucket/pump set up and can change the oil on both engines (9 quarts each) in 15 minutes via the dipsticks.
The trannies are more difficult and I need to put one of those little tues down the filler hole. I have tried to get to the drain plugs, but I cannot reach them. If i'd get there I would put one of Frank W's hoses on there to pump out. those drain plugs are so close to teh bilge floor that you could not get anything underneath them anyway.

I guess gettign a 380 would be the solution. :grin:

Funny thing is ... a 340 with stern drives has gobs of space in the bilge for obvious reasons.

 

[sbw1]

Winterizing is such a dirty word!
I miss my boat. :smt089
-Mike

Depends on what you winterize. I did my lawn equipment this w/e. No more yard work until March. :grin: :grin: :grin:

But now we have to get out the snow blower... :smt101

:smt089 :smt021

 

[Nehalennia II]

Since my Trailer still :smt021 is not done, my dealer offered to winterisze mine for free.......so I reluctantly said ok......... :smt089 see you in the spring