If heat fails with indoor heated storage…

[Presentation]

I had a conversation with a manager at our marina and storage facility.

I asked what would happen if the heat were to fail with indoor heated storage and the boat was not winterized meaning the blocks cracked as well as other damage like the air conditioning system, fresh water system, generator, etc.

His answer was that neither their insurance nor my insurance would cover the damage.

I am going to be doing a complete winterization this year, my first time ever. After his comment and my resulting decision I got to wondering just why I am paying for indoor heated storage vs more economical indoor storage without heat?

If you have indoor heated storage:
#1) Have you checked into what would happen / who would pay for repairs if the heat failed and damage occurred?
#2) Do you still perform a complete winterization even after paying for indoor heated storage?

 

[dpmulvey]

I had a conversation with a manager at our marina and storage facility.

I asked what would happen if the heat were to fail with indoor heated storage and the boat was not winterized meaning the blocks cracked as well as other damage like the air conditioning system, fresh water system, generator, etc.

His answer was that neither their insurance nor my insurance would cover the damage.

I am going to be doing a complete winterization this year, my first time ever. After his comment and my resulting decision I got to wondering just why I am paying for indoor heated storage vs more economical indoor storage without heat?

If you can get to the boat (i.e. they are not sardined in the facility) it is easier to work on prepping for next season. I have never seen eisenglass crack in the heat.

If you have indoor heated storage:
#1) Have you checked into what would happen / who would pay for repairs if the heat failed and damage occurred?
#2) Do you still perform a complete winterization even after paying for indoor heated storage?

I do not have heated storage. Wish I did. My policy says it is my responibility to perform due diligence to protect my boat. If something occurs and I have done my best to protect my boat, the insurance company steps in. It's a plus up in your case taking precautions against what most would not have thought of.

If you have the horizon three point system, winterization is easy. If not, run the engines up to temp and run some pink A/F in them. Everything else can be done with low pressure air.

Good luck.

 

[320Bob]

Pres,
I would first check to see what kind of heat is being used at the storage facility. If it's all electric there is more risk of interruption than if it's gas. Gas service here in the Midwest is extremely reliable due to the proximity to storage and the number of pipelines that supply gas to the region. However, most gas heating equipment needs electricity so the risk is with it not the gas. If the storage facility uses gas, ask if they have firm or interruptible service from the utility. If the latter, ask how many times they were curtailed during the past three winters.

I winterized/summerized my boat for heated storage this past winter at a cost of around $1,000 since I had the dealer do it. I don't plan to do it this time around but my engines are FWC with antifreeze as is my generator which is a mitigating factor in my case. Also, the marina drains the water from all the systems.

In my opinion, you likely have a very low possibility of losing heat to the storage facility if they have firm gas service. However, if you winterize the boat yourself, it might be worth the extra protection at a pretty low cost.

Update: I just talked to my marina and heated storage has two gas furnaces, one kerosene heater and a generator for backup and is checked every day.

 

[sbw1]

We don't worry about it. We store at a full service place where work is done year round. It is staffed everyday except Sunday by people who can build or repair just about anything. One year a door blew off a building in a storm. It was a new building and the contractor may have been at fault. The marina techs took the sections of the door apart and reinstalled them in the damaged tracks with their fork lifts and had the building back up to temp in no time. The contractor did the final repair days later. This was in the winter. My boat was right by the door and suffered no ill effects. The other thing about the building I store in....it has some natural protection from the natural springs that flow beneath the concrete slab which by itself is a huge heat sink. The earth the building sits on never freezes. There are lot of things to worry about. Losing power at North Shore Marina is not one of them.

We do all of our own maintenance work at our dock and wash the boat prior to driving it into the slings for storage. It goes into the storage building clean and serviced and does not sit out more than 2 hours usually. Inside heated storage is worth the difference because you do not have techs walking around in rainy weather getting their shoes dirty and then climbing all over your boat removing lines and what have you. It's also no more money if you pay to have someone winterize systems. And, we like to do some small projects on our boat in February to begin detailing it for launch in April.

 

[MExcelsior]

Presentation, I think your probably right in winterizing. If you do it yourself, running pink is hardly any cost at all. And.... arguably needs to be done anyway for corrosion protection during the winter layup.

 

[Presentation]

MEx – yes, I am self winterizing.

I don’t get the ‘bow air thru the lines’ suggestion above.

Let’s run thru the air conditioner just as a example:

In the water I clean the cabin air filters (2) by removing the filters then rinsing with water, shake and let drip dry, reinstall. Close the seacock, remove then clean the strainer, reinstall.

Next I re-open the seacock, run the A/C a bit, make sure it’s all good, exercise seacock 20-30 times, re-close the sea-cock.

I then remove the hose from the seacock, put it in a fresh full gallon of RV antifreeze -50F. Turn on A/C until the antifreeze gallon is empty (pink will be shooting out the side thruhull) then turn the A/C off.

Pour some RV antifreeze -50F down the A/C drain pan in the cabin.

I leave the hose off the thru hull and leave the thru hull closes until spring.

I don’t understand the air comment. Do you all own portable air compressors? How would you do it with air? Why do it with air? Wouldn’t the antifreeze method be better? No air needed and I use 1 gallon of pink -50 antifreeze at $2.71/gallon from Fleet Farm (local hardware chain)

I basically do the same thing with the fresh water system, just a bit more steps then the above, making sure I get pink antifreeze in and out of all connections and faucets.

 

[uraldyx]

I know my boat is smaller than most of yours, for what it is worth, I winterized mine last year before putting it into heated storage. I do it myself while changing the oil and gear lube at the end of the season. 5 to 6 gallons of antifreeze for mine is cheap enough to insure against any heat faliures.

 

[MExcelsior]

Presentation, where is the second air filter in the cabin? I have only been cleaning the return air under the table. As far as air conditioner, either pink or air will work! However, I like to run pink as air can sometimes doesn't get all the water out of the centrifugal impeller. (Water tends to get stuck between magnet and housing).

Let me know about the filter!

Mike

 

[tbirdvet]

Our marina has backup gens. for the heat but since most feel you should winterize anyway I just store outside. Our inside storage facility closes during thee winter so cannot get to boat. I rather store outside with shrinkwrap.

 

[Sundancer]

Pres, the air method is just another way of removing water from your freshwater lines. I don't like the taste of the water after the antifreeze sits in the pipes all winter. Because of that I switched to compressed air. I bought a small air compressor and it takes a while, but I do other things while the compressor is building pressure. When I'm done the system is ready for use in the spring. And so far in this economy air is still FREE!! I'm not sure how long it will remain untaxed so I'm going to winterize early just in case! :grin:

 

[Presentation]

Presentation, where is the second air filter in the cabin? I have only been cleaning the return air under the table. As far as air conditioner, either pink or air will work! However, I like to run pink as air can sometimes doesn't get all the water out of the centrifugal impeller. (Water tends to get stuck between magnet and housing).

Let me know about the filter!

Mike

Hi Mike,

The two air conditioning system air filters are literally inches apart. I’m not sure what one you found so I’ll describe them both.

#1) Under the port table is a seat. Under this seat is the air conditioning unit. The seat has a rectangular hole with a vent to allow air to return to the unit. Behind the grate in this hole is a filter. To remove the grate you stick a small object like a small straight blade screwdriver in the edges of the hole and move four (4) plastic locks to the right. With all four locks pushed to the right the grate just falls out. With the grate out you can push the filter out from the back.

#2) On the air conditioner unit itself is a thin metallic filter, about 1/3” tick. You take the seat top off, see the A/c unit, see the little tab on the filter all the way on the right most side of the A/C unit, and pull it straight up. It just slides up and out. .

 

[MExcelsior]

Hi Mike,

The two air conditioning system air filters are literally inches apart. I’m not sure what one you found so I’ll describe them both.

#1) Under the port table is a seat. Under this seat is the air conditioning unit. The seat has a rectangular hole with a vent to allow air to return to the unit. Behind the grate in this hole is a filter. To remove the grate you stick a small object like a small straight blade screwdriver in the edges of the hole and move four (4) plastic locks to the right. With all four locks pushed to the right the grate just falls out. With the grate out you can push the filter out from the back.

#2) On the air conditioner unit itself is a thin metallic filter, about 1/3” tick. You take the seat top off, see the A/c unit, see the little tab on the filter all the way on the right most side of the A/C unit, and pull it straight up. It just slides up and out. .

Your the MAN!!! Just when I think I am familiar with everything in my boat.... you come up with this stuff and surprise me. (Remember the secret storage?) OK.... you need to fess up, what else could I be missing? : )

Thanks,

Mike