One more winterizing question

[CJM]

Okay I was able to remove the "exit" hose from the each sea strainer (after closing the seacock) , hooked up a funnel to that hose, started the engine, poured 3 gallons of antifreeze, saw it coming out of the exhaust.... (Mercruiser 7.4 Horizons- FWC).. I then sucked all the remaining water from the strainer (r/c all hoses) and then filled with antifreeze.. My question is about the hose from the seacock to the strainer.. I'm having a hard time accessing that hose... Should I be concerned and put in a bilge heater or is it overkill? The boat is a 2000 340 SD, with 2 454horizons, gen, ac/heat... It will be staying in the water in Stamford Harbor, Connecticut... Thoughts??

 

[Ididntdoit]

your overthinking it......the water you are sitting in wont get below 36 degrees or so and that keeps t lowest parts of the bilge warmer too - its not like being on the hard - a bilge heater is a very good idea for another reason - condensation - think early spring when there are drastic temperature swings.....condensation gets everywhere and can help corrode/rust everything. some people prefer oil pan heaters because they keep the cast iron itself warm and that acts like a heat sink for the bilge.....make sure to seal the vents into the bilge and insulate too