Portland Oregon Winterizing ??

[expressboy]

First of all I am a new Sea Ray owner... I have had a ton of boats ... but this is the first time we have had a big boat in fresh water over the winter. Our 400 express is in a covered marina in Portland, in a area that the river pretty much always has a small amount of current. The boat is fresh water cooled with the appropriate amount of anti freeze so the blocks are fine. In my trawler in Puget Sound I always kept heat on in the engine room all winter... but it had a walk around engine room and I actually did most of my engine room work in the dead of winter ( it was always warm in there). I plan on keeping a disk heater on in the main cabin over winter... but in Portland do I need to worry about freezing with a boat in the water??. As this is a gas boat any heater in the engine room is critical to be explosion proof ( Boat safe ? ) I am going to pose these questions to the previous owner... but he kept it in a boat house that would of been warmer.
Thanks,
EXPRESSBOY
:smt100

 

[Pack66Dad]

First of all I am a new Sea Ray owner... I have had a ton of boats ... but this is the first time we have had a big boat in fresh water over the winter. Our 400 express is in a covered marina in Portland, in a area that the river pretty much always has a small amount of current. The boat is fresh water cooled with the appropriate amount of anti freeze so the blocks are fine. In my trawler in Puget Sound I always kept heat on in the engine room all winter... but it had a walk around engine room and I actually did most of my engine room work in the dead of winter ( it was always warm in there). I plan on keeping a disk heater on in the main cabin over winter... but in Portland do I need to worry about freezing with a boat in the water??. As this is a gas boat any heater in the engine room is critical to be explosion proof ( Boat safe ? ) I am going to pose these questions to the previous owner... but he kept it in a boat house that would of been warmer.
Thanks,
EXPRESSBOY
:smt100

Maybe one of these would work for you? http://www.davisnet.com/marine/products/marine_product.asp?pnum=01458

 

[dig2fly]

I moor my '88 270 DA in near vicinity through the winter. I leave everything watered up with the canvas on the back, and 1 heater in the cabin. To keep the engines from freezing, I have an Xtreme brand heater. It is explosion proof and it comes on when the temp gets down to 38 degrees. The one I have cost about $400. Even though you have fwc, you still have sea water to and from the heat exchanger that must be kept from freezing. Have a good winter.

 

[The Bill Collector]

We moor in a waterway with brackish water. The water in the boathouse has never frozen, but last year with exreme lower temp's I was blocked from leaving the boathouse because of ice outside the door. I keep two air dries on in the E.R. to keep my girls warm and in the salon I use two of these.....

 

[Pack66Dad]

We moor in a waterway with brackish water. The water in the boathouse has never frozen, but last year with exreme lower temp's I was blocked from leaving the boathouse because of ice outside the door. I keep two air dries on in the E.R. to keep my girls warm and in the salon I use two of these.....

I have almost the exact same set-up except one half as much. One air drier in the E.R. & one (exact same) heater on in the cabin.

 

[Carpedmman]

I keep my boat in a covered marina on Hayden Island and always stuff the blower outlets with a towel and use the small heater show above with a circulating fan blowing air around the cabin. In your case you may want to add another heater and keep the doors open to the heads and plumbing from the inside. In extreme weather I have placed an oil filled heater in the engine area, but will be switching this year to a Boatsafe engine heater.

I look forward to seeing you on the water!