WEST COAST of FLORIDA

[SRS]

Hello, everyone, it is my first year on the West Coast of Florida (Hernando Beach) and I am curious as to the winterization process here. I keep my boat on dry storage when I am not playing with it. I am originally from NY and dreaded this time of the season. Any advice would be appreciated.........thanks:smt021

 

[ChuckW]

We don't winterize in FL. Just use the boat year round...

 

[Bama]

can I get by with that in Pensacola? it does get cold.

 

[fwebster]

If you dry stack or store on lift or trailer, you need to monitor temperatures. Continue to use and enjoy your boat but if we get temps below freezing for several days (usually happens once or twice a year, but sometimes not), you need to winterize systems or take other action to heat the engine spaces and cabin.

If you leave the boat in the water, don't worry about winterizing since the watertemps seldom get below the mid 50's.

 

[Bama]

I dry stack but im 250 miles away from it. Last winter was cold and I am more worried about the head water and gennie systems than the block which I could drin each time I put it up; but I have never liked draining directly hot 170 degree water into the bilge but it may be OK. we just never know when those cold days are going to come. usually jan but not always. inside dry stack oughty to work but I cant run over and load up a bilge heater.

any other ideas?

 

[SRS]

thank you much for the advice.........

 

[wastinaweigh]

SRS,

You didn't say, but the advice here does assume that you will be using your boat regularly, say once a month at least. If you plan to leave it sit for long periods of time, then you will want to partially "winterize" it. You usually see this done with the snowbirds who head north during the summer for months at a time.

If you live here year-round then it shouldn't be a problem. The longest stretch that I have gone without using the boat was during the summer/fall of 2004 when we had a 6 week run of hurricanes, and I did not want to have to keep securing/unsecuring it.

A little off topic, but you are entering what I think is the best 3 months of boating down here. The humidity is down, the temps are very pleasant, and the water is still warm.