De-winterization
- Thread starter xavpil
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There are a couple of great posts from Peggie Hall on spring commissioning pinned over in the marine plumbing and sanitation forum:
SPRING RECOMMISSIONING
More boats have to be towed in, or find themselves back in the yard, and more equipment failures happen in the spring than at any other time of year. And the owners all say the same thing: "I don't know what's wrong...it was working fine we put the boat away last fall." Here’s how to make sure...
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RECOMMISSIONING THE FRESH WATER SYSTEM--Updated 3-29-2023
Updated March 29, 2023 Although most people think only in terms of the tank, the plumbing is actually the source of most foul water, because the molds, mildew, fungi and bacteria which cause it thrive in damp dark places, not under water. There are all kinds of products sold that claim to keep...
forums.sailboatowners.com
Great info.
I am wondering now about the engine. I guess reconnect batteries, give it a go and let run the day before launch. (With water running through of course)
Make sure the engine intake from any ‘artificial’ water source isn’t under pressure. in fact, I don’t see any need for doing it at all prior to launch other than crank with the stop cable pulled to lube the engine bits a bit before starting.
De-winterizing here takes on a whole other meaning than the folks up north perceive.
I an new in a cold state and never had to winterize anything so I have a hard time believing my 40 year old engine will start and take me to the man’ But I’m sure it will!!!
Make certain the battery is charged and the fuel valve is open. Open the seacock so the cooling water can enter. Turn the key. As Don suggests it is probably a good idea to pull the stop lever (it cuts off the fuel supply on the motor) and turn it over a few times to get the oil moving.
Once in the water, check the bilge for leaks and start the motor, make sure water is coming out the exhaust.
Once in the water, check the bilge for leaks and start the motor, make sure water is coming out the exhaust.
Peggie has great notes on recommissioning the fresh water system after winter. As for the diesel engine, if your batteries are fully charged and it was winterized properly, it should start without problems. If winterized with ethylene glycol it a good idea to start while on the hard, running water through it and collecting the antifreeze in a bucket under the exhaust pipe so you can dispose of it safely and NOT DUMP IN THE LAKE. As mentioned by Don in post #4, do not run pressurized water to the water inlet. Take a 5 gallon bucket, fill it with water, run the hose from the impeller into the bucket and let the impeller pump the water in. Let the engine run only long enough to expell all the antifreeze into the bucket under the exhaust. That should not take more than a minute or two. When getting clear water out of the exhaust, shut the engine off and reconnect the impeller hose. You'll be good to go when launching. For safety of mind, make sure your batteries are fully charged when the boat is launched so that it starts right away. Good luck and have a great season.
Now would also be a good time to inspect the zincs in your engine (heat exchanger) and on your prop shaft, and to make sure your stuffing box hose clamps are in good condition.
Grease all your seacocks while out of the water and make certain they are working properly. Change or at least check your impeller.
I winter my O’Day 322 in the Chicago area, so very similar storage conditions.
For me, I reconnect the batteries and check voltage. If the are not still fully charged, get them on a battery charger for. Week before launching. If you don’t have a way to charger them in storage, take them home and charge them.
I like to bump the engine over just to make sure she will turn over once in the water and I need to start it.
If you took the impeller out for storage, be sure to reinstall it. I don’t remove mine.
I always check the sea strainer and make sure the cover is on tight (I usually open the strainer to pour in some AF in the winter), and verify that all of the thru hulls are closed.
After the boys lower me into the water, I check the thru hull and open the valve for the engine intake. Then go to the cockpit and fire up the engine…
Greg
And slightly further down the list, if you didn't get around to changing the oil last fall, now's a good time. And if it's been a couple years, throw some new fuel filters in there. Clean/replace air filter perhaps? And of course a full bottom job (just kidding - maybe).
I have pretty much the same routine as Tally Ho and am in Chicago, so same conditions.
Oil and filters are changed in the fall before storage, so nothing to do there. I change the fuel filters if I didn’t do that in the fall. I also leave the impellor blade in for the winter, but I always open the pump and check it in the spring and I replace it every about other year regardless. Some think that’s too often and I’m wasting money on impellor blades, but I’ve noticed they‘re usually the ones with stories about clearing impellor blade bits out of their engines.
Otherwise, just make sure the batteries are fully charged; check all seacocks, hoses and clamps; and confirm the sea strainer is closed tight so it can’t suck air. I run the engine at the dock for a while after splash and also shift it in and out of gear, forward and reverse, a few times and visually check the transmission cable attachment at the engine. Don’t ask how I learned that‘s necessary. After that, check and adjust the stuffing box if needed. I also have to pull one through hull plug to put in the tri-data transducer after launch because it’s right where the forward slings go.
As everyone else said, look to Peggy’s instructions about recommissioning your water system.
Oil and filters are changed in the fall before storage, so nothing to do there. I change the fuel filters if I didn’t do that in the fall. I also leave the impellor blade in for the winter, but I always open the pump and check it in the spring and I replace it every about other year regardless. Some think that’s too often and I’m wasting money on impellor blades, but I’ve noticed they‘re usually the ones with stories about clearing impellor blade bits out of their engines.
Otherwise, just make sure the batteries are fully charged; check all seacocks, hoses and clamps; and confirm the sea strainer is closed tight so it can’t suck air. I run the engine at the dock for a while after splash and also shift it in and out of gear, forward and reverse, a few times and visually check the transmission cable attachment at the engine. Don’t ask how I learned that‘s necessary. After that, check and adjust the stuffing box if needed. I also have to pull one through hull plug to put in the tri-data transducer after launch because it’s right where the forward slings go.
As everyone else said, look to Peggy’s instructions about recommissioning your water system.
You might find the information in the Spring Recommissioning post too (the one directly above "Recommissioning the Fresh Water System"...covers just about everything but the engine.
--Peggie
Same here but I run the diesel on the hard before being launched. I follow Rod’s Maine Sail’s procedure to make sure I don’t have a problem starting when I’m actually being launched. We’re launched from a trailer and I don’t want to be pulled back out because she won’t start.
You are correct. The sacrificial anodes in fresh water should be magnesium or aluminum.
I can't seem to locate the toilet intake seacock on my Hunter 29.5. Any help / pics appreciated. I've taken every cushion out and searched through every space I can find, but still haven't located the seacock that allows me to pull water into the head, making the boat quite limited in it's use. thanks for any help.
