FREEZING WATER

[ANTON PETTITT]

DEAR SAILORS,FREEZING TEMPERATURES OF UP TO -5 DEGREES CELSIA OR 23 DGREES F ARE FRECASTED FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS IN MY MARINA.THE BOAT IS IN THE WATER(SEA) , BUT I'M STILL WORRIED THAT SOME WATER LEFT IN THE TANKS ( QUARTER FULL )MIGHT FREEZE.DOES ANYONE HAS ANY EXPERIENCE OF THIS NATURE.REGARDSANTON

 

[Pete]

water will freeze

water will freeze at these temperatures if exposed look enough all water tanks should be empty and either antifeezed or blown out with air and bone dry to prevent damage. I would suggest that you do something before it gets that cold. don't forget your other plumbing systems (the head and holding tank) Go to the archives there are some very good article on winterezing your systems. It is not a hard job but at 23 degress one that has to be done! Check some of Peggy Halls articles on how to do winterizing.

 

[Steve Dion]

If you cannot winterize it...

can you get some heaters on board? There are products like Golden Rods that can be placed in compartments (engine, holding tank compartments etc) to keep the temperatures up. If you have a space heater you can open all of the compartments where there are water lines. Leave your water heater on, this will generate heat too.If you cannot do this you should get everything drained ASAP. I would worry about the engine especially.

 

[Ray Bowles]

Inferred light bulbs in metal reflectors also

works well to heat hoses in areas that might freese. Be sure that the bulb is placed about 18 to 24 inches from the parts to be warmed.These can be purchased at and hardware store.RayS/V Speedy

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

If the temperatures will only be below freezing

overnight, back up to at least 40 F during the day, you have nothing to worry about. It's only when a hard freeze lasts for more than 48 consecutive hours that anything on board a boat kept in the water can get cold enough to freeze. In fact, as long as the water the boat is sitting in doesn't freeze, no matter how cold it gets, nothing below the waterline will freeze because the boat's hull takes it's temperature from the water and nothing inside the hull can get any colder than the hull. If you're expecting sustained temperatures--48 hours or longer--in the 20s F, you'd be well advised to winterize. Complete directions for winterizing plumbing are provided in the article "Winterizing Plumbing" in the Head Mistress forum Reference Library (right side of the forum homepage).