I have recently purchased a 410 and I am thinking whether to have the boat yard winterize the boat for me. I have spoken to several people and read forums on the topic of winterizing. I have resigned to the decision to have the yard do the engine. I would like to know my boat better and winterizing the water system can help BUT as a home builder I am astute to the fact of having a professional do his trade. Any suggestions on a good book to read for winterizing, maybe next year I will be ready to do it myself. Thanks
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Mack Boring in Jersey
Mack boring a yanmar dealer gives a one or more day class all about your deisel engine,you should be close to them. Its really easy to winterize the engine and water system,I have a yanmar manual that gives a lot of info that I got from mack boring but have not been able to take the class,maybe this year. nick
Mack boring a yanmar dealer gives a one or more day class all about your deisel engine,you should be close to them. Its really easy to winterize the engine and water system,I have a yanmar manual that gives a lot of info that I got from mack boring but have not been able to take the class,maybe this year. nick
Winterizing the 34
Just finished ours Monday. I used 1.5 gallons to do the head- pored it in the bowel and pumped it through. Used 4.5 gallons for the water system. Run the tanks dry, drain the HW tank. ( I put a drain hose from the tank to the bilge when I installed it. opening the relief valve helped it drain.) joined the in/out hoses from the hw tank ( I bought a join connector for 3/8 plastic pipe at HD - seems to work fine and cost 2.89 I think). Added 2 gal of antifreeze in each tank and ran the faucets and shower until pink. Used part 5th gal to pour inthe HW tank- used a funnel and poued into the drain hose. Will use 2 gal for the engine once it is in the cradle. - HD has a lage size this year( 9.7 litres) which should save switching jugs when doing the engine. Leave fauets open, I leave thru hulls open to drain after haul out. When doing the bilge I undo the hose clamp on the bilge pump hose on the end near the one way valve and stick a screw drive up in it to open the valve and drain the water in the hose back into the bilge. Use a small pump to suck the water out of the bilgeand then sponge it dry. Should be ready for winter
Just finished ours Monday. I used 1.5 gallons to do the head- pored it in the bowel and pumped it through. Used 4.5 gallons for the water system. Run the tanks dry, drain the HW tank. ( I put a drain hose from the tank to the bilge when I installed it. opening the relief valve helped it drain.) joined the in/out hoses from the hw tank ( I bought a join connector for 3/8 plastic pipe at HD - seems to work fine and cost 2.89 I think). Added 2 gal of antifreeze in each tank and ran the faucets and shower until pink. Used part 5th gal to pour inthe HW tank- used a funnel and poued into the drain hose. Will use 2 gal for the engine once it is in the cradle. - HD has a lage size this year( 9.7 litres) which should save switching jugs when doing the engine. Leave fauets open, I leave thru hulls open to drain after haul out. When doing the bilge I undo the hose clamp on the bilge pump hose on the end near the one way valve and stick a screw drive up in it to open the valve and drain the water in the hose back into the bilge. Use a small pump to suck the water out of the bilgeand then sponge it dry. Should be ready for winter
Not quite, Richard...your toilet isn't protected
Just pouring antifreeze into the toilet bowl and flushing it through can't protect the toilet intake, or the pump, or the connection at the bowl or the channel in the rim of the bowl 'cuz nothing poured into the bowl gets recirculated through the intake (be grateful for that...if it were, waste would be). Here's how you should have done it: 1. Pump holding tank out, then rinse thoroughly by completely filling with fresh water and 1 gallon of white vinegar twice. 2. Close toilet intake through-hull, disconnect inlet hose and stick it in a gallon of non-toxic ("the pink stuff") antifreeze. Pump the whole gallon through the system into the holding tank. Do not reconnect head intake hose to the through-hull. 3. Pump the head 50 times to get as much fluid out of the system as possible. 4. After the boat comes out of the water, open all the sea cocks to drain any trapped water. Do not use antifreeze in a Lectra/San or PuraSan. Follow manufacturers instructions to winterize all Type I and II MSDs.
Just pouring antifreeze into the toilet bowl and flushing it through can't protect the toilet intake, or the pump, or the connection at the bowl or the channel in the rim of the bowl 'cuz nothing poured into the bowl gets recirculated through the intake (be grateful for that...if it were, waste would be). Here's how you should have done it: 1. Pump holding tank out, then rinse thoroughly by completely filling with fresh water and 1 gallon of white vinegar twice. 2. Close toilet intake through-hull, disconnect inlet hose and stick it in a gallon of non-toxic ("the pink stuff") antifreeze. Pump the whole gallon through the system into the holding tank. Do not reconnect head intake hose to the through-hull. 3. Pump the head 50 times to get as much fluid out of the system as possible. 4. After the boat comes out of the water, open all the sea cocks to drain any trapped water. Do not use antifreeze in a Lectra/San or PuraSan. Follow manufacturers instructions to winterize all Type I and II MSDs.
Learn from the "pro"
When I bought my new H37.5, 10 years ago, I had the same issue. I asked the boat yard to do it the first time and asked if I could watch. They said "sure!" I watched and took notes, and understood exactly what/how it was done. Every year since, I've done the winterizing myself and with no problems. It's easy once you know how and the best way to learn is see it done properly. Even if they charge a small fee to watch, it would be worth it.
When I bought my new H37.5, 10 years ago, I had the same issue. I asked the boat yard to do it the first time and asked if I could watch. They said "sure!" I watched and took notes, and understood exactly what/how it was done. Every year since, I've done the winterizing myself and with no problems. It's easy once you know how and the best way to learn is see it done properly. Even if they charge a small fee to watch, it would be worth it.
Simple winterizing
Here's an easy way. You need a 5 gallon bucket, a 1/2" thru hull to install in the side of the bucket at the bottom, 7gallons of water system antifreeze, and 3 gallons of engine antifreeze. While the boat is still in the water, run out all your tap water and thoroughly pump out and clean the waste water tank. Then close the seacock for the head, remove the hose from the seacock and attach it to the bucket (thu hull) dump in two gallons of water and pump it through the head into the holding tank. In my case the air conditioner is on this line so I turn it on and let it run until it is pumping pink stuff overboard. Haul the boat, when it is in the cradle, pull the hose off the engine seacock and attach it to the bucket. Dump in three gallons of engine antifreeze, start the engine and run the bucket dry. Take the lines off the hot water tank and pipe them together end to end with duct tape. Let the hot water drain into the bilge and then use it to scrub the bilge out. Dump 5 gallons of antifeeze into the water tank and then run it out of the all the taps making sure all through hulls are open and that the pink stuff has circulated all over the system. You could pump out all the antifreeze at this point and have no worries. Pump out the bilges and dry with sponge. You are done.
Here's an easy way. You need a 5 gallon bucket, a 1/2" thru hull to install in the side of the bucket at the bottom, 7gallons of water system antifreeze, and 3 gallons of engine antifreeze. While the boat is still in the water, run out all your tap water and thoroughly pump out and clean the waste water tank. Then close the seacock for the head, remove the hose from the seacock and attach it to the bucket (thu hull) dump in two gallons of water and pump it through the head into the holding tank. In my case the air conditioner is on this line so I turn it on and let it run until it is pumping pink stuff overboard. Haul the boat, when it is in the cradle, pull the hose off the engine seacock and attach it to the bucket. Dump in three gallons of engine antifreeze, start the engine and run the bucket dry. Take the lines off the hot water tank and pipe them together end to end with duct tape. Let the hot water drain into the bilge and then use it to scrub the bilge out. Dump 5 gallons of antifeeze into the water tank and then run it out of the all the taps making sure all through hulls are open and that the pink stuff has circulated all over the system. You could pump out all the antifreeze at this point and have no worries. Pump out the bilges and dry with sponge. You are done.
We took pictures too
When we bought our Hunter, we went from a gas to a disel engine, so we were clueless about the winterizing of the engine. We hired a professional and took lots of notes and lots of digital pictures as he worked. We made our own book with instructions so that we could duplicate the process step by step the next year. You're right Ron. Learn from a pro.
When we bought our Hunter, we went from a gas to a disel engine, so we were clueless about the winterizing of the engine. We hired a professional and took lots of notes and lots of digital pictures as he worked. We made our own book with instructions so that we could duplicate the process step by step the next year. You're right Ron. Learn from a pro.
Your are right again, Peggy
Right again Peggy- interestingly enough when I asked My "mentor" to confirm how he went about winterizing his head he confirmed that he indeed had found he had a crack in his bowl down near the base. Thanks agin- you probably saved me from a similiar fate!!
Right again Peggy- interestingly enough when I asked My "mentor" to confirm how he went about winterizing his head he confirmed that he indeed had found he had a crack in his bowl down near the base. Thanks agin- you probably saved me from a similiar fate!!
One more thing
Loosen egine fan belts. This helps protect engine, pump, and alternator bearings.
Loosen egine fan belts. This helps protect engine, pump, and alternator bearings.
Thanks to everyone's response
Thanks to everyone's response, The worst that can happen is that I make a mistake and get to know my boat better.....
Thanks to everyone's response, The worst that can happen is that I make a mistake and get to know my boat better.....
Winterizing
Just a quick note to everyone whose boat is laid up for the winter in areas that do freeze hard - check your insurance policy - SOME - not all insurance companies have a neat little exclusion in their policy that states there is no coverage from freeze damage if the boat is not winterized by a professional (I take this to mean a "boatyard" or "diesel mechanic"). I still do my own winterizing but I saw this in one of my policies a while ago and it made me wonder how many more ways insurance companies can sneak little things like this into policies so they don't have to pay. Thanks Mike
Just a quick note to everyone whose boat is laid up for the winter in areas that do freeze hard - check your insurance policy - SOME - not all insurance companies have a neat little exclusion in their policy that states there is no coverage from freeze damage if the boat is not winterized by a professional (I take this to mean a "boatyard" or "diesel mechanic"). I still do my own winterizing but I saw this in one of my policies a while ago and it made me wonder how many more ways insurance companies can sneak little things like this into policies so they don't have to pay. Thanks Mike
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