Potential dangers of leaving boat in for the winter?

[eugenesdream24]

Hey everyone, it is looking like I may be leaving my boat in the water for the winter. However I am in NY where this winter is fixing to be pretty cold!

So I am running down my preparations for this winter and thought I'd see if anyone can let me know if I am missing anything, or if there is any other potential hazards I should be aware of.

- I will be winterizing my Atomic 4 properly draining the motor, exhaust, water lines. Doing the anti-freeze, topping off my gas tank and adding stabilizer, making sure all seacocks are closed and safe. I found a good tutorial for Atomic 4 winterization.

- I will have a de-icer bubbler in the water for the extra cold days where the canal starts to freeze over. I am buying one with an extra big diameter for my boat's size.

- I have an extendable handle brush so I can scrub the entire hull every 2 weeks or so and keep her clean from slime and barnacles.

- I'm looking into an air circulator and heater to keep any moisture or frost out of the cabin.

- Of course I'll be taking down my sails and storing them properly for the winter along with any canvas, my solar panels, weather station, and other exterior toys.

- I'll plug all my cowl caps and be sure no rain water or moisture drips down to the bilge. Keep the bilge dry as to avoid ice anywhere inside.

Luckily I will have the boat near my home for the winter so I can check up on her anytime I want. I'll be doing a lot of upgrade work on her over the winter so I am expecting check-up maintenance will be pretty hassle free for me. So with all this said, am I missing anything?

 

[PharmaSea]

In the water for the winter in the NorthEast

Luckily I will have the boat near my home for the winter so I can check up on her anytime I want. I'll be doing a lot of upgrade work on her over the winter so I am expecting check-up maintenance will be pretty hassle free for me. So with all this said, am I missing anything?[/quote]

Appears you have touched on all systems except fresh water if you have one...would drain tank and pump propylene glycol (RV antifreeze) through all of your faucets, shower, etc...I have had the -50 F version recommended to me in CT...Never had my boat in the water over the winter so cant speak to the bubbling...good luck, Dave

 

[shemandr]

Are you going to cover it? Snow/ice can add a lot of weight in the cockpit. Maybe defeat the scuppers. Getting on the boat in snow and ice can be very very dangerous. What if you don't have access? Is it on a floating dock or fixed? Poles can be lifted out by ice rising on a tide. Do you have a backup plan if the power goes off?
I kept my 356 in the water one winter after I bought it. It was under the dealer's watch because I choose that option with a spring delivery rather than trucking it down the Expressway. We had a couple of big snows that winter, and I sweated a bit but all turned out fine.
Also I have a friend who never takes his Seafarer out. And we sail on it nice days all winter when the creek isn't frozen. Lately it has frozen. He claims with the roundness of the hull the boat lifts up as it freezes around it and settles back down when it melts. He has done this for around twenty years that I know of. No bubbler. I'm not saying the hull isn't scratched but there has been no damage that would detract from the very limited value of the boat. He does not, however, go out on the dock with snow or ice. He had his midwinter swim and wants no part of that again.

 

[eugenesdream24]

I have a friend who never takes his Seafarer out. And we sail on it nice days all winter when the creek isn't frozen. Lately it has frozen. He claims with the roundness of the hull the boat lifts up as it freezes around it and settles back down when it melts. He has done this for around twenty years that I know of. No bubbler. I'm not saying the hull isn't scratched but there has been no damage that would detract from the very limited value of the boat. He does not, however, go out on the dock with snow or ice. He had his midwinter swim and wants no part of that again.

I am concerned a bit about taking a winter dive on accident myself. I am pretty light on my feet, but I will be sure to have a safe path on to the boat. It is a fixed dock and I've seen other boats here using bubblers in the winter so I am following suit. The ice can get thick here if it is cold enough. I'd like to avoid scratches or damage. I am thinking about picking up a canvas cover to help protect the deck as much as possible. She'll be well protected and taken care of. I put a lot of priority into maintenance and upkeep.

 

[kaptainkenny]

If you have potable water suggest you do drain the tank and as many lines/connections as possible, but hold off on putting antifreeze in the system. The amount of water remaining will not expand that much compared to the hassle of flushing the system so much in the spring. Otherwise, I think you've covered everything except how you want to store the batteries and ensuring the CHT is pumped out and a small amount of anti-freeze added to the tank and lines -- harder to tell than with the potable water system..

Having said the above, I do keep my H31 in year around following your plan and do get some sails in during the winter months.

 

[tommays]

Do your seacocks have drains as some do NOT and the water trapped in the ball can crack it


YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE 1/8 PLUG TO DRAIN AFTER CLOSING










We have been on a pretty harsh winter streak the last 5 years and you can be pretty positive there will be at least two weeks of just azz kicking weather AND ONE REALLY GOOD SNOW STORM THAT IS FREAKING HEAVY

 

[woodster]

you may want to rig up some kind of jack line (something to grab or hold on to) on the dock and to your boat entrance in case you have to go on board when ice is on the dock and decks and it would not hurt to put a Mr Buddy heater in the boat that runs on those little green bottles of butane just in case

 

[Skipper]

You'll need to flush the head with af through the intake and through discharge. Also pump and water-flush the tank and then put the same amount of af as there is residual water. IE 50-50, or more depending on geographic temps. See the af label.

And always use the -100 af for the head and engine. It mixes with the water in your systems drastically better than the pink -50. Mix just a little water with the pink and it becomes inadequate.

I drain the domestic water lines and heater from low drainage points set in the system, then leave the faucets wide open. So don't need af.

 

[Pat]

We kept our O'Day 272 in the water over the Kansas winters w/ a bubbler and thermostat and I truly believe the boat is more stable in the water for the winter than on a cradle/trailer. Even with terrific winters to 14-20 below zero, our bubbler kept our little boat from freezing in....there were times there was a layer of ice on the surface of the water but we have always been able to see water moving right below the surface...
I believe the wind, etc. that heels the boat over in the winter is no worse than sitting in the water during a thunderstorm with 80 - 90 mph winds which are not infrequent in our
part of the plains. Winds here in the winter just this week were clocked at 57 mph the other evening and I worried more about the boat compressing the hull on the trailer than I do when the boat is in the water on it's designed water line....that said, I do think there is prudence in removing the boat in the spirng to allow the hull to dry out and hopefully reduce the possibility of blisters, but the boat will need the bottom painted anyway...our bubbler is the lg. ice-eater I think with it's attendent thermostat...all internal systems do need to be properly winterized per the comments above. Good luck!

 

[jwing]

See this, from BoatUS:
http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2014/october/boat-winterizing-mistakes.asp

 

[Alan K]

Be sure your insurance covers an in-water layup.