With all the recent posts about winterizing, I'm slowly beginning to accept that my sailing season must come to an end. But my question is, just how long into the fall can I sail? I sail on the Chesapeake and don't mind November chills, but I know that unless I get my boat ready the first freeze could do some damage. So how long can I put it off? Is there anything I can do that will half-way winterize but let me keep sailing (e.g. winterize plumbing but not engine)? I have a '83 H34 if it matters. -Thaddeus ~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~ Gentlemen, bring me that horizon.
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When?
When, I think, depends upon the water temperature. If your boat stays in the water then that should extend your time before anti-freeze. So long as the bay water is 45 or higher I doubt that anything in the boat would freeze. If I stayed in the water I would judge mine by the bilge water. If it showed any sign of cold like a thin film on top then it would be time for anti-freeze.
When, I think, depends upon the water temperature. If your boat stays in the water then that should extend your time before anti-freeze. So long as the bay water is 45 or higher I doubt that anything in the boat would freeze. If I stayed in the water I would judge mine by the bilge water. If it showed any sign of cold like a thin film on top then it would be time for anti-freeze.
that's an advantage of a simple boat
With my Mac some years we sailed all year. Just kept the battery charged and chipped the ice out of the cockpit to go sailing. Had to change to a lighter oil in the outboard!!! It was impossible to start with 20W50 oil but started fine with 5W30. Now we have a larger boat in Mobile Bay. We plan to sail all winter. But I will ask around this weekend as it's our first winter at Mobile. The Chesapeak seems far enough south that you shouldn't have to worry about freezing. Maybe just a small heater???
With my Mac some years we sailed all year. Just kept the battery charged and chipped the ice out of the cockpit to go sailing. Had to change to a lighter oil in the outboard!!! It was impossible to start with 20W50 oil but started fine with 5W30. Now we have a larger boat in Mobile Bay. We plan to sail all winter. But I will ask around this weekend as it's our first winter at Mobile. The Chesapeak seems far enough south that you shouldn't have to worry about freezing. Maybe just a small heater???
I think there's folks down your way that sail year
round, Thaddeus. I'd check around and see what they do - if anything. Where we are, they switch to ice boats in December!
round, Thaddeus. I'd check around and see what they do - if anything. Where we are, they switch to ice boats in December!
Winterizing strategy
I don't live in that Bitter Cold Artic Wasteland that you call Maryland so I can't give you specific advice, but I will tell you what a few of my dockmates do to cope with our winters. There are a few brave/foolish souls who do absolutely nothing. Every once in a while we get a cold snap that lasts long enough to put a thin sheet of ice in the harbor and I worry about these guys but they seem to be OK every year. The next step up the evolutionary scale are the guys that put a few heatlamps on timers or space heaters in the boat. This works as long as you have faith in the power company. Given the vast amount of pine trees between my boat and the substation and North Carolina's tendancy to get ice storms instead of snow, I'm comfortable with this method until late December. At that point I go ahead and winterize all the systems. I have a t fitting, valve, and 4 feet of hose on my engine raw water intake, so its very easy to add antifreeze to the engine after taking advantage of a few warm days in Jan or Feb.
I don't live in that Bitter Cold Artic Wasteland that you call Maryland so I can't give you specific advice, but I will tell you what a few of my dockmates do to cope with our winters. There are a few brave/foolish souls who do absolutely nothing. Every once in a while we get a cold snap that lasts long enough to put a thin sheet of ice in the harbor and I worry about these guys but they seem to be OK every year. The next step up the evolutionary scale are the guys that put a few heatlamps on timers or space heaters in the boat. This works as long as you have faith in the power company. Given the vast amount of pine trees between my boat and the substation and North Carolina's tendancy to get ice storms instead of snow, I'm comfortable with this method until late December. At that point I go ahead and winterize all the systems. I have a t fitting, valve, and 4 feet of hose on my engine raw water intake, so its very easy to add antifreeze to the engine after taking advantage of a few warm days in Jan or Feb.
Try this
1. Ask around the dock for when (or if) the water freezes. 2. Meanwhile, winterize with anti-freeze starting around Nov. 1. 3. Every weekend when you close her up for the week, re-winterize the engine. Anti-freeze is cheap and once you get the hang of pouring a gallon into the raw water intake, you'll be glad you extended the season.
1. Ask around the dock for when (or if) the water freezes. 2. Meanwhile, winterize with anti-freeze starting around Nov. 1. 3. Every weekend when you close her up for the week, re-winterize the engine. Anti-freeze is cheap and once you get the hang of pouring a gallon into the raw water intake, you'll be glad you extended the season.
Fresh Water SOON!!!!
Fresh water first! The engine has some anti-fresh from the salt in the water and being closer to the waterline. I'm going to be done at the end of this month. The marina is going to blow out the fresh water lines, therefore I can't rise my boat off. I don't want the salt on my boat!
Fresh water first! The engine has some anti-fresh from the salt in the water and being closer to the waterline. I'm going to be done at the end of this month. The marina is going to blow out the fresh water lines, therefore I can't rise my boat off. I don't want the salt on my boat!
Were from the Chesapeake too.....
....and we try to keep our boat ready for a daysail year round. We keep a small heater next to the engine door in our C30. I heard a 100 watt lightbulb is just a good, and safer (less chance of fire), and we might do that this year. We usually pour some of the pink antifreeze down the head and blow out the water lines, too. If you go out for a daysail and use the head, just pour some more antifreeze how the head and give it a few pumps. Were in Norfolk, and in December and January there are some OK days to go out on the bay, some take advantage of it !!! See you on the water, Michael
....and we try to keep our boat ready for a daysail year round. We keep a small heater next to the engine door in our C30. I heard a 100 watt lightbulb is just a good, and safer (less chance of fire), and we might do that this year. We usually pour some of the pink antifreeze down the head and blow out the water lines, too. If you go out for a daysail and use the head, just pour some more antifreeze how the head and give it a few pumps. Were in Norfolk, and in December and January there are some OK days to go out on the bay, some take advantage of it !!! See you on the water, Michael
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