Who wants a slushie!?

Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
It's semi sweet, tastes better than paint chips and it's sitting in my bilge right now! I dropped my boat off at a shop for some winter prep and storage last week. Today I weaseled my way through the tiny hole in the shrink wrap to check on the cabin. I found a pinkish slushie inside the bilge and it was only 23F today. Is RV antifreeze supposed to start forming tiny ice crystals this early? What happens when it's -10? Am I correct in thinking they just dumped antifreeze in without draining?

I also found water, ice and snow had pooled on top of the shrink wrap. What's the likely hood that this could break a stanchion?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
The pink anti-freeze, propylene glycol, does not prevent water from freezing. It prevents the water from freezing solid and expanding. What you describe is not surprising. If the antifreeze gets diluted the temperature at which it freezes solid rises. It was cold in Chicago last week, even though it was 23 when you looked at the boat, I think the news here said it was down close to 0 one night.

Here's a good reference:
 
Jul 5, 2005
217
Beneteau 361 Sandusky Harbor Marina
Do be careful of your stanchions. I had some dock neighbors a few years back who, during the winter, had some of their stanchions damaged due to the weight of precipitation following a snow storm, where the shrink wrap had collected water.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
The pink anti-freeze, propylene glycol, does not prevent water from freezing. It prevents the water from freezing solid and expanding. What you describe is not surprising. If the antifreeze gets diluted the temperature at which it freezes solid rises. It was cold in Chicago last week, even though it was 23 when you looked at the boat, I think the news here said it was down close to 0 one night.
You're right, there was one night that it dipped to 2F and several in the low and mid teens. In other words, it's cold! I assume the only way to know if it was diluted is to use one of those testers with the little floating balls used for automotive antifreeze? Should I be concerned?

Do be careful of your stanchions. I had some dock neighbors a few years back who, during the winter, had some of their stanchions damaged due to the weight of precipitation following a snow storm, where the shrink wrap had collected water.
If I paid to have it shrink wrapped, who's typically responsible for adding devices to keep water from pooling? This guy is only charging me $100 for shrink wrap and $100 for storage so I'm OK with putting in some work. I'm wondering if I should ask him to run the torch over it in hopes that it tightens up the plastic?
 
Last edited:
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
There was one night that it dipped to 8F and a few more in the low and mid teens. The rest were in the 20's. In other words, it's cold! I assume the only way to know if it was diluted is to use one of those testers with the little floating balls used for automotive antifreeze? Should I be concerned?
I wouldn't be too concerned, you can always pour another gallon of antifreeze in the bilge.

The floating ball automotive antifreeze testers won't be accurate because they aren't that accurate to begin with and auto antifreeze is ethylene glycol which has a different specific gravity. A refractometer is more accurate and can be used for ethylene and propylene glycol and battery acid. They are relatively cheap at ~$20.
 
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Mar 2, 2019
433
Oday 25 Milwaukee
I help a friend shrink wrap boats for winter storage . The shrink wrap when it's done right wont let snow accumulate
 
Jul 5, 2005
217
Beneteau 361 Sandusky Harbor Marina
If I paid to have it shrink wrapped, who's typically responsible for adding devices to keep water from pooling? This guy is only charging me $100 for shrink wrap and $100 for storage so I'm OK with putting in some work. I'm wondering if I should ask him to run the torch over it in hopes that it tightens up the plastic?
I'm not sure who would be responsible if water accumulates and damages your boat if you paid someone for the shrink wrap service, I suppose if you signed an agreement, such a scenario may be addressed in that agreement. With regards to my dock neighbor, I'm not sure who paid for the repair, the marina or my neighbor.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
You're right, there was one night that it dipped to 2F and several in the low and mid teens. In other words, it's cold! I assume the only way to know if it was diluted is to use one of those testers with the little floating balls used for automotive antifreeze? Should I be concerned?


If I paid to have it shrink wrapped, who's typically responsible for adding devices to keep water from pooling? This guy is only charging me $100 for shrink wrap and $100 for storage so I'm OK with putting in some work. I'm wondering if I should ask him to run the torch over it in hopes that it tightens up the plastic?
If you have sags that collect water (or snow melt) you will have a problem. Much cheaper to correct it now rather than fixing damage and fighting about it with someone who eeks a living out of cheap labor.
Step up if you need to pay more to re-do it right. Don't try to squeeze the guy for more or argue, after he already undercharged. He probably spent close to $50 in materials - you would be lucky to get a great quality result for cheap.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
I wouldn't be too concerned, you can always pour another gallon of antifreeze in the bilge.
Thanks Dave!

I just got off the phone with them. He's going to add some wood under the shrink wrap and then take the torch to it. He told me right off the bat that while he tunes, races and services motor boats, he is new to sailboats. I was hesitant to ask and was willing to pay more since he's probably at a loss for the wrap. Instead of giving me any grief, Mike and his crew immediately sprang into action! You don't find service like that these days! If anyone needs storage or general service in Northwest IL look up Mike's Automotive or Thunder Marine
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
I learned to cut the shrink wrap at each stanchion then tape it once I pulled it around. I then cut little pieces of wrap to fill any voids around the stanchions. Then I used a heat gun instead of open flame to shrink it. Then a new policy wouldn’t allow me to do my own. On our present boat the stanchions were removed from the base before wrapping, a much better job.

That was all years ago.;)
 
Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
“This guy is only charging me $100 for shrink wrap and $100 for storage so I'm OK with putting in some work. I'm wondering if I should ask him to run the torch over it in hopes that it tightens up the plastic?”

$100 to shrink wrap a 25 foot boat? In St Joseph, MI, the rate four years ago was $400 for a 28foot boat. I bought a custom made cover from Ship Shape Products in Duluth, MN three years ago and i’m sure it’ll be good for another 7 or 8 years. I have no relationship to them other than as a customer. Anyhow, if shrink wrap rates had been around what you paid I may have chosen differently but I do love my winter cover, secure with no worries.
 
Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
my canvas cover that was custom made is designed such that it goes around the stanchions and inside the life lines rather than over the top of them. This way there is a steeper angle for the cover so that snow and water don’t accumulate and put pressure on the stanchions.