Winter layup, 2008 Hunter 27-3

[Craig Cook]

Any tips on pulling the mast on a 27-3? It appears that the spreaders are below the mid-point on the mast, I hate to have to go up in a chair and set the strap if I don't have to.

Second question is winterizing the fresh water, I have one of the safety mixing valves on the hot water tank. Normally I would drain the tank and connect the in and out hoses to bypass it for winterizing, I know have three hoses, two cold in, one hot out. The previous owner had the tank full of pink antifreeze with all lines still connected. No big deal, I can do that again but wondered if there was a better way?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Never depend on the spreaders when lowering a mast. I've seen too many disasters because someone took the easy way assuming their location had anything to do with the center of mass.

Filling a water tank with antifreeze is a waste. Just empty it. A little remaining water will have plenty of room to expand.

 

[Craig Cook]

Thanks, but what I really need are specific answers

I have been sailing for nearly 40 years, I appreciate your observations Don and agree with them.

This Hunter is new to us and unfortunately was not exactly as advertised (long story, not worth taking the time to tell it here). Even the survey did not uncover a lot of issues that needed to be addressed before we were comfortable with the boat. Unfortunately that means we have only been away from the dock once and now need to haul for the winter in the next week or so.

The mast question may not have been specific enough. On all of our other boats, picking the mast meant unhooking the lower shrouds and running a lifting strap up to choke just under the spreaders. This B&R rig is completely new to me and although there are other Hunter owners in our club, their boats are larger with double spreaders so they have different techniques. The mast looks fairly light and even with in-mast furling "might" be manageable using the same technique we always used even if not exactly centered.

The hot water tank is plumbed completely different than anything I have experience with. We would normally drain it and do a bypass by connecting the cold in and hot out, then winterize the fresh water system leaving the tank pretty much empty. This tank has a large brass mixer on the front, there is a cold water into the tank, a hot out that is hard plumbed into the mixer where there is a second cold water into the mixer which supposedly keeps people from getting scalded. It isn't possible to bypass the tank like I have done on our other boats because there are three water lines going to it. In addition, these lines use slip fittings like PEX connectors, not hose barbs and clamps. I didn't understand why the tank was full of antifreeze when we bought the boat, that would normally be a total waste, however, after looking at the way the tank is set up, there may not be a way around that.

 

[Craig Cook]

the old ways

The mixing unit on the hot water tank is going away. I worked on it for another half day Friday and left frustrated. There is a small screen about the size of a nickel that catches everything and clogs after less than 30 seconds of the pump running. One of my dock neighbors suspects that the PO used the fizzy chlorinating tabs which leaves a residue in the tank.

In any event, I have ordered the pieces parts needed to pull the mixer off the front of the tank and go back to the old ways with a single cold water in and hot water out. I'm going to drain the tank completely this weekend and connect the cold and hot lines to bypass the tank completely for winterizing.....just like I have done to all of our other boats. I just need to remember that hot water is hot, been doing that for a lot of years so we should be good.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Instructions for winterizing fresh water and sanitation plumbing including the water heater are a "sticky" at the top of the Plumbing and Sanitation forum.

 

[Craig Cook]

Thanks Peggy, long time no talk. The problem is that you can't follow those instructions with the current setup. See the attached photo. There are THREE lines that come in and out of the tank, you can't disconnect and bypass. Two blue, one red out.

My solution is to remove the mixer...one cold in, one hot out......bypass.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

In my house, the mixers are at the faucets. I can't think of a single reason why they couldn't be on a boat.