what is winter?
It's not much of an issue in NC. You can do as little or as much as you want to do. In eastern NC, the average daytime temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F. We usually have one good cold snap in late December or early January. When March arrives, you can say it is all over and start preparing for the sailing season. Snowfall is almost nothing. The big concern is an ice storm if and when we have one. It is possible to continue sailing all winter here, but our winters tend to be wet. A few years back, I was in the hospital from early summer through to the next spring. It was a mild winter and my boat was fine. A boat can stay in the water. I use a trickle charger to keep the batteries fresh. You can dump some antifreeze in the bilge--a cup or two depending on the size of it. Sometime in early December, I remove the sails, boom and all running rigging except the halyards. It goes without saying that all seacocks should be closes, the head pumped out and follow the engine manufacturers recommendations for winterizing. Strap the halyards to the shrouds so they won't strip the finish off the mast. Spray a little WD40 on all the turnbuckles and wipe down the standing rigging as high as you can reach. You can give the engine a wipe down with a rag with some WD40 on it (not too much or it will smoke next time the engine heats up). You should take some measure to reduce moisture in the cabin. The humidity absorption buckets work nice. The occasional extended cold snap is when you should be concerned. Some of us place a 100 watt light over the inboard engine when the tempature is going to dip below freezing and remain there for a day or two. Others will use a small ceramic heater during a freeze. Other than just before and after a freeze, its suggested that you visit the boat every few weeks to check on things like dock lines. I am certain that there are other opinions on winterizing your boat in NC. The very best step to take is to set a course for Bermuda, the Florida Keys or the Bahamas and forget winter.
