Winterizing SailDrive in water

tfox2069

tfox2069

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Apr 8, 2011
773
Hunter 40 Deale, MD
Had systems professionally winterized in-water here in mid-bay Chesapeake. Advised by vendor that to fully winterize the SailDrive I need to short haul and pour antifreeze down thru seacock (engine raw water intake is thru SailDrive). Engine is fully winterized but they advise a hard freeze could damage SailDrive where remaining brackish water remains on the sea side of the raw water intake.
It’s my first season with a SailDrive. Any way to resolve this without a short haul??
 
BarryL

BarryL

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May 21, 2004
1,068
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 Mt. Sinai, NY
HI,

I supposed you could use compressed air and blow the water back through the sail drive, then close the seacock.

Personally, I store my boat in the water every other year. I close the seacock and let the water run out. I haven't worried about the water inside the saildrive leg. My boat is on the Long Island sound and it occasionally will freeze. However, it's very rare that the water a foot down, where the leg is located, will freeze.

Barry
 
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Hello Below

Hello Below

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May 7, 2012
1,559
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
Not sure if I understand what the objective is by pouring antifreeze into the seacock with the boat out of the water? Will it not all end up on the ground?

If all you want to do is inject antifreeze into the saildrive uptake while you are in the water then:
1. With the seacock closed, attach the outlet of a manual utility pump to the raw water hose leading to the seacock. Use hose clamps to secure it.
10EA0F07-BA39-42C3-95E7-7D0DB7D31C62.pngJabsco 34060-0010 Utility Pump

2. Attach a hose to the pump’s inlet and insert the other end into a bucket of antifreeze.
3. Pump away until saildrive uptake is full of antifreeze.
4. Close seacock and disconnect utility pump and reconnect hose to seacock.
*Note standby ready to close the seacock quickly if the upward force exceeds the utility pump’s designed specifications to contain it.

Either way, I am not sure that the antifreeze will remain in the saildrive for more than a few hours but it may satisfy the insurance company if you have to make a claim with them. And the utility pump method will save you the cost of a quick haul.
 
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Captain Larry-DH

Captain Larry-DH

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Jun 14, 2010
2,360
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
I think @Hello Below is on target, and @BarryL too. I don’t understand the need for this, and question the efficacy. If you pour it in while short hauled it’ll go straight to the ground. If in the water it will dissipate within hours.
Not only that, if you start your engine after a short haul (to get back to your slip) the engine will need to be winterized again.
You sure the guy isn’t pulling your chain? Or maybe he’s not too bright?
 
Last edited:
Captain Larry-DH

Captain Larry-DH

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Jun 14, 2010
2,360
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Maybe the guy is thinking of the saildrive as being like an outdrive that raises up out of the water. Different situations.
 
Hello Below

Hello Below

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May 7, 2012
1,559
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
Given that the upper end of the saildrive that has water in it is probably a foot below the water surface and extends down from there another foot to a foot and a half. It would take a very deep freeze over a long period of time for brackish water to freeze to this depth and do harm. If there is any risk of this happening then it is high time to haul the boat for the winter.
 
Mark Maulden

Mark Maulden

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Jan 25, 2011
2,439
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
With the Volvo and SeaProp saildrives I’ve had (have), there is no water in the upper end. Upper end is full of oil. Raw water is taken from a seacock right at the rubber hull seal. Below that seacock are a couple of tubes that go down to the raw water inlet in the case. The saildrives I’ve had do not even need raw water. It is a convenient way to bring raw water to the engine. If you pour antifreeze throught the seacock on the saildrive, it will just run down and seek the waterline. Even if you haul, the raw water (and added antifreeze) will just run out the bottom. Even if you pressurize the saildrive raw water tubes while in the water, they will fill up again to the waterline. Maybe your saildrive is different but I doubt it.
 
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Hello Below

Hello Below

.
May 7, 2012
1,559
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
Agreed @Mark Maulden. Yes the ZF(Hurth) saildrives are also exactly as you have describe. I did not intend to suggest that there was water in the upper housing.
 
tfox2069

tfox2069

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Apr 8, 2011
773
Hunter 40 Deale, MD
Thanks for all the replies. Reading everyone’s thoughts puts my mind at ease that, at least in mid-Chesapeake where the water doesn’t typically freeze very deep at all, with a bubbler I’ll be fine. Appreciate the discussion.
 
Dr. D

Dr. D

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Nov 3, 2018
282
Beneteau Oceanis 35.1 Herrington Harbour North
My boat is also in Deale, at HHN. AR Marine Diesel Services winterized the engine last winter and again last week. Never a mention of any worry about the sail drive. Mine is a Yamar which takes in raw water through the sail drive.
 
tfox2069

tfox2069

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Apr 8, 2011
773
Hunter 40 Deale, MD
Dr. D said:
My boat is also in Deale, at HHN. AR Marine Diesel Services winterized the engine last winter and again last week. Never a mention of any worry about the sail drive. Mine is a Yamar which takes in raw water through the sail drive.
Click to expand
Thanks @Dr. D . Are you staying in the water, or hauled out?
 
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