winterizing

[ryansk]

Hi,
I have a 1993 H27 with the inboard Yanmar diesel. the boat is kept in a slip year round in Tulsa, OK. This is my first winter with this boat and my others have had small out boards that I would just remove and store in the garage. Some people on my dock have claimed they don't winterize their engine. We get freezing temps. but rarely single digits and I can't really remember the actual temperature going below zero. I have a heater in the engine compartment right now but my dock has been known to lose power. I've winterized the water system in the cabin but have held off on the engine hoping we might go sailing some this winter. I'll probably put some pink stuff in the engine anyway just as a precaution. I can always do it again if we sail. Just curious to hear thoughts or opinions.

Thanks.
Ryan

 

[JohnVTX]

Well, I am 500 miles further south. I just keep porcelain heater set very low all winter. I open all the cabinet doors where there are fitting and motor. I sail year round when above 50.

 

[Gunni]

You should definitely winterize it. I built the Gunni Winterizer for less than $25 to make this job easy:

Wet vac as much water as you can from the sea water strainer and connected hoses. Fill the
Winterizer with your AF (Thinwater and Maine Sail recommend EG) I get the pure stuff, dilute it down a bit and figure on some further mixing with water in the sea water circuit. Place the Winterizer above your strainer intake (but below your vented loop). You should be able to create the right combination of hose sizes to get one into the intake side of your stainer. Make sure your sea water thru-hull is CLOSED. Then open the Winterizer valve, fill the system and start the engine. Let the engine draw your AF through the sea water system. Leave enough in the Winterizer so that you can fill the strainer and cycle the sea water thru-hull a few times to work AF into the sea water intake hose and valve.

This same system can be used to feed PG AF to your potable side water pump. Just make sure you clean it thoroughly after use with EG AF and before using it with a potable water system.

 

[Amos Cape]

Why take a risk on one of the most costly to replace. We are in the Wichita KS area and alway winterize all systems.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

On the old style Hunter 27 1988-1994 models, as a dealer I use to put in the line a three way hose connection just past the seacock with a valve to either allow the water from the seacock or an out side source via a hose attached. I would then prime the hose and stick it into a gallon of RV antifreeze which is the kind that is non toxic and turn the valve open to that hose with of course the engine running and when the gallon had emptied, I shut off the engine quickly. Shut or closed the seacock and turned the valve back to the seacock, letting the remaining water to empty from that line. Not sure if the non toxic antifreeze was good to use but never an issue with any engine doing that.

 

[MitchM]

close raw water seacock. open 4 bottles 'pink stuff' 50-50 antifreeze and line up next to raw water filter body. open 4 bolts holding top of raw water strainer on. put big funnel into raw water strainer, tied to door handle to keep funnel up right. start engine, simultaneously pour 4 bottles thru funnel and you're done. an $8 job each winter to save a $12,000 engine replacement ... hmm, no contest. lots of folks with expensive boats in the south found out that the hard way last year...

 

[jibes138]

Why do you need to replace an engine? Most modern sailboat engines use raw water to run through a heat exchanger and it is external to the engine. Risk of freezing is to the pump, strainer, HX, maybe hoses, muffler, but the engine filled with antifreeze coolant should be OK. Older engines running raw water through the block and head are a different story. Make sure you know which you have. Either way winterize it heat exchangers and pumps are expensive too.