[Public-list] Getting to the time to Winterize, Any Suggestions or Checklists

Tue Nov 15 18:14:48 PST 2005

after the water gets hard...that's the way I've been doing it for years

Jim Mennucci

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cole, Andrew L" <andrew.cole at llff.com>
To: <public-list at alberg30.org>
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 10:45 AM
Subject: [Public-list] Getting to the time to Winterize,Any Suggestions or 
Checklists

Is there a general consensus as to when we should winterize our boats in
the Annapolis area?

Does anyone have a checklist of things that he/she does?  This is my
first winter with a keelboat, all input will be appreciated.  If this
has already been covered in detail previously, please point me to the
proper place in the archives.

To the extent it makes a difference, we have a non-liner boat with a gas
gray marine.  The plumbing is more or less standard, sink with raw/fresh
pumps, head with holding tank, standard freshwater tank in the bow, and
we also have a sink with a freshwater pump in the head.

I've read a bunch and heard a bunch, but I'd like the group's thoughts.
These are the things I was planning on doing:

I figure there are basically three systems, the engine, the head, and
the freshwater tank and sinks.

Engine:
Oil change.
Close raw water seacock.
Run environmentally safe antifreeze through raw water intake hose until
it comes out the exhaust.
Cut off the fuel.
Add some sort of fuel stabilizer to the tank (suggestions?).
Pull the sparkplugs and squirt Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinder
heads to "fog" them.
Do you crank the engine after all this to circulate anything?
Does anyone spray anything, e.g. WD-40, on the engine to inhibit
corrosion?

Head:
Pump out.
Close intake seacock.
Run environmentally safe antifreeze through the head until seen in
holding tank.
Does anyone pump some of the antifreeze in the holding tank overboard to
winterize the "offshore" hose from the holding tank to the seacock?  If
not, how do you winterize the pump overboard hose?
Do you have to winterize the pump out hose that leads to the deck?
How do you winterize the intake hose for the head?  Do you just pull it
off its seacock and let it drain?
Anything to do with the vent hose?

Freshwater:
Bail the tank as dry as reasonably possible.
Pour a liter of cheap vodka into the tank and pump it through the hoses
to the galley sink (someone suggested vodka in lieu of freshwater system
antifreeze, I think they like to enjoy the first couple trips in the
spring a bit too much).
Close the raw water seacock.
Drain the raw water intake hose (suggestions on doing this?  Just pull
it off the seacock and let it drain?)
Close the drain seacock.
Drain the drain hose (again, just pull it off and let it drain?)
The head sink does not currently work, I believe something is wrong with
the pump.  Any suggestions on winterizing its supply hose?

Misc.
I assume it is acceptable (required) to leave the cockpit drain seacocks
open for the winter.
Are there any seacocks other than the engine raw water, the cockpit
drain pair, the head sink drain, head intake, head pump overboard,
galley sink drain, and galley raw intake?
Any tricks to keeping everything ship-shape through the winter?
Do you remove the main from the boom?
Does anyone use an engine compartment heater (I've seen one in the West
Marine catalog)?
Does anyone do anything with the speedo impeller?  I have a plug for the
hole, ok to pull the impeller and insert the plug for the winter?
Do you do anything with the electrical system?

We are keeping the boat in its slip over the winter.  Our marina uses
water circulators that should prevent ice from forming around the boat.

Thanks in advance for the help,

Andrew Cole
Andante - 152

Cole, Andrew L
Admitted in Maryland, Virginia & Florida
One Corporate Center
10451 Mill Run Circle, Suite 1000
Baltimore MD 21117

tel: 410 581-7408
fax: (410) 581-7410
mob: (410) 206-3577

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