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

[Ric]

This is all great info.

I have an A35 so I am in a similar situation and love the A30 list.  
Since so many of you race A30 ins Annapolis you may remember my boat as 
she was Wednesday night R/C for years at AYC, named Andiamo.

I keep her at Yankee Point in VA and plan on sailing on nice days when 
they pop up over winter.

I found I could drain most of the water out of the engine cooling system 
but am tempted to add a simple tank and a T valve I could switch over to 
when I was at the end of the day and suck in some AntiFreeze.

Anyone done that?  Any reason not to?

Do A30's have molded in place drain tubes?  Do those ever 
freeze-split-sink the boat?

Ric

>Subject: [Public-list] Getting to the time to Winterize,Any Suggestions or 
>Checklists
>Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 10:45:40 -0500
>
>Is there a general consensus as to when we should winterize our boats in
>the Annapolis area?
>
>BECAUSE YOU ARE KEEPING YOUR BOAT IN THE WATER, THE TIME CAN BE EXTENDED A 
>LITTLE BECAUSE YOU WILL BE SURROUNDED BY WARMER THAN AIR WATER. BASICALLY 
>THERE ISN'T A PRESET TIME, I WATCH THE WEATHER FORECAST AND IF THEY ARE 
>CALLING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF BELOW FREEZING THEN I DO IT AS QUICKLY AS 
>POSSIBLE. IT ALSO DEPEND ON WHETHER YOU PLAN TO USE YOUR BOAT DURING THE 
>WINTER, IF YOU CAN SAY "I DONE FOR THE YEAR" THEN WINTERIZE.
>
>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?
>
>I HAVE NOT USED WD-40 IN MANY YEARS BUT USE BOESHILED T-9 INSTEAD. I SPRAY A 
>LIGHT COAT ON ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS.
>
>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?
>
>IF YOU HAVE A MACERATOR PUMP THEN POUR A GALLON OF ANIT-FREEZE (THE PINK 
>STUFF) INTO THE HEAD; PUMP IT INTO THE HOLDING TANK; THEN OPEN THE SEACOCK 
>AND PUMP SOME (NOT ALL) OVERBOARD, THAT PROTECTS THE PUMP.
>
>Do you have to winterize the pump out hose that leads to the deck? NO
>How do you winterize the intake hose for the head?  Do you just pull it
>off its seacock and let it drain? I DO NOTHING
>Anything to do with the vent hose? NOTHING
>
>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). I USE POTABLE ANIT-FREEZE AND FLUSH THE ENTIRE 
>SYSTEM SEVERAL TIMES IN THE SPRING. VODKA IS TOO EXPENSIVE, PLUS IT MAKES 
>TERRIBLE COFFEE. MAKE SURE THAT WATHEVER YOU USE TO PUMP IT THROUGH THE 
>GALLEY AND HEAD SINKS TO PROTECT THE FAUCETS.
>
>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. BY DOING SO YOU WILL TRAP WATER IN THE DRAIN HOSE - 
>I LEAVE MINE OPEN.
>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? DRAIN THE WATER, 
>IF ANY.
>
>Misc.
>I assume it is acceptable (required) to leave the cockpit drain seacocks
>open for the winter. MUST DO
>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?
>
>IF YOU HAVE COWL VENTS ON THE AFTER DECK - REMOVE THEM AND PLACE CAPS OVER 
>THE HOLES. WE HAD A SITUATION MANY YEARS AGO WHEN IT SNOWED; THE SNOW MELTED 
>AND THEN FROZE SOLD; THEN IT RAINED. THE AFTER DECK WAS A SOLID SHEET OF ICE 
>AND THE RAIN OVERFLOWED THE VENTS WHICH LEAD DIRECTLY TO THE BILDGE AND THE 
>BOAT FILLED UP WITH WATER.
>
>Do you remove the main from the boom?
>
>REMOVE ALL SAILS AND DODGERS ETC. NO POINT IN CAUSING THEN TO SUFFER OVER 
>THE WINTER AND SHORTEN THEIR LIFE.
>Does anyone use an engine compartment heater (I've seen one in the West
>Marine catalog)?
>
>NO - MY NEIGHBOR USED AN ELECTRIC CABIN HEATER AND WHEN IT GOT DOWN TO THE 
>SINGLE DIGITS, THE UNIT CYCLED SO MUCH THAT BURNED UP THE EXTENSION CORD AND 
>STARTED A FIRE. HIS ISLANDER 32 BURNT TO THE WATERLINE BEFORE THE COULD GET 
>THE FIRE OUT.
>
>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?
>
>PULL THE IMPELLOR AND USE THE PLUG.
>
>Do you do anything with the electrical system?
>
>EITHER REMOVE THE BATTERIES OR MAKE SURE THE HAVE A GOOD CHARGE. CHECK THEM 
>THROUGHOUT THE WINTER. IF YOU REMOVE THEM DO NOT STORE THEM ON A CONCRETE 
>FLOOR, PLACE A BOARD UNDER THEM TO PREVENT DISCHARGE.
>
>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,
>
>LASTLY, VISIT YOUR BOAT OFTEN THROUGHOUT THE WINTER JUST TO CHECK ON HER. I 
>ALWASY POUR A GALLON OF ANTI-FREEZE IN THE BILDGE AND PUMP IT THROUGH THE 
>BILDGE PUMP SO IT WILL NOT FREEZE, INCASE YOU NEED TO PUMP THE BOAT OUT 
>DURNING THE WINTER. I ALWAYS HAVE AN EXTRA GALLON OF ANTI-FREEZE ON THE 
>BOAT, IN CASE I NEED TO ADD ANY OF THE SYSTEMS.
>
>HOPE THIS HELPS, PREPARE YOURSELF FOR LOTS OF ADVICE.
>
>Andrew Cole
>Andante - 152
>
>Cole, Andrew L
>Admitted in Maryland, Virginia & Florida
>One Corporate Center
>10451 Mill Run Circle, Suite 1000
>Baltimore MD 21117
>
>  
>
>  
>


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