Last newbie Q for me this year (I hope): Wintering

[Gavi]

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first season and it is time to take Shikara out of the water at Penton Hook. Can I seek your advice about what I should be doing:

Batteries: A past post has taught me that (a) they need to come out (correct?), (b) trickle charged over winter, and (c) I need to do the maths around my needs for 07

Engine service: It's a Cortina engine... should I just do oil/filter/plug change myself?

Fuel: She will have 1/3 tank of petrol aboard, is this ok?

Defouling: Is this a pleasure of boat ownership or a task I pay someone for (a clue to my life attitude: I have a gardener)

Repairs: I believe the keel needs some patching, who do I talk to?

Keeping sane without her: Any tips?

 

[byron]

She doesn't HAVE to come out. I took mine out only once every other year, had her anti-fouled and immediately put back in because I used her winter & summer, its a dirty messy job and I always got someone else to have that fun. Trickle charge? Well! personally I wouldn't there's always a chance of gassing if something goes wrong with the Charger or maybe worse, just disconnect the batteries. Yours is a Freeman I believe? If so then you don't need worry about sacrificial anodes. If the boat is to be left without any form of heating in the engine room then it should be winterised. The fuel will be OK. Your Keel I cannot comment on. Why not leave the servicing of the engine until a few days before the boat goes back into service. If you have a gas geyser for your hot water don't forget to drain it down.

 

[Captain Coochie]

I agree with Byron , i take mine out for a week to antifoul and drop her back in . Im not going to bother this year as the new to me boat was sat in the water for a couple of years and when i took her out she was fine . Still it gave me peace of mind .
Winter cruising is great , the river is almost empty and a few heaters on board makes it nice and cosy .

 

[Chris_d]

Lot of codswollop talked about winterising, basicaly we don't have a hard enough winter down here to worry about it, you need several weeks at minus something to really start worrying. I always change the oil now, better to have fresh stuff in for the winter instead of contaminated oil. Spray everything in sight with WD40, drain the water tanks, take off the cushions, thats it really, take out for antifoul in the spring, much better to leave the boat in, take it for run every 2 weeks and it will be fine.

 

[miket]

I agree with the sentiment of leaving a boat in the water over winter but there are a few issues;
1. depends on your mooring. Marina style floating pontoon no problem as pontoon rises and falls in line with the boat. Fixed mooring especially on main river means leaving lines long to allow for stream rising and falling, and ensure no chance of boat riding over the bank when in high river conditions.
2. I have left my boat afloat before, thinking how wonderful it would be to go cruising on a crisp, cold and sunny winter day. Never did!!
3. With an older boat such as yours (and mine - Freeman 33), I think they benefit from drying out during the winter months ashore. I have a friend with a 1980 Birchwood that had some quite bad osmotic blisters when he first bought it about 10 years ago. They have now all but disappeared without any help from him!
For me, winter is a time to do other things and leave the boating to fine weather.