Dewinterising

[Bigplumbs]

In November I went to Baloo (24ft Sealine S24) and winterised her. She is on the water on the Broads. I am wondering if I wasted my time given the mild weather we have had and wondered for those in the UK when do you usually fill yours back up with Water etc and Dewinterise if indeed that is a word

 

[jct1981]

Hey Bigplumbs, with our prior S24 and now S28, when left in the water, we'd normally dewinterise once the ambient temps stopped dropping below 0c overnight. Waited until then in case a hard freeze affected the fresh water plumbing and split the plastic pipes.

We took Spectre (the S28) out last weekend, and will probably do so again this weekend. We just cart along fresh water for drinks, and boil it in the kettle for washing up. Got a couple of heater bars installed in the engine bay (& throughout), attached to thermostatic plugs, so they take care of the chill all year around.

One thing I do with the water is fill & flush with Milton bottle fluid, to give the system a freshen up during recommissioning.

 

[Momac]

There is time yet for more severe frosts.
I had some damage discovered earlier this year which was probably caused late March (cant quite be sure of the date) after I had taken the frost protection heater off.
Clear sky just now but no sever frosts forecast in the next week.

Dewinterising for me is taking frost protection heaters and dehumidifier home in late March and filling the domestic water tank. It takes a while for air to expel itself from the water system on my boat.

I stopped using Milton as a spring tank treatment in a few years ago. Instead a full tank flush out with tap water is all I do after advice given on this forum. Apart from brushing teeth we don't drink tank water but it may well be perfectly safe to do so.

I change or at least check the impellers after the first river trip out.
Oil change was last weekend. New air filters also.

I need to get the boat lifted out towards the end of Feb for anodes and outdrive oil change.

 

[ST840]

As soon as the wife seems it too cold to stay on the boat overnight, I empty the water tank. However I use mine all year round except for 4-6 weeks for maintenance. But I don't need cold water on board, if I want some I just take a 2ltr bottle to fill the kettle and cook my pot noodle whilst fishing.

 

[Bigplumbs]

So old lemonade bottles filled with water seems the order of the day till late March

 

[QBhoy]

I know that up north of the border, we get our coldest weather around February. Id say that if she's in the water still, most at risk (as long as the water she's in has a flow and doesn't freeze, would be domestic water system and the toilet pump, if that's not been dealt with. Most S24's will have GM v6 or v8's in them...very easy to winterise and de winterise, as you'll no doubt know...even the odd ad31 or later kad32 versions are easily done too. only thing that ever worried me about doing it in the water was not being able to drain the front mounted water pump properly, given they are at a level on or lower than the water level the boat sits in. I also leave my GM engine filled with antifreeze over winter storage too. stops corrosion issues.

 

[Greg2]

I am wondering if I wasted my time given the mild weather we have had

You might be surprised to know that we haven’t had particularly mild weather of late. We monitor temps at work and the last week or so has seen some lows. I am not far from your boat and we have had some very hard frosts earlier this week. The last couple of days haven’t been too bad but forecast is for it to drop cold again.

 

[Bigplumbs]

I know that up north of the border, we get our coldest weather around February. Id say that if she's in the water still, most at risk (as long as the water she's in has a flow and doesn't freeze, would be domestic water system and the toilet pump, if that's not been dealt with. Most S24's will have GM v6 or v8's in them...very easy to winterise and de winterise, as you'll no doubt know...even the odd ad31 or later kad32 versions are easily done too. only thing that ever worried me about doing it in the water was not being able to drain the front mounted water pump properly, given they are at a level on or lower than the water level the boat sits in. I also leave my GM engine filled with antifreeze over winter storage too. stops corrosion issues.

Mine is a KAD32

 

[Bran]

We are on the Thames at Chertsey, never drain the water tank. Tube heaters around the engine and cabins, no issues last 8 years or so. Usually de winterised by April.

 

[QBhoy]

Mine is a KAD32

Just working on a kad32 now actually bigplumbs. Turbo issues. just waiting on the refurbished turbo to come back from AET now. Winterised her just beforehand. Think I am going to make up a hose fitting to go onto the water pump, to make it easy to run antifreeze through the raw water side in future.

 

[QBhoy]

We are on the Thames at Chertsey, never drain the water tank. Tube heaters around the engine and cabins, no issues last 8 years or so. Usually de winterised by April.

no probs. Although I might mention that a local marina up here was full of boats and owners who simply relied on heaters and not proper winterising. They were all fine for years...until one year (2010) when the power tripped at the worst time possible. The damage ran into 100's of thousands

 

[Bigplumbs]

no probs. Although I might mention that a local marina up here was full of boats and owners who simply relied on heaters and not proper winterising. They were all fine for years...until one year (2010) when the power tripped at the worst time possible. The damage ran into 100's of thousands

On my pontoon the leccy tripping is quite common

 

[Momac]

The marina here rewired with new bollards a couple of years ago . I don't think we have had a power cut since then but prior to that there were power cuts occasionally.
One cause was an issue with one particular boat but that has been sorted.

 

[Bigplumbs]

The marina here rewired with new bollards a couple of years ago . I don't think we have had a power cut since then but prior to that there were power cuts occasionally.
One cause was an issue with one particular boat but that has been sorted.

Given that leccy tripping happens and many people don't visit their boat very often in the winter. I don't think it is wise to leave your frost Protection to electric heating. I also don't like anything electrical switched on on my boat when I am not there. I don't even like the shore power connected.

All this said I bought my boat during the 'Beast from the East' and right through that period it was Not strictly mine and the vendor had not done much at all to winterise. I was very concerned but there was little I could do. It was on the water though. The Beast from the East was pretty cold for the UK and I am pleased to say that all was ok when I did take ownership

 

[Bigplumbs]

Just working on a kad32 now actually bigplumbs. Turbo issues. just waiting on the refurbished turbo to come back from AET now. Winterised her just beforehand. Think I am going to make up a hose fitting to go onto the water pump, to make it easy to run antifreeze through the raw water side in future.

That Turbo and indeed Super Charger Scares me especially as Mine is on the Broads and it very rarely kicks in like so many on the Broads. I have a reed filter basket thing and You can pour some anti freeze in that. I must say however I did not bother this year

 

[Bigplumbs]

Just working on a kad32 now actually bigplumbs. Turbo issues. just waiting on the refurbished turbo to come back from AET now. Winterised her just beforehand. Think I am going to make up a hose fitting to go onto the water pump, to make it easy to run antifreeze through the raw water side in future.

If possible can you post some pics of that Fitting as I might think of something similar myself. Of all my Boats the KAD32 scares me the most. I love my older 2 Stroke Outboards

 

[Momac]

Given that leccy tripping happens and many people don't visit their boat very often in the winter. I don't think it is wise to leave your frost Protection to electric heating. I also don't like anything electrical switched on on my boat when I am not there. I don't even like the shore power connected.

All this said I bought my boat during the 'Beast from the East' and right through that period it was Not strictly mine and the vendor had not done much at all to winterise. I was very concerned but there was little I could do. It was on the water though. The Beast from the East was pretty cold for the UK and I am pleased to say that all was ok when I did take ownership

I think the risk to the engines with the boat in the water is very low, especially with the relatively mild winters we have had the last several years . Temperatures a couple or three degrees below zero at night and a thaw in the day are not a threat to a boat in the water. This winter ,so far , no worries.

I had S23 with a kad32 (very similar to your S24) from 2008 to 2014 and since 2014 a F33 with twin kad32's. Some years ago , was it around 2012? , we had some harsh winter weather , far worse than the more recent cold snap called beast from the east , and several inches of ice on the (fresh water) marina one winter. The boat was in the water and I had no frost protection to the engine at that time and there was no damage. A boat out of the water is understood to be at greater risk.

It does feel like Febuary into March have become the dates to watch for potential damaging frost.

I have always left shore power connected and the battery charger on, frost protection heaters in place , and not lost a boat yet.

Perhaps I am unusual in that I can and do visit the boat over winter every weekend and use the off season for maintenance jobs like engine oil change done last weekend.

I would be concerned for damp/mould affecting the interior of a boat left unattended with no heating ventilation of dehumidification for weeks or months over winter.
.

 

[Bigplumbs]

I think the risk to the engines with the boat in the water is very low, especially with the relatively mild winters we have had the last several years . Temperatures a couple or three degrees below zero at night and a thaw in the day are not a threat to a boat in the water. This winter ,so far , no worries.

I had S23 with a kad32 (very similar to your S24) from 2008 to 2014 and since 2014 a F33 with twin kad32's. Some years ago , was it around 2012? , we had some harsh winter weather , far worse than the more recent cold snap called beast from the east , and several inches of ice on the (fresh water) marina one winter. The boat was in the water and I had no frost protection to the engine at that time and there was no damage. A boat out of the water is understood to be at greater risk.

It does feel like Febuary into March have become the dates to watch for potential damaging frost.

I have always left shore power connected and the battery charger on, frost protection heaters in place , and not lost a boat yet.

Perhaps I am unusual in that I can and do visit the boat over winter every weekend and use the off season for maintenance jobs like engine oil change done last weekend.

I would be concerned for damp/mould affecting the interior of a boat left unattended with no heating ventilation of dehumidification for weeks or months over winter.
.

i surpose we go to our S24 every 6-8 weeks in the winter and no significant issues re damp or mould

I also wonder if it is morally correct using energy keeping a boat with no one in it warm with a dehumidifier running etc. Multiply that up and I suspect a reasonable chunk of energy Used. Still I surpose that is one for Greta

 

[paradave]

I keep heating on in mine through the winter and visit it fortnightly. I’m fortunate that if power fails, I will get an email immediately so can take action accordingly. In terms of power used, it’s minuscule.

 

[Momac]

i surpose we go to our S24 every 6-8 weeks in the winter and no significant issues re damp or mould

I also wonder if it is morally correct using energy keeping a boat with no one in it warm with a dehumidifier running etc. Multiply that up and I suspect a reasonable chunk of energy Used. Still I surpose that is one for Greta

The dehumidifier is not so expensive to run. I have monitored the energy use recently and its about £3 per week. I don't think that's a lot of energy to keep the boat interior adequately dry . The frost protection heaters have not been required yet this winter .
The idea is not to keep the boat warm as such. Just warm enough to avoid frost damage.
I look at is protecting the boat from deterioration and damage therefore avoiding the need for repair and materials.

But really regarding the morally correct line you must be joking . A motorboat is hardly a thing that can be claimed as being good for the environment. If you really think that way then you should consider whether you should own a motorboat at all.