Bigplumbs
Well-Known Member
It would be helpful if you were to say where in the World you are located as that is the biggest factor
Do you really need to winterize a boat?
- Thread starter MystyBlue2
- Start date
It would be helpful if you were to say where in the World you are located as that is the biggest factor
Jamie Dundee
Well-Known Member
Gearcase oil now, if you have a leaky seal you don’t want salt water sitting in there all winter. The rest you could do in the spring, if it’s a 4 stroke changing the engine oil and filter now wouldn’t be a bad thing depending on how many hours you did during the summer.
MystyBlue2
Well-Known Member
Yeah soz lol I'm in sunny Britain
MystyBlue2
Well-Known Member
I tend to find that in summer yeah its gorgeous and warm but with heat comes wind, with wind comes chop and with a chop im staying ashore.
There tends to be breaks in the crappy wet weather that allows very low winds and mild weather just very cold in the winter, normally December and January, as the temps are staying quite low so do the winds therefore the sea tends to be flat too UNLESS there is a weather front blowing in.
With my boat only being on the small side i need the conditions to be mild or its a no go for me
Alicatt
Well-Known Member
Must admit I never winterised my dory with the 85hp Johnson on the back but I did use it at least twice a week every week all year and she was moored in Wick harbour during the winter and Staxigeo harbour in the summer, with a lift out by crane if the weather was going to be bad at Wick.
I've seen what a cold snap can do to a lift pump for our water supply, -28c and it split the pump housing and burst the impeller end off the shaft of the electric motor, that pump was inside the garage
I've seen what a cold snap can do to a lift pump for our water supply, -28c and it split the pump housing and burst the impeller end off the shaft of the electric motor, that pump was inside the garage
pumpsmynads
Well-Known Member
I’m afraid I was guilty of doing nothing to my Mercury 115CT outboard last year. I basically looked at it as a car and expected it to work every time I lowered the leg and turned the key 
Which it did.
Maybe i was lucky, the winter was mild. Maybe this year I’ll leave it trimmed down in the water when it’s on the pontoon as I may not be using it as much?
Which it did.Maybe i was lucky, the winter was mild. Maybe this year I’ll leave it trimmed down in the water when it’s on the pontoon as I may not be using it as much?
sogood
Well-Known Member
MystyBlue2
Well-Known Member
sogood
Well-Known Member
No, it's looking down Kenmare Bay, here in County Kerry, southwest Ireland. It's where my boat is moored, just a four minute drive from home.
QBhoy
Well-Known Member
How you get on with that engine. I have one too. What an incredible engine it is. As light as the 2 stroke. Much more powerful than even the 125 optimax and so good on fuel. Amazing engines. What do you have it on ? I’ve one on a 19ft cuddy. Manages 43 mph with one prop and an amazing 45 mph on the other. So powerful.I’m afraid I was guilty of doing nothing to my Mercury 115CT outboard last year. I basically looked at it as a car and expected it to work every time I lowered the leg and turned the key
Maybe i was lucky, the winter was mild. Maybe this year I’ll leave it trimmed down in the water when it’s on the pontoon as I may not be using it as much?
pumpsmynads
Well-Known Member
It’s the only engine I’ve owned so can’t compare it with anything else, but it’s good enough for me. It’s the lightest in its class and good on fuel. I have it on a 6m pilothouse so it does about 30 knots flat out.
QBhoy
Well-Known Member
Seems you’ve struck gold first time. Now well regarded as one of the best in recent times. Light years ahead of the competition. Your boat is around the same size as mine. If you mess with the prop, you’ll get a bit more pace out her and even better economy too. You have the advantage of having that CT big gearbox that can run the larger serious props.
pumpsmynads
Well-Known Member
What size prop do u use? I just have the standard aluminium 13x31 that it came with. I have wondered about tweaking this. Top speed is not important to me but one that might improve economy would be interesting.
QBhoy
Well-Known Member
That isn’t the prop size I’m sure. Have a wee look at the prop itself and what it says.
pumpsmynads
Well-Known Member
pumpsmynads
Well-Known Member
This is what the Spec says i should have.
13 3/4 x 15 x 3.
Jamie Dundee
Well-Known Member
Looks like a 15”p prop in the photo. If you’re getting ~6400rpm at WOT I’d leave it alone. If you go over/under pitch you risk damaging your engine.
QBhoy
Well-Known Member
So that’s not the prop size. It’s on the prop
QBhoy
Well-Known Member
Hi there. I’m pretty sure that’s not relevant to your engine. For a few reasons. You have said your engine is the CT model. This being the case, you’d be running larger type props that what’s stated there for the larger gearcase. Other reason is that the new 115 CT like ours won’t Rev to those rpm. The range is between 5000-6000 rpm and it will for certain limit itself at about 6150 rpm. It’s a 2.38r gearcase ratio on ours. My 19/20ft cuddy turns a 19” tempest to the limiter on occasion at 6100/6150 rpm and a 20” enertia to about 6000 rpm on occasion. Speeds will be about 42-45mph gps usually. Best cruise is about 3700-3900 rpm at about 24-26/27 mph approx.
QBhoy
Well-Known Member
I can also see that you have the now well known issue with the prop bore sleeve ring coming loose too. Lots of people are now seeing this with these CT and larger gearcase. The wee white plastic ring that’s loose there behind the prop. It is meant to be further in and secured on wee tabs. They are known to come lose like yours has here. When they are loose they allow exhaust bubbles to travel over the prop blades and result in a drop in performance. Behaves almost like a misfire on occasion. You need to either re secure it by bending the tabs a little or get a new one. Otherwise you’ll be losing performance and efficiency too.