Keeping the Diesel running during the Winter.

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Nicholas123

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I have a Bukh DV10 in my boat & I would like to keep it operable so that I can take advantage of some of the lovely winter days that present themselves.
I don't want to take out the water pump impeller & do a full winterization if I can avoid it so.....would it be alright just to shut off the seawater supply just for the last ten/fifteen seconds of operation in order to drain the system dry & therefore prevent the possibility of a cracked block or something like that due to freezing temperatures.What does the panel think?
 
You could do that but freezing of seawater on the South Coast is virtually unknown. If it makes you feel better, do what you suggest, but make sure your water pump self primes when you restart the engine, and don't forget to open the valve first.
 
Not had any difficulty with the boat in the water. The sea water temperature should keep the boat warm enough. You can always supplement it with a small heater in the engine compartment if you're really worried.

Different story if the boat is out of the water and exposed to sub-zero air temperatures.

PS If you do close the inlet valve putting the starter battery key in an envelope marked "Open the sea cock" is a good reminder.
 
I don't know the Bukh DV10 but if you just shut the valve of where is the air going to come from to replace the water. You could just collapse the hoses but I don't think it would clear the water out by much.
 
GraemeS said:
I don't know the Bukh DV10 but if you just shut the valve of where is the air going to come from to replace the water. You could just collapse the hoses but I don't think it would clear the water out by much.
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Good point, never thought of that, i do this if there is cold weather forcast to stop my sabb engine freezing, the water pump can be run dry with no ill affects.
 
Knowing the specific mooring location can be important. A sea water filled marina rarely tends to freeze - but some moorings and marinas are in fact largely fresh water filled from a river, which can mean the water is much colder (melt water coming off the land) and low salt levels (freeze easier)
 
My DV20 has wintered 26 of its 27 years afloat in Chichester Harbour afloat with no special provisions and no problems. Even had to smash the surface ice one year (inside Emsworth Yacht Hbr which IS possibly slightly fresh water).
 
Nicholas123 said:
I have a Bukh DV10 in my boat & I would like to keep it operable so that I can take advantage of some of the lovely winter days that present themselves.
I don't want to take out the water pump impeller & do a full winterization if I can avoid it so.....would it be alright just to shut off the seawater supply just for the last ten/fifteen seconds of operation in order to drain the system dry & therefore prevent the possibility of a cracked block or something like that due to freezing temperatures.What does the panel think?
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I moor my boat in fresh water all year round. Winter before last when it was really cold I still had no problem with the engine freeziing. Cant imagine it will get cold enough to freeze sea water in the Solent. I know you lo0t are a bit wimpy down there but it really doesnt get that cold on the south coast.
 
Hi.
I run my DV10 during the winter in Swansea, even when the marina water has frozen and thawed again. I always shut the raw water inlet off when I leave the boat and during the coldest months run a 60W. electric greenhouse heater in the engine compartment. Cheap to run and just keeps the engine compartment at a reasonable temp.
Fair winds,
Lancelot
 
Up a river in the Solent, the water froze last winter... Dinghy was riding up on ice and me walking forward in dinghy to break ice...

Started engine, no cooling water :eek:, 2 days later thore started. Started engine cooling water no problems :cool:.

May have been lucky, think that water only just froze...

So it can happen but it did not get cold enough to do damage last winter fingers crossed for this winter... :confused:

Worth the risk for the winter sailing...
 
You will be ok if you use a tube heater or 2 in the engine bay. Worked for me down to -19c a couple of winters ago. I use 200w in the engine bay, with a sleeping bag over the engine. Elec costs about £30 for the winter. No brainer.
 
wotayottie said:
I moor my boat in fresh water all year round. Winter before last when it was really cold I still had no problem with the engine freeziing. Cant imagine it will get cold enough to freeze sea water in the Solent. I know you lo0t are a bit wimpy down there but it really doesnt get that cold on the south coast.
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How can I ignore this one......For the last two winters there has been ice on the surface of the creek down here.I recall rowing out to my boat & my dinghy acting as an ice breaker.
My boat is only afloat for about two hours either side of high water so it's bottom can get a bit chilly especially as the air temperature has gone down to -10 in recent years :eek:
 
Nicholas123 said:
How can I ignore this one......For the last two winters there has been ice on the surface of the creek down here.I recall rowing out to my boat & my dinghy acting as an ice breaker.
My boat is only afloat for about two hours either side of high water so it's bottom can get a bit chilly especially as the air temperature has gone down to -10 in recent years :eek:
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Despite that, the water in the engine is still unlikely to freeze, although any water in the inlet may do so. shutting the intake before shutting the engine down will reduce the amount of water in the engine, but just check that it does reprime when you start it.
 
Nicholas123 said:
I have a Bukh DV10 in my boat & I would like to keep it operable so that I can take advantage of some of the lovely winter days that present themselves.
I don't want to take out the water pump impeller & do a full winterization if I can avoid it so.....would it be alright just to shut off the seawater supply just for the last ten/fifteen seconds of operation in order to drain the system dry & therefore prevent the possibility of a cracked block or something like that due to freezing temperatures.What does the panel think?
Click to expand...

If you have a raw water strainer like this you can take the lid off while the engine is running and use a hose from a barrel to flush the complete system with a freshwater/antifreeze mix.

Boo2
 
Boo2 said:
If you have a raw water strainer like this you can take the lid off while the engine is running and use a hose from a barrel to flush the complete system with a freshwater/antifreeze mix.

Boo2
Click to expand...

As it happens that is exactly the strainer that I do have so I can see a nice little procedure emerging here.....shut off sea water inlet.Add dollop of anti-freeze in strainer.Wait a few more seconds to allow circulation before shutting down engine.Wundavaa!:)

Any reason why anti-freeze can't be added directly to seawater?
 
Nicholas123 said:
As it happens that is exactly the strainer that I do have so I can see a nice little procedure emerging here.....shut off sea water inlet.Add dollop of anti-freeze in strainer.Wait a few more seconds to allow circulation before shutting down engine.Wundavaa!:)

Any reason why anti-freeze can't be added directly to seawater?
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I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with adding anti-freeze to sea water other than the pollution when you pump it out later. Since the strainer is usually above the engine block level, I would guess that it would probably be sufficient to open the strainer and pour in a cup full of neat antifreeze - if the engine is hot, I would have thought that the convection currents would draw enough antifreeze down into the block as it cools.
 
maby said:
I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with adding anti-freeze to sea water other than the pollution when you pump it out later. Since the strainer is usually above the engine block level, I would guess that it would probably be sufficient to open the strainer and pour in a cup full of neat antifreeze - if the engine is hot, I would have thought that the convection currents would draw enough antifreeze down into the block as it cools.
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The pump is between the strainer and the engine and will act as a fairly efficient valve. Most unlikely to draw any antifreeze down at all.

I would buy a Speedseal for the pump. It takes seconds to open it, allow the water to drain out, tighten it back up. No need to take the impeller out. Drain the block through the cocks there for the purpose. Pump out the bilge. Less than a minute for the whole job.
 
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