Marinas and anodes - am I in trouble

[Homer J]

I’ve put my boat in a marina for the winter connected to shore power. Heater on low, fridge on and I may run a dehumidifier.

Do I need to hang extra anodes or take other precautions or will I be ok?

 

[VicS]

If you are going to leave the shore power connected a galvanic isolator is essential
>>
( unless there there is no connection between the shorepower earth and the anodes or other underwater metal bits. )

Hang extra anodes if you are doubtful about the existing ones lasting throughout the winter ............ and forthcoming lockdown .
Clip their cables inside the boat to what they are intended to protect.

 

[William_H]

As said if your heater fridge and dehumidifier are all the "double insulated" variety ie all plastic or at least no metal parts and you have a stand alone extension cord with sockets (as opposed to a installed system having an earth connection to the metal parts and water) you should have no problems.
However if you do have an installed earthed system you definitely should have a galvanic isolator in the earth lead of the incoming mains. (you would have to have one for use in our club marina) This to protect your boat ,other boats and jetty structure. ol'will

 

[TNLI]

I’ve put my boat in a marina for the winter connected to shore power. Heater on low, fridge on and I may run a dehumidifier.

Do I need to hang extra anodes or take other precautions or will I be ok?

Sounds like you are trying to run up an electric bill for some reason. Hanging extra anodes never did any harm, unless one gets wrapped around the prop.

Solar powered vents can help as regards condensation levels.

Shore power complicates everything in isolation and surge protection terms. It also increases the fire risk if you leave systems on. I would just make sure the batteries are trickle charged from a few solar panels, and make sure some responsible person runs the donkey once a month to prevent the injector tips et al from corroding, unless you are fully inhibiting the engine.

 

[Daydream believer]

and make sure some responsible person runs the donkey once a month to prevent the injector tips et al from corroding, unless you are fully inhibiting the engine.

That is a new one on me. Does anyone else do that?

 

[dankilb]

That is a new one on me. Does anyone else do that?

Ours has sat for 7 years - with only clean oil and an occasional cranking - and we’re hoping to start it for the first time today, so will let you know!

 

[TNLI]

The engine manual is one of the worlds most common publications, but like the Bible it is one of the worlds least read.

Most engine manufacturers say once per month, but Onan say every 2 weeks. The quality of the steel used for the injector tips and how corrosive the environment is will make a difference. Not running a donkey will not cause it to fail to start, It just results in premature injector tip and rings or cylinder issues. About half of all block wear is caused by corrosion, so it also helps to change the engine oil before not using the engine for long periods, as used oil turns acidic.
If you can't use the engine in gear to fully warm it up, just run it for a few minutes to allow the oil and fuel to circulate and shut down.

 

[Daydream believer]

I do always change the oil at the end of the season then run it for 20 mins while whilst I flush the fresh water & antifreeze through the system; but I confess to never having done it monthly, as always on the hard over winter. Not sure how condensation would affect a cylinder in that situation, but the manufacturer knows best. Last injectors lasted almost 5000 hours like that before I changed them just as a maintenance item.

 

[Neeves]

I’ve put my boat in a marina for the winter connected to shore power. Heater on low, fridge on and I may run a dehumidifier.

Do I need to hang extra anodes or take other precautions or will I be ok?

I have to ask, why are you leaving a heater on (I do accept its cold in the UK, compared to Oz in the winter), and why are you leaving the fridge on.

I find it odd, again - living in Australia where we can sail 365 -but a yacht is the second or third biggest investment an individual can make (ignoring the cost of maintaining a husband or wife, assorted children - but none of these are financial investments) - but how can you leave such a significant part of you financial burden unattended for so long.

Don't you ever sail on a dry, crisp, blue skied January?

What will happen to the fridge if you switch to off, will it decompose into a pile of dust?

Puzzled

Take care, stay safe

Jonathan

 

[Boater Sam]

That is a new one on me. Does anyone else do that?

No, its just this daft guy who chips in on here about things he knows nothing about.

 

[johnalison]

No, its just this daft guy who chips in on here about things he knows nothing about.

Considering that he was relaying a widely-held opinion, that comment seems excessively personal. I have no idea whether he has any expertise in this area but the idea that an engine should be run occasionally is far from new, and something that I myself follow when the engine has not been winterised.

 

[Tranona]

The engine manual is one of the worlds most common publications, but like the Bible it is one of the worlds least read.

Most engine manufacturers say once per month, but Onan say every 2 weeks. The quality of the steel used for the injector tips and how corrosive the environment is will make a difference. Not running a donkey will not cause it to fail to start, It just results in premature injector tip and rings or cylinder issues. About half of all block wear is caused by corrosion, so it also helps to change the engine oil before not using the engine for long periods, as used oil turns acidic.
If you can't use the engine in gear to fully warm it up, just run it for a few minutes to allow the oil and fuel to circulate and shut down.

All these things MIGHT happen - but don't. I left an almost new Nanni for 9 years untouched in a laid up boat. Changed the oil and filters. started first time and has run perfectly ever since. Have kept boats in the water all year round since 1995 and never done more than running in gear every couple of months.

 

[Tranona]

I’ve put my boat in a marina for the winter connected to shore power. Heater on low, fridge on and I may run a dehumidifier.

Do I need to hang extra anodes or take other precautions or will I be ok?

Hanging anodes are usually only effective after any other anodes have depleted. Additional anode wastage (if any) while on shorepower is unconnected to the amount of electricity used on the boat. Why are you running the fridge? and better to use a tube heater than run the boat heater. In a modern boat you should not need to run a dehumidifier for more than short periods. Check you have a galvanic isolator fitted.

 

[Daydream believer]

Considering that he was relaying a widely-held opinion, that comment seems excessively personal. I have no idea whether he has any expertise in this area but the idea that an engine should be run occasionally is far from new, and something that I myself follow when the engine has not been winterised.

But surely, just short runs does not push the oil round the engine enough & causes wear. to the bores. So does that not defeat the object?
Would it not be better to leave it until actually needed, then run it.
I am not a diesel mechanic-- so I am only asking for opinions.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I’ve put my boat in a marina for the winter connected to shore power. Heater on low, fridge on and I may run a dehumidifier.

Do I need to hang extra anodes or take other precautions or will I be ok?

You don't say what the boat is, or where it is ?

Leaving the fridge on is pointless.
Leaving heating on is pointless.

Some people find a dehumidifier works for them, but good ventilation can also work well.

As for anodes; if there is no continuity between the anode and the shore power Earth there is no need for a galvanic isolator (waste of time) and the anode shouldn't deplete any faster than normal.

If there is continuity between the anode and shore power Earth you should have a galvanic isolator.

In either case, i cannot see the need for extra anodes, just because you are on shore power.

 

[PaulRainbow]

So, there are people going around all of the farms, factories, plant depots, hire centres, used car forecourts, car manufacturers compounds, marinas, boatyards etc etc and starting the engines up once a month for a short run ???

Methinks not.

 

[NormanS]

I have to ask, why are you leaving a heater on (I do accept its cold in the UK, compared to Oz in the winter), and why are you leaving the fridge on.

I find it odd, again - living in Australia where we can sail 365 -but a yacht is the second or third biggest investment an individual can make (ignoring the cost of maintaining a husband or wife, assorted children - but none of these are financial investments) - but how can you leave such a significant part of you financial burden unattended for so long.

Don't you ever sail on a dry, crisp, blue skied January?

What will happen to the fridge if you switch to off, will it decompose into a pile of dust?

Puzzled

Take care, stay safe

Jonathan

Some of us live in parts of the world where it is not safe or convenient to leave a boat afloat in the winter. We therefore have to winter ashore. The boatyard where our boat languishes for the winter, was previously a gravel quarry. As a result, it is lower than the surrounding land, which is good for wind shelter, but makes it a "frost hollow". This leads to sometimes prolonged periods where the temperature is consistently below 0°C.
Yes we drain the fresh water systems, and flush the exhaust with antifreeze, but it is difficult to guarantee that there is not a pocket of water lurking in a dip in the pipework. That is why I choose to have a modest 120W thermostatically controlled heating tube, suspended down beside the engine. One year, more than a dozen yachts in the yard had calorifiers burst by the frost. Ours was not one of them.
Be glad that you can sail all year round. We choose not to, but it makes us even keener in the Spring.

 

[Beneteau381]

That is a new one on me. Does anyone else do that?

no

 

[Wing Mark]

So, there are people going around all of the farms, factories, plant depots, hire centres, used car forecourts, car manufacturers compounds, ..... etc etc and starting the engines up once a month for a short run ???

Methinks not.

Then again, you don't see ever so many wet exhausts in these places.

 

[[70521]]

Electric to run a heater and a cooler. You will need to explain the logic there.

I am firmly in the ventilation camp of keeping a boat dry, after much experimentation with a washing machine and a clothes line I have come to the conclusion it works extremely well.

Following the wee blow we had over the weekend, Storm Arwen, I popped down to the boat to check that she was still safely tucked up in her Cornish creek, she was and I have no need to be concerned in future.

Stepping on board the temperature dropped by about 5°C. Not being a fan of cold beer had I had one onboard I'd be muttering that it was tasteless.