Winter Protection

[SLVUK]

As the colder weather approaches I,like many new new to boating are wondering about winter out on the water, in my case, lake Windermere. Talking to a few other longer term boat owners there, they have said no issue leaving the boat on the lake in thier experience. I have booked to have the engine winterised, tanks drained etc but I've been wondering about protecting the cockpit canvas? Should I cover it with a high quality tarp or not, and if so what is the the best way fasten out on the water? Should I get a tarp to cover the length of the boat maybe? I'm thinking wind and snow sitting on there.

Any experienced advice would be most welcome.

She's a Sealine S24 Senator.

Many thanks to all!

 

[Martxer]

I had a boat in Windermere for about 18 months. Left it in over winter, it did have an engine room heater. We used it regular throughout the winter.
I would not worry about the canvas as long as the engine is protected.

 

[Momac]

I know some people do fit a canvas cover but thus do usually look awful. The vast majority leave the canopy in situ and give it a clean in the spring.

I don't do much winterising except to drain off the domestic water . I may use some potable antifreeze this time. But since we have shore power I use frost protection heaters on thermostats and a dehumidifier.
A smaller boat may be okay using moisture traps to help protect against mould.

 

[Refueler]

In terms of 'canvas' (lets be honest - when was last time you saw REAL canvas ?) - once temperature drops below zero - don't start folding / moving the 'canvas' - especially any 'window' in it ...
Its the quickest way to crack the windows .. weaken the fabric.
If you want to extend the life of it ... take it off before temps drop - replace with a cheap DIY shop tarp .. store the cover in dry / protected area.

 

[Refueler]

Winter .... we have winters that can easily drop to -25c and lower .. ice can be anywhere from 30cm to 1m thick in my channel ... not unusual for my bilge keel 25ft boat to stay in .....

One year after winter and ice was still .... the authorities decided to dynamite up river to start the ice moving ... water was backing up and flooding ...
I got a call from friends upriver about 9:00am that a wall of ice and water over 5m high was on its way ...

Long before we could see anything - the ice in my channel started to grind and crack ... we could hear a rumble in the distance. It took hours before we could see anything ..
All day we could see my two boats moving as the 'wall' was coming .... we could see it upriver about 5km's .... it took till late that night before it hit us ...

The sound was like a thousand excavators working ... nothing we could do .... just praying that the water level would not rise to the house.

Looking upriver - you can just start to see the wall coming ...

My channel and you can see ice has already broken and separated due to pressure from upriver !

When it hit - the water level rose near 6m (it got halfway up garden to the house) ... it lifted my 4ton boat up the bank and sat her down ... pontoon destroyed, BBQ decking twisted, ice plates heaped up ... and a 14m high ice wall across the channel mouth ....

Winter ?? Yeh well !!

 

[Refueler]

What really annoyed - friends lost their summer houses near the river bank ... a lot of damage done ... but authorities ignored claims ....

The problem was not the initial dynamiting - that was reasonable action ... but they failed to do controlled smaller dynamiting as the ice moved downriver ... they allowed it to build and build until it was a destructive wall of ice and water ...

The ice 'mountain' at end of my channel did not thaw out and release my channel to use till nearly mid summer !! It left tree trunks, telegraph poles. substantial debris not only at entrance to my channel - but still today we have telegraph poles in the river sticking up at angles ... ends sometimes visible ..

 

[ylop]

As the colder weather approaches I,like many new new to boating are wondering about winter out on the water, in my case, lake Windermere.

Are you planning to use “out on the water” or just store it? What does your insurer say? I imagine there will be beautiful calm days in January where it might be frustrating to have:

the engine winterised, tanks drained etc

But depends how easily you can get to it, and at short notice when the forecast is favourable.

Should I get a tarp to cover the length of the boat maybe? I'm thinking wind and snow sitting on there.

Is your boat on a swing mooring or in a marina? How sheltered? I’d be cautious about adding windage.

 

[SLVUK]

Winter .... we have winters that can easily drop to -25c and lower .. ice can be anywhere from 30cm to 1m thick in my channel ... not unusual for my bilge keel 25ft boat to stay in .....

One year after winter and ice was still .... the authorities decided to dynamite up river to start the ice moving ... water was backing up and flooding ...
I got a call from friends upriver about 9:00am that a wall of ice and water over 5m high was on its way ...

Long before we could see anything - the ice in my channel started to grind and crack ... we could hear a rumble in the distance. It took hours before we could see anything ..
All day we could see my two boats moving as the 'wall' was coming .... we could see it upriver about 5km's .... it took till late that night before it hit us ...

The sound was like a thousand excavators working ... nothing we could do .... just praying that the water level would not rise to the house.

Looking upriver - you can just start to see the wall coming ...

My channel and you can see ice has already broken and separated due to pressure from upriver !

When it hit - the water level rose near 6m (it got halfway up garden to the house) ... it lifted my 4ton boat up the bank and sat her down ... pontoon destroyed, BBQ decking twisted, ice plates heaped up ... and a 14m high ice wall across the channel mouth ....

Winter ?? Yeh well !!

Wow! Thanks for the images, fascinating

 

[47GC]

Remember to drain the transom shower if you have one! Also I wrap mine up in a small towel and close the door. That just keeps the chill off the shower head. Berthed in Scotland.

 

[Momac]

Remember to drain the transom shower if you have one!

I foolishly forgot to to do that last winter. Frost split the shower head that I had bought only weeks earlier.
This winter the shower head will be removed .