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 .

 

[Scubadoo]

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!

I use my boat throughout winter on those nice calm sunny days and never winterise, this is what I do on my S24 which has worked well even when way below freezing:

- Tube heater in the engine bay, set to switch on below 4c
- Block the engine bay air vents with bubble wrap (can easily be removed when I want to go out)
- Oil filled heater in the cabin (500watt) and set to switch on below 4c, I don't use the radiator built in thermostat (see below)
- A device that's text me if the power fails and if the engine bay gets to 1c
- The Oil filled radiator and engine bay tube heaters connected to wifi thermostat controllers (linked to a Mifi router), I can then check the temperatures remotely and switch on the heaters if required
- Dehumidify crystals in the cabin (unibond)
- The seacock door left open so that heat can circulate
- Toilet/heads door held open
- The bathing platform shower, remove the shower head unit and wrap fleece around the hose inside the cover (the cold and hot connector in the engine bay is particularly vulnerable as it is plastic, replaced mine with a brass unit...so make sure the tube heater can circulate heat in that area)
- I do nothing with the Canvas, I usually pressure wash every two years and treat with Fabsil gold, this seems to protect it well. If it goes green in some areas, treat with diluted patio magic on a dry day. However, I have seen more boaters using an additional tarpaulin type cover over the canvas roof which seems to work well
- I don't drain the water tank, but do keep the fuel tank full to reduce any risk of condensation
- Boats are much better off in the water during winter, the water insulates the hull

I hope this helps.

 

[Refueler]

Heaters (electric using the yard power) are banned in the yard I use. Even the Frost Protectors of 500w or less.

 

[stelican]

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!

A tarp will flap against your covers and most likely wear holes in the covers and also take the shine off of the gelcoat.
Better off investing in a tonneau cover but make sure it is securely tented.
Assume it is on a pontoon mooring.

 

[Scubadoo]

Heaters (electric using the yard power) are banned in the yard I use. Even the Frost Protectors of 500w or less.

That's a real shame, fortunately here in the UK, my marina electrics are reliable and available year round without any restriction. You are at another level in terms of weather, if I was there I would have a different approach and fully winterise as you can't use your boat in winter.