Wintering in the water

[(195)]

Having decided (almost definitely) to leave the boat in the water over the winter (this is my 1st winter owning a boat), what should be done to ensure she makes it through the winter safe & sound and in tip top condition.
I am hopeful that we'll get a few weekends use out of her over the winter - added to the security issue of taking her out, hence the decision to leave in the water.
Any advice greatly received.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by kimhollamby on Sun Sep 16 18:21:55 2001 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[byron]

For the last 30 years my boats have always wintered in the water, I swear it is better for them to be supported by water than by a cradle of any kind. All you need do is ensure that nothing can freeze up.

©2001

 

[Guest]

we stay afloat all winter as well and use the boat once or twice amonth to keep her in use.If you have an electricity supply buy a dehumidifier and leave it in the sink so that it doesnt need emptying and leave a smal convector heater running on a low heat in the cabin.

If you have a fresshwater cooled engine make sure that there is sufficient antifreeze to prevent the engine from freezing up, also leave the batterys on a trickle charge in case your bilge pump is on more often than you think.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Aaaaagh it\'s not winter yet!

Let's not be too hasty in bringing about the end of summer, it hardly seems to have got started yet and everyone is now talking about winterisation. We still have potentially some of the best boating weather yet to come, but, come to think of it the reason why it often seems the best time to be out on the water is that most others are already tucked up ashore, leaving the water nice and quiet.

 

[Guest]

Re: Aaaaagh it\'s not winter yet!

If you are wintering in freshwater as we once did, the Forth and Clyde Canal basin at Bowling froze and I was concerned about ice damaging the hull. As it happened, there was no damage but I do recal some article about fitting some form of guard ring of wood round the hull. The other problem was the hull topside became very dirty and was difficult to polish up in the water after the winter.

John C.

 

[jimbo]

I now always leave our boat in the water for the winter. It does get started up and used and the batteries are on a trickle charger most of the time to keep it all running. I do drain off the water system and the raw water side of the engine when leaving the boat though, which means it takes a bit longer to pack up each time we use her, but the one time she overwintered on the hard, I got some frost damage from a bit of water left in a loop of piping!

We always go away in the summer, so the boat comes out of the water then. Much easier to do the work in warm weather and added to that, the guys have little to do as most boats are in the water, so I get to pick and choose my time and I get a good deal on having the antifoul done.

Worth thinking about if you can do it. I berth on the Thames, so as long as we don't get a repeat of the floods of last year, we get some real quality time on the river. No queues for locks and we can moor up pretty much anywhere.

 

[Guest]

Winterising in the water

Best advice if you intend to use the boat in the winter months.
If you intend to use the boat over the winter keep a 50% antifreeze mix handy when you have finished for the day turn of seacocks and run some antifreeze through the raw water system by tipping into the weed filter. Check to see a little is pumped out of the exhaust if you can see it.
Shove a few rags up the exhaust if you can to stop cold air blowing into the engine
Get an oil filled heating tube fitted in your engine room with a frost stat set to 5*c they only use about 15 watts
leave you charger on tricle charge and also check the electrolyte level
A dehumidifyer is a good idea or another heating tube or 2 in the living spaces they are remarkably cheap!!