Winterizing Virgin

[makkers]

Ok, so I am not new to having a boat at wintertime but the latest lady in my life will not be in undercover storage and now she is a diesel and she is coming out for the winter shortly. A couple of questions if I may to the experienced:

1. I have been advised by the chaps who are going to do the service / winterizing that the fuel tank can be either full or empty but full is preferred to minimise the condensation build up over winter, would this be the concencous?

2. I plan to re antifoul in the spring a month or so before she is relaunched, do I need to scrape off all the old paint before hand, or just rubdown or just wash....and whats all this thinner business about???

Advice muchly appreciated.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

yep, full tank is a better idea. Less fire risk with actual liquid in the tank than vapour too, imho.

No, don't ned to scrape the old stuff off entirely. Go v careful with high=power jetwash tho, as it can rip the grp. Dunno about the thinners. I just bosh it on. Black hides a multitude of sins. Essentially, the idea is that any dmage done by slime or barnacles is done to the paint layer which is easy to replace, rather than to the GRP itself.

Incidentally, it's a good idea to consider a cheapy b+q dehumidifier on board with timer so its a few hours a day (i set it to run duing early mornings and also take out the padlewheel log which allows the coldest air in the boat to fall out through the hole. Bit of wd40 aroudn the metal p[arts protects against rust too.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Solitaire]

Welcome to the forum. To answer your questions -
1. Keep the tank as full as you can. Condensation will build up in the tank and water will get into the fuel.
2.As to the antifouling - do you know the make of the antifoul currently on the boat? If so and the antifoul is reasonable condition - i.e. not too badly stripped of, then a good wash down will suffice and then put on new, same make antifoul. Some antifoulds are not compatible with other makes. If the boat has "several" layers on it and is flaking badly, then strip it off and re prime and then put on new antifould. Stripping is a bastard job, but get a a good scraper and set too!



Good luck

<hr width=100% size=1>Boating is <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.powerboattraininguk.co.uk>Serious Fun</A>

 

[Moose]

"but get a a good scraper and set too"

Ha! You've got to be kidding! I spent 6 long days trying to scrape the Antifoul of Toscana, gave up on the 7th, slapped on some paint and plonked the boat back in the water. Then I realised I hadn't bolted the rope cutters on and she had to come straight back out again, oh and don't use antifoul remover, I did on the trim tabs and it promptly stripped of the new antifoul despite pressure washing what I thought was all the remover off.



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.phantom37.co.uk>http://www.phantom37.co.uk</A>
Moose

 

[Solitaire]

Ye - but you got weak wrists!/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Boating is <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.powerboattraininguk.co.uk>Serious Fun</A>

 

[Moose]

Oh, and then I got my blinikng wrists and hands cut to shreds helping a "certain forumite" to adjust the underwater profile of his hull.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.phantom37.co.uk>http://www.phantom37.co.uk</A>
Moose

 

[HeadMistress]

If the boat has fresh water and a toilet, those systems also need to be winterized...here's what you need to do...use ONLY non-toxic potable marine/rv antifreeze, never automotive antifreeze...it can be done before the boat comes out or after:

Fresh water system

1. Drain the water tanks completely (just turn on all the faucets).

2. Drain water heater. Most have a drain petcock; follow manufacturer’s instructions to find it and use it. Remove both the inlet and outlet hoses, and if necessary use a shop vac to be sure of gettting all the water out of it.

3.Connect water heater inlet and outlet hoses together to bypass the water heater. Bypass kits for this purpose are available from boat stores and RV supply stores.

4. Add non-toxic antifreeze and pump that through the system until all outlets--hot and cold in the galley, head, shower, and any deck wash--run only antifreeze. Leave all the faucets open to make sure there is no pressure in the system.


Sanitation system

1. Pump holding tank out, then rinse thoroughly by completely filling with fresh water and 1 gallon of white vinegar twice.

2. Just pouring antifreeze down the toilet will not protect the inlet hose, pump, or the channel in the rim of the bowl. Close toilet intake through-hull, disconnect inlet hose and stick it in a gallon of non-toxic antifreeze. Pump the whole gallon through the system into the holding tank. Do not reconnect head intake hose to the through-hull.

3. Pump the head 50 times to get as much fluid out of the system as possible.

4. After the boat comes out of the water, open all the sea cocks to drain any trapped water.


<hr width=100% size=1>Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987