Here in Southeastern North Carolina we have a very schizophrenic wintertime climate. For instance, on Monday I was fishing 65 miles offshore in shorts, tomorrow night it is going to be 29, and then it is back in the 60s this weekend. The boat stays in the water and gets regular use all winter. This is the first boat that I have kept in a slip. My question is, what do I need to do in advance of the 5 -10 random nights in the coming months when it gets below freezing? What do I need to do to the outboards? The generator? The freshwater system? Etc.
Occassional Freezing Temps Question
- Thread starter Cregan13
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Fishtales
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Ideally, you would winterize the water system and store the motor vertical. No expert, but I'd investigate closing all seacocks. Adding anti freeze to the water system and to the generator, washdown and live well (would have to find a way to get it in (maybe you can add it in the exit points). You could take your chances with the motor up or put them down so the water above the water line drains.
Dips to the upper 20's won't harm anything. Not cold enough for long enough, especially since it's in the water (radiant heat from the ocean).
Now, if it gets colder/longer...
-- OB's are totally fine - just give them a few minutes to fully drain before tilting. You can leave them down, if you want - you'll just go through the anodes faster (no big deal). Ideally, antifoul the lower units if you're going to do that.
-- Other things (fresh water, water heater, AC, genny) could have problems. It might be best to winterize those things.
-- If you have it setup to have easy access, it would be OK to use the raw water washdown and just drain/winterize each time as it's pretty straight forward and doesn't take long... or at least you could set it up so it doesn't.
-- Same with livewell supply lines - all depends on your access and how you have them setup. Livewell drains are easy.
-- Most head systems aren't too bad to quickly winterize, either (not sure what type of system you have). As long as you have access to pump outs when needed. But some extra AF in the holding tank can help.
In the end, though, there is no magic number where it is/is not a problem. This is a "better safe than sorry" thing.
You might be best to access locals with similar setups - locals that have been around for quite a while - to see how they have faired over the years. But keep in mind if you get a freak cold snap, you run the risk of damage. You'd have to act quickly if you're doing it yourself... and you may not be able to hire someone last minute.
Now, if it gets colder/longer...
-- OB's are totally fine - just give them a few minutes to fully drain before tilting. You can leave them down, if you want - you'll just go through the anodes faster (no big deal). Ideally, antifoul the lower units if you're going to do that.
-- Other things (fresh water, water heater, AC, genny) could have problems. It might be best to winterize those things.
-- If you have it setup to have easy access, it would be OK to use the raw water washdown and just drain/winterize each time as it's pretty straight forward and doesn't take long... or at least you could set it up so it doesn't.
-- Same with livewell supply lines - all depends on your access and how you have them setup. Livewell drains are easy.
-- Most head systems aren't too bad to quickly winterize, either (not sure what type of system you have). As long as you have access to pump outs when needed. But some extra AF in the holding tank can help.
In the end, though, there is no magic number where it is/is not a problem. This is a "better safe than sorry" thing.
You might be best to access locals with similar setups - locals that have been around for quite a while - to see how they have faired over the years. But keep in mind if you get a freak cold snap, you run the risk of damage. You'd have to act quickly if you're doing it yourself... and you may not be able to hire someone last minute.
Our freezing temps here are typically a few nights each winter, and they almost never extend much past the sunrise. The water the boat sits in should stay in the 50's all winter. I am thinking I can just trim the outboards down late in the PM on days where we are expecting freezing temps overnight, and then just come back in the morning and trim them back up.
Things I didn't used to have to worry about before I got a bigger boat!
Things I didn't used to have to worry about before I got a bigger boat!
A weak link in your situation can be the windshield washer. We had a cold spell last fall for a couple of nights(20s) I put the engines down but hadn’t run antifreeze through the water system yet. The windshield washer elbow froze and cracked as a result.
Put a 100 watt light bulb in the bilge, and one in the cabin. That worked for me when we lived North in Panama City Beach. We have since moved South, not a problem for me anymore!