Engine freezing??

One other option that I haven’t tested because the boat ended up hauled for the winter: I recently installed a Webasto heat pump on the boat. (Possibly the most ludicrous over-kill gadget so far, but it came up on Craigslist at a price I couldn’t refuse...) This only draws five amps but there will be some lower (water) temperature limit for this system (presumably before the discharge water becomes super-cooled) and it remains untried by me. Because I’ve tee-d the discharge into the head through-hull, it might even have some minor ice-bubbler effect.

Coincidentally, I had to replace my domestic water heater a couple of months ago and the new unit has a heat pump. Seems quite efficient so far, but it does blow cold air into the laundry room. Brrr! Next summer, this ought to be a pleasant feature but for now I have to turn it off when I’m in there.

"I just run some pink stuff through the ....."

I should have seen that.

Frank, FWIW I've been sailing the Straights for 40+ years now. I have never had an issue of raw water freezing on a boat. While the water around here is always around 5 to 7C, that is well above freezing for salt water and it would have to be blindingly cold to overcome that huge "heat source". I do keep my raw water intake seacock open which would allow a little convection, but don't think that really matters in our area. When your marina freezes over, then start worrying.

Also remember, saltwater doesn't form ice - only freshwater. So if a little ice forms from a contained salt water source (like in a heat exchanger) it is concentrating the salt content in the remaining liquid. Effectively lowering the freezing point for that remainder. So again, to get enough ice formed in a system to cause damage it's going to have to be much colder than we see around here.

The only winterizing I do is to drain the freshwater systems. I used to keep a little heater in the cabin to fight mold, but with what they charge for metered power in Port Townsend now, I could heat my house instead. So I just make do with the chemical desiccants to do that job.

Kevin Wright
E35 Hydro Therapy

Thanks, Kevin! That's reassuring. I do have two of the silver air circulation fans which do put off some heat, and I have a small ceramic heater with thermostat and auto shut off if it tips over. With the storms we have had, I'm surprised it hasn't tipped due to the boat rocking at dock, but it hasn't.
We have been away the last two weeks babysitting grandkids, so I haven't done my normal daily checks of the boat. Seeing minus 10 celsius for lows in the forecast got me a bit worried.
But we're back now, and the boat seems fine, though I haven't run the engine yet.
With sailing several times a week even in winter, it's not really practical for me to winterize the engine and water tanks / lines.
Frank

Yeah, I just got back myself from skiing for a week at Silverstar near Vernon, BC. Was -23C there. At that point I might start worrying. Haven't been down to check my boat but again, I'm not worrying a bit.

Kevin Wright
E35 Hydro Therapy

Also, I pop the engine cover and move it out a few inches so the cabin heat can circulate there too. Also it helps reduce the hudmity in the engine compartment.

Close all of your thru-hulls now. If a pipe freezes, engine freezes, heat exchanger freezes then thaws, down your boat goes.

As someone mentioned earlier (toddster I think), around here, the greatest risk is probably the cockpit drains freezing and cracking, and then flooding into the boat as the snow melts, and the inevitable rains begin. Also, even without that, the snow/ice/slush clogging the drains followed by heavy rains could be enough to flood the cockpit over the bridgedeck height, given how much snow we've had so far - over 2' just south of you, although probably a bit less at the marinas. I wouldn't know as we're stranded in our house for at least another day. The snowplow was stuck on our street earlier and just raised his blade and drove away...

I've been shopping for sailing courses in Mexico to pass the time...

Well, also the weight of the snow and ice can push your boat down so that the (now cracked) scupper that was 3" above the waterline is now an inch below. And counting...

Good point. All that snow makes a great sponge to hold the rain when it comes!

Alcohol based antifreeze

Christian Williams said:

Me? I just come pick stuff through the engine heat exchanger... It fast cheap and safe.
As to the Fresh water system. I drain it... Fill the line with pick stuff and forget about it till spring.

"Pick stuff": Either I missed an obvious typo, failed to make the association everyone else did, or have discovered yet another hole in my knowledge base (the previous new hole being "Childish Gambino," the Grammy winner).

Click to expand...

Thanks pick stuff is non toxic alcohol based antifreeze.
Rick