• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Winter Checklist

CSMcKillip

Moderator
Moderator
This will be my first winter with our boat, well really the second winter, but I am going to do al of the winterization. I was wondering if there is a general chcklist of items to go over and lube before putting the boat up for the winter. She will be stored on the water in her slip.

Engine-
1. Change Oil
2. Change filter
3. Clean Air filter
4. Add diesel to tank to fill up
5. close thru hull to motor
6. run RV 100% antifreeze thru motor till it comes out exhaust

Do i need to check any fuel filters, or water seperators now?

Fresh Water-
1. Drain all fresh water out of tank / hot and cold side
2. Add RV 100% into fresh water tank.
3. Run hot and cold water thru galey sink and head sink using both foot pump and electrical pump system.

Head-
1. close thru hull
2. remove hose and run RV 100% thru head into holding tank

Air Cond -
1. close thru hul
2. run RV 100% thru system till it runs out exhaust.

Is there anything I am missing?

Thanks
 

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
I store in water every other winter and I add a few things to that list:

Pour antifreeze in sink(s) with seacock closed, then cycle seacocks quickly to allow antifreeze to purge out water at bottom of drain hoses.

Disconnect and drain water heater. Connect inlet/outlet hoses together and winterize system. No need to fill water heater with gallons of antifreeze.

If you have cockpit scuppers that drain through a below waterline seacock: Purge hose with antifreeze like the drains above, fill hose again with antifreeze, and then plug the cockpit scuppers with rubber corks. This assumes there are other cockpit scuppers above water to drain the cockpit! I have had problems with ice pushing the scupper hoses off the seacock, the scupper nipples and the T junction fittings. The antifreeze and rubber cork trick ends the problems.

Either pull halyards into mast with messenger line to masthead for retrieval or remove halyards entirely, replaced with messenger line. I remove as much running rigging as possible or at least cover it up, bag it, etc. to keep the weather off it. Why let winter age it when you are not even using it?

For us saltwater guys I like to polish all the stainless one last time, spray all the blocks, sheaves, etc. with CorrosionX. Spray engine with CorrosionX. Treat fuel with diesel additive.

RT
 

u079721

Contributing Partner
Here is my winter winterization check list.


Rag Doll Maintenance

Prior to Fall Haul-Out Day

 Remove cruising gear and electronics
 Remove sails + lazy jacks
 Empty holding tank
 Top off fuel (~90%)
 Engine
With engine still cold:
 Change Racor fuel filter (every other year)
 Change engine fuel filter - bleed system
 Replace antifreeze (every other year)
 Loosen V Belt and check fresh water pump
 Adjust V Belt tension
Warm up engine:
 Spray engine with cleaner
 Change oil
 Change oil filter
 Change trans oil (8 - 12 oz.)
 Clean engine front and drip pan
 Disconnect and bypass water heater (Tape over 110 V power switch)
 Pump out water heater
 Close engine water intake seacock, and check heat exchanger zinc
 Clean water strainers (bilge, wash-down, shower) and strainer boxes (bilge and shower sumps)
 Water System
 Pump 1 gallon antifreeze through shower sump system
 Pump starboard water dry
 Pump port water tank dry
 Add 3 gallons antifreeze to port water tank
 Add two gallons antifreeze to starboard tank
 Flush foot pump
 Use port tank, and flush shower H+C (into sink)
 Flush head sink H+C
 Flush galley sink H+C
 Switch to starboard tank, and flush galley
 Pump out excess from each tank
 Seawater (Washdown) System
 Close seawater seacock
 Add 3 gallons of antifreeze to icebox, open valves A and B
 Pump some antifreeze with footpump
 Pump fluid through both fore and aft outlets


After Boat Is In Well At Yard

 Remove boom
 Remove paddle wheel (clean)
 Remove all turnbuckle split rings and fasten together
 Loosen rigging
 Remove cotter pins
 Undo halyards
 Loosen mast boot
 Disconnect mast wires – undo and position coax connector above mast plate hole (tape in place)

Immediately After Haul-Out (And Mast Is Pulled)

 Have yard:
 Winterize engine
 Powerwash bottom
 Clean under lift straps
 Cover rudder (to avoid sunlight)
 Put in mast plug
 Remove antenna, windex, and wind instrument
 Remove spreaders and spreader boots
 Powerwash batten cars on mast
 Cover coax connector on mast
 Wax mast
 Wrap mast

Day After Haul-Out

 Drain excess seawater antifreeze in icebox out through-hull
 Flush head intake with antifreeze
 Add about 1 gallon antifreeze through bowl
 Pump bilge dry as possible
 Remove bilge pump strainer box, attach adapter hose, and flush electric bilge pump with antifreeze
 Flush manual bilge pump
 Pump out any water by stuffing box
 Remove engine impeller (drain extra antifreeze from hose)
 Check engine hoses
 Freshen (file and sand) shaft and prop zincs
 Service Max Prop and cover with plastic bag
 Open all seacocks
 Remove any remaining gear that could freeze (caulk, battery water, epoxy), and clocks etc.
 Cover mast and boom with plastic


Fall
 Wax topsides and deck
 Re-coat teak with Cetol gloss
 Top off battery water
 Hook up battery charger and equalize batteries
 Check deck bolts and keel bolts
 Clean mast base weep holes
 Grease seacocks
 Check steering cables and lube rudderpost
 Cover boat with plastic

Spring

 Replace engine impeller (new every other year)
 Check fuel tank sump


Launch Day Preparation

 Paint bottom (then cover rudder)
 Un-cover boat
 Rig fenders and lines
 Put in paddle wheel + depth transducer
 Load and/or charge batteries + check water level
 Load essential gear
 Have mast put out night before
 Prep mast
 Unwrap
 Mount spreaders
 Mount spreader boots
 Sort out rigging
 Apply rigging tape
 Mount windex and antenna
 Mount lazy jack leaders
 Clean mast track with scotch bright pads (bring bucket) and lube mast cars with SAILKOTE


Launch Day

 Bring Wind instrument for masthead

After Launch

 Caulk under mast boot
 Mount sails
 Tune rig
 Flush water tanks and reconnect water heater
 Check all systems and electronics
 Check manual bilge pump


Summer (Before Cruise)

 Rebuild head (every other year)
 Oil cabin woodwork
 

Maine Sail

Member III
Good stuff thus far and I'll add a few more.

Change oil twice to make sure very clean (filter once)
Change gear box fluid
Remove impeller after sucking in PG(antifreeze not good for it)
Pull end caps off HX and clean it and re-install caps with new gaskets
Install new engine zinc
Disconnect RW exhaust hose and seal engine with plastic
Same for air intake
Drain remaining fuel from tank into 6 gal jerry jugs and burn in home boiler
Drain off antifreeze from RW strainer (not good for the gaskets)
Check engine (closed loop) anti-freeze for freeze point with AF tester


Some other considerations:

I DO NOT add antifreeze to the fresh water tanks. I simply pump them dry then disconnect the supply hoses then let the rocking of the boat finish draining them into the bilge. The pink stuff is nasty and difficult to flush out of the tank. I only suck pink PG through the hoses with the water heater bypassed.

Here's how I do it: Winterizing A Fresh Water System (LINK)


Engine Winterization:

"Flows pink out the exhaust" MAY not be enough. I have seen folks who have sucked a gallon of -50 through and froze the HX or spit freeze plugs on RW cooled engines.

Basically none of the propylene glycol (PG) products should be diluted. They are NOT like ethylene glycol in that they can be diluted up to 50%. The -50, -60 & -100 are all general guides for undiluted burst points NOT set in stone and standardized tested freeze or burst points.

-50 for example contains only about 30% by volume, propylene glycol. Reducing that 30% concentration, through dilution (the water already in the raw water loop), to just 12.5 percent PG by volume, raises the BURST POINT to about 20 F! This is a far cry from the -50 @ 30% PG by volume!

It is a good idea to drain the raw water side first or just use more antifreeze so you know it is not diluted. The raw water side on my Westerbeke can hold nearly two gallons of raw water between the strainer, hoses, HX, water-lift muffler and my Sea Frost refrigeration heat exchanger has nearly a gallon itself. This could mean MAJOR dilution, and in Maine, that is NOT a good idea.. This is why I drain it first before sucking in the -60 or -100 PG. The -60 or -100 PG products also normally contain more corrosion inhibitors which for a RWC engine is a good benefit.

If you read the label on -60 for example it says copper pipes may burst at -60F but that plastic is only protected to -26F and this is at 100% undiluted. Dilute it even a little and that BURST point quickly rises to a range that we can see in New England.

If you don't want to drain the FW before sucking in the antifreeze just buy more and suck a 5 gallon bucket through to be sure it is undiluted. You can buy PG test strips at a plumbing supply house as FHW domestic heating systems are often protected with PG. Check it at the water lift muffler for burst point..
 
Last edited:

Slick470

Member III
Great thread

Good reading guys. Thanks for sharing your lists and advice. This will be our first winter with our Olson 911. So I'm going to be doing a lot of those things for the first time.

Any special advice for someone winterizing for the first time?

Andy
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
http://www.forespar.com/products/boat-marine-plumbing-engine-flush-out.shtml
We put in the 1" size of this handy-dandy 2-way seacock back about '02. Every November (give or take) when we winterize the diesel I have a short length of clear hose with a "garden hose" fitting on the end. It screws onto the Forespar fitting, and after warming up the engine, I put the other end of that hose into a one gallon pink antifreeze jug. Then with engine idling I move the lever on the valve to the flushing position. Back up to the cockpit to watch the exhaust. Soon as pink comes out I shut 'er down. There is usually about a pint of so still in the jug.
Last year we hauled out late for a bottom job and saw some 20 degree weather approaching, so we did the antifreeze bit after the Travelift had us up on land.

Appropriate for me, this procedure is close to "idiot proof." :rolleyes:

Rest of the drinking water system is pumped dry until nothing but air and small drops is emerging. Then we reach in thru the clean-out ports and towel the insides dry of both tanks. There is some risk of water freezing in some low point, I guess... but (knock wood) no problems in 20 years.
We are fortunate to live in a "temperate" climate, but our boat has been frozen in its slip twice in a couple decades when the sides of the Columbia was subject to a multi-week cold spell.

Regards,
Loren
 
Last edited:

Slick470

Member III
Interesting dodad Loren. I guess then that takes the place of the normal engine raw water seacock?

Andy
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I guess then that takes the place of the normal engine raw water seacock?
Andy

Yup. It's just a seacock with two "inlets" -- one is external sea water and the other (via the hose connector) is for flushing.

LB
 

RobG

Member I
What do you guys think of the "dry method"

of engine lay-up? I have an '87 E28 with a Universal M12 FWC. The M12 manual describes a dry method lay-up for the raw water side and exhaust. Sounds pretty easy and there are some recent issues at my marina with DYI winterizing so this would be advantageous. It's my first year with the boat so I haven't figured all of this out yet. I have always done all of my own work on previous boats, none of which had an IB Diesel.

Rob
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
Rob - For the price of a gallon of Sierra I think it is a big chance to take. I don't know how to easily drain the muffler.
 

Maine Sail

Member III
of engine lay-up? I have an '87 E28 with a Universal M12 FWC. The M12 manual describes a dry method lay-up for the raw water side and exhaust. Sounds pretty easy and there are some recent issues at my marina with DYI winterizing so this would be advantageous. It's my first year with the boat so I haven't figured all of this out yet. I have always done all of my own work on previous boats, none of which had an IB Diesel.

Rob

Rob,

Tom is spot on. The problem with the "dry" method and boats is all to often the system is not completely "dry" even after a judicious attempt at draining it and often even after evacuating it with compressed air. I have seen a number of "drained" systems still freeze.

Saw a guy with a Yanmar that was RWC spit the freeze plugs out of the engine after it was "drained" per Yanmar's instructions. Sadly there was no way the freeze plugs were going back in with the engine in the boat so 1.5k later in yard bills he now buys an extra few gallons of PG at $3.99.. A lot less than a 1.5k yard bill or a new engine or HX or water pump or waer lift muffler...
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
of engine lay-up? I have an '87 E28 with a Universal M12 FWC. The M12 manual describes a dry method lay-up for the raw water side and exhaust. Sounds pretty easy and there are some recent issues at my marina with DYI winterizing so this would be advantageous. It's my first year with the boat so I haven't figured all of this out yet. I have always done all of my own work on previous boats, none of which had an IB Diesel.

Rob

Welcome to the Diesel Cult! :rolleyes:
Our present boat was our first diesel inboard boat. We immediately loved the operating advantages over the prior OB on our 26 footer, but the winterizing involved a whole new learning curve.

I would advocate the method of running pink antifreeze thru the whole cooling system, which takes care of the water lift muffler too. I know of sailors in our moorage that just unclamp and remove the hose from the raw water sea cock and introduce it into a jug of antifreeze, and have been doing this for many years.
I only went with the two-way "winterizing sea cock" because we were changing out all the thruhulls at once and it just as easy to add that feature.
LB
 

Slick470

Member III
I'll have to add that "winterizing seacock" to my list for when my seacocks need to be replaced. Although I don't see doing it until then unless that portion of winterizing turns out to be a huge pain this year. I already have a long enough to-do list for this winter and spring as it is...

Andy
 

RobG

Member I
Oops

Lookng back I kinda hijacked this thread. Thanks for the replies to my question. A wet lay-up it is.
Thanks to the OP for starting this thread. Great checklists.
 

CSMcKillip

Moderator
Moderator
Lookng back I kinda hijacked this thread. Thanks for the replies to my question. A wet lay-up it is.
Thanks to the OP for starting this thread. Great checklists.

Right on topic, no hijack... and it is a great list.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Yup

Loren, could someone not intall a Y valve after the seacock?

I believe that others have done something like that. If you are faced with a major cold weather event where you might reasonably expect even the water in your seacocks to freeze and possibly stress that fitting, then having the antifreeze enter that fitting in a part of the valve body might be a good precaution.

But mainly it's just the ease of piping in the antifreeze at the very beginning of the raw water inlet by just turning the valve handle.

A Y-valve right after the sea cock would still do the job 99% as well, I betcha.

Like I pointed out, I was already replacing all the original sea cocks and also moving the cooling water hull inlet, so changing to the winterizing valve was an easy call... "in for a penny in for a pound" as they say. :rolleyes:

LB
 

Akavishon

Member III
While we're at it - do you fellow cold-climate sailors take your cabin cushions off the boat for the winter? why/whynot?
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
While we're at it - do you fellow cold-climate sailors take your cabin cushions off the boat for the winter? why/whynot?

We take the interior cushions, sails, and dodger all home to a dry basement. Generally from November thru March.
Much easier to keep the boat interior opened up and dry, and also to work on off-season projects.

During those months I winterize the diesel and drain the potable water system as well. Not every year, but fairly often we get a period of two weeks to a month with temps in the 20's and have had 3 - 4 straight days of 35 kt winds along with it. When those high winds come you don't want to have your furled genny up if you have a safer place for it.

(Some folks rely on a shore power heater, but that puts them just a power outage away from broken plumbing fittings and sometimes a sunken boat.)

LB
 
Top