? for those ride year round

(yodd_tost) · (yodd_tost) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 10-16-2008, 5:10 PM

To those who ride year round- was wondering what it takes to keep the water freezing issues from happening, if you want to ride year round and if where you store your boat is in a non-heated garage? Do they make block heaters or what should I/has anyone done with this situation?

(chpthril) · (chpthril) **Join Date: Oct 2007** 10-16-2008, 5:14 PM

It takes me 5 minutes to drain my boat on the ramp when we pull out after a winter ride, but a simple 60W shoplight in the engine bay or better yet, an inexpensive ceramic heater on a timer set to run for a few hours in the wee hours of the night.

(polarbill) · (polarbill) **Join Date: Jun 2003** 10-16-2008, 6:17 PM

Todd, you don't have to worry too much here in seattle. If you keep your boat in the garage it should be fine almost all nights of the year. A cheap way is to put a work light in the engine compartment or ceramic heater like mike suggested. My company carries block heaters by a company called zerostart. They make a magnetic one that you just put on the block. I am not sure if this will keep the engine compartment warm enough but should.

star_star 10-16-2008, 9:06 PM

i've heard of people throwing an inexpensive electric blanket over their engine and setting it on warm (not hot).

(macrogpx2) · (macrogpx2) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 10-16-2008, 9:53 PM

Blanket worked for me one winter before I had the luxury of indoor storage.

(bill_airjunky)

I lived & rode year round in Redmond for over 10 yrs, a lot of that using a Prostar 205 that I only drained the engine & heater on, and kept it under a cover. I used the shop light for a lot of that time, but always checked on it because the bulbs would burn out. In those years I knew two guys who lost engines due to them freezing. Spence at Bakes rebuilt one of the engines. And one of the old MC dealers did the other. At some point I ponied up for a real bilge heater by Boatsafe. Their CG approved for use on a boat & use a thermostat to keep the engine compartment over 45 degrees.

Now days I live on the east side of the state, where we have real winters. When it starts getting really cold, I keep the boat indoors with both a bilge heater & a shop light in the engine compartment.

Assuming that a ceramic heater is safe for use on a boat, it seems like that would be a good inexpensive alternative. But that is something I'd check on first.

I can't believe a blanket is safe for anything. I've had them light up in our own bedroom. Risking a boat, or your house, wouldn't be my idea of safe.

(andy13) · (andy13) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 10-17-2008, 8:21 AM

it just freezes like two nights a year here, but it never gets cold enough that my unheated garage is below 32

(timmy) · (timmy) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 10-17-2008, 8:29 AM

It simply doesn't freeze here

(bigkitch) · (bigkitch) **Join Date: Apr 2008** 10-17-2008, 9:27 AM

"HIT IT"

(jayc) · (jayc) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 10-17-2008, 11:54 AM

We ride year round here in the UK and just leave the boat on the water and drain the block. Had a the lake freeze a couple of times but only an inch or so of ice so not an issue.

(yodd_tost) · (yodd_tost) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 10-18-2008, 7:17 AM

So if I leave the block/shower lines/heater lines filled with water I just need to put a shop light or a ceramic heater in the engine bay? Thanks guys

(talltigeguy) · (talltigeguy) **Join Date: Sep 2003** 10-18-2008, 8:51 AM

Todd,

I would not trust the heater to not freeze if the engine compartment is kept warm. I assume your heater is up under the driver's feet, right?

It is not hard to drain the heater, just disconnect one hose and blow it out with an air compressor and that will force the water into the block and out one of the block drains that you should undo.

(john30) · (john30) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 10-19-2008, 7:07 AM

I keep mine in an insulated garage and just put a block heater on it. I also run a space heater so my wife can still use her tanning bed. Are you planning to ride this winter Todd?

(davomaddo) · (davomaddo) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 10-19-2008, 7:36 PM

Todd,
True, most of the time it doesn't get that cold up here. However, it happens.

Every 10 years or so, we get a cold snap along with a prolonged power outage.

Make sure you have a generator, or that you know how to winterize your-self in case that happens.

(waketowake) · (waketowake) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 10-19-2008, 7:56 PM

I live in FL

(yodd_tost) · (yodd_tost) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 10-20-2008, 7:29 AM

John- I do plan on riding this winter, not a lot but some, are you interested?

(magic) · (magic) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 10-20-2008, 9:00 AM

When I had my boat, I used it year around. I got a UL listed magnetic block heater from Napa and stuck that on the engine, down low. I also had a de-humidfier (the 100watt heated ones with a fan) with a golden rod on top of it running in the boat, I had a large storage locker with the shower back there so I left an other de-hunidfier back there.

I used to have a power strip with all of this plugged in to it, would just drop the whole deal in there and plug it in. Also left all of the covers in the boat slightly open to let the air move around.

After using the boat, it would take minutes at the boat launch to drain the block and most of the lines to the heater. From there the heaters kept the boat warm and dry. Never trusted bulbs, like the UL listed heaters better.