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Old     (extremeisaac)      Join Date: Aug 2005       12-07-2009, 10:11 AM Reply   
I have never really winterized any of my boats but this is my first inboard.. what do you guys do aside from fuel stabilizer? do you guys remove the freeze plugs from the block? anything else I should do?
Old     (guido)      Join Date: Jul 2002       12-07-2009, 10:18 AM Reply   
We've never done anything other than fill the tank and turn the batteries off.
Old     (kickflip_mj)      Join Date: Apr 2007       12-07-2009, 11:26 AM Reply   
i don't do anything either, probably should but im not to worried about it. every year i just pull her out of the unit and she starts up just fine.. oh i do turn the batteries off and give her a nice cleaning
Old     (extremeisaac)      Join Date: Aug 2005       12-07-2009, 12:31 PM Reply   
so you guys dont even pull the plugs from the motor to drain the water?
Old     (snwmot)      Join Date: Sep 2006       12-07-2009, 12:41 PM Reply   
issac mine stays outside all the time and ive never pulled the plugs and iv'e never had any problems
Old     (norcalmalibu)      Join Date: Jun 2004       12-07-2009, 12:53 PM Reply   
Isaac,
I hit the petcock on the block, drain the water, put in Stabilfuel with a full tank of gas, and put battery tenders on. The ultimate is to change the oil.
Old     (dhcomp)      Join Date: Jun 2003       12-07-2009, 1:07 PM Reply   
Drain your block and hoses. It takes less than 10 min, and may save your block. Looks to be a hard freeze tonight, that hasn't been seen in years......
Old     (westsiderippa)      Join Date: Dec 2006       12-07-2009, 2:29 PM Reply   
always leave it with a full tank, keep the batteries on a tender. 2 boats in the last 5 years there never 1 issue. i take my boat out whenever its nice though and so should you.
Old     (cavlxenvy)      Join Date: Aug 2007       12-07-2009, 7:31 PM Reply   
I just drain the water from my block and disconnect the batteries. Add fuel conditioner.

Fuel tank levels is a style thing. I don't leave it full or empty. I leave it in the middle so I can add fresh gas but still not have a lot of condensation build up.
Old     (peter_c)      Join Date: Sep 2001       12-07-2009, 7:48 PM Reply   
Install petcocks that can be turned by hand. Then drain the block and the exhaust manifolds. That will save the expensive stuff should it freeze really bad. No need for fuel stabilizer since you will be riding at least once a month right? Always put the boat away with a full fuel tank.

Remember to close said petcocks when returning a month later for a sesh.
Old     (extremeisaac)      Join Date: Aug 2005       12-07-2009, 10:43 PM Reply   
Evan, B, no concern in draining the block of water with temps under 30 degrees?

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Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       12-07-2009, 11:03 PM Reply   
I heard only if you have prolonged exposure to freezing temps? Whats the story? Should i throw a heater in my boat tonight? Looking at freezing temps for about 6 hours tonite? Any concern or worries?

(Message edited by 2006maliblue on December 07, 2009)
Old     (nvsairwarrior)      Join Date: Aug 2003       12-08-2009, 7:38 AM Reply   
Not sure what a "Hard Freeze" is considered temp wise but I'm certain it's well below 32.
Isaac, I don't recognize you forecast source but I can tell you it only got to 31 in Disco last night/this morning.
Old     (extremeisaac)      Join Date: Aug 2005       12-08-2009, 7:40 AM Reply   
Duane, its from www.weather.com for Brentwood CA
Old     (black_ops_09)      Join Date: May 2009       12-08-2009, 12:53 PM Reply   
Isaac, it took me like 2 minutes to drain water from the engine drains, then when you drop the boat..it refills. I did it just in case.
Old     (johnny_jr)      Join Date: Mar 2006       12-08-2009, 2:12 PM Reply   
Mikeski did a temp test last winter, but I'm having trouble finding it, but I am almost sure that the end result is that it would have to stay bellow freezing temps straight for a few days before the temp in the block was cold enough to freeze water solid and crack the block.

Mikeski took temps outside the boat, under the cover and in the engine compartment, there was enough variation from outside temp to temp in the engine compartment to show that a freezing block is very unlikely in our bay area climate.

Example, put a small cup of water in the freezer for 4 to 6 hours then take it out. Unless your freezer is at a high setting the water will not freeze solid, in order to crack a block the water would have to freeze solid and expand to the point of cracking the block. In reality if it's 30 degrees outside for 6 hours odds are that the engine compartment will not have reached the 30 degree temp in that time, then the difference between the compartment temp and the temp in the block will vary enough for the case not to crack.

PM Mikeski he's out in that area and I know he has done lots of work figuring this out.
Old     (westsiderippa)      Join Date: Dec 2006       12-08-2009, 3:23 PM Reply   
johnny i remembe that^^^ also you have to remember when your boat is stored indoors like ours its out of the elements. i.e. WIND chill. it just doesnt get that cold in the storage units. im out there all winter long and its amazing how much warmer it is when you in there. ike i said i have been there about 5 years and never had an issue.

now those storing there boats outside in the elements it is a way different situation. maybe jr can chime in here, but i know the 5150 boat is never winterized and that boat is kept out on the lift all year. this isnt the mid west. were not dealing with freezing consistent temps for days weeks at a time like johnny stated above.
Old     (guido)      Join Date: Jul 2002       12-08-2009, 3:55 PM Reply   
There are a couple different factors at work here. For one... our boats are stored inside like Brian said. There is little chance of it reaching and sustaining sub-32 degrees in the storage unit for long enough to freeze a block. Plus we leave our engine compartment closed whick adds one more factor of insulation to it.

The boats that stay on hoists are semi protected from freezing because of their proximity to the water. The delta water never drops below 40 degrees. Heat rises. As long as the engine hatches are closed and the boat is covered it would be almost impossible to achieve freezing temps inside of the engine.

I've had one experience with cracked manifolds in my families boat. That was when I was a kid. Probably during the last major freeze in the 80's. The boat was stored outside in our driveway with just a cover. We ended up with a cracked exhaust manifold.

I could be wrong, but I've been at Orwood since '02 and I've never drained the block of my boat.
Old     (kickflip_mj)      Join Date: Apr 2007       12-08-2009, 4:34 PM Reply   
i have never drained the block ever on my boat, and were talking 15 years or so. don't even worry about it. im more concerned about humidity causing mold than anything
Old     (dave27)      Join Date: May 2005       12-09-2009, 11:16 AM Reply   
I agree with what is being said here, one thing to add just to make you all feel better. If you do store your boat outside, just make sure you have one of those de-humidifiers/heaters under your cover. They will circulate the air and raise the temperature just enough to keep your boat safe. If you do nothing here in the bay area, the worst I have heard or seen was the added on heater core cracking. And that sucks. My main concern during winter is the the mold and not being on the water every weekend
Old     (leaks)      Join Date: Oct 2005       12-12-2009, 7:26 AM Reply   
I keep my boat here in Disco on my covered slip year round. This is my routine for the past 20 years (4 diff. boats) Top off gas tank, add Stabilfuel, turn off batteries, AND I drop a shoplight into the engine compartment. The heat from a 100 watt bulb is enough to keep the temps up a few degrees on the few sub freezing nights we have.

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