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  1. #1

    First time winterizing myself

    I've decided it's about time I learned how to winterize my own boat and use those boat dollars for other things she needs. It's out of the water and on the hard now. I understand some things from reading the past threads here but I have several questions. First, mine is a twin diesel (8/53's) with the heat exchangers so do I just disconnect the inlet hose at the thru hull, attach a new hose to the inlet hose put it in the bucket with the antifreeze, start up the engine and wait until the pink stuff come out of the exhaust or is there more I need to consider? I also read I need to drain each strainer so I know how to do that. What about the fresh water. I know I have to drain and bypass the water heater first, but then can I attach a hose, from an external pump, to the shore water inlet on the starbord side, put the end in the bucket and force the water through to each faucet? Now the heads, do I just pour antifreeze into the heads flush them? And lastly, the two A/C units. I have one pump that feeds both compressors. Do I disconnect the hose at compressor side of the pump, attach my pump and force the pink stuff through or do I have to have the ac units turned on so the ac pump circulates the pink stuff? Did I forget anything? Thanks in advance for any and all help.
    Greg
    Family Tides - 1969 41' Twin Cabin
    Mema - 1984 17' Boston Whaler Montauk
    High Bar Harbor Yacht Club
    Barnegat Light NJ

  2. #2

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    If the boat is on the hard and you open the seacocks, no antifreeze should be needed in the strainer baskets because the water will drain out. If the boat's in the water, then yes, the strainers are filled with pink antifreeze. Same is true of the ac. If the ac units' plumbing is per oem, they are self draining. If you open the ac pump seacock, that is all you need to do. Obviously, when you open the seacocks, check to see that the water did, in fact, drain out.

    There are a lot of ways to do the engines. I just remove a zinc fitting at the HE and pump 6 gal of pink in through that fitting on each engine. On our 8V71TIs that gets sufficient pink into the water standing in the exhaust system. Other folks use other methods.

    If your boat is in salt water, the FW system is the most likely place for damage because it freezes at a higher temp than salt water. Also, there are FW lines in places that may not be immediately apparent - like windshield washers, ice maker, etc. Our FW system has several ball valves/fittings so it's easy to isolate the water tank and connect a hose/bucket of pink and use the FW pump to pick up the pink and pump it throughout the boat, checking to see that pink comes out of EVERY faucet/fitting/applicable appliance on the boat (dishwasher, clothes washer, etc). On our 53 that takes about 2-3 gallons of pink (after draining/isolating the hot water heater) and from the time the pump is "diverted" to feed from the bucket of pink, it takes maybe 15-20 minutes if that to winterize the FW system. Some folks have had good luck with using compressed air to blow out the FW system but I personally don't trust the concept and have never tried it. Remember to run BOTH the hot and cold side of all sinks and showers to be sure pink is in all the lines.

    Two gallons in each head/flushing is plenty. But it's a good idea to check the head manufacturers recommendations and also be aware of what sort of system is in your boat. If you have waste treatment systems, you may have to run a bit more pink to ensure the treatment system gets some. The Galley maid waste treatment systems hold about 4 gallons of waste, in four separate 1gal containers that are fed in series. So just flushing two gal of pink into a head may not get pink into all four containers.

    Good Luck.
    Last edited by MikeP; 11-12-2013 at 04:20 PM.
    Mike P
    San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Kent Island MD; San Antonio TX
    1980 53MY "Brigadoon"

  3. #3

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    Since one mistake could be very expensive, why not pay someone to do it right and be there to watch and learn for next year's winterizing? Maybe even have a video camera to record it all.

  4. #4

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    Quote Originally Posted by eze2bme View Post
    Since one mistake could be very expensive, why not pay someone to do it right and be there to watch and learn for next year's winterizing? Maybe even have a video camera to record it all.
    Personally, I think boating is to a large degree about self sufficiency. With that concept in mind I went from being billed by a yard for 60 gallons, yeah you read that correctly, to winterize a 45' convertible to now using none and doing it all myself in just a couple hours.
    This is my method and largely just pertains to me. Considering the boat is on the hard. Taking the remaining water in the domestic water tank, I attach my hose to the hose bib in the engine room and 1 open the drain valves on the exhaust risers and heat exchangers then spray considerable water into the heat exchangers through the zinc holes giving them a fresh water flush. 2 start the main engines for only the time it takes to rev up to 2300 and blow the remaining water out of the exhaust system. 3 remove the hose from the air conditioner water pump and pump a couple gallons or so through the compressors then let them drain. 4 turn a ball valve and let pressure water into the raw water pump for the genset then start genset for a couple minutes giving that heat exchanger a flush. 5 Pump out all the remaining water in the domestic water tank. 6 drain and isolate the hot water tank. 7 attach an air compressor to the dock side fresh water connection and pressurize the system while alternating between opening the faucets or other water consumers and letting the pressurized air blow the water out.
    At this point I do not use a single gallon of nontoxic antifreeze. Ive been doing it this way for 5 years or so and no issues so far. Those cases of antifreeze are heavy to lug around!

  5. #5

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    I used compressed air ONE time to blow out the fresh water system. It left enough water in a low spot to rupture a copper line. I don't do that anymore.

    I have fitted winterizing tees on the sea water inlet lines of my mains, and the head. That method has worked well for seven or eight years or longer. I also winterize the Jabsco bilge pump that I use to strip the bilge- before I remove the dry dock plug in the bilge sump.

    You didn't ask about this but make sure you get all the food off the boat, and leave all the lockers etc open. Also defrost the fridge, dry it out, and leave it open as well.

    Make sure the hatch gutter drains are empty and dry as well. Enough water can sit in them to burst their drain lines if they are not empty and drained by gravity.

  6. #6

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    An alternative to compressed air for the fresh water lines is to use a wet/dry shop vac to suck out the water. Work each faucet in line doing hot and cold separately. You should be able to hear or sense gurgling which will stop when all the water is gone.

    Bobk

  7. #7

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    One thing not mentioned is to block off the exhaust and air intakes to prevent air circulation/rusting of engine internals. It also will keep critters from making homes in your exhaust hoses.
    Looking for another boat...not a Hatt

  8. #8

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    Thanks for the info on fogging and the vent and exhaust cover up. I didn't wrap the boat last year but was thinking about it this year. What are the pros and cons in everyone's opinion. It would be nice to open up a nice clean boat in the spring.
    Family Tides - 1969 41' Twin Cabin
    Mema - 1984 17' Boston Whaler Montauk
    High Bar Harbor Yacht Club
    Barnegat Light NJ

  9. #9

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    I haven't covered my boat for the ten years I have owned it and it is just as clean in the spring as if it were. I guess that would depend on your location. I'm in Oxford Md and there is no pollution in the air.

  10. #10

    Re: First time winterizing myself

    Quote Originally Posted by fissioneng View Post
    One thing not mentioned is to block off the exhaust and air intakes to prevent air circulation/rusting of engine internals. It also will keep critters from making homes in your exhaust hoses.
    Bad idea!!!! Someone told my dad this when we had the 34 with the gas engines. He had cedar plugs made for the exhaust. the next spring all the valves were stuck from the residual water in the exhaust.
    "DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ OR HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE" - BEN FRANKLIN




    Endless Summer
    1967 50c 12/71n DDA 525hp
    ex Miss Betsy
    owners:
    Howard P. Miller 1967-1974
    Richard F Hull 1974-1976
    Robert J. & R.Scott Smith 1976-present

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