Avoid the rush...

[yachtsmanbill]

Just trying to plan a little ahead for the upcoming winter. The Roamer was a two hour adventure to winterize, but the sub is a different story, of course.
Any hints on winterizing stuff like the NAIID cooler, AC units ( pump mite not run ), ice makers, Westerbeke 20 kw, sea stariners, Etc,etc. The usual stuff like mains and heads is no problem, but up in the frozen north, strange things break.
I'll be working every weekend on it so stuff like batteries will stay put. Is frozen bilge water a problem in a FG boat? Any hints are appreciated.
The big job coming up is the port Allison and running gear. Lotsa pictures of that job coming, I'm sure !! ws

[spartonboat1]

Minimal hints include open your seacocks/ball valves to drop out sea-water, then open the ends of the sea-water strainers and drop out the water from the sight glasses (re-install ends). Groco sells seal kits for all their units. Clean the strainers while you are in there.

A technique I have developed for shooting red-pop through the fresh-water system involves filling a 5 gal pail with red-pop. Use a power-drill driven small fluid pump with garden hose fittings on either side. One side is a bare hose dropped into the bucket/pail. The other side has hose fittings on both ends of the hose- one for the pump, the other attaches to the fresh water intake of the boat.

Run the pump (with a 3/8" variable speed drill...natch) and flow the red-pop through the various outlets on the boat, by going to each and opening until a good flow of red occurs- sinks, showers (others?). Got a 43'MY- look for the valve I love just above the water tank- open that valve and flow some red-pop through it. I love that valve, as it allows fresh water to fill the water tank directly from shoreside fresh water hookup, without using the deck-top filler hole and avoids having to pull and install the filler cap. Before you start running in the pop, drop the water in the hot water tank and change-over the tank valves so flow will not "fill" the tank, but yet will flow through the boat hot-water lines. Their should be two ball valves - PLEASE- note the original position for the spring fitout. (jeez, how where they turned?)

Also, drop the water, if any, in the pressure tank upstream of the in-boat water pump.

I run about two gals of blue pop into the heads.

I plan on about 1/2-1.0 gal re-pop per outlet. You like to spend money? Splurge on Blue-pop. My tech uses Blue pop on all engines, A/C compressors, and those type of units on my boat.

I have tried various shop vacs to clean out the bilge and sea-chests. Big ones are too heavy when full (weakening due to advancing age and heavy vac- not good). My fav now in a five gal Shop-Vac- easy to maneuver when full, plus usually can empty a bilge location. So I completely vac out the sea chests and bilges in three areas- V-berth, under both engines/genny and aft, under the aft cabin locker.

If you are in the Great White North, then plug your exhaust outlets. I made up a plug from a rubber adapter (Ace Hdwe Reducing Coupling- 6" OD x 4" OD) for plastic plumbing (6" overall length- approx 6" dia on one end, 4" dia on the other.) Then plug the 4" end with a short section of white plumbing line (3 1/2" OD PVC) with a white plastic cap (3" I.D. PVC-I) over it. Works like a charm and about a 30 second installation time by pushing the 6" end into the exhaust. Has held up in 70mph wunnerful Mich winter winds. I could post a picture, if anyone asks.

P.s., freeze some red pop in the fridge (my rag-sailor brother in law did this as a test) and it turns slushy, but never hardens. Blue pop- I don't know, but is good to 60 below dat zero mark.

Ironically, I like to store outside, because A) got booted out of working on my boat in the Heated storage, after 9/11, due to insurance considerations, and B) no whining when bottom painting, sanding, etc. when outside. Besides, its great to be outside working. Where we are we see the St. Martin Islands, Mack Isle, Round Isle, the Mack Bridge, boat traffic, plus in bad weather the big freighters come in a drop anchor about mile off from us. Great view...

[yachtsmanbill]

Are you in Mackinaw City or St Ignace? I appreciate the tips... I do need to install by-pass valving for the HW heater (and drain it) plus drain the FW tank. It was FULL with real cruddy old water that I have only used for the crapper. If I run AF through the port engine, will that automatically take care of the NAIID cooler? ws

[Trojan]

Bill I first run off the F/W tank. I then bypass the H/W tank and drain it. I use a $75 buck 110volt water pump with garden hose fittings. I then hook up a hose to the main shore water from the pump. The intake for the pump I stick in the 5 gallon bucket half full of cherry juice. I then turn the closest faucet on along with the shower and start the pump. When I get cherry juice there I move to the next and so on until there all done. I disconnect the pump and dump the remaining juice in the water tank along with 2 gallon of fresh juice. I start my 12 volt water pump and I do the Ice maker, wet bar and windshield washers by there self. I'm done with the fresh water. All of my strainers are self draining. I took them apart one year. What a waste of time and money. I remove the strainer hoses for the Detroit's, place them in a bucket and run about 7 gallon of juice through each motor until I get a steady flow of cherry juice. I do the same with the generator. The holding tanks are of course prepumped. I remove the water inlet hoses at the through holes and suck a gallon of juice per head through each head. That way I get to inspect the through hole and the hose. The AC,s should be self draining. I remove the AC pump housing and drain the pump. I'm done. The first time getting the hoses off is a bear. I vacuum any water from the bilge.

BILL

[yachtsmanbill]

Thanks guys !! I can imagine what pulling some of those hoses will be like. I had the yard winterize the sub last year at Iuka (mild winters) by running green AF through the strainers. 7 gallons per engine, 12-71Ns. Seemed to work well. My main concern is the FW pump(S) below the galley. I havent run them yet and may have to manually drain them before pumping cherry ola cola through the system. Does the accumulator need to get drained? A lot of that stuff is done via headstanding, as we all know! ws

[Boatsb]

MOVE TO FLORIDA and save all that work.

[spartonboat1]

Y-Bill: I am in Stig-nah-cee...we love it there on the Arnold Line storage area. The Fall days are beautiful up there... Spring too. I sit next to their big Catamarans...birds eye view when they change out their Cat power. The Brown's are great (Jim) and its security patrolled all the time. They just bought big new lifts that can handle their Cat's a couple years ago, so I am one of their early customers.

Re: engines, I am not well versed enough to give advice...to learn that this year.