How far south to go to beat the freeze

[spindrift]

I would appreciate some advice from the crusing fraternity present as to how far one needs head down the east coast to SAFELY avoid the winterization process. I thought the Norfolk area would do, but I am told by yards that winterization there is the norm. How about the Carolina's Hilton Head are in particular? I want to keep the boat in the water, not on the hard.

My experience is only in the northeast, Florida, and islands thus I don't know about the in between areas.

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Spin

 

[MikeP]

When I researched this a few years ago, SC seemed to be OK. But I have since learned that the greatest number of winterization damage insurance claims come from California! So making an assumption that there can be no damage just because an area is known for mild (or no) winter can be a mistake.

IMHO, the fresh water system on an unattended boat always has the potential for freeze damage, somewhat depending on how the FW system is laid out. I wouldn't worry much about any of the RW (salt) systems in the warmer areas - it takes several days of around 20F to freeze salt water. But one night of below 32F in exposed areas can break a FW pipe.

 

[TopHattandTails]

If your worried about it, keep the block heaters on, the hot water tank on, and depressurize the rest of the H2O system. As long as the water stays over freezing, anything below the water line should be o.k. - especially in a "swing area". Could this be the motivation to install either SMX II or FX1 controls for the A/C units???? Set those at 80, have them run every 3 hours for 1 hour and the cabin will stay nice and toasty. Also gives you good reason to go boating every weekend or bad weather day!

 

[MikeP]

I'd be afraid to substitute heat for winterizing. THe heat/elec can shut off anytime with no warning and elec heaters add another hazard. I realize a lot of folks do this with no problems but I don't care for it. It's the same sort of feeling I get about connecting dock water to the boat and then leaving it unattended, if something goes wrong, the boat sinks. Usually, nothing goes wrong but sometimes...

 

[buzzk]

I'm in Morhead City, NC. I just turn on my block heaters in the winter. That's all most people do because everyone goes Bluefin Tuna Fishing in the winter.

 

[mike]

FWIW, Hilton Head winter temp is mostly well above freezing, and the winter weather is mild. The big blows usually pass the island and hit the coast up along North Carolina. Have been going there yearly for the past 15 yrs. and have visited most of the harbors. The marinas along the Inland Passage are reasonably well protected. The ultimate location is Hilton Head Yacht Club; it’s in a locked-through harbor so you have no tide or currents to deal with. The marina is private, very safe, but pricey. There are a number of marinas also on Broad Creek in the center of HH that are also well protected. You may be able to find some private homes that will rent dock space in the adjacent area. The local real-estate folks are hungry so you may be able to find a local who would be willing to check it out for you, assuming your interested. If you like golf it’s the place to be.

 

[Genesis]

Many years in this area (NW Florida) we have freeze damage to boats that are kept out of the water, and occasionally to those IN the water (fresh water systems above the waterline)

We DO get sub-20F overnights from time to time. Water in an exposed system at those temperatures overnight WILL FREEZE.

I never winterize around here of course; when I had my Hatt, however, the block heater system (I installed it with thermostatic controls) was enabled during the winter months, and when the engine room space went under 60F it was on and providing heat. If a hard freeze was expected I stayed on the boat that night with the heat on and in personal attendance, so if there was a problem (e.g. power went off, etc) I could fire up the generator and insure that I didn't get a "surprise."

 

[spindrift]

Thanks to all for your help. I felt that Hilton Head was probably the minimum one would need to go South. There may be other spots but Hilton Head has some solid ammenities. One other place I visited last Christmas was the newer Marina on Amelia Island just North of the bridge. It looked really nice and is reasonably close to a major airport served by Southwest and other major airlines.

Cheers
Spin

 

[campbellde]

I'm in Myrtle Beach and have never winterized in the past 13 years. I do the block heater thing as suggested. I do drain the fresh water systems every time I leave.

Dan

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

compare prices of marinas.... Here in N.Fla you will find places that cost a lot less than places like Hilton Head... And it's warmer here too.
There's a reason Capt Force calls this area "home"...

 

[GJH]

Boats stay in the water all year here in New Bern. This will be our first winter here as we have headed to the Keys in previous years. I do know that several Northerners bring their boats here. Last winter, it got down to 19 once, but as noted, there are simple things you can do to mitigate that rare occasion, and plenty of people you can hire at nominal rates to look after things in your absence.

Other than cultural or boating amenities that one might find more attractive, I see no reason to go further south than this if all you want to do is keep the boat somewhere. On the other hand the trip down to north Florida is really fun if you have time to dawdle and explore; I am going through major withdrawal pains already.

 

[spindrift]

Dear Charlie:

What marinas would you recommend in the Jax area? My guess is the ones on Amelia Island are bit more expensive.

Cheers
Spin

 

[krush]

In Virginia along the Chesapeake (including Norfolk) you are going to want to winterize your boat unless you can make sure the heat works on the occasional cold spells.

The past few years I winterized all our boats when I came home for the week over thanksgiving break. The multiple below freezing days usually don't pop up until January. It gets below freezing at night before then, but it's usually just barely and the day is hot enough to prevent any damage.

Unless it's a week long of sub-freezing days, it doesn't take much heat to keep the inside of the boat above freezing.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Being from Michigan winterization is always required . The question has always been how far can I go before I winterize. A guy that takes care of cottages once told me that you don't need to winterize unless the temperature goes below 27 degrees for 24 hours. Yes, water will freeze above that, but will not freeze hard enough to expand and cause damage to engines or plumbing. An occasional dip below freezing, or ice on the deck etc. is not a cause for concern. His formula always seems to work and most cottage owners follow that advice. Boats up north are a different problem. Most insurance companies require the boat to be out of the water from Nov.1 until April 1. Because of that restriction most yards stop hauling by Nov.1. You can also get a thin sheet of ice on the water in a marina. That ice will cut through your gell coat like a razor if you try to move the boat