Putting her to bed?

[stormchaser]

As y'all know, I'm moving to Belize in a couple of weeks. I'd like some advice on how best to repare the baot for limited use. I will have friends/family occasionally check on her and a few may occasionally use her as a weekend get away...but she will likely not leave the slip for the nest year. Maybe she will get used once or twice over the year when we return to visit family, but she won't get used much. So far my lsit is:

- Engines: Change ALL fluids/filters
- Drain Water Tanks
- Pump out holding tank
- Put down all enclosures and put on the window cruising covers.
- Put on the rail covers.

Sho9uld the engines just be winterized now?Or have friends/family run then monthly until they NEED to be winterized? My concern with winterizing now is Hurricane Season....I have a plan with the marina to take her up the Severn to the YP moorings or haul her in the event of a greater than cat 1 hurricane.

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Pascal]

clean the sea strainers. not critical but "stuff" stinks if it sits in there for too long.

if staying away for a long time, i woudl close the air con, heads and generator sea strainers BUT also attach something on these system breakers (tape) to warn anyone from using them.

as to winterizing, it's early for that... you may want to fly back up before it gets cold anyway and use the boat.

 

[SeaEric]

If it was my boat, I would haul her and winterize her now. Depending upon friends and family to do what's right is risky. You're too far away to "run home" if something goes wrong.

 

[stormchaser]

My thoughts on hauling and storing on land...bad idea. Big heavy boats like our hatts are happiest when fully supported by water. On land, all the weight is on the keel and a few jack stands. Ever been on your baot when she is being hauled? The creaking and moaning is clear evidence that she is twisting and bending. Saraswati ahs a totally redone bottom, no blisters, likely wont ever have them again, so staying "wet" isn't a problem. As soon as a covered slip become available in the fall, she will be moved under cover and will be "stored" under cover for the duration of her "sleep."

For any systems that are winterized or otherwise disabled, they will be tagged on the breaker and on any other switch as to indicate that they are disabled. That's already part of my winterizing routine.

 

[Boatsb]

What Eric said.

No reason to put off until the day before the storm what you can do right away.

Seems the guys in the great lakes may need to come down and train some of your locals on how to haul and store a larger yacht.

 

[sandspur1966]

Your Detroit manual has a procedure for 'laying up" the motors. It is pretty involved though and if you think you are going to use her a few times, I would just stick with your standard winterization protocol for the machinery and plumbing.

If she is being stored wet I would haul, paint and double up on zincs.

I agree with Pascal in that I would shut all through hulls, flush the seawater and and pull the strainers, leaving all the raw water systems dry.

 

[Nonchalant1]

Turn off all electrical except for the battery charger / inverter so the bilge pumps can run, but nothing else can go wrong.

Leave post-it notes near the start switches that seacocks, etc. are closed. Also leave post-it note on the circuit breaker for the hot water heater that the water tanks are dry.

Turn the fuel supply valves off.

Get a sunscreen for the front windshields if she's in the sun facing that way.

Leave a 110V light on in the salon so marina folks can see that there's still power to the boat when they walk by. Instruct them to do so. Use a vacuum fluorescent bulb in that light so it won't burn out.

If it's going to be hot and humid, consider getting a dehumidifier and put it in the galley sink so it drains out of the boat. That will require leaving that 110V circuit on, but maybe use the same one as the salon light. Set the dehumidifier to 60 or 65%, so it doesn't run that much, just if it starts to get really humid.

Give the outside of the boat a good dose of "Home Defense" bug spray (Home Depot, etc. has this).

Don't leave a water hose connected but turned off, somebody may turn it on.

Hide a key somewhere on the flybridge so that you, or others you instruct, can get into the boat if necessary, even if the marina has a key.

Get a security alarm sticker for the salon door, evne if there's no alarm system.

Pay the marina guys to come aboard once every month.

Best of luck for Belize!

Doug

 

[garyd]

Fill it up with a bunch of fellow Obaha supporters and take them and it with you lol.

Don't pickle it take it and all your friends with-ya.

Have Fun

 

[TopHattandTails]

Fuel additives - algae and C-tol boost, if not already on your list. Since I store indoors / heated - I try to leave the fuel as empty as possible, with additives. I've heard that guys that cold store outdoors, like to top off the tanks (with additive) to remove the condensate process of fuel in the areas were air hits 'em. But definitely put some additives in to inhibit algae and stabilize.

 

[saltshaker]

I would winterize it now. This way your all set if you can't get back for a while. The peace of mind is worth the aggravation of having to do it again if you end up running the boat. I also would want to have a knowledgeable boater or yard personnel check on her regularly. If you don't have them, install counters for your bilge pumps and keep track of how often they cycle. Would be nice if someone could air/dry her out once a week. You also may want to have a diver check your zincs and clean the bottom every 2-3 months. Make sure you leave spare zincs for them to install as needed.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

Heck, just bring it down here and let me take care of it.... Am doing the same for 5 other yankee owned boats...... No winterizing needed

 

[ron6785]

First Congradulations on the opportunity in Belise. Since I don't know your families boating expertise, I won't make a comment on their being adhoc boat managers.

I also am not questioning your philosophy about putting the boat on the hard vs leaving it in the water. Unless it is much more expensive to put the boat on the hard, it seems to me that the boat would be safer, in your absence. On the positive/negative list of having the boat in the water in a slip, I believe the negatives outway the positives. On the otherhand if there is a tremendous difference in cost than leaving the boat water may be worth the risk.

The admiral and I have taken extended overseas vacations and my experience is that hiring a reliable boat manager was worth the price. On both occassions things happened to the boat that the manager caught that other less experienced eyes would have missed, like automatic bilge pump not operating, battery charger failure, shore power cord arcing.

 

[Pete]

Before you depart, haul it, store it at a good yard that will look after it, shut all systems down, winterize, drain the mufflers, plug the exhausts, disconnect the batteries, cover it (or better yet store in a building), disconnect shore power, and sleep well in your absence. The last thing I would do is have others, perhaps new to boats, on your boat when you are not there to check behind them.

Pete