Some cold weather!

[rdlangston13]

Ok so I am floating off taranaki New Zealand right now and I won't be home till dec 17. I didn't get a chance to winterize before I left home and this is the weather forecast for next week...http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/05/yzu5yma6.jpg

Should I be worried?? Boat is in covered storage with the factory cover on.


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[moombadaze]

I don't think so, with those lows and highs anyway with being in covered storage

[mmandley]

16 at my house right now, been in the 20s at night all week, and for the next few days our highs arnt even going to be 35.

My boat stays in the garage and i still am thinking of putting a heater next to her.

[patrick232]

16 at my house right now, been in the 20s at night all week, and for the next few days our highs arnt even going to be 35.

My boat stays in the garage and i still am thinking of putting a heater next to her.

When I bought my boat in January of 2012 after braving Lake Erie for a sea trail mine was kept in the garage for about a month while I detailed the seats. We ran a small ceramic heater in the rear storage area, after dropping the divider wall. If kept the engine nice and warm.

[wolfeman131]

David,

Had similar weather last week here and my boat was outside on the lift. I wouldn't get too worked up based on the highs listed. If you have power at the storage location, have Heidi get an extension cord, trouble light w/ 60w bulb and timer from WalMart and put that back in the bilge with it coming on Midnight to 6 am. Have her send me a fb msg if she needs help.

[kaneboats]

David, I might be worried about that Monday overnight if it was sitting outside. Inside I'd be surprised if it gets below 40 or so. I was so worried my first year or two with an inboard. I kept a thermometer and a small cup of water in the garage. Never got below about 43. Enough residual heat from the day (and the house in my case) to not worry at all.

[KG's Supra24]

I'm with drew. If you have electric at the storage id consider some form of heat source. Cheap insurance.

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[bergermaister]

Another option is a couple uplights like these. I leave 2 in the boat all winter - one under the engine, one up in the cabin along with a small circulation fan. Keeps the air warmer and dryer...

http://www.designshuffle.com/blog/files/2011/07/4-robin-muto.jpg

[drb59]

-27 F currently in Saskatoon (wind chill -40 F). My garage is insulated and attached but not heated. 2 light bulbs on is keeping the termperature at 33 F.

Cannot wait until I retire and move down south for the winter and I will take my boat with me!

[gregski]

I think you're OK, but getting close.

My experience is that a night or two dropping to mid-20's is perfectly fine. Going below 20 is going to start freezing hoses but is probably still fine. Any colder or longer than a couple of nights is going to be trouble.

One year, I had not yet winterized when we got some unexpected cold temps. The forecast low was for upper-20's and it ended up going well below 20 at which point I started to panic. What I found was that the water in hoses lower/close to the hull were starting to freeze, the worst was between the raw water pump and the transmission cooler but there was no damage (it actually rested on the hull). Obviously the engine has much more thermal mass and was fine. I put lightbulbs in the engine compartment and waited for the temps to warm up before going out for a few lasts days on the water.

When I got that boat, the end of the transmission cooler had popped off due to freezing. It was easily and cheaply repaired at a radiator shop. He said it happens all the time when people just remove the hoses but don't pull its little drain plug (I think the newer engines mount the cooler at a steep angle which also solves this.) Anyways, my point is that things like the raw water pump and transmission cooler are going to be first points of damage and they are easily fixed. I don't think the engine is in jeopardy from two nights getting into the mid-20s. Disclaimer: I'm not responsible if bad things do happen :)

[TJockey]

-15F here right now with a -34 Wind Chill!! Dreaming of picking up our boat in April. At least we can tell the kids about it in 18 days!

[jester]

David,

Do you have a heater or shower in the boat? I have been told these are the first things to go and need a 4 to 8 hour hard freeze. The engine block needs a much longer hard freeze. If you have someone that can get to your boat I would have them just bump the engine a few times to get the water out of the impeller, blow out the heater or shower and pull the engine block plugs. Then suck all the water out of the bottom of the boat. Opening up these things will give some room in the engine that if the remaining water does freeze it has open space air to expand into and not push out on the heater core or engine block.

[jester]

I forgot to say if you do not have anyone that can get there and put a lamp in the boat or do the above steps do not worry since there is nothing that you can do and what happens happens. Hope everything ends up alright for you.

[rdlangston13]

Well the cold snap is over. Guess I'll see what I have when I get home!


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