New owners of a Manatee!

[Ftbinc]

Hi all:
First - thanks to everyone for previous information prior to us purchasing the boat.

2nd - Now I have to winterize her. I have:
Volvo Penta engine
5KW Generator
A/C unit.

I know that i need to run antifreeze in to the raw water sides of the generator and the engine and I need all the hints you guys can come up with, including the "Gottchas"

Also - do I need to do anything with the transmission?

Thanks all
Paul and Suzanne

 

[silentfaith]

congrats,,
have ya'll noticed that some of the new style trawlers are starting to look like
those older manatees. your boat in my eyes is the cats ass. sorry, don't know
how to winterize a boat. florida sailor here.

 

[DavidM]

Engine and generator:

Often you can just close the thru hull, open the strainer lid, start the engine and pour pink antifreeze into the strainer while the engine sucks it up. Takes 3-4 gallons for the engine and 1-2 for the generator. If you don't have access to do that, disconnect the hose from the strainer, elevate it and do the same thing.

For the A/C, disconnect the hose from the strainer, elevate it, start the A/C compressor and with a funnel pour in antifreeze. Takes less than a gallon.

But two more systems:

Potable water: Empty the fresh water tank. Disconnect the supply to the pump and then run a short piece of hose from the suction of the pump into a small bucket or an antifreeze jug with the top cut out. Start the pump and open each faucet, hot and cold until pink stuff runs out. Takes about 2 gallons.

Waste: Disconnect the hose to the strainer (assuming it is R/W), elevate and pour in antifreeze while flushing the head. Put a gallon through. Then if you have a macerator pump, disconnect the discharge and pour a cup full of antifreeze in the nozzle to fill the pump chamber with antifreeze. Usually there is a loop above the water line for the discharge line so that side will drain.

Then you have to deal with the thru hulls. Once the boat is hauled, open each thru hull to drain the cavity in the ball. If you don't do this, the ball can split.

If you are staying in the water, post and I will telll you a couple of ways to deal with thru hull freezing.

Nothing to do to the transmission. Oil doesn't freeze, well not until it gets real cold and then it doesn't expand and cause damage like water.

David

David

 

[Ftbinc]

It will be in the water for a while. Might be hauled out to truck to its new home, or maybe get there on it's own bottom...

 

[DavidM]

If you are staying in the water, it is a little more complicated. If you are sure that the water outside won't freeze- you have a good bubbler, then you will probably be ok. There is enough conduction up the thru hull and seacock to keep the seacock ball from freezing. But if the bilge gets cold enough, even that won't work. If your bilge gets down to the low 20s then I would do the following:

Some seacocks have a drain fitting on the side to drain the ball or plug cavity. That works great. Leave it open until spring, but be sure to replace.

If you don't have a drain then the only thing you can do is to blow the ball or plug cavity dry. Disconnect the hose from the valve at the strainer and with your mouth or compressor blow air back through and listen for the air bubbling out. Then close the valve while blowing. That will leave the cavity mostly dry and freezing won't hurt anything as long as the valve doesn't leak.

In that case, the best thing to do is to remove the hose, put a nipple and a cap which has been drilled and tapped for 1/4" npt. Then hook up a length of hose to the 1/4" npt that can be routed well above the water line. Then blow the valve dry as above and fill the hose with antifreeze. That will put enough head on the valve so it will leak antifreeze out and not sea water in. You will have to periodically refill the line.

I used the blow dry trick in the water in Connecticut last year and it worked fine. I don't know how cold the bilge actually got- night time temps got down well into single digits, but having the valves blown dry gave me some piece of mind.

David

 

[healhustler]

Sincere congrats on your fine vessel. I couldn’t possibly add anything to David’s advice above, but stay in touch and report your updates and projects right here on TF!

 

[River Rat]

Paul and Suzanne,

Welcome! Which one did you get? Did you rename it?