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Old 12-29-2017, 07:06 PM   #1
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I’ve heard I don’t have to winterize but it’s going to be 18 degrees....

I know I know, nobody has ever asked a question like this before...well somebody has to be the first.

I’ve got a 31’ Mainship in Myrtle Beach and this is our first winter with it. I did a lot of reading and the concensus was nobody winterized south of Virginia Beach. Well, this weekend is going to be highs in the 30’s and low in the 20’s and teens.

What’s really bugging me is the last time I left the boat, I turned the water from the dock off but left the hose connected. Also I left both AC’s on the away mode, not on heat.

Do I need to get on the car and go down there tomorrow? Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks guys,
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:13 PM   #2
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Don't make up excuses to go to the boat! Just go!!

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Old 12-29-2017, 07:15 PM   #3
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Don't make up excuses to go to the boat! Just go!!

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Ha well we are planning on going soon, this would be an emergency trip. What needs to be done? I’m more worried about the interior than the engines. Water lines? Holding tank? I haven’t got a clue what to do with those.
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:17 PM   #4
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I'm sure your boat would appreciate your attention. (At least spend some time in the saloon reading a boating magazine.) I'd empty/store the hose. Also, I'm wary of live electrical conditions when not with the boat, but will admit to having the refrigerator and battery charger connected to live electricity. But then, rarely have sub-freezing temperatures here and the water never approaches freezing temperatures.
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:21 PM   #5
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Well Steve, I have been wrestling with this all day. I’m in Florida of course but this coming week starting on the 1st is going to be much colder than I’m used to. I will be onboard tomorrow and leave on Monday. I’m going to leave my heat on. I always shut the water off. Good practice to do. I never disconnect the hose unless I’m leaving the dock. I imagine the water temp where you are is not below 50? I’m assuming you are in salt water? As far as disconnecting the water line, did you open your faucets so there is no water in the line? I think if you did that you should be fine with it. How long are you expecting temps to be below freezing?
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:23 PM   #6
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I would go the boat and disconnect dock water supply line and leave it on dock to thaw. Close all seacocks and put a small heater in engine room. Saltwater freezes at 28 degrees so if you go during the day, you should be good. block engine room vents and leave engine room hatch cracked, blocked open a bit. NC gets cold, but not that cold.
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:23 PM   #7
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I'm sure your boat would appreciate your attention. (At least spend some time in the saloon reading a boating magazine.) I'd empty/store the hose. Also, I'm wary of live electrical conditions when not with the boat, but will admit to having the refrigerator and battery charger connected to live electricity. But then, rarely have sub-freezing temperatures here and the water never approaches freezing temperatures.
I leave the ac units on away mode so they dry/circulate the air every 4 hours. Those and the fridge and charger are all that’s left on. Last time I left the boat (few weeks ago) we were supposed to go spend the following weekend on it but we all decided to get sick instead. Otherwise I would have at the very least unhooked the hose and left the heat on.

Is that all these boats need to keep from freezing? It’s going to be in the teens, it even still the below feeezing time isn’t all that long.
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:24 PM   #8
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Before we pulled the boat, we had a few very cold nights. Went to the boat, ran the engine and generator (under load) for a while to heat up the bilge, ran cabin heat, ran hot water through everything after the boat was warm- shut it all off and went home.

No issues.
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:25 PM   #9
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Don't forget that even if temperature is freezing your boat is in water with temp much higher what will mitigate the effect. At the end of the season last year we spent 3 days at the anchor while it was freezing outside. Deck was covered with ice however it was between 16 and 18c in the boat just because we were lying in warmer water. The water heat will warm up your boat above freezing point for some time. Of course if it is -30c outside you better run to your boat immediately

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Old 12-29-2017, 07:30 PM   #10
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I know nobody winterized on the coast of NC or SC...but I wasn’t sure if that was just the engines or everything else.

So you guys think that the warm water is all that’s needed to keep the water lines from freezing?
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:34 PM   #11
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Here in the PNW, I keep a dehumidifier running in the main salon. It puts out a little bit of heat and keeps the air moving. I also have two dehumidifier heater thingies running. One in the bow and one in the stern area of the boat.

The water (Puget Sound) stays around 50 degrees even if we are 15 degrees outside. The engines, tanks and such are all below the floors and never have been frozen (even with open engine room vents) I do keep the water tank full (under the bed in the aft cabin) and the waste tank (under the forward cabin floor) empty. But, no issues with either freezing in cold weather.

I have an outside (on the sundeck) sink and faucet. This is drained during the winter. If I don't drain it, it will freeze and break. The inside water has never been an issue even with cold weather.

The nice part of living in the coastal Carolina's is that the cold weather only lasts a few days. Same here in the coastal PNW. It is hard for the short spell of cold air to get into the boat and freeze your tanks and such.

But, as others have said: go to the boat, check on her. You will feel better for doing so. Take an infrared temp gauge with you so you feel good about knowing temps you are seeing. Plus, you will be checking to see if there are any issues that are not temp related to ease your mind when you leave.
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:42 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve91T View Post
I know nobody winterized on the coast of NC or SC...but I wasn’t sure if that was just the engines or everything else.

So you guys think that the warm water is all that’s needed to keep the water lines from freezing?
Yes that is my opinion.
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Old 12-29-2017, 09:49 PM   #13
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Dont worry

The water in myrtle beach is probabky 50 Degrees or more. Your boat is sitting in a big bath tub of warm water. The hull will radiate heat inwards the same temp as the water. Doubt you have any issues.
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Old 12-29-2017, 10:18 PM   #14
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I would have some form of heat in the engine area. I look at the forecasts right now and for seven days it's highs of 35-40 and lows of 24-26. I'd also be concerned about a water hose and pipes inside the boat. I'm too much of a worrier not to go. It's probably ok based on the current forecast but a slight down turn could change it. It's often duration so lower it slightly and have 168 hours below freezing and all the boats won't have problems but one out of 50 or 100 will. I remember when I was a child, one year on Lake Norman that was exceptionally cold and about two days in the marinas and dealers got more winterizing calls than possible. Among hundreds of boats and no idea how many were winterized, one marina had 2 in the water to freeze and 4 in dry storage. I know a few years that we checked on our boat every morning and evening to make sure we still had heat.

I've never winterized but always been close enough to do what was needed.

If I wasn't going, I'd have someone there prepare it a little better for that week.
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Old 12-29-2017, 10:23 PM   #15
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Put another way and I don't know the odds. But if the odds are 100 to 1 you don't need to go, what do you do? What about 500 to 1?
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Old 12-29-2017, 10:44 PM   #16
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I don't live anywhere near you but I do also live in a mild climate area but I still prep. my boat for freezing weather without electric heat. We do periodically get freezes. It's possible there will be a power outage and failure to provide can cost a lot of time and money for repairs.

Not trying to scare you but take care of your boat.

I used to be able to get to my boat daily or every two days so I did not winterize. I do now since that has changed. My boat can survive a freezing.

I would suggest as a minimum you drain water hoses and drain the fresh water system such as the hoses and the water pump. I've had those freeze.
At the very least depressurize the system.

If you are running an electric heater then open the locker or cabinet doors to the galley and head sinks and water lines. It does not take much heat to stop damage. But if the doors are shut then the outside ambient temp will take over.
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Old 12-29-2017, 11:02 PM   #17
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I'm reading this thread thinking that on Sunday night it's forecast to be twenty nine degrees below zero here. Our boat is a popsicle on jackstands.
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Old 12-29-2017, 11:09 PM   #18
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My boat's sold last summer, so I'm not worried about our current NC cold snap. I would always put a bilge heater in the ER, near the water heater and raw water pump. It was programmed to turn on if the temp got to 40. That's about as cold as it ever got. I had the luxury of being only 5 minutes from the boat, so I'd go down when the temps dropped, used an IR gun to check the bilge temps, and they never went below 40 even when night time temps dropped into the teens.
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Old 12-29-2017, 11:16 PM   #19
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In all my years of boating on puget sound, I've never had a freeze issue, EXCEPT..the line that runs to the cockpit shower. Most of the time i have a small dehumidifier going in the engine room, but that's it.
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Old 12-30-2017, 02:25 AM   #20
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Does your marina have wifi ?? If so something like this would be worth it for piece of mind. It would let you monitor your bilge temp from anywhere.

https://www.amazon.com/iHome-iSS50-S...fi+thermometer
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