I’ve heard I don’t have to winterize but it’s going to be 18 degrees....

[AusCan]

Originally Posted by Steve91T

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

No. The only risk is an outside hose freezing and splitting. It would have to stay at 18 F constantly for close to a week to get the inside of the boat below freezing. You would only be getting freezing temps for a few hours at a time. The risk is a car accident driving to the marina is higher.

[psneeld]

A lot of guessing going on....rightly so as many have had different experiences with boats and freezing temps.

There is a huge difference between water lines in the bilge and in the superstructure and where they penetrate the topsides.

Cockpit showers, city water inlets, topside sinks, fresh water washdown spigots,vetc can all freeze and break with just one solid night of low 20s temps....if the temps get down fast and stay down all night and the fixture is in the shade.

Bilge piping, especially the salt water stuff is good for 2 or 3 days where the nights might be freezing but the days are above 32F.

[Steve91T]

Originally Posted by psneeld

A lot of guessing going on....rightly so as many have had different experiences with boats and freezing temps.

There is a huge difference between water lines in the bilge and in the superstructure and where they penetrate the topsides.

Cockpit showers, city water inlets, topside sinks, fresh water washdown spigots,vetc can all freeze and break with just one solid night of low 20s temps....if the temps get down fast and stay down all night and the fixture is in the shade.

Bilge piping, especially the salt water stuff is good for 2 or 3 days where the nights might be freezing but the days are above 32F.

So let’s say I go to the boat this afternoon, what do I need to do to prevent those things from freezing? Rely on the shore power to keep the heat on? In a few days the highs are going to be only in the mid 30’s and lows in the teens and 20’s for 2 days straight. Then the highs will be in the 40’s for the following week.

[psneeld]

Drain the freash water systen would be the easiest if you are keeping heat on. ...as you only need to get the water away from the outside fixtures.

Actually if keeping heat on high enough, most of those items might be OK anyway . Only the ones where the feed pipe and fixture are in unheated spaces.

[Maerin]

I'm with the go check contingent. Much, MUCH easier to do prep than it is to do damage cleanup!!

At the very least, I'd drain down the water system. If you have a good shop vac, blowing or vacuuming as much water out of the system as possible would be good insurance. If your water lines are PEX, potential freeze damage is significantly minimized, but water in valves will freeze faster due to lower volume and there's potential for hydraulic freeze damage, increasing with exposure. Perhaps a quick and dirty application of some pink stuff or cheap vodka may be good insurance. But leave all the valves open so the water doesn't trap in fixtures. If there's concern about waste lines, just flush some pink A/F. EZPZ. But that's low on the list of potential freeze.

I doubt the engine room gear will be at risk, but I think I'd still close all the seacocks. If you have reverse cycle heat, I wouldn't leave it running unattended, too much can go wrong, and if the water temps drop into the 40's, the HX coils can ice internally and that can quickly snowball unattended.

One thing for sure, the more you prep, the better you'll sleep. I'd sooner flush out pink stuff than repair damage. In the end, you have to weigh your own risk tolerance against the weather odds.

[Ski in NC]

Here in SE NC we get about the same weather as Myrtle SC. Never heard of engines having freeze problems with the boat in the water. But definitely have fresh water piping freeze and cause damage.

What I do is turn off fw pump and then open all spigots. My boat is arranged where they will drain down toward head sink and then all good. Night before the cold snap I start engine and gennie for maybe ten minutes to put some heat in engine room. Probably not needed, but easy to do.

If you have doubts about your fresh water system, you can open up spigots and turn on pump and let it run tank out, then one at a time open each spigot and let it spit air/water. As long as the pipes are not "solid" with water, a little ice inside won't hurt anything.

I don't do anything with the HVAC. I leave it off. But I am in probably 80% marine salinity. If in fresh water, I might set tstats to like 50F.

That's what I am doing to my ride sunday nite. Forecast is for 18F. Brrrr.

[Tom.B]

Originally Posted by Ski in NC

Here in SE NC we get about the same weather as Myrtle SC. Never heard of engines having freeze problems with the boat in the water. But definitely have fresh water piping freeze and cause damage.

What I do is turn off fw pump and then open all spigots. My boat is arranged where they will drain down toward head sink and then all good. Night before the cold snap I start engine and gennie for maybe ten minutes to put some heat in engine room. Probably not needed, but easy to do.

If you have doubts about your fresh water system, you can open up spigots and turn on pump and let it run tank out, then one at a time open each spigot and let it spit air/water. As long as the pipes are not "solid" with water, a little ice inside won't hurt anything.

I don't do anything with the HVAC. I leave it off. But I am in probably 80% marine salinity. If in fresh water, I might set tstats to like 50F.

That's what I am doing to my ride sunday nite. Forecast is for 18F. Brrrr.

Same. You are fine. We are in New Bern and haven’t winterized in 10 years. We do run a couple of oil heaters. One in the main cabin and one in the engine room just as insurance, but we don’t really have to.

[sunchaser]

Originally Posted by Ski in NC

Here in SE NC we get about the same weather as Myrtle SC. Never heard of engines having freeze problems with the boat in the water. But definitely have fresh water piping freeze and cause damage.

What I do is turn off fw pump and then open all spigots. My boat is arranged where they will drain down toward head sink and then all good. Night before the cold snap I start engine and gennie for maybe ten minutes to put some heat in engine room. Probably not needed, but easy to do.

If you have doubts about your fresh water system, you can open up spigots and turn on pump and let it run tank out, then one at a time open each spigot and let it spit air/water. As long as the pipes are not "solid" with water, a little ice inside won't hurt anything.

I don't do anything with the HVAC. I leave it off. But I am in probably 80% marine salinity. If in fresh water, I might set tstats to like 50F.

That's what I am doing to my ride sunday nite. Forecast is for 18F. Brrrr.

Same for in water vessel in Sidney BC

[Steve91T]

I left the Boat earlier this month with the fresh water pump off and the tank mostly topped off. Basically I need to decide if driving 3 1/2 hrs each way today will be worth it to just open come cabinets.

[Ski in NC]

Is there a key on the boat or does dockmaster have one? Call dockmaster and give him like 40 bucks to do what you want. Our local dockmasters are always doing that sort of stuff.

[Steve91T]

I called the marina. The water temp right now is 48. Another thing I’m thinking about is my engine compartment is outside on the rear deck, away from my cabin. So the only heat it’ll see is the water temp.

He sugguested I throw a light bulb in the Bildge, and that’s a good idea but I don’t know where to run the extension chord.

Panic is starting to set in

[Steve91T]

Originally Posted by Ski in NC

Is there a key on the boat or does dockmaster have one? Call dockmaster and give him like 40 bucks to do what you want. Our local dockmasters are always doing that sort of stuff.

Nope....we didn’t plan to stay at this marina long so it never crossed my mind. I’m definitely doing that from now on.

[Steve91T]

Ok I have formulated a plan. I’m going to bring my small space heater with me and throw (gently place) that in the engine compartment between the engines. I’m going to run the extension chord to the shore power. It has a place to plug in an entension chord but I neee a 30-110 adapter apparently.

Are you guys familiar with what he’s talking about? Is this something that’s common on all of the shore power towers on docks? He thinks bass pro shop might have it.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Steve91T

I called the marina. The water temp right now is 48. Another thing I’m thinking about is my engine compartment is outside on the rear deck, away from my cabin. So the only heat it’ll see is the water temp.

He sugguested I throw a light bulb in the Bildge, and that’s a good idea but I don’t know where to run the extension chord.

And...

I left the Boat earlier this month with the fresh water pump off and the tank mostly topped off. Basically I need to decide if driving 3 1/2 hrs each way today will be worth it to just open come cabinets.

What marina? Yesterday the Osprey guys told me their local water temps were in the high 50s... although I have no way to verify how correct that is.

Forecasts include some low temps for Myrtle Beach, but... those are overnight lows, not constant temps. Day time temp forecasts aren't wonderful but they're all above freezing, well above except for Mon, Tue, and Fri.. IOW, there shouldn't be (so far) any long-term sustained zub-freezing temps in the area, and the water temps should be staying high enough so reverse cycle heating will mostly work.

Disconnecting the shorewater hose and letting that thaw out on the dock won't hurt. The dockmaster could do that for you.

Relieving pressure on your freshwater system, and draining exterior pipe runs (cockpit shower hose?) probably won't hurt. If you have a cockpit faucet or shower, just opening that tap or valve could be enough... and that's probably another thing the dockmaster could do for you.

-Chris

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Steve91T

Ok I have formulated a plan. I’m going to bring my small space heater with me and throw (gently place) that in the engine compartment between the engines. I’m going to run the extension chord to the shore power. It has a place to plug in an entension chord but I neee a 30-110 adapter apparently.

Are you guys familiar with what he’s talking about? Is this something that’s common on all of the shore power towers on docks? He thinks bass pro shop might have it.

Yes, not uncommon, West Marine usually carries those adapters.

-Chris

[Steve91T]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

What marina? Yesterday the Osprey guys told me their local water temps were in the high 50s... although I have no way to verify how correct that is.

Forecasts include some low temps for Myrtle Beach, but... those are overnight lows, not constant temps. Day time temp forecasts aren't wonderful but they're all above freezing, well above except for Mon, Tue, and Fri.. IOW, there shouldn't be (so far) any long-term sustained zub-freezing temps in the area, and the water temps should be staying high enough so reverse cycle heating will mostly work.

Disconnecting the shorewater hose and letting that thaw out on the dock won't hurt. The dockmaster could do that for you.

Relieving pressure on your freshwater system, and draining exterior pipe runs (cockpit shower hose?) probably won't hurt. If you have a cockpit faucet or shower, just opening that tap or valve could be enough... and that's probably another thing the dockmaster could do for you.

-Chris

I have a fresh water shower/hose that sits in the transom. When I left I opened that to relieve any pressure.

He said yesterday he was on a 60’ Boat in my Marina (Grand Dunes) and said the water temp gauge was showing 46. So idk.

What scares me about the forecast is Sunday night low of 22, then Monday a high of 35, then down to the teens, then a high of mid 30’s. It might be warmer than that, or it could be colder. Either way there’s going to be long periods of below freezing temps.

Are you taking any precautions at Osprey?

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Steve91T

He said yesterday he was on a 60’ Boat in my Marina (Grand Dunes) and said the water temp gauge was showing 46. So idk.

Are you taking any precautions at Osprey?

Yes, but not much special. Freshwater pressure is relieved (but not drained), one of the interior reverse cycle systems is on at the lowest heat setting.

If you've decided you're going, and if you have an air compressor, you could maybe buy yourself some additional peace of mind by blowing out your freshwater plumbing. That's not really a recommendation, though...

I'm not thrilled about the predicted temps either, but even 46°F water temp is usually enough to keep the interior and systems from freezing. We usually winter in the water even up here where sometimes our marina freezes in... although that's with the freshwater and raw water washdown systems drained and engines/genset/ACs fully winterized. But my point is that even when the marina is frozen in, water temps right around the boat hull don't usually really get below freezing, at least not enough to freeze, even without the de-icer running... because the hull movement in the water mostly prevents it.

-Chris

[2savage]

Go there and fire up the main engine. Get it warm/hot. Got shore power? get a small heater going. Fans can help. Your surrounding water temp is NOT 18 degrees so keep air moving and you will be OK.

[Cliff Meima]

It is easy to check the water temperature in the AICW from your home. It is 58 degrees at the moment in little River SC. Check on your location with this handy site.
Tides and solunar charts for fishing in South Carolina in 2018

[ranger58sb]

Thanks, Cliff, hadn't seen that site before.

The 48°F at Socastee and at Myrtle Beach Combination Bridge both seem to agree with what the Dunes dockmaster told Steve earlier... even it if is from a prediction algorithm instead of measured temp.

-Chris