Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 11-08-2017, 05:58 PM   #1
Guru
 
City: Houma, Louisiana
Vessel Name: M/V LUNASEA
Vessel Model: 45ft Bluewater Coastal
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 529
Is Winterizing For The Madisonville Area Needed

This year we plan on keeping LUNASEA on the north shore for the winter, is there anything special that needs to be done. Knowing that it sometimes gets much colder than in Houma how should I prepare. I am planning on leaving 3-4 heaters on, one in engine room, one in head, one in bilge storage and one in main cabin. What else do I need to do?
kartracer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2017, 06:30 PM   #2
Guru
 
angus99's Avatar
 
City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,742
Quote:
Originally Posted by kartracer View Post
This year we plan on keeping LUNASEA on the north shore for the winter, is there anything special that needs to be done. Knowing that it sometimes gets much colder than in Houma how should I prepare. I am planning on leaving 3-4 heaters on, one in engine room, one in head, one in bilge storage and one in main cabin. What else do I need to do?
Keep your power bill paid up.
angus99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2017, 06:37 PM   #3
Guru
 
C lectric's Avatar
 
City: Gibsons, B.C., Canada
Vessel Name: Island Pride
Vessel Model: Palmer 32'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,414
Do you get freezing weather?
Does it last for several days to a week or more?
Do you get to the boat regularily?


If not then maybe a proper winterizing should be done.
Your weather will be milder than mine.
Even so if the answers to my questions above are not great then protect yourself as a power outage could cost you far more than the savings in time, effort and materials if a hard freeze happens along with a power outage.
C lectric is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2017, 07:17 PM   #4
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,785
When we kept our boat on Galveston Bay, we didn't do anything in the winter. Madisonville probably has near the same climate.

David
DavidM is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2017, 07:53 PM   #5
Enigma
 
RT Firefly's Avatar
 
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,565
Greetings,
Mr. k. I agree with Mr. Cl. If there is ANY, even remote, chance of a hard freeze, spent the time and little $$ to properly winterize.
We were in NC for a time and did NOT expect a prolonged freeze BUT one year, an improper blow out of the water lines, by me, generated a burst cold water line. Could have been a lot worse...Just sayin'
__________________
RTF
RT Firefly is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2017, 07:59 PM   #6
Guru
 
Drake's Avatar
 
City: Seabrook, Texas
Vessel Name: Small World
Vessel Model: Defever 50
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 611
We never did anything in Seabrook, between Houston and Galveston. The temperature occasionally dipped below freezing for a few hours, but never long enough to be a risk. But, we did live close enough to the boat to be able to do something if we had bizarre weather.
Drake is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2017, 08:34 AM   #7
Guru
 
Steve's Avatar
 
City: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Vessel Name: Gumbo
Vessel Model: 2003 Monk 36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,882
I don't do anything here except for a hard freeze put on a space heater in the engine compartment, leaving the hatch up to the saloon open so some heat gets up there. Madisonville on the North shore gets colder I'd check with some of the local boaters over there. Space heaters are a big amp draw be sure your power cords and inlets are in good shape.
__________________
Steve W.
https://mvgumbo.blogspot.com/
Steve is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-11-2017, 10:27 PM   #8
Guru
 
City: New Orleans
Vessel Name: Scot Free
Vessel Model: Cheoy Lee 53' Efficient
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 754
I had a boat in Municipal Harbor in New Orleans for 10 years and never did winterize. In fact it was my favorite sailing season and I often took the boat out. I don't remember anybody in the harbor ever doing anything special. Come to think of it, my boat spent all last winter with me living aboard in the Industrial Canal and this year am in Long Beach MS. As a live aboard there is enough warmth on the boat not to worry.
At this latitude I have never seen the harbor water come close to freezing. Usually in the high 30's or low 40's in dead of winter. When ambient water temp is well above freezing it keeps the air in the engine room about the same as water temp no matter the outside air temp.
I think the only thing at risk of freezing is the dock hose and even that would be very rare.
McGillicuddy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2017, 01:48 AM   #9
Guru
 
Benthic2's Avatar
 
City: Boston Area
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,610
How far away from the boat will you be ?
There are devices that you can turn on and off with a cell phone, so you could have a heater ready to go if necessary, but not be paying for it 24/7 if you didn't need it.

Also...I wasn't sure from your post...will you be in the water or out ?
Benthic2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2017, 06:38 AM   #10
Guru
 
City: Houma, Louisiana
Vessel Name: M/V LUNASEA
Vessel Model: 45ft Bluewater Coastal
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 529
Thanks all !!!!!!
kartracer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2017, 10:40 AM   #11
Guru
 
sbu22's Avatar
 
City: New Orleans
Vessel Name: Panache
Vessel Model: Viking 43 Double Cabin '76
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,253
In short - nothing. The only concern I have is interior condensation. Countered by continuous air circulation same as the rest of the year. Even with what's laughingly called (down here) a "hard freeze", lake temp is in the 50s.
sbu22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2017, 11:26 AM   #12
Guru
 
HeadMistress's Avatar


 
City: AR
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,515
Quote:
Originally Posted by kartracer View Post
This year we plan on keeping LUNASEA on the north shore for the winter, is there anything special that needs to be done. What else do I need to do?
If the boat is to be kept in the water, unless the water can freeze hard, there's no need to winterize any systems or equipment below the waterline because boat hulls take their temperature off the water temperature and equipment and plumbing entirely below the waterline can't get any colder than the hull. However, unless you're planning to use the boat regularly all winter, there are systems that do need to be prepared for extended layup...starting with the sanitation system:

Pump out and THOROUGHLY rinse out the holding tank. You don't have to fill the tank to do this...put a few gallons of water into it via the deck pumpout fitting--'cuz that sends the water into the tank at the bottom to stir up any sludge and hold it suspension so it can be pumped out...pump that out. Repeat...repeat...repeat...until you're pumping out clean water.

Follow mfr's instructions for preparing any treatment device (Lectra/San, ElectroScan, PuraSan) for extended layup.

If the toilet is above waterline, it should be winterized. First flush enough to clear ALL the water out of it. If a sea water toilet, remove the flush water inlet hose from the thru-hull (close the seacock first!), stick it into a jug of non-toxic potable antifreeze and flush the toilet to pump it all through the system all the way into the tank. Even if the toilet is below waterline, if any of the bowl is above, it needs protection and just pouring antifreeze down the toilet won't provide any.

As for the fresh water systems, whether the water tank should be left full or empty has supporters in both camps. If plumbing is above waterline, there should be no water left in any of the lines. Draining the plumbing may require installing some quick connect fittings.

As for all other systems, follow mfr's instructions for preparing for extended layup. If you don't have 'em, you should be able to find owners manuals on the net...if a system is too old for it to still be available, contact the mfr directly.
__________________
© 2024 Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since '87.
Author "The NEW Get Rid of Boat Odors"
HeadMistress is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2017, 12:35 PM   #13
Technical Guru
 
Ski in NC's Avatar
 
City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,194
Here in NC we get several nights where it gets into the 20F's. I turn off the fresh water pump and open all spigots. The engine room I do nothing. Ambient heat from the water below is enough to protect anything in there. Even get some ice in the creek, but water below is at least a few deg above. Never had a problem.
Ski in NC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 07:36 AM   #14
Guru
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,121
We normally winterize completely here in the Northeast but one year we had left the boat for 3 Winter months at an inland ICW marina in S. Carolina. We were advised it was not necessary to winterize but, since we were set up to do it routinely, we did a partial winterization anyway. All fresh water was drained down, including items like the washing machine, PH window washers, etc. We did not bother with seawater systems.We did leave a small electric fan heater with an on/off thermostat (set 40 degrees)running in the ER. We were glad we did. Turned out it was the coldest Winter they had experienced in quite a while. You can get an inexpensive compact fan heater with a thermostat for short money. Assuming power outages do not last too many days it will do the job below the water line.
Chrisjs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2017, 10:18 AM   #15
DLP
Veteran Member
 
DLP's Avatar
 
City: Baton Rouge
Vessel Name: Someday's Here
Vessel Model: 1987 Jefferson 42
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 96
Well it looks more like winter down around Madisonville that the PNW.. You just never know what Mother Nature will do
__________________
Darrell & Kim
YouTube/ Someday's Here

Stop The Madness Start The Adventure
DLP is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:47 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012