Winterize or not..while boat is in the water

I will be keeping my 27 ft Sea Ray in the water all winter. It is on Smith Mountain Lake, VA. The lake does not freeze. I am being told that owners who leave their boat in the water do not winterize. I am not sure about this especially with the reverse cycle air/heat that relies on water flow. Any thoughts out there or experiences? Thanks in advance..

Re: Winterize or not..while boat is in the water

Hello Familydock,

I live in the Fort Worth, TX area and having purchased a new Bayliner 340 this past summer, struggled with the same question (although you are further north and will likely encounter more cold wx. than my location on a sustained basis). Wanting to use the boat year-round was more of the concern I had with how to appropriately "store" the boat between use.

After some research (no affilliation with company) I went with the BoatSafe heater for the engine compartment and will follow normal winterzing tactics for any water lines (washdown, supply, or waste). Here's the link:

http://www.boatsafeheaters.com/pages/boat-heaters-features

Also, you might also consider some source of heater/fan for the cabin (not sure of your model) to reduce the probability of mold/mildew. I will be using a small unit with a thermostat. There are many to choose from on the market. Example (again, no affilliation):

http://www.air-n-water.com/product/ad-250.htm

A friend pointed out it's a good idea to set the heater up on the galley stove surface as it is already a non-flammible material.

There is considerable material on this topic on iBoats if you do a search. Some really creative ideas (as in using cheap vodka as a non-freezing liquid to "winterize" your water lines if you hate the smell or taste of the RV/Boat anti-freeze).

Good luck!
Gary

Re: Winterize or not..while boat is in the water

When in doubt,Winterize it!!

Re: Winterize or not..while boat is in the water

welcome to the iboats world and fellow sea ray person.
winterize if you have any worrys fore sure!!!
rob

Re: Winterize or not..while boat is in the water

I used to put a standard heating pad(minus the fuzzy cover) under the oil pan, when leaving my boat in the water into December, in NJ. Something like that is cheap insurance for those frosty nights. My theory was that the oil pan is connected to the oil, and the oil was connected to the block, and the block was connected to the manifolds. I also liked the idea of keeping the oil warm for those cold starts.

It is likely that warmth of the lake will also keep the motor ice free.

Re: Winterize or not..while boat is in the water

Do you have a boat lift at your dock? I live in Roanoke, Va and I trailer my boat to Smith Mountain Lake almost every weekend. It gets plenty cold here to crack an engine block. I have a Glastron GX 205 with a Volvo Penta 5.0 GL and I drain the block and manifolds after each use in Fall and Winter. then put the plugs back in! It only takes about 15 minutes to do. That's all I would do. That way you are freeze protected and still ready to go! Do this only if you can lift your boat!!! It got down to 0 degrees last winter! Smaller coves did freeze last Winter. Not for long, but long enough to crack a block full of water.