Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Ok you live in Florida...... It sometimes get's below freezing temps and sometimes not......

As some have pointed out....water freezes at 31.999999 deg...... the block temp can get a few deg colder than the outside air...... the worst you can do is run your boat on muffs for a few min...... and so on!

So if you store your boat on land while not in use......

Do you have a TV...or weather radio.... and check the weather forecast?
Just pull the drain plugs on the motor and manifolds...and put the drive down to drain the water!...........Simple as that... It just takes a few min!
No need to worry about the anti-freeze deal and all!

Just me and my thought's.......I live in Cincinnat,Ohio and it freezes here.....so you winterize you boat for storage!

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Yes, this is why, once the boat is winterized.........can't (DON'T) use it 'til Spring! I've heard of this happening as well.
When we take the boat in for some work, we will have them drain the water out of the engine before we pick it up. Unfortunately, I just can't get my 63 yr old body (little bit of a belly) down inside the engine compartment to do this "draining" thing. I simply can't bend my body that way anymore.

The only way to know for sure is DRAIN after each use once the temps can start dropping. This is one reason outboards are more popular for those that run their boats through all seasons, the freeze-sensitive water pockets drain "automatically" when the engine is down.

This reminded me of a boat seller who winterized their for-sale boat in the Fall and advertized it as such, then took it out on a test run or two. No one bought it and the boat sat. The next Spring they found that the block had cracked and the seller wanted to know how that could have happened since they had winterized it. It was a raw water cooled boat in the Midwest after a normal Winter, they had no idea that their "winterization" was undone by the first water test.
Drain it and no worries. Anything else and the block can still crack with one nite at 26 degrees for 4 hours or so.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I see...your belly is getting in the way to get to the drains. (Ha!Ha!) No pun intended.....

Well i guess you need to decide when your boating season is over.....Depending on the weather......OR take the chance like you have since 2009.

Get the Neighbor kid over to pull the drains for ya...... Just saying...... do ya have any family/ friends that could help ya out in a pinch.

 

[Quit It]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I also talked to some boat owners this morning and they don't winterize/drain so I'm torn.

I found this in the manual.

This seems like such a PITA, not just pulling a plug and draining the block. Is this what folks are talking about?

Maybe I'm underestimating my flexibility/desire ( ) but is there a simpler way? If the goal is to get air into the engine what about running till the thermostat opens then shutting down and pushing low pressure air into the flushing inlet? Or, a more expensive option could be to could hook up a hose to a gallon of antifreeze (wildlife safe ) and run the motor till the gallon was gone, right?

I dunno, just looking for something simpler for those rare days when we get close to freezing.

Oh, Willie, thanks for the actual test results.

 

[Quit It]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Another thought, on bilge heaters ($$$). None seem to be run off of 12V. Can they be run through an inverter (plugged into cigarette lighter) and if so, any idea on how long the battery would last?

 

[Quit It]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I guess I'm a bit off topic LuvBoating so I started my own thread. Here's the link in case you find it helpful http://forums.iboats.com/volvo-pent...aining-engine-florida-584131.html#post4025996

 

[Maclin]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

My critical path to protect from freezing on my 1991 Volvo Penta 570/DP is drain block (5.7lV8), drain exhaust manifolds and loosen or remove the front plate on the raw water pump which is engine mounted. Takes about 25 minutes and 15 minutes of that is removing the boat cover and rear seats and engine house and replacing it all later. The water separating fuel filter is right in the way of access to one of the block drains so I have to remove it first (I have BBSH59 syndrome, see below). Because of this I wait until I am done for the season as I am not always successful in keeping the filter intact. If I could reach behind that filter cannister to get to the block drain I could theoretically boat all season.




BBSH59:Big Belly Stiff Hands + 59 years of age

 

[Maclin]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I mean, boat all year long, not just all season

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

You're not kidding there when putting the $$$ for bilge heaters. Just looked them up.......cheapest is like $250. Naw, I don't think so.

Another thought, on bilge heaters ($$$). None seem to be run off of 12V. Can they be run through an inverter (plugged into cigarette lighter) and if so, any idea on how long the battery would last?

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I don't have too big of a belly, but big enough to stop me from doing certain things.......as well as does my hip replacement ('08) and right shoulder rotator cuff surgery ('07). My body just can't twist around like it use to .

My biggest worry is that I don't want anything to happen to this new long block we just put in in August.

As far as nearby family or friends..........neither! There are all in another state. Just have to wait 'til we take it to the dealer for some work.

I see...your belly is getting in the way to get to the drains. (Ha!Ha!) No pun intended.....

Well i guess you need to decide when your boating season is over.....Depending on the weather......OR take the chance like you have since 2009.

Get the Neighbor kid over to pull the drains for ya...... Just saying...... do ya have any family/ friends that could help ya out in a pinch.

 

[drrpm]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

If you run it in salt water it should be OK down to near 0 Farenheit

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I was just Joshen ya about yer belly.........

Do you have any local marina's around ya or the dealer you use. Ask them to give ya a price just to pull the drain plugs for you.

If a marina is close by.. In the same boating area you use...ask them to give you a price.....pull it outa the water after boating.. then take it to them to pull the plugs.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

My biggest worry is that I don't want anything to happen to this new long block we just put in in August.

Well, I'll tell ya.

I did a job in Lake City Fla. back in '01 and I thought it would be great to be in Fla. for the winter. Woke up to 25*F more than one morning, check the weather in B'ham Al. and it was 36*.:facepalm:

I've also lived and worked in Panama City and lived in Jax beach when I was a kid and have seen snow in both of those places.

It's your boat, do what you want... but I'm tellin' ya.....

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

In a month or two, we are taking the boat to the dealership to have new Trim Switches installed and have the engine and drive checked for water leaks. The outdrive will be removed to replace the switches, so at that time we will also have them take a look at the outdrive to see how it is. Before then, all we can do is go over and put the muffs, start it and let it go up to operating temperature. Finances just aren't there to take it just for draining and then take it back for the Trim Switches, etc.

*******Someone suggested hooking up a light (or possible heat lamp......my thought) and putting in the engine compartment for heat. That might be fine if the boat is stored at a house, so it could be monitored, but ours is in an outside storage facility. I had a friend just tell me (he had a boat for a year or so, that some house insulation would do the trick or even a couple of blankets covering the engine would work. He asked me if were using a full cover and I told him that we were using both a deck cover and putting a full cover over that. He also told me that he didn't winterize his b/c it just doesn't stay that cold that long here. He would start the boat up a couple of times a month however..........same thing we do. *******

I was just Joshen ya about yer belly.........

Do you have any local marina's around ya or the dealer you use. Ask them to give ya a price just to pull the drain plugs for you.

If a marina is close by.. In the same boating area you use...ask them to give you a price.....pull it outa the water after boating.. then take it to them to pull the plugs.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Following this thread is like reading the never ending story. Occasionally running it on muffs only puts fresh potential block-cracking filler in, right? In my opinion you are literally one freak 26 degree nite from needing another block unless you just keep it running on muffs and then return and add fuel every so often.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

If you run it in salt water it should be OK down to near 0 Fahrenheit

??? Sea Water freezes at 28.4F !

 

[Toddavid]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

No Guessing Needed!

I placed a data logger with the temperature probe INSIDE of the block, and a second data logger outside to record the air temperature for a week.
The boat was located next to a house but otherwise exposed to the elements.
The engine was a 4.3L I/O inside of a fiberglass engine cove with a full cover over the entire boat.

The block temperature follows the air temperature with a lag of less than an hour.
Not surprisingly, the block and boat got hotter than the air during the day with the sun shinning.
This effect does not last long after the sun sets.
The block would actually get as much as 4 degrees F COLDER than the air temperature on nights with a calm, clear starry sky.
This is due to radiation cooling and the effect is very real.

There is the real possibility that the block could freeze on a calm, clear night with the air temperature between 33 and 36F!

Note: Ice expands 8% to its maximum volume at 31.999 degrees F.
It does not have to get well into the 20's for hours to split the block.

Note#2: A 60w trouble light under the engine would warm it about 20F in a pinch!

That is some fantastic data right there.

I just left on a 4 day business trip and decided to winterize the water systems on my boat because some nights were predicted to dip into the mid 30s while I am away. I was working under the assumption there was natural deviation between the reporting station and my house, and it may not always be in my favor.

Data like this really makes the decision a no-brainer.

Now if the daytime temps in SE PA would finally decide to get properly seasonal, I wouldn't be trying to extend the boating season and would put her to bed once and for all for the winter.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

May be true, but not starting it can be harmful as well. Mercruiser dealer told me it can be a "no win" situation. Since we've owned this boat ('09), during our winters here in northeast Florida, we've started the engine a couple of times each month and let it run to op temperature.

Following this thread is like reading the never ending story. Occasionally running it on muffs only puts fresh potential block-cracking filler in, right? In my opinion you are literally one freak 26 degree nite from needing another block unless you just keep it running on muffs and then return and add fuel every so often.

 

[MJG24]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

May be true, but not starting it can be harmful as well. Mercruiser dealer told me it can be a "no win" situation. Since we've owned this boat ('09), during our winters here in northeast Florida, we've started the engine a couple of times each month and let it run to op temperature.

Storing a boat is harmful?

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Who said this????????? I sure didn't!

Storing a boat is harmful?