I`m a new owner with a million questions

marklo154 · Post by **marklo154** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:07 pm

Glad to find this forum as I have just recently come upon a 1976 f36 Tri Cabin. I`m very new to a boat of this size and its on board systems. I have a million questions and very eager to learn but I guess I will start with the issue at hand.

The boat is currently docked in water and I am planning on leaving it in through the winter. I am looking for any tips, or suggestions anyone may have for making it through the winter in water. As of now no winterization has been done.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

guglielmo6160 · Post by **guglielmo6160** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:26 pm

welcome to the forum and you will find all the info here , as most of the guys here are very happy to share all their info with you,

first, Im assuming your in a cold climate,
winterization is very important, if you can hook up with someone who can show you where all the systems are on your boat, it would help you understand how to winterize all the appropriate systems including the engine, water systems , and anything that may freeze. I would get on this asap, you dont want to find out the hard way what ice will do to your boat,
not only is it necc to winterize your boat , but the body of water around the boat as well. are you in a marina? they will assist you with this.

good luck and keep asking questions, we can help

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:26 pm

Most the folks from Canada on here will pull their boats for the winter . Perhaps a few of them can give you some ideas . I assume you will need a bubbler to keep the water from freezing around the hull you will need to winterize the engines and genset and the fresh water system .

BTW Welcome to the forum

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:51 pm

Welcome aboard. Gosh, haul her out and I can tell you exactly what to do with every system however my knowledge is limited when it comes to leaving the vessel in the water over the winter. If you keep the inside heated throughout the winter, and the water she sits in moving, there should be no need to winterize I would think, however, should something fail; power, bubbler/agitator, etc. you'll need to take measures quickly. Personally, I don't like them staying in but if you have to, I would winterize all systems. There may be someone here that does this and can shed some light on normal practices but to be safe and if unsure...winterize. You should also find out what if any redundant systems are in place should something fail, and if the area is monitored daily.

marklo154 · Post by **marklo154** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:26 am

I am currently running the on board heater, and a small ceramic electric heater which is keeping the inside temp of the boat around 50 Deg, but it has only been getting down to minus 1 or 2 at night so pretty mild still.
My thinking was to run one ceramic heater in the main cabin and one in the engine room. I think I may winterize the systems as a back up but I have only begun to try and figure out where the water intakes are on the engines, freshwater system. I am assuming there must be some shut offs of some kind on the engines just need to locate them

I would love to just haul it out and get it winterized however it is not a option for me dollars and sense wise at this time.

The Dog House · Post by **The Dog House** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:32 am

If you are using a ceramic heater in the engine room, make sure it is spark protected. A spark in the engine room could lead to an explosion if there are any fuel vapors around.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:54 am

If your going to heat the engine room you need to use a heater that is made for that . Using a home ceramic heater is not safe and is a time bomb .

Expect to spend $400 or more for a safe engine room heater Remember if you lose power , then your in trouble I would still winterize your engines

http://www.xtremeheaters.com/

http://www.theboatsafe.com/shop/categor ... t-heaters/

k9th · Post by **k9th** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 7:20 am

Welcome aboard and +1 to all that's been said.

Unchained · Post by **Unchained** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:09 am

Welcome Captain! Please take everyones advice and winterize. Change the heater type as well. If you lose power, the results can be very costly. Find someone at the marina who can help guide you through it and/or give you a hand. The little money spent now will be money well spent and next year you'll be able to do it all yourself. Don't forget to check the condition of the coolant in the motors and genset if you have FWC setup. Just because there's coolant in there, doesn't mean it's good. See how low of temperature it will withstand. If it's questionable, just drain it. Remove all of the plugs and be sure to clean out each opening to remove rust and debris. I've heard of many people that forget this step and bad coolant/water ends up staying inside and freezing, resulting in cracked blocks. Good luck.

Commissionpoint · Post by **Commissionpoint** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:57 am

You can put a couple Kasco De-Icers in the water. One up by the bow slightly angled toward the rear and one under the hull around the running gear facing up. They will keep the water around the hull from freezing.

Between the cost of 2 ice eaters and a engine room safe heater you might just as well pay to witherize and haul.

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:20 pm

I have some friends that have lived aboard for a few winters (43 Viking).

They tend to add multiple heaters inside the boat - if your built in heating is the reverse-air on the A/C you probably don't want to use that through the winter due to ice up, plus the water it is sucking will get colder and colder, and it will run that less efficiently.

I believe they put a heating blanket in the engine compartment near the fresh water system to keep it from freezing up as well.

They use a couple of ice eaters to keep the water moving, but also keep pick/axe around to break the ice up if the ice eaters start to lose the battle. The boat gets shrink wrapped as well to keep heat in, leverage heat from sunshine, and keep snow/ice out.

It gets moored with TONS of extra lines... even if the ice eaters work reasonably well, you don't want the boat moving around in a way that it drifts into or rubs against the edge of the ice pack.

If you are not staying aboard you need to really keep an eye on it. if you have a power outage or popped breaker for a few hours, or one of your ice eaters burns out or gets jammed, you could be into serious trouble.

Any systems you are not going to be using should be fully winterized - engines, fresh water, head and holding tank, A/C.

marklo154 · Post by **marklo154** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:35 pm

Is the ceramic heater safe to run in the main cabin area. I am currently running one one the kitchen counter on Low .

Yes seems like the cost of in water storing are adding up. The boat also needs alot of work mostly cosmetic, So my plan was to work on it throughout the winter .

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:44 pm

I don't see a issue with that .

guglielmo6160 · Post by **guglielmo6160** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 7:40 pm

Marklo
you will find out real fast, boating is a true luxury. Take this advice and make sure you do the winterizing by the book, you will thank us later. I went through many NJ winters doing just what your doing, and it cost me plenty, between the heaters, the marina , the electric bill, etc etc etc, and thats with me doing most of the work/winterizing myself, it still adds up pretty quick. As Commissionpoint pointed out, I would consider spending the cash on a haul out and work on the boat on the hard. It may be cheaper and better for you and the boat in the long run.
the down side of this, is if you have a decent day and want to take a spin,,, not gonna happen. I was spending upwards of 3-4 hundred a month keeping my boat in the water in NJ in the winters, boy I dont miss that!!
but hang in there, its not all negative . You will be happy when your out enjoying what you've worked for.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:19 pm

marklo154 wrote:Is the ceramic heater safe to run in the main cabin area. I am currently running one one the kitchen counter on Low .

Yes seems like the cost of in water storing are adding up. The boat also needs alot of work mostly cosmetic, So my plan was to work on it throughout the winter .

Fiberglass boats spending winter in the water around here is a rare thing to see. Most of the marinas in this area want nothing to do with it. You absolutely require the proper equipment to keep the water moving around the hull to prevent your boat from freezing in and it has to be capable of running all winter. I'm guessing your boat is in one of the rivers off of Lake St.Clair and if it is, you're running short on time to get it moved for haul out if you should choose this option. The water levels are still dropping and it can make it difficult to move your boat around without burying the props in the mud. Are you near a marina with a travel lift?

Weather you store in the water or out, be sure to winterize all of the plumbing as well as the engines. If your not sure how to do this, most marine mechanics in the area are pretty slow right now and should be able to help you out.

Lastly, welcome to the forum. There are several Tri Cabin owners here that I'm sure can help you out with advice on projects.