Trojan Boat Forum

anybody out there heat their bilge compartment for the winter,
like to share methods, etc, as I am keeping her in all winter,
(just bought her and cant sit still, I have to work on her and of course take a few rides in the dead of winter,,,lol)

i'm sure youll get several who probably will say its a bad idea not to winterize, however i also use my boat all year and dont wont to just button it up and say bye bye for the winter. although i live in tennessee it does get cold here but nothing like where you are. on my f32 the previous owner had installed a bilge heater and it works just fine, my boat is on my way from work and only 4 miles form my house so it is easy to go by so she is not neglected in any way, the wife says she is my girlfriend anyway, i have also installed a boatsense unit and a couple of items such as an ac disconnect sensor,bilge sensor and temp sensor that monitor the boat while i'm not there it will text my phone with with the programmed message for the sensor if it is triggered, i havent had any problems and i know this works for me. i have made sunbrella covers that snap on for my air intakes on the hull so its very simple to unsnap them to go out. this works for me

Yep, This brings back memories. I lived on my F32 for 4 years (year round) in the wonderful Michigan winters. Had a christmas tree on my deck one year. Even remember one new years eve taking the boat out for a ride on a clear night with snow flakes falling. This is also why I love the lower helm station, it keeps you warm when its snowing.

The whole time in the water in a marina that had concrete pilings on the dock so they bubbled the whole marina.

The first year I used 3 work lights with 60 watt bulbs spread through out the bilge, Worked ok but but I was heating the boat back up every night when I came home., so maybe that helped The bulbs seemed to burn out on a regular interval.

The second (and following years) I got smart and bought a boat safe heater (the smaller one) and this did the trick. (I would highly recomeend spending the $$ on one of these,. Not to cheap but the right tool for the right job.

Also I never had a problem and even though the marina lost power a few times if it was less than 24-30 hours then there was enough mass in the engines to keep them from freezing. It keeps it between 40 - 50 degrees and is quiet, and safe (I think it is explosion proof).

I did however winterize all the water systems on the boat becayse it was impossible to keep ALL parts next to the hull from freezing (learned that the first year with with the sink in the head).

Good luck, and enjou that boat all year round if you can.

For years I have used a heat lamp in the bilge and a small heater in the cabin with cupboard doors open. I also use my boat year round.

All I can say is if your not going to use the boat that much in the Winter then you should winterize it. Some marinas like where I dock will no let you use a heater in the bilge due to fire hazards. I have seen fires caused by heaters and the whole marina was taken out, so be careful!

Here is the link to the manufacture of the heater I purchased.

http://www.boatsafeheaters.com/

guglielmo6160 wrote:anybody out there heat their bilge compartment for the winter,
like to share methods, etc, as I am keeping her in all winter,

Only comment I will make is be aware that there will be condensation forming on the inside surface of the hull due to interior humidity. This is generally behind the interior finished surfaces and so not visually obvious till that condensate collects on horizontal ribs and then soaks the bottom of those interior panels resting on them and mildew/mold becomes visible.

I had to deal with that on my F32 when I bought her. For me the ONLY way to heat a non insulated hull is using a system that will keep the humidity down. I am aware of boaters who keep their boats in the water during colder times that go to great extremes to keep those surfaces insulated. One local one has pillows all over the top decks he does have the boat plastic wrapped on an A frame for living aboard... up here the lakes get frozen so no winter trips unless you follow an ice breaker.

I read somewhere about a paint that had a suprisingly high R value being used on the inside of the hull.
Were I in your situation I would haul and winterize her and then only heat while I was working. How many boat trips are you really going to make during the winter?

I have a friend who lives aboard his 43' Viking (western end of Lake Ontario). They winterize the engines, and have used an electric heating blanket in the bilge area to keep the water and holding tanks from freezing. They are also shrink-wrapped at the dock, so don't know if that changes the heating needs or not.

Ok, i have this image of a shrink wrapped boat at the dock.....and now with a live aboard.....so how do they do that?....or is it you just don't see him until spring......lol.....sorry for my lack of knowledge on this subject, not familiar with shrink wrapping boats......how do they do it ?.............John

Srink wrap is a plastic film that is draped over the boat It is suported by a pole or two. A web of nlyon strap material is tied to the rails and suports the pole. A main strap runs the entire length of the boat, tied to the bow rail in front and swim platform or rear rail in back. Another strap , the belly strap, is tied around the entire boat, abour 2' above the water line. The shrink wrap is tucked under the belly strap. When heated the wrap shrinks. It also fuses to it self around the belly strap. There are straps that are tied to the belly strap that run under the boat to the belly strap on the other side. This keeps the wrap from pulling up. When done properly, the shrink wrap forms a tight waterproof tent over the boat. A zipper door can be installed to gain access to the boat. In the Chicago area almost every boat is the yard is shrink wrapped for winter storage.

you guys are taking this question to all different levels,,,lol

Hey .... my main point was about the heating blanket, not the shrink wrap! (and incidentally the live-aboards, tend to build in a door frame and door - the shrink wrap gets nailed / stapled / shrunk to the door frame - maybe I'll post a pic some time.).

Thanks guys, I now have a better understanding about shrink wrapping a boat.....sounds kinda scary for liveaboards.....guess you wouldn't want to shut that door or close that zipper.......like living in a zip lock bag.....I'd be concerned about lack of air............i imagine accidents do happen occasionally.......

I'm gonna put "in bilge radiant" in my 36 sea voyager. i have the tubing allready, & need a 6 gal water heater & a manifold & pump.

When you heat water it expands. When you have a closed hot water heating system you should consider installing an expansion tank. When the water expands there must be a place for it to go, since water can not be compressed.