HELP! Winter is coming

K

karlar99

New member
Hi all! I'm new to this group and this is my first attempt to post a message.


Karen and I have a 2004 25 foot Cruiser, the Betty-Ruth, we have been enjoying since March. The only thing I dont like about this boat is the absence of a owner's manual that tells me how to prepare the boat for winter. This is our first boat and we want to make sure to do the right thing in winterizing.

We are based in Huntingtown Maryland and would appreciate any and all advice on all the things (details appreciated as I am very literally minded) that we need to do for winter.

thanks,

larry hunt
 
karlar99":mlynmtxb said:
(details appreciated as I am very literally minded)

thanks,

larry hunt
Click to expand...
Larry, "literally minded" is ok as long as your not liberal minded. :wink: Just kidding Brock :D . NO really, welcome to the pub. I don't have a 25, but I'm sure you will hear from several people that do.
I got to spend three weeks in Maryland and loved it. Hope to return after retirement, with Rock-C in tow.
 
Hi Larry. Good to hear from you.

My winterizing routine is pretty simple.

1. Drain all freshwater tanks and run the pumps dry.
2. Drain the holding tank and purge the pump line.
3. Fill the gas tank after adding the appropriate amount of Stabil.
4. Tilt the motors down so all water drains out and none can get in.
5. Take the electronics into the house.

The kicker motor has a carb, so I run it out of gas after each use. The big motor is EFI, so I just leave it. I plug in the shore power once in a while to run the battery charger, so I don't worry about the batteries, either.

That's it.

I don't have a space big enough to keep the boat completely under a roof, so I back it into the shed where at least the cockpit is covered, then hang a tarp from the eaves and tie it across the bow rail. That keeps the rain off, and allows me to get in and out of the boat easily. If you are leaving your boat outside, it is best to jack the tongue up so the cockpit drains.

We don't get that cold around here, so I don't fret too much about getting every drop of water out of the freshwater system. The few times it gets what we consider really cold (<25º), I keep a small heater going inside the cabin. The only freezing problem I've ever had was an inline filter for the freshwater cracking. It was a disposable thing anyway, so I just disposed of it. Now I have a larger cartridge type filter, so I reckon I will pull the bowl off of it this year.

Do you want a photo album for the Betty Ruth?

Enjoy our little Pub, and don't be a stranger.

Mike
 
Hi Larry,

I just winterized my 25' yesterday, so the experience is fresh in my mind. Pretty much the same as Mike explained, except that it will probably get -10F here sometime during the winter. So even though I have the boat stored in a completely enclosed storage shed I have added the RV water system antifreeze to everything.

I drained the water tank, and drained the hot water heater. Then I put several gallons of the antifreeze in the water tank (be sure to use the proper non toxic antifreeze, which is a propylene glycol). I turned on all the faucets and ran the water pump until I could see the antifreeze coming out of all faucets. I put some of antifreeze down the toilet and flushed it through after the waste tank was empty. I also ran some of the antifreeze through the bilge pump.

I didn't fog the motors like my boat maintenance manual said was mandatory for outboards. We are in a fairly dry high desert climate, and I plan on running the motors a few times during the winter. What do you all recommend? Do you fog your motors before storage?
Lyle
 
As it is dry and cold here most all winter, I gave up fogging long ago, as have many of my associates, and have suffered no ill effects. Nor have my engines!
Al
 
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