Winterization questions

T

tparrent

New member
I've read the posts I can find on winterizing a TomCat and I'm glad I did because they brought up issues I hadn't even thought of!

I am keeping the boat in the water in New Bern NC. I thought I had an agreement with the state of North Carolina when I moved here from Minnesota 15 years ago that winter would be mild. Well, it's already freezing here. There's also a fair chance that COVID lockdown orders will soon keep me from the boat.

1. If I run the water system dry, why do I need to put in gallons of antifreeze? Don't I just need enough to see it come out of each faucet? For instance, a couple people mentioned bypassing the water heater because it was large. If I drain it, doesn't it just take a bit of antifreeze?

2. I have an air conditioning unit on top. Do I need to do something to winterize it? If I do, can I still use it for heat?

3. Should I splash some antifreeze in the bilges?

4. Ok, this question is going to sound real dumb but please udnerstand I haven't even had a chance to crawl around the boat yet. Other owners all mention the fish boxes. Um, do I have fish boxes?

5. The survey mentioned that a macerator was not functioning which surprised the seller because he said he had used it recently. Is this a macerator for the black water tank or something else?

Heading down tomorrow to finally take the boat out for a day cruise. Figure I should winterize it as best I can while I'm there.

Thanks for all suggestions!
 
We rarely get freezes, in pensacola, but have already had a morning down to 29*. I don't do a full "winterization", but have RVed in climates where that was necessary.

We pump all of the water out of the tank and then put a gallon of the pink antifreeze into the tank. We have already drained the hot water tank (with the old large tank)---with the current boat we put in the smaller tank in the galley--and just heat the boat interior). You can put a "shunt" around the drained water heater, and I would suggest that. Also a small amount of antifreeze into the heater if there is any question that you have not gotten most of the water out.

You definitely want the pump and lines beyond it, plus the small residual in the water tank protected.

There are 3 macerator pumps in the Tom Cat--one on the "Y" valve if you have one, for overboard discharge--pump the holding tank, and then put some in the base, let fresh water to head to flow, with antifreeze, and thru the discharge system to the macerator and pump out Y Valve.

The other two are one on each end of the "fish boxes" in the cockpit floor. I would put a couple of pints of antifreeze in each fish box and run the macerator pump for a few seconds to get the juice in the pump impeller areas. With the Tom Cat, I would put a pint or two of antifreeze in each bilge. Hopefully the boat will be covered or have a slant back on it--you don't want melting snow or rain coming into the boat--and leaking into the fish box or bilges....The bilges of my Tom Cat remained dry--but leaving in the water, they may not...

I would cover the entire boat if possible, if not then the camper or a cockpit slant cover.

AC on roof--probably OK--you can get a canvas or vinyl cover for the unit. Take it off before using heat. I just used (and use) space heaters of the 110 V 1200 to 1500 watt electric type.
 
Be sure to leave your outboards down. If you leave them up, the water pooling in the outdrive can freeze and crack the casing. I'm not at all familiar with the Tomcat, but if it's like the 25, be sure to dump some RV antifreeze into your shower drain. And dump enuf in there to fill the drain box so that you see it pumping the pink stuff overboard. I almost forgot about that, since the 25 is new to me this year. Some of us have gone to the smaller 2.5G water heaters, and I've learned that at least in my model, the cold water intake tube goes to the bottom of the tank and the hot water tube only goes in to the top of the tank. The only way to drain it, other than taking it out and dumping what you can thru the hot water tube, is to open a cold water faucet and force air in to the heater thru the hot water tube. This will force the water out of it thru the cold water tube. Any hoses that have low spots in them should have RV antifreeze run thru them so that any liquid left in the low spot will be the antifreeze.
 
tparrent,
We are new Tom Cat owners as well. Purchased ours Jan.2020 we also are based in a cold weather area. I have had to winterize the boat several times now. Our Tom Cat requires a lot of the anti freeze with the way it is set up from the factory. Currently I have to pump antifreeze through the hot water heater, the shower head, sink faucet, toilet valve and macerator pump. You will also need to pour down the shower drain until it pumps out pink and both fish boxes as the macerator pumps in the boxes will hold water. I also have to pump some into my raw water pickup because I installed a check valve right above the through hole. Also if your Tom Cat is stored outside make sure its jacked up bow high or the fish boxes will get rain water drained in them in and dilute your anti freeze. I plan on installing a by pass on the water heater which I will empty by pumping it out through the drain valve. I will also install a 3 way valve down by one of the water tanks so I can pump antifreeze straight from the bottle instead of pouring gallons and gallons of it in my water tanks.
 
I was on the boat yesterday and took an initial look at the plumbing. Lot of stuff going on there! The hot water tank in particular obviously wasn't engineered for easy winterizing.

How much antifreeze did you end up using?
 
$26 for the hot water bypass kit--and drain the tank.

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I've used vodka for the water system on my 22 (when it had one). Rinsing at the start of a new season is easier and potentially more fun.
 
For the bypass, don't you need a valve at both the inlet and outlet?

If I'm understanding the geometry, you put a T connection with ball valve on the inlet, run the hose up to another T at the outlet. Drain the tank by taking the hose off. Reconnect hose and with both valves in off position, run antifreeze through the bypass line.

Have I got that right?

Maybe allow a little antifreeze into the tank as well in case it didn't drain completely?
 
There is a drain in you water tank. Open that and leave it open. I believe you put the T and valve on the cold water side side. I suspect that there is a check valve in the hot water side of this. If not then a valve on the output (hot water side). You want to look at your heater and see what pipe size and threads are there now. There are several different kits--Amazon has one for $24 which includes two T valves.

There is also a nice piece on the internet with instructions for installing the Camco Water Heater Bypass Winterizing Kit.
 
The kit Dr. Bob has showed is very common for RVs. That is the type of set up I plan to do plus I will attach a long hose with fitting to the drain valve on the hot water tank and hook that to a DC portable pump that I can set outside the boat to remove any water in the hot water tank. I will do the same type set up on the fresh water tanks (I have two ) so that I can pump them dry and it will allow me to pump in antifreeze straight from the gallon jug.
As it is now I have to se about 8 gallons of the stuff to get it everywhere it needs to be.
 
If you don't do a water heater bypass kit, not only do you waste a bunch of the pink RV antifreeze stuff, but it will take several fill/dump/flush cycles to get that foamy pink stuff out of your fresh water tank and water heater each time.
 
Has anyone mentioned the batteries? If they are outside, like on my 22, I would disconnect and take them home. If the batteries freeze, be prepared to buy new ones come Spring.

Martin.
 
bridma":20hgrea6 said:
Has anyone mentioned the batteries? If they are outside, like on my 22, I would disconnect and take them home. If the batteries freeze, be prepared to buy new ones come Spring.

Martin.
Click to expand...

If FLA batteries are charged, they won't freeze until about -75 deg F. If they are completely discharged they can freeze at around 32 deg F.

Other battery chemistries freeze at different points. But basically the higher the charge level, the more cold a battery can handle before freezing.
 
Guess I forgot to mention. There was no shore power to my boat. So the batteries could be compromised in extreme weather.

Martin.
 
colbysmith":2ejc996d said:
I leave the batteries in my boat. However I also leave the shore power and charger on the whole time as well.
Click to expand...

Mine also stay on the boat over winter. They are charged before storage and recharged immediately when the boat is recovered from storage. While stored all loads are disconnected.
 
ssobol":3n22r1pj said:
colbysmith":3n22r1pj said:
I leave the batteries in my boat. However I also leave the shore power and charger on the whole time as well.
Click to expand...

Mine also stay on the boat over winter. They are charged before storage and recharged immediately when the boat is recovered from storage. While stored all loads are disconnected.
Click to expand...

Mine stay on the boat and are hooked up continueally to a "BatteryMinder" which has some of the same properties as a batterytender, but also, it has the capability of doing desulfation (sp).

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Martin,
I am about 45 miles down the road from you. On Bogue Sound.
When I winterize I:
1. Run the pump to push the water out through all the outlets
2. Put 1 gal. of pink in the tank
3. Run pink to all the outlets
4. I then syphon the water heater dry. Garden hose attached to the valve.
5. Run pink to the water heater tank.
6. I leave all outlets in the open position.
So far so good except with my yesterday issue with losing power to my right side switch panel.
 
After a full days work (I’m kinda “special” when it comes to maintenance), the winterize rion is done! Almost.

Forgot to do the wash down spigot. I’ll do that tomorrow. Holding tank macerator is inoperable so didnt do that. Not sure if I’m supposed to hit the bilge pumps.

I did successfully bypass the water heater. I’ll have to tell that story when I have a keyboard in front of me. Quite a tale.

Now I just have to clean up the mess I made while I was neatening up!
 
BTW in my procedure to winterize I said 1 gal of pink. It'll take 2 or 3 to properly pink all but the cockpit washdown hot line. I will let the siphoning pull that water out while letting it be the vent for the heater siphon.
 
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