Winterization

[Wakeman]

I have a Catalina 30 and have owned it for 9 years. I live in Oklahoma and keep it at my dock. The questions I have is about winterization. It dose freeze here and the lake can freeze over. Over the years it has been pulled and upgrades done and I am sure that the thruhulls have been changed out. To what I am not sure. I have always left it in over the winter as I use it sometimes and just winterize the engine again.

My question is how would you knowledgeable members suggest the proper way to winterize the rest of the systems and what are the risks in leaving it in the water over the winter? I have never had an issue however I am always worried about it freezing the thruhulls and them cracking and the vessel sinking. What do others do in this situation to help mitigate the risk?

I do drain the tanks and add antifreeze in the head and drain lines. Should the thruhull valves need to be shut or open? I do add a heater but there is a risk of losing power and it not working.

Please let me see suggestions, discussion and comments about this topic.

[Tetepare]

Where we boat (off Lake Ontario) the bay can freeze to a depth of almost 3' (.9m), and temps go well below zero for many weeks. Thus, everything except steel hulled commercial boats come out.

In March, the bay starts to thaw and the ice breaks into great shifting sheets, even within the small boat basin. Steel posts and docks are bent this way and that. A boat could easily be crushed. In the nearby river, it doesn't freeze over as long, or as deep, but the risk is there that boats could be demolished by shifting ice.

Our conditions of deep freezes and thick ice means everything on a boat in the water is frozen. The thruhulls would be surrounded by ice; any water inside could freeze and expand. This could sink the boat.

For your C30:
* winterize all the water systems and leave it winterized. Bring jugs of water if you must.
* the steering quadrant drains poorly. Is there water in there now? It also gets plugged up easily, so even if it's OK now, it probably won't be later.
* The top of the rudder can easily freeze and delaminate.
* The bilge is generally a wet bilge, so pour antifreeze in there.
* A common cause of winter sinkings is the cockpit scuppers filling with leaves and debris; then the cockpit fills with ice / water, and boat sinks.
* cover turnbuckles so they don't get frozen and crack
* make sure the anchor locker drain is free, and get debris out of the locker

Staying in the ice is a crap shoot. Yes, you save money but there's risk.

[Wakeman]

I keep the cockpit clean so water can drain. I am in a protected cove so shifting and moving ice is not much of a problem. Ice if it does freeze is only 4 to a max of 12 inches and usually only for a short period. I keep the bilge dry . most my concern is the thruhull valves.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Wakeman

I am always worried about it freezing the thruhulls and them cracking and the vessel sinking. What do others do in this situation to help mitigate the risk?



.

Remove hoses to the thruhulls to drain accumulated water, reinstall and put some antifreeze in the lines to ensure whatever is in them can’t freeze. Any ice which forms outside the thruhulls has room to expand so that is not a real concern.

Fortunately, we don’t live in that climate anymore but when we did, that worked to preclude any damage.

[garyfdl]

Looks like others have ticked off all the boxes, but...

what about a deicer/ice eater?