Will I freeze

W

WALSHIE

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Life got in the way of winterizing and usually we are good until Thanksgiving weekend but tonight it is predicted to go down to 20 degrees.

Water system, Air conditioning, head, engines are not winterized....any suggestions or will I be ok?

6pm - 33deg
9pm - 29deg
12am - 27deg
03am - 24deg
06am - 22deg
07am - 20deg
08am - 25deg
09am - 29deg
10am - 33deg
 
In the water? What is the forecast for next days? Do you have n electric heater you could hook up? If closed coolant then all that needs draining is the heat exchanger.
Regardless not much sleep tonight.
 
If I was you, I would get to the boat ASAP and winterized everything. Below freezing for that long could cause serious issues.
 
I m obviously no expert with winterizing but what if the temp drops a little early and doesn’t get back up quickly enough. Is it worth the risk?
 
Thanks guys, left work, on train, will take care of as much as I can. Then pray.

I cant believe it got so cold so quick. Ugh!!
 
it's harder to find light bulbs that give off a lot of heat these days, but in the past when I've been caught unprepared on a cold night, I filled the engine room ( and anywhere else at risk) with a bunch of shop lights, and left them on all night. That's worked for me, but never tried it with temps going down to 20 - generally used when forecast is right around freezing. And generally that only works if the boat is sitting in your own driveway / yard. Marinas, around here at least, don't like the fire risk of people using electricity to heat their boats sitting on blocks - so most of them walk around and unplug everyone at the end of the day, or just shut the power off.

hopefully you will at least be able to get the motors and air conditioners taken care of today.
 
Last year I bought 250W INFARED HEAT LAMPS at ACE Hardware. Bought for fridge I keep in unheated garage. Compressors don't like temps below freezing. I leave them on 24/7.
 
If it was me I would worry, but with that said, it takes quite a few days of freezing weather before you may have a problem.
 
+1 Walt. My experience is that it takes a couple of days at a hard freeze. This was also related to me by the manager at a very large boat yard in Connecticut. It is certainly better to be in the water.
 
If you can get to anything tonight I would get to the motors and generator first.
Everything else can wait if you set the cabin up.
I don’t have anything winterized yet either, but I’m still in the water so my motors and generator aren’t an issue.
I left the heat on in the cabin with cabinets doors open. I don’t usually come out until a couple of days before Thanksgiving and have endured one or two early freezes a couple of times with no problems by just running heat in the cabin.
If you can set up a few space heaters in the cabin your water and head systems should be fine.
If the seacock is open for your AC then it’s likely that most of the water in it has drained out.
 
Thanks guys

All done. Had some issues but pushed through them.

Ready for wrap ... and a good night's sleep!
 
quote:
Originally posted by WALSHIE

Thanks guys

All done. Had some issues but pushed through them.

Ready for wrap ... and a good night's sleep!

Click to expand...


Nice!
I hold off as long as possible so I get a good spot and can get back in about April 1st.
The downside is freezing my butt off getting her ready to in to hibernation.
But it’s worth it.
I’m taking a last ride to a pumpout Dock today and hoping to get a good jump on oil changes and winterizing, generator, waste and freshwater systems this weekend.
Calling for a fuel delivery to top off the tanks this week.
Last ride will be a short one over to the boatyard for haul out.
Once she’s out and blocked, all I have to do is run antifreeze through the motors and AC units.
 
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