{"id":263,"date":"2012-10-25T18:54:17","date_gmt":"2012-10-25T22:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/?p=263"},"modified":"2015-07-12T14:09:12","modified_gmt":"2015-07-12T18:09:12","slug":"winter-layup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/winter-layup\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Layup"},"content":{"rendered":"

First published in several Maryland newspapers, 11\/4\/88<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Winterize your boat carefully so you can relax and winterize yourself by changing latitude.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Winter layup <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u0004\u000e\u0003by \u0004\u000e\bTom Dove<\/span>
\n \u0004\u001c\u0004\u001cThe air is turning colder, the days are getting short, and the \u0004\u001cchevrons of Canada geese are honking their way around the Bay. \u0004\u001cFor most of us, these signals mean that it is time to put our boats \u0004\u001c\u0016to bed for the winter.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Decommisioning the boat is an easy, if melancholy, procedure. \u0004\u001cYour vessel’s health in the spring depends on how carefully you \u0004\u001ctreat it this fall, so pay careful attention to how you winterize the \u0004\u001c\u0010hull and engine.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

A small boat should be stored on its trailer in a safe sheltered \u0004\u001cplace during the cold months. If you have space in your yard, \u0004\u001cthat is ideal, as you can check up on it easily from time to time. \u0004<\/span><\/p>\n

If you can’t keep it at home, try to park your floating \u0004\u001cinvestment someplace where it will be watched regularly. Every \u0004\u001cspring, the newspaper is filled with reports of theft, storm damage \u0005\u001cand vandalism to boats that have been unattended during the \u0004\u001c\u0007winter.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

If your yacht will be stored afloat, be sure there is no danger \u0004\u001cof damage from ice. In general, the only threat is from moving \u0004\u001cice; stationary ice will lock the boat in a vise grip but will not \u0004\u001c\bharm it.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

An exception is a wooden hull which may be scratched along \u0004\u001cthe waterline if it is allowed to freeze in. Store wooden boats \u0004\u001cafloat so the seams do not open, but use a circulator to keep the \u0004\u001c\u0019surrounding water thawed.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Choose a winter slip that is protected from northerly winds \u0004\u001cand is enclosed so the ice will not drift around with currents and \u0004\u001cstorms. A small harbor with a narrow entrance is best.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Some skippers leave their boats on moorings for the cold \u0004\u001cmonths, but I don’t recommend it. A slip at a pier is much safer, \u0004\u001cas you can go aboard the boat easily even when the water is \u0004\u001c\u0007frozen.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Covering the boat is a good idea if you can still get aboard it \u0004\u001ceasily and there is enough ventilation to prevent mildew. The \u0004\u001cnewest approach to covering boats for the winter is shrink-wrap, \u0004\u001clike the material that covers small items you buy at the hardware \u0004\u001c\u0006store.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Follow the directions in the owner’s manual to winterize your \u0005\u001cengine. There are four systems to remember: fuel, cooling, \u0004\u001c\u001clubrication, and electrical.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Just before decommissioning the engine, add a can of fuel \u0004\u001cstabilizer to the tank and fill it to the top. This will keep the \u0004\u001cgasoline or diesel fuel fresh until spring and will prevent \u0004\u001ccondensation from collecting in the tank.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

The cooling system should be flushed with fresh water, then \u0004\u001cfilled with a 50-50 mixture of automotive antifreeze and water. Be \u0004\u001csure the engine is at normal operating temperature when you do \u0004\u001cthis so the thermostat is open and the antifreeze reaches all parts \u0004\u001c\u000eof the system.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Change the engine oil at layup time, then spray a storage \u0004\u001clubricant into the carburetor intake as the engine runs to coat the \u0004\u001cinside surfaces and protect them. Several brands of these \u0004\u001clubricants are available at marine supply stores.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

With planning, you can coordinate these steps into one by \u0004\u001crunning the engine until it reaches normal temperature, stopping \u0004\u001cit and changing the oil, putting the water intake hose into a bucket \u0004\u001cof fresh water and running the engine for a short time, filling the \u0004\u001cbucket with antifreeze, and spraying storage lubricant into the \u0004\u001ccarburetor as the engine takes up the antifreeze. \u0004\u001cWhen you can do all of that easily, you are ready to take up \u0004\u001c\u0016professional juggling.\u0005\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, check all the wires and electrical connections you can \u0004\u001creach and spray them with silicone spray to keep away the \u0004\u001cdampness. Store the batteries in a dry place and keep them \u0004\u001ccharged; I rely on my boat’s solar panel to keep the batteries up \u0004\u001cso there is always plenty of electricity to run the bilge pump and \u0004\u001c\u0007lights.\u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

Treat your vessel kindly now and it will repay you in the \u0004\u001c\u0007spring. \u0004\u001c<\/span><\/p>\n

— The End —<\/span><\/p>\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First published in several Maryland newspapers, 11\/4\/88 Winter layup \u0004\u000e\u0003by \u0004\u000e\bTom Dove \u0004\u001c\u0004\u001cThe air is turning colder, the days are getting short, and the \u0004\u001cchevrons of Canada geese are honking their way around the Bay. \u0004\u001cFor most of us, these signals mean that it is time to put our boats \u0004\u001c\u0016to bed for the winter.\u0004\u001c Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":627,"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263\/revisions\/627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tomdove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}