Boats left in water thru winter?

villain style

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Oct 10, 2006
1,704
Safe Harbor Marina Kent Island, MD
Boat Info
2006 44 DA
QSC 8.3s
Engines
Cummins QSC 8.3s 500HO
Just curious as to how many people leave their boat in the water during water? Assuming it is winterized and not to be used until Spring. If you do what preparations if any do you do other than winterizing systems?
 
Left in the water, winterized and a Boatsafe bilge heater for extra measure. Bubblers in water around boat to keep ice from forming near the hull.
 
I never have, but several boats on my canal stay in over the winter. They winterize everything and shrink wrap (with a zipper door) them in the water.
They come out for a short haul in the spring to wash and paint the bottom, wax the hull and do any other required maintenance.
I’m seriously considering doing it next year.
 
I’m in all winter. I keep a heater in the engine room. Other than that, I stop bye once a week to check on things and dream about warmer weather.
 
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This is the first year I'm keeping one in the water. I'll winterize it after this weekend, and I have a bilge heater.
I'll buy a bubbler if I need to.
 
I leave mine in the water all winter. The only winterizing I do is to drain the fresh water system and blow out all the lines. I have several small heaters throughout the boat including one in the lazarette and a BilgeSafe in the engine room. I open all the cupboard doors and drawers anywhere in the boat where there are fresh water lines to keep cold air from collecting in there.

I have a Kasco 3/4hp deicer pump that gets hung below the boat if the marina freezes over.

Greg, FYI the Port won't let you attach anything to the docks. If you hang a deicer pump, hang it from your bow rails.
 
Something like this? :) None of these are mine, but it's the harbor where we vacation in Friendship, ME.

CE707738-_DC80-4618-9193-450_D573_BCDFD.png


E47_BD679-53_BE-48_D1-9409-8_FC417_FFA2_A2.jpg
 
I stay in the water under covered shed year round. I winterize like normal and put up the cockpit canvas. Our marina is bubbled but I also have an additional one that I can drop in if needed. Our marina does not allow unattended heaters due to a fire many years ago.
 
Lazy Nice picture. Guess all this money we spend on winterizing is just "Fake News". I used to keep my boat on Vancouver Island all winter in the water. No winterizing of any system. Had two 100 watt Air Dry heaters in it. After 10 years the ice maker carbon filter cracked. Now I replace it every couple of years.
 
Greg, FYI the Port won't let you attach anything to the docks. If you hang a deicer pump, hang it from your bow rails.
Doesn't surprise me Mike.
This is our marina last year.
 

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Doesn't surprise me Mike.
This is our marina last year.
No surprises if you abide by their rules. My first year there I had a submersible pump and PVC piping that ran around the inside of my slip. The pump brought up warmer water from below (5' down) and it shot out from the holes I drilled in the PVC. Worked great, kept my slip ice free....until the Port saw it and told me I couldn't use it again.

I bought a 3/4hp Kasco Deicer pump and lower it beneath the boat. If you want to see my setup just give me a shout.

Here's what my slip looked like after just a few hours of the pump running. This shot was taken the same day your picture was taken.
20170120_114408_zpsyifdr1sf.jpg
 
I never have, but several boats on my canal stay in over the winter. They winterize everything and shrink wrap (with a zipper door) them in the water.
They come out for a short haul in the spring to wash and paint the bottom, wax the hull and do any other required maintenance.
I’m seriously considering doing it next year.

I think I may do this next year also. The reason for my question to begin with...
 
This is my second year in the water, I winterize all systems install the bilge heater turn one of the ER cameras towards a portable thermometer so I can view it remotely, shrinkwrap and visit 2-3 days a week.( I tell the wife I need to check things but it’s just to see the boat)
 
This is my second year in the water, I winterize all systems install the bilge heater turn one of the ER cameras towards a portable thermometer so I can view it remotely, shrinkwrap and visit 2-3 days a week.( I tell the wife I need to check things but it’s just to see the boat)

Joe, how do you see the ER camera, through the wifi at the marina?
 
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Fully winterize, shrink wrap and use an Extreme Heater in Bilge for added peace of mind. Marina provides bubbler system on docks.
 
We usually leave ours in... This year she is out... I winterize all the systems, use a bubbler, have it shrink wrapped, and leave the battery charger plugged in... No heater is needed. The only real downside is when a storm hits, like what happened last Feb, and I snapped two lines and broke a whip... I worry less with the boat out of the water...
 

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