Skip
Well-Known Member
- Oct 5, 2006
- 1,085
- Boat Info
- 07 58 DB
Truly Blessed IV
2010 Nautica 12' RIB, 40HP Yamaha
- Engines
- MAN CRM 900s
I wanted to take a moment to summarize the winterization of Truly Blessed II. Not sure I have any great insights, but here goes…and I apologize for the long post. First, my checklist:
Winterize the Boat
Fresh water system
Purge water from lines
Bow anchor wash down
Master stateroom sink, toilet, shower
Galley sink and sprayer
Guest stateroom sink, toilet, shower
Cockpit wetbar sink
Ice maker
Engine room wash down
Hot water heater and hot water lines
Transom shower
Transom wash down inside trunk
Air conditioners
Purge fresh water from lines
Fill lines and compressors with antifreeze
Clean a/c filters
Toilets and holding tank
Fill sewer lines with antifreeze
Empty holding tank and fill (partial) with antifreeze
Onan Generator
Change oil and filter
Remove impeller
Drain all water from cooling system
Fill with anti freeze
Change zinc in heat exchanger
Cummins Diesels
Change oil and filters
Change RACOR elements
Change primary diesel filters
Change coolant filters
Change zincs in aftercoolers
Clean AIRSEP elements
Drain all water from cooling system and fill with antifreeze
Remove impellers
Spot paint rust on engines
Boat exterior
Wash boat
Wax boat
Tighten fittings and fasteners
Re-caulk seams as required
Clean all stainless steel
Inspect and adjust life line tension
Inspect windlass and tighten clutch
Inspect all running lights and change bulbs as required
Inspect and tighten radar connections
Boat interior
Clean carpets
Wash and replace carpet runners
Defrost and clean refrigerator and freezer
Clean out microwave
Clean out cabinets (all)
Unpack unnecessary gear
Clean shower sump
Inspect bilge pump operation
Engine room
Tighten all hose clamps and replace as needed
Re-seal forward bilge pump screws
Canvas
Remove and clean all isenglass
Remove and clean all canvas
Remove and bring home to clean all carpet
Replace missing snaps
Lubricate zippers
Sub contract repair of port side canvas runner
Sub contract repair of helm cover
Shrink Wrap Boat
Lessons I learned:
The Jabsco 12V flat tank Oil Pump Out System I bought worked really well ($129) It took about 30 minutes or so to pump the 5 quarts of 30 weight out of each of the ZF 280 Series IV transmissions. The 12V clips on the Jabsco unit were not long enough to reach the batteries on the boat, so I bought an inexpensive deep cycle battery from Wal Mart and used it to power the Jabsco pump. Worked great. My only challenge with the trannies was the filter caps: they require a 36MM socket to remove. I did not have one, nor could I find one locally. Lowes and Home Depot were no help…so I refilled the trannies with fresh oil and will clean the filters in the spring. In the meantime, for $45, I got a metric socket set from Harbor Freight Tools online, which has 22-40MM sockets and ½ ratchet, ratchet extension, and breaker bar. Not first quality tools, but more than adequate to the job. I should have had the right tool before I started, but I assumed that an adjustable wrench would get it done. Not so. These filter caps are in a tight spot and you require the right tool.
I cleaned the Jabsco unit out with warm soapy water and the intake hose and tank all look clean..so I assume the pump is good to go as well.
The reverso oil change system Sea Ray installs is a great, great piece of gear. It took no time at all to change oil in the mains and generator.
I failed to buy a water heater bypass, so I used an extra 8-10 gallons of RV antifreeze on my freshwater system. I plan to recycle the pink stuff, and buy a bypass next season.
I used the K&N air filter cleaner and oil, and the filters on the Airseps look brand new.
I winterized the Onan gen set and the mains by using a thoroflush cap and running a mix of -100 and -50 RV antifreeze through the entire raw water side. Same for the A/C systems. On each I made sure that pink stuff was present from the sea cock forward in the system. Once all were winterized I used tie-wraps on each sea cock to verify that they are properly and completely closed
I found yet another use for the Porter Cable 7424. The isinglass panels were a bit dirty, so after I cleaned them with fresh water I let them dry, then used Meguiar’s Clear Plastic cleaner on a soft foam buffing pad on the Porter Cable. I set the unit to speed setting 2 and away I went—and the isinglass cleaned up really, really well. I followed this with a hand application of Meguair’s clear plastic polish and my isinglass will easily get me through another couple seasons. Once complete I hung all my isenglass and sunbrella panels on 2 x 4s affixed to my basement ceiling joists--I screwed buttons into the 2 x 4s and buttoned the isenglass and sunbrella panels up in approximately the same orientation that they hang on the boat.
I put my wife’s new high capacity (and far too expensive IMO) clothes washer to good use as well. I washed all the Sunbrella on the hand-wash delicates cold water setting, let it hang over a basement couch to dry, then treated all pieces with 303 Fabric treatment. Did the same to the cockpit snap in carpet (except for the big piece, which I had to use my hoover steam cleaner on)
The sunbrella and carpets both look great. I’ll have to do the fastback enclosure by hand, but all other pieces, including the fore and aft biminis, cleaned up really well, and took the 303 application very well.
I was really blessed with the weather. The day I winterized I had a buddy along who waxed the boat down to the rubrail, in 65 degree sunny weather. A week later I washed the boat and just as I was getting off the last black streak the shrink wrap guy arrived..so she got wrapped clean. My shrink wrap guy did a great job. He ran a line between my stern cleats and shrink wrapped forward of the line—so I can access my platform safely on snow/icey days and also raise my engine hatch enough to get into the engine room—very important to me.
I learned a lot and feel like the boat was winterized properly. It was a two advil day each time, but to ease the pain I downloaded my local dealer’s winterization rates for 2006. A sample:
Winterize twin diesel engines (Oil, filter, fuel filters) $2200 (does not include transmissions)
Winterize Generator: $250
Winterize A/C: $100 per unit
Winterize Marine Toilets: $50 per unit
Winterize ice maker: $50 per unit
Winterize windshield washer: $50
Shrink wrap: $20/Foot.
All told, I spent under $1K, including shrink wrap and all materials—oil, oil filters, primary and secondary diesel filters, etc. To have the dealer do it would have been nearly $5K. The $4K savings goes a long way towards the '07 fuel budget.
Thanks as always to Frank W, Dancin Dave, OSD9, Impulse III, and Chris M for advice and encouragement. This was my first time ever winterizing a big boat, and while a far cry from the 22’ Supra inboard I used to winterize myself, it was both fun and gratifying work.
regards
Skip
Winterize the Boat
Fresh water system
Purge water from lines
Bow anchor wash down
Master stateroom sink, toilet, shower
Galley sink and sprayer
Guest stateroom sink, toilet, shower
Cockpit wetbar sink
Ice maker
Engine room wash down
Hot water heater and hot water lines
Transom shower
Transom wash down inside trunk
Air conditioners
Purge fresh water from lines
Fill lines and compressors with antifreeze
Clean a/c filters
Toilets and holding tank
Fill sewer lines with antifreeze
Empty holding tank and fill (partial) with antifreeze
Onan Generator
Change oil and filter
Remove impeller
Drain all water from cooling system
Fill with anti freeze
Change zinc in heat exchanger
Cummins Diesels
Change oil and filters
Change RACOR elements
Change primary diesel filters
Change coolant filters
Change zincs in aftercoolers
Clean AIRSEP elements
Drain all water from cooling system and fill with antifreeze
Remove impellers
Spot paint rust on engines
Boat exterior
Wash boat
Wax boat
Tighten fittings and fasteners
Re-caulk seams as required
Clean all stainless steel
Inspect and adjust life line tension
Inspect windlass and tighten clutch
Inspect all running lights and change bulbs as required
Inspect and tighten radar connections
Boat interior
Clean carpets
Wash and replace carpet runners
Defrost and clean refrigerator and freezer
Clean out microwave
Clean out cabinets (all)
Unpack unnecessary gear
Clean shower sump
Inspect bilge pump operation
Engine room
Tighten all hose clamps and replace as needed
Re-seal forward bilge pump screws
Canvas
Remove and clean all isenglass
Remove and clean all canvas
Remove and bring home to clean all carpet
Replace missing snaps
Lubricate zippers
Sub contract repair of port side canvas runner
Sub contract repair of helm cover
Shrink Wrap Boat
Lessons I learned:
The Jabsco 12V flat tank Oil Pump Out System I bought worked really well ($129) It took about 30 minutes or so to pump the 5 quarts of 30 weight out of each of the ZF 280 Series IV transmissions. The 12V clips on the Jabsco unit were not long enough to reach the batteries on the boat, so I bought an inexpensive deep cycle battery from Wal Mart and used it to power the Jabsco pump. Worked great. My only challenge with the trannies was the filter caps: they require a 36MM socket to remove. I did not have one, nor could I find one locally. Lowes and Home Depot were no help…so I refilled the trannies with fresh oil and will clean the filters in the spring. In the meantime, for $45, I got a metric socket set from Harbor Freight Tools online, which has 22-40MM sockets and ½ ratchet, ratchet extension, and breaker bar. Not first quality tools, but more than adequate to the job. I should have had the right tool before I started, but I assumed that an adjustable wrench would get it done. Not so. These filter caps are in a tight spot and you require the right tool.
I cleaned the Jabsco unit out with warm soapy water and the intake hose and tank all look clean..so I assume the pump is good to go as well.
The reverso oil change system Sea Ray installs is a great, great piece of gear. It took no time at all to change oil in the mains and generator.
I failed to buy a water heater bypass, so I used an extra 8-10 gallons of RV antifreeze on my freshwater system. I plan to recycle the pink stuff, and buy a bypass next season.
I used the K&N air filter cleaner and oil, and the filters on the Airseps look brand new.
I winterized the Onan gen set and the mains by using a thoroflush cap and running a mix of -100 and -50 RV antifreeze through the entire raw water side. Same for the A/C systems. On each I made sure that pink stuff was present from the sea cock forward in the system. Once all were winterized I used tie-wraps on each sea cock to verify that they are properly and completely closed
I found yet another use for the Porter Cable 7424. The isinglass panels were a bit dirty, so after I cleaned them with fresh water I let them dry, then used Meguiar’s Clear Plastic cleaner on a soft foam buffing pad on the Porter Cable. I set the unit to speed setting 2 and away I went—and the isinglass cleaned up really, really well. I followed this with a hand application of Meguair’s clear plastic polish and my isinglass will easily get me through another couple seasons. Once complete I hung all my isenglass and sunbrella panels on 2 x 4s affixed to my basement ceiling joists--I screwed buttons into the 2 x 4s and buttoned the isenglass and sunbrella panels up in approximately the same orientation that they hang on the boat.
I put my wife’s new high capacity (and far too expensive IMO) clothes washer to good use as well. I washed all the Sunbrella on the hand-wash delicates cold water setting, let it hang over a basement couch to dry, then treated all pieces with 303 Fabric treatment. Did the same to the cockpit snap in carpet (except for the big piece, which I had to use my hoover steam cleaner on)
The sunbrella and carpets both look great. I’ll have to do the fastback enclosure by hand, but all other pieces, including the fore and aft biminis, cleaned up really well, and took the 303 application very well.
I was really blessed with the weather. The day I winterized I had a buddy along who waxed the boat down to the rubrail, in 65 degree sunny weather. A week later I washed the boat and just as I was getting off the last black streak the shrink wrap guy arrived..so she got wrapped clean. My shrink wrap guy did a great job. He ran a line between my stern cleats and shrink wrapped forward of the line—so I can access my platform safely on snow/icey days and also raise my engine hatch enough to get into the engine room—very important to me.
I learned a lot and feel like the boat was winterized properly. It was a two advil day each time, but to ease the pain I downloaded my local dealer’s winterization rates for 2006. A sample:
Winterize twin diesel engines (Oil, filter, fuel filters) $2200 (does not include transmissions)
Winterize Generator: $250
Winterize A/C: $100 per unit
Winterize Marine Toilets: $50 per unit
Winterize ice maker: $50 per unit
Winterize windshield washer: $50
Shrink wrap: $20/Foot.
All told, I spent under $1K, including shrink wrap and all materials—oil, oil filters, primary and secondary diesel filters, etc. To have the dealer do it would have been nearly $5K. The $4K savings goes a long way towards the '07 fuel budget.
Thanks as always to Frank W, Dancin Dave, OSD9, Impulse III, and Chris M for advice and encouragement. This was my first time ever winterizing a big boat, and while a far cry from the 22’ Supra inboard I used to winterize myself, it was both fun and gratifying work.
regards
Skip