Richard,
No need to go without your creature comforts.
You need to install a water heater bypass. This will save you 6 gallons of
antifreeze if you plan to fill or flush the system with antifreeze. You can
further simplify things by installing a drain valve on your water tank and a
bypass valve with a long flexible tube to suck antifreeze directly from a
jug, just before the pump. You also need to install a bypass to the pump or
a low point drain to allow the lines to drain. Then run the pump to deliver
antifreeze to the faucets and head (if it uses fresh water). If you have a
shoreside water hookup fitting, you need to pump a little antifreeze thru it
or dislodge the check valve to break the suction while draining the system.
Takes about a gallon of antifreeze to winterize or re-winterize. No
antifreeze in the tank or water heater. Easy line flush in the Spring. If
you have an electric water heater. turn it off so you don't burn out the
element. It sounds like a lot of work to set up, but if you really want to
join the "Frostbite Fleet" it will be worth the trouble.
Jim
"Richard Malcolm" wrote in message
m...
I was planning to keep the boat in the water for a while up here in
Boston. I was thinking about draining all the fresh water out and
replacing it with anti freeze. either I am either too lazy or worried
that if I disconnect and bypass the hot water heater I will mees it
up. I am wondering if anything will happen to the antifreeze in the
next month or 2 if it gets heated by in the water heater. I am
planning not to do much at this time to the waste water sytem as I
like having some conforts.
What do you think? can I just put antifreeze in the fresh water sytem
or do I really need to disconnect the water heater from the loop?

thanks