Every year I've had the boat winterized, shrink-wrapped and stored on the
hard for the winter. Location: Cape Cod, MA.

This winter I am considering leaving it in the water. The marina I am at
offers in water storage and, for a nominal fee, power throughout the winter.

I talked to several people that do this and they have never had any
problems. There are a couple of live-a-boards here that spend all winter on
their boats. If fact, they have mentioned some of the most enjoyable times
is sitting in your boat during a snowstorm with the wind whipping and
rocking the boat.

The section of the marina where my slip is located is equipped with air
bubblers at each piling. The water tank on the boat is molded into the
bottom of the hull, so draining and winterizing the domestic water could
wait until it really gets cold (January). I'd leave the reverse cycle
A/C-Heat units operating until the water gets too cold to extract any heat,
then use space heaters (only when I am aboard).

I am not going to "live" on the boat, but I think it would be different to
spend a couple of days aboard once in a while during the cold, dreary
winter.

Eisboch