"Geoff Schultz" wrote in message
...
I've completed my Down East Circle route cruise and for the first time
since I've owned BlueJacket, I need to really winterize her. I'm quite
good at preparing her for summering over in tropical climates, but this
cold stuff...Burrr!

For all intents and purposes, I've completed the winterization, but I have
a couple of lingering questions:

1) According to the boat yard, they disconnect the cold/in and hot/out
lines to the hot water heater and hook them together. Then they simply
drain the hot water tank. I did this, but I can never get all of the
water
out. That makes me concerned, so I fed some anti-freeze into the tank
which will get diluted with the remaining water. Is this OK and/or how do
others winterize their hot water heater?

2) The life raft has water in it. Is there any reason to be concerned
over
this? I could just bring it home and store it in the basement.

-- Geoff
www.GeoffSchultz.org

I drain all the fresh water from the tank until the pressure pump sucks air.
There is also a foot operated galley pump which extracts a little more.
Any residue in the plastic pipes will perhaps freeze but will not hurt the
pipes. When water freezes it expands a bit so any water that is free to
expand can lie where it is without problems especially in plastic pipes.
My water heater has a small drain plug which ensures it is empty-I leave it
open all winter, just in case an airlock clears and lets a bit more water
in.
I do not suppose your anti freeze will cause any problems in the heater but
be sure to flush it all out before you start using water next year!
My engine has a closed circuit fresh water cooling system which has
anti-freeze in it good to -30 degrees celsius so I leave that as it is..
Although salt water freezes to mush at first winter temperatures here can
get very low and even the sea can freeze hard enough to walk across the
harbour. So when I reach the haulout quay and am otherwise finished with the
engine I turn off the sea water thru-hull and disconnect the hose from the
thru-hull and insert into a can with about a gallon of antifreeze solution.
Then I run the engine until it has all gone through. Now the salt water side
of my heat exchanger is fully protected, as is the mixing chamber in the
exhaust system and apart from the freezing aspect the solution protects from
corrosion.
Been as low as -20 degrees celsius one winter but have had no problem with
all this.
The cooling system on my heat pump that handles the air conditioning/heating
is supposed to drain itself when the boat is hauled with the thru-hull open
but I like to be sure, so when she is out I insert a tight fitting hose into
the outlet on the side of the boat and blow through it until I am sure that
nothing but air is coming out of the thru-hull.
Can't get a good enough seal trying mouth-to mouth with the outlet hole
unless I use the bit of hose!