Winter is coming
It pays to spend time preparing your boat for the colder months today
I am not a pessimist, but if the last two winters are a guide, then we could well be battered by upcoming winter storms. I intend to continue cruising until at least the end of November, but action to meet the anticipated changes in the weather is now my priority.
Our Jeanneau NC14, Diana, is staying in the water for the winter with a lift-out next February/march for the IPS pods to be serviced and antifouled, and the hull waxed. The plan is not to winterise the boat completely and fully lay her up, so that I can head out at short notice.
Diana is berthed near the lock in Port Solent, but she gets the full force of westerlies beam on, gusting through the large unprotected gap in the marina. The wind can reach more than 40 knots blowing the boat off the pontoon in most conditions so the mooring warps all need to be beefed up. I triple the rear ropes and double the bow lines, all with heavy-duty ropes. The fenders are checked for height regularly and are double knotted.
Next, the cockpit covers are cleaned and re-proofed. I use Fabsil and leave the covers up all year except when at sea, so I ensure all the fastenings are secure.
When the first storm arrives, the warps will load up ferociously like piano wires as the boat’s weight doubles or triples with the force of wind. The precautions, which at first glance seem to be overkill, will hold Diana securely. Even so, I check everything before and after each gale and re-tension all the fender lines.
The gel-coat on the coach roof has been coated and buffed with Greased Lightning’s Showroom Shine all season and will last the winter period with only an occasional freshwater rinse.
I then turn my attention to the interior. I use a Meaco Junior dehumidifier, which has a warm exhaust 12°C above the ambient temperature, placed in the owner’s cabin. I also use a simple space heater in the saloon with the thermostat set to minimum. This combination keeps the interior of the boat dry and warm.
However, I have to visit regularly to empty the Meaco tank as this can fill up in 24/48 hours in wet weather. Unfortunately, I cannot set it up to drain permanently into a sink as my boat’s plumbing system goes to waste tanks, which also need pumping out. Thankfully, I only live 15 minutes away, so this is no hardship. I then place crystal dehumidifiers in the lazarette and in the engineroom. Although they have a limited capacity compared to the Meaco, they do keep condensation on the engines at bay and last at least six to eight weeks before requiring a refill.
The dehumidifiers are then backed up by a panel heater between the engines and a tube heater in the lazarette where all the ancillary equipment is housed. Both heaters have thermostatic plugs which I specified on commissioning by Cambrian Boats. These are set at 5°C and maintain an engine temperature of 4°C or above, even in the coldest conditions. Of course, you can also buy plug-in thermostats – these are inexpensive and do save lots of power,
After emptying all the freshwater, black and grey tanks, I drain the taps to remove any residual pressure in the system. I then remove the shower head from the shower unit on the stern platform as this is very vulnerable in cold weather and can split if water remains inside. In this way, the end of the pipe can ‘breathe’. Don’t forget to put it back in the spring!
I have only two seacocks on Diana, and these are exercised whenever I’m on board. They remain closed all winter in the water and will be serviced when she is on the hard in the spring. I also check and tighten every Jubilee clip.
The engines will be serviced at the beginning of next year and I have them desalinated, as recommended by Golden Arrow. Volvo D4s can be prone to corrosion where there are aluminium sections and this process is a real investment. The liquid is expensive but peanuts compared to replacement parts and labour. Once on the hard, I pour freshwater/antifreeze solution down the raw water strainers which drains down and out of the drives.
So now Diana is all set for winter but can be made ready for sea in a few minutes if the opportunity arises.