November 2022 Dig in and prepare for winter
WELL, apparently that was summer and now we’re into autumn. For a number of owners, the boat won’t get much use after the middle of October. For others who live aboard it’s the start of digging in and preparing for the winter months.
Regardless of which type of owner you are, there are a few good basic tips to take heed of and hopefully protect you and your investment.
The marina where I call home is based in South Wales, and the ice and snow that came in midway through the winter gave many a berth holder a bit of a wake-up call. Craft were heavily frozen in their berths with ice more than 40mm thick for several days
My father taught me in the past that good, prudent wintering of a craft will extend engine and systems lifespans, basics like draining off water tanks and hoses, not forgetting the loo and ensuring that there is a good strength of antifreeze through the engine’s water systems. We always winterise the engines and even then would still pop down every couple of weeks just to turn it over.
For several years I attended one craft that had so much timber stowed on the aft deck and cabin roof that the weed hatch and exhaust were dipped under the waterline; this caused the craft to sink. There are more and more owners who have certainly become too complacent in wintering protocol.
Often, I find when undertaking insurance claims for water damage a PVC water tank that had frozen and split, then spilt the contents of the tank into the bilges. Not so bad if it’s a water tank; a little more of an issue and certainly a bit more smelly when it was a plastic holding tank! If you are not onboard, try to remember to drain down the whole system including the tank and water pump, and remove the plastic filter bowl that very commonly gets broken by ice. It’s worth also removing any small amount of water left in the bowl of the loo, too!
Regardless of whether you are onboard or not, the use of lagging and using small electric oil-filled heaters with frost stats are very useful.
With inboard engines, make sure the right strength and levels of antifreeze are in the system. With modern antifreezes, if they are more than three years old they can start to corrode the internals of the skin tank and engine as the chemicals break down. They can suffer from a cracked head on the water jacket if they are not properly winterised. If shore power is available, a small electric oil heater placed within the engine compartment is a great help. Make sure the deck drains are working and not blocked and that the bilge pump actually works, ideally with a float switch fitted. If you have a heating system, try and ensure that the frost stat settings will work.
Locate or make a small hatch within the rear of your main accommodation so you can access your bilges and think about a fitting a small bilge pump and even a float switch bilge alarm.
Then if you do have an issue with any water systems – such as hoses that may have blown off, just like the water pipes in the loft of your house – you will prevent the bilges filling up and the cabin soles getting wet from the underside.
It always amazes me how many owners never look in the bilges.
The Boat Safety certification now requires at least one carbon monoxide alarm; my view is think about having one in each area where you or others sleep. On a boat that could be 60 feet long, the chances of hearing an alarm if you are in a deep sleep is low. I’d like to mention one incident where the vessel was moored next to another boat with a petrol generator going on his well deck; over time it passively filled the chap’s cabin through his side vent. It’s not always what is going on with your own vessel to consider!
My advice on ice or water damage is simple – prevention is always easier than cure. If you don’t take reasonable steps to protect your craft, you may find that there is no insurance cover! Why not start with a clean sheet this autumn? Don’t overload the craft, be mindful of water level heights that do change in the winter, check the boat out regularly, and ensure systems are drained and engine properly protected. Getting into a good routine of winterisation will over time save pounds long-term.
Likewise, before recommissioning check all the systems; make sure your water tank is okay and those hoses are intact! Replace fuel filters and remove water build-up in the fuel tank. Make sure the engine is working and that no water is obvious in the oil; if you’re too busy, don’t be ashamed to ask a marine engineer to give it the once-over. A second pair of eyes sometimes helps all of us.
Lastly, my father always used a small 30w light bulb in a biscuit tin rigged to a small thermostat under the engine. These days, small oil heaters are so cheap and the cost of running a small heater on a thermostat is pennies if power is available; it’s a very prudent investment compared to a replacement engine!
Ben Sutcliffe-Davies celebrated 40 years in the marine industry in September 2018. He started boat building with his father and uncle and initially built wooden craft; over time he has also built craft in GRP, steel, and aluminium. He has been a marine surveyor for more than 20 years and is now a full member of the Yacht Designers and Surveyors Association (YDSA), as well as of British Marine and the Inland Boat Building Association.