Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

[Robertpel9]

A little early in the season but this will be my first winter in NC with my boat. We have nice days pretty much every month of the year and i would like to be able to have access to the water from my wet slip year round. I have my boat in my community boatslip. It dies get below freezing her ein the winter month sometimes for days at a time. When i was looking at houses last year in the winter i saw boat in the wet slips all thru the winter

What is the deal for this area. Do you have to winterize or can i just get annual maintenance done and put in back in the water and enjoy it year round

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

Is your boat an inboard or i/o? Makes a difference.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

Based on your signature, I'll assume you're talking an I/O and talking about outside.

The short answer is yes - especially where you're located. even out by the coast where we live, there are plenty of nights cold enough to freeze and crack manifolds, block, etc... The hardest part on the shoulder seasons (late fall early spring) is that you often don't know until the last minute that the temp is going to drop below freezing and it can still be fairly warm during the days.

personally this year I'm going to rig some kind of heater (designed for combustible atmosphere service!) to drop in the engine compartment with a thermostat set to 35 or 40 degrees. I love going out on those nice days we have even in the middle of the winter... and wound up winterizing about 3 times last year...

 

[marine4003]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

considering that insurance doesn't compensate for "shoulda's" i defiantly recommend it,i live on the beach in NC and winterize,'cause the one year i dont..is the one year it'll freeze for a week and i end up with a cracked block

 

[1970 Chieftain V]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

I would say you don't have to do a complete winterization. Just drain the block and manifold when your done for the day. Most of the winterization process is for preventing problems of under use anyway.

Jason

 

[Robertpel9]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

I would say you don't have to do a complete winterization. Just drain the block and manifold when your done for the day. Most of the winterization process is for preventing problems of under use anyway.

Jason

How do you do that while the boat is still in the water

 

[Robertpel9]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

Is your boat an inboard or i/o? Makes a difference.

I/O

 

[1970 Chieftain V]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

How do you do that while the boat is still in the water

Mine drains into the bilge where the bilge pump would then pump it out. You can then dry the rest with a towel. If that doesn't work you can catch the water with a bucket.

Jason

 

[ruf1967]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

I live in N. texas which is about the same latitude as South Carolina. I winterize the boat every year, usually in early Nov. You should because winterization is cheaper than replacing a cracked engine block.

 

[Outsider]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

Buy an approved heater for the engine compartment (pricey, but much safer than a light bulb) and you should be fine. While it gets cold here, the lake rarely freezes over ...

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

I would say you don't have to do a complete winterization. Just drain the block and manifold when your done for the day.

Jason

I agree...

 

[crb478]

Re: Do you need to winterize in NC (Lake Norman)

If you want to leave it in drain the block and put a small marine heater or light bulb under the dog house and check on it to make sure it is working. If there is going to be a hard freeze you might want to consider pulling it out especially if there is a chance of loosing power like during one of our ice storms. The water is generally warm enough that it does not freeze except at some very remote coves near the edges during really hard freezes. There is a community boatslip in my neighborhood and most people leave there boats in all winter either on lifts or in the water. I do not know of anyone who has had any damage so far by just draining the block and using a light bulb. A light bulb in the well heads has been used in this area for decades to keep them from freezing.