Did something freeze and potentially break?

[chriscraft254]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

Having marina drain single motor block, manifolds, power steering cooler and outdrive before freeze, $175.00.
Having Marina drain Dual motor blocks, manifolds, power steering cooler and outdrives before freeze, $350.00.
Lowering boat into water and lowering outdrives into water, then installing heater or even thermal blankets for a night or two, $100.00 maybe.
Being lazy and not doing anything to protect your boat during freezing conditions. PRICELESS!!! :/

 

[Natesms]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

Tonight will be another 27 degree temp. If it makes it past tonight weather shows it will not go back down for a few days. Do you know of anyone (even the marina) which could lower the boat into the water to just above the waterline? At least this way if it does have a crack the lift will keep it from sinking and the water temp could help save anything else from getting worst. The best could be it still doesn't have a crack and the water temp could save it.

I told him to call the marina and ask them to check on it and at least put it down in the water and tie it off. Not sure if he did it or not.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

if he didn't address the issue yet after having it explained to him then he doesn't deserve to own a boat and it should be removed from the lift n buried at sea just to save it from a slow landlubber inflicted death

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

21 degrees... yeah it froze hard enough to crack.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

well let's not be too hard on the guy just yet; everyone takes chances and everyone has stuff come along that wrecks plans. I don't know about where he is, but the first cold snap in many regions catches people by surprise--and lots of untended boats get through them.
Anyone who has a boat, cabin, whatever that is a couple hours from home, and also has a job and responsibilities, understands this. Sometimes stuff is where you can't get someone to go out and rescue it.

I don't have to worry about freezing but my stuff, here and at the remote placem, are at risk from hurricanes and big storms like northeasters, and sometimes you just can't get to it all in a scramble.

Although here it sounds like he could have just picked up the phone and had it done.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

With luck the metal and dog box held enough heat to keep anything from freezing. Freezing temps were not sustained all that long. 50 - 50 all will be ok.

 

[Natesms]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I've tried calling him a couple of times this week and haven't heard back from him. He works 70+ hours a week this time of year so I'm not real surprised.

I'm going to push off my trip down there to winterize to next weekend. Provided the weather doesn't change a lot it will be warm enough to let everything go another week.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

If the engines themselves were inside a COVERED engine room, then probability is high that they're fine. Before the engines could get cold enough to freeze, all the dead air in the engine room has to get down to dangerous temperature first. That dead air acts as insulation and will take several hours for the air temp to dissipate, and then the engine will take several hours for its heat to dissipate. I wrote about this the other day, how my wife leaves half-empty water bottles in our vehicles which sit outside, unused for days at a time. With overnight temps getting below 20 for several days, as long as the daytime temps rise to around or above freezing, the water in those bottles never freezes...

If the engines were covered, I'm thinking they're fine. If the engine room hatch was open, that may be a different story--

 

[Natesms]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

Just talked to the mechanic directly. The boat made it through without any damage and was winterized this morning! He got LUCKY!

Mechanic said that the warmer water provides a lot of breathing room on cold nights as long as there aren't to many in a row.

 

[alldodge]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

Now that is the kind of luck many of needs to find. Glad it worked out without a repair bill.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I read this thread earlier today and was thinking that this would be a great thread for a poll. The reason is because we were all over the place with opinions on if the blocks froze or not. I think the poll results would have made for a perfect case and point that even experts on the internet are not a reliable source of advice.

P.S. I was leaning towards the blocks being fine due to the warm water below.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I read this thread earlier today and was thinking that this would be a great thread for a poll. The reason is because we were all over the place with opinions on if the blocks froze or not. I think the poll results would have made for a perfect case and point that even experts on the internet are not a reliable source of advice.

P.S. I was leaning towards the blocks being fine due to the warm water below.

Don't need a poll, better safe than sorry!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I read this thread earlier today and was thinking that this would be a great thread for a poll. The reason is because we were all over the place with opinions on if the blocks froze or not. I think the poll results would have made for a perfect case and point that even experts on the internet are not a reliable source of advice.

P.S. I was leaning towards the blocks being fine due to the warm water below.

actually YOURS is the only unreliable statement made in this whole thread.... the rest of us STATED that we were speculating..... so it didn't break... that's great BUT there was a real chance.... he didn't come out ok because he made a wise choice but rather because he was lucky.... hopefully he won't take this chance again

 

[scipper77]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

actually YOURS is the only unreliable statement made in this whole thread.... the rest of us STATED that we were speculating..... so it didn't break... that's great BUT there was a real chance.... he didn't come out ok because he made a wise choice but rather because he was lucky.... hopefully he won't take this chance again

I respectfully disagree. I never said the block was fine. I said there was a good chance that the water acted as a heat sink and prevented a freeze and asked the OP to report back because I was wondering if this was true.

I live within one mile of the shore of lake Ontario. Last week the temps in Rochester got down to the low 20's one night. At my house it never got below 30. There was at least a five degree temp difference at about 1 mile away!! When I say that there is a good chance that a boat sitting a foot or two above 57 degree water will not freeze in the given situation it was a response made with some degree of personal experience.

The only thing you got me on is that I said that if the boat was on a trailer it would have frozen for sure. That statement was presumptuous and would not have been made if the boat actually was on a trailer.

While you got me going, I was not trying to attack anybody who said it froze and I'm sorry it came off that way. I was more commenting on how people ask questions on this forum that can not be reliably answered by anyone who has not seen what is going on first hand. This thread is a good example of why sometimes asking questions on the internet creates more questions than answers. If anyone should be upset with me it should be the OP (sorry Natesms, no offense intended).

 

[Maclin]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I would like more details on how the mechanic verified that no damage occurred. Many times an internally cracked block won't show until it gets stressed some.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I respectfully disagree. I never said the block was fine. I said there was a good chance that the water acted as a heat sink and prevented a freeze and asked the OP to report back because I was wondering if this was true.

I live within one mile of the shore of lake Ontario. Last week the temps in Rochester got down to the low 20's one night. At my house it never got below 30. There was at least a five degree temp difference at about 1 mile away!! When I say that there is a good chance that a boat sitting a foot or two above 57 degree water will not freeze in the given situation it was a response made with some degree of personal experience.

The only thing you got me on is that I said that if the boat was on a trailer it would have frozen for sure. That statement was presumptuous and would not have been made if the boat actually was on a trailer.

While you got me going, I was not trying to attack anybody who said it froze and I'm sorry it came off that way. I was more commenting on how people ask questions on this forum that can not be reliably answered by anyone who has not seen what is going on first hand. This thread is a good example of why sometimes asking questions on the internet creates more questions than answers. If anyone should be upset with me it should be the OP (sorry Natesms, no offense intended).

Don't think Smoke was trying to beat up on you. There are individuals every year that take chances for various reasons and its just not worth it. In some cases it turns out fine, in others, not so fine. Simply put, better safe than sorry.

I don't see where a "poll" would have helped at all. This forum is usually a great place for knowledge about the proper things to do from the simplest repairs to major overhauls, or for winterizing your boat in time for a freeze. I think the vast majority of people here that respond are basing there opinions, (whether there fact or not) on some experience, so maybe keep that in mind.

There is always an issue with a (after the fact) threads here. When a post is made about, "shoulda, coulda" type things, its many times speculation. When your talking about blocks freezing or cracking a manifold etc, the type of boat, its location, time of day, how fast it freezes, how long it freezes, is it in the water, out of the water, etc etc etc all will play into the end results. Problem with guessing if it will be ok is it can cost you lots of money. Again, better safe than sorry.

I would like more details on how the mechanic verified that no damage occurred. Many times an internally cracked block won't show until it gets stressed some.

Ditto, I hope all is fine, but hairline cracks can show up at anytime, in the block or the manifolds.

 

[ONEGA]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I read this thread earlier today and was thinking that this would be a great thread for a poll. The reason is because we were all over the place with opinions on if the blocks froze or not. I think the poll results would have made for a perfect case and point that even experts on the internet are not a reliable source of advice.

P.S. I was leaning towards the blocks being fine due to the warm water below.

What poll? Winterize or neglect?

 

[ONEGA]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I would like more details on how the mechanic verified that no damage occurred. Many times an internally cracked block won't show until it gets stressed some.

I personally wouldn't sleep well until spring in situation like this.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

Well now I must admit that I didn't connect your post (that I quoted) with your earlier ones and I was ONLY referring to the later one (about not being a good source of advice) when I replied. Personally I have been boating for almost as long as I've been breathing and have never found a better source of information than this forum... I feel that we strive and mostly succeed at giving excellent advice and likely far better than about 85% of the local advice a person would be likely to find.... I believe that this thread was no exception and the O/P was given excellent advice throughout.

IMHO You made excellent points early on and I in no way meant to attack them... also I didn't mean anything personal so if you took it that way I apologize.

While I'm still not 100% convinced that everything IS fine w the engine, at least the "mechanic" thinks so. That's one helluva vote to the positive for it. I would still pull the manifolds n risers and test em for internal leakage and keep a close eye on oil and power steering fluid for water in the spring..... With any luck the O/P's friend has learned from this experience and won't take such chances in the future.

 

[Natesms]

Re: Did something freeze and potentially break?

I'm not sure what the mechanic did to check it out. He is a certified mechanic and been at it 20+ years so I'm fairly confident it'll be ok.

I saw him last night and told him to get it on a trailer and close to home or sell it. I think I've taken his boat out as many times as he has...