Saltwater freezing?

[Welsh Rob]

Hi,<br /><br />I live in Wales UK and keep my 21ft fisher with its 3ltr mercruiser and alpha drive on its wet berth at the local seawater marina<br /><br />We rarely get temps below -5deg and i run the engine up to normal operating temp at least once a week during the winter months<br /><br />Should i have to worry about anything?<br /><br />Thanks

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

depends<br /> if the engine box temps get below about 28*F for any lentgh of time it can freeze the longer its below the freezing temp the harder it will freeze. it can only expand so much before castings start breaking.<br /> usually in the water the engine box can pull heat from the seawater, however I get a few every year that broke the thinner castings on the manifolds while sitting in the water.<br /> it all comes down to do ya feel lucky

 

[Welsh Rob]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

Thanks for the quick reply rodbolt<br /><br />Therefore i take it that saltwater in my engine can freeze?

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

if it gets cold enough it can

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

We have had our big saltwater bays frooze so solid they lifted pier and dock pilings. New Jersy, USA.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

A couple of years ago the harbor where our boats are moored froze solid all the way from Northport/Centerport out to Eaton's Neck, like all of Northport Bay. If it is below 20 degrees for more than a week or so, this is common. I would not leave a sterndrive boat in the water in freezing temps not only because of the possibility of water freezing in the engine/manifolds, but if ice formed around the bellows, it possibly could cut the bellows and sink the boat.

 

[Welsh Rob]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

Hi Chaps,<br /><br />We get nowhere near that severe here in the UK minus 5 and thats rare,minus 2/3 is more common and not for days on end usually just a cold spell totalling a few days!?

 

[rebars1]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

What do the professional fishermen and other boaters in your area do?

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

I can state for a fact that some water soaked woods and most water soaked plywood is torn apart by each freeze and thaw. Water in the tiny tubes of wood ruptures them and destroys the dry wood strength.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

Originally posted by rebars1:<br /> What do the professional fishermen and other boaters in your area do?

Most in New England use outboards or on inboards-I/O's closed cooling systems with dry stack exhaust. Some go as far as to heat the motor box/room to keep it above freezing.

 

[scottatwork]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

Originally posted by cyclops2:<br /> I can state for a fact that some water soaked woods and most water soaked plywood is torn apart by each freeze and thaw. Water in the tiny tubes of wood ruptures them and destroys the dry wood strength.

Frost-Wedging , common geological term.<br /><br />Happens to dings in your windshield, happens to granite rock, happens to everything.<br /><br />He's right! when in doubt, drain it out...<br /><br />We're hitting some low temps here (32) and it's been this way a few days and going to be a few more days.......brrr..

 

[rojoc]

Re: Saltwater freezing?

Where I boat in Mt. Sinai harbor Long Island NY. USA, there are lots of comercial fishing boats that are moored all winter long. On some of the more severe winters the harbor will freeze over. Many of the boats will stay in the ice. I,m not sure but I think the design of the hulls lifts the boat in the ice rather than crushing effect sideways. They all seem to survive ok. It usually takes many days of extreme cold to solidify the water. Not sure as to what kind of cooling these boats have other than they seem to be diesel powered.