Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

[LuvBoating]

I have been told that "winterizing" is not needed in Florida. We haven't "winterized" our 1992 20' Cuddy Cabin since we bought it here in 2009 and it seems to have been fine each Spring. We done the "winterization" thing to our 1989 Bowrider when we lived south of Denver, CO, but their winters there are TRUE winters!

What we do is:
Fill the gas tank and add ethenol treatment.
Go over to the boat at least once a month, put the hose on it, start it up and let it run a couple of minutes. I was told that that is better than simply letting the boat sit during the cold times and not running it at all. But, I was also told that, when I put the hose on the drive and start it, I'm putting water into the engine that won't come out.........and that isn't necessarily good........taking the chance of that water freezing in the block. As already stated, we haven't had a problem "winter starting" it since we bought it in '09, but I wanted some opinions.

If you live in Florida, do you or don't you "winterize" your boat? If not, do you do anything to it during those cold times?

 

[Don S]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Winterizing is a very misused term. The engine manufacturers use it as a means of extended/long term storage. Some use it as meaning draining the cooling system to prevent freeze damage.

Obviously, if it doesn't freeze where you are at, draining the cooling system to prevent freeze damage is not needed, but the rest of they yearly maintenance is needed.

 

[Quit It]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Don,
Is there a "close enough" to freezing temperature?

 

[Don S]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Don,
Is there a "close enough" to freezing temperature?

Yes, 33?F is close, but freezing water will happen at 32?.

If you are dumb enough to go by what the weather man PREDICTS the low temp to be on your local weather report, then you really deserve freeze damage. They could call for 33? at your local reporting station they go by, but you could get 26? where your boat is parked. Do you feel lucky :facepalm:

 

[Quit It]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Yes, water freezes at 32, but any guesses how many hours it needs to be at 32 for the temperature to reach the block/water?

I don't know what all is involved in protecting it from freezing but I do know that I plan to use the boat every weekend.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Is there winter in Florida?

If you do not plan to use your boat, then as Don indicated some things do need to be done for the extended storage and lack of use. Engine fogging, etc.

As for freeze protection, that would depend on the risks. I would think it would be good to drain down things just in case.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I'd say not draining you engine block in north Florida is playing russian roulette, Florida suffers crop freeze damage all the way down to Orlando some years. You'll probably get away with it for a while... but one of these years...

 

[Quit It]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

In addition to the engine I'll need to drain the water heater, the genset(?), the AC(?) and ...

Thanks

 

[frfly172]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

In reverse do you have to summerise a boat if left for the summer.

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Last two winters were fairly mild here, but there's always a couple days of freezing (at least in my area). 09 there were several weeks of freezing temps. Unless you have her in a garage I'd keep a close eye & if you're not going to boat much I'd winterize mid Dec-Feb-ish.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

+1. I'm in the North of Florida too. As previously stated, "winterize" = "long term storage", so the real question is how long is long. There are many places in FL where folks can/do boat year round, so they never store there motor for any significant length of time. Where Ja and I live in the frozen north, we usually take a few months off in the dead of winter, in which case winterizing isn't a bad idea. I would be particularly mindful of any water in the gear case that could expand when frozen and crack the housing. That being said, I've spent many and Xmas in a t-shirt at the beach, so most people keep their boats handy in case we get a couple warm days. All of the spring fed rivers are 72F year round, so you can go hang out with the manatees on them anytime as well. It's weird to jump into water in the middle of winter that's 20-30 warmer than the air outside! They get all steamy and dinosaury looking when it gets cold out too

 

[sam60]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Yes, water freezes at 32, but any guesses how many hours it needs to be at 32 for the temperature to reach the block/water?

Way too many variables to predict that. How long does it take to freeze the 1/4" nipple from the pressure switch on my well at 32* ?

Not long before I built the well house around it, never since.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Yes, water freezes at 32, but any guesses how many hours it needs to be at 32 for the temperature to reach the block/water?

No Guessing Needed!

I placed a data logger with the temperature probe INSIDE of the block, and a second data logger outside to record the air temperature for a week.
The boat was located next to a house but otherwise exposed to the elements.
The engine was a 4.3L I/O inside of a fiberglass engine cove with a full cover over the entire boat.

The block temperature follows the air temperature with a lag of less than an hour.
Not surprisingly, the block and boat got hotter than the air during the day with the sun shinning.
This effect does not last long after the sun sets.
The block would actually get as much as 4 degrees F COLDER than the air temperature on nights with a calm, clear starry sky.
This is due to radiation cooling and the effect is very real.

There is the real possibility that the block could freeze on a calm, clear night with the air temperature between 33 and 36F!

Note: Ice expands 8% to its maximum volume at 31.999 degrees F.
It does not have to get well into the 20's for hours to split the block.

Note#2: A 60w trouble light under the engine would warm it about 20F in a pinch!

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Fill the gas tank and add ethenol treatment.
Go over to the boat at least once a month, put the hose on it, start it up and let it run a couple of minutes. I was told that that is better than simply letting the boat sit during the cold times and not running it at all.

Listen to the second opinion. Starting an engine up and running for only a couple of minutes is one of the worst things you can do to it! hydrocarbon combustion as well as the temperature cycles, cause condensation. That moisture gets in your oil, cylinders, bearings, and exhaust. By only running a couple of minutes, you aren't getting the engine up to temp to burn off the moisture, instead you are just collecting it.

To properly store an engine, you want oil, lots of it, covering every surface. (hence, 'pickled engines', but a good fogging oil used properly is enough for short term marine engines.) If the engine was put to bed properly, starting it up is going to get rid of most of that oil.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

We have friends in Ormond Beach that have a boat there and the husband tells me that he never winterizes his and has never had a problem come Spring. His sits on a trailer in an outside storage facility. He told me "I wouldn't worry about it. The temperature here don't stay cold for long enough time to harm the engine. A few hours, in the early morning isn't going to hurt it. It just doesn't stay at a freezing temperature long enough here to harm it."

What I should have said, when opening this Thread was........"we start it at least once a month and let it run to operating temp", which would be more than just a couple of minutes.
We are planning on taking the boat into the shop by the first part of January for some work, and to have it winterized then, would be pretty much a waste of money since by the middle of March we will be on the water again. Winterizing a boat isn't cheap........found that out in CO.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Also, people who have access to electricity, whereever their boat is stored, can hook up a light for heat or something like that.........we can't.

Now, I've heard of another thing to help the block from freezing.........a few pieces of insulation tucked into the engine area. Anyone here done this or heard of someone who has?

I just happen to think of something else now: For people who do use their boat during our so-called "winters" here in Florida, what about the water that is left in the engine after taking it out on the water. I mean, a person could take their boat out on a nice/warm day here in Dec. and the next week there could be a Cold Front that comes in and we have a few days of pretty cold temps in the early mornings. Can't drain the engine after each time taking it out, right?

 

[bekosh]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I get emails from BoatUS Insurance all the time and according to them, the state with the most claims for freeze damage every year is California, followed closely by Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia. Here's an article about it from Seaworthy magazine. BoatUS: Seaworthy

Just consider the cost. $20 for a couple of gallons of marine anti-freeze or a couple of hundred for your deductible. Or for that matter, draining the block is free if you do it yourself.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

I can understand this, but I figure those that have this happen (freeze damage) didn't do a thing to prevent it from happening..........nothing. They just left the boat sit on a trailer outside the entire winter and didn't do a thing for prevention.

As far as putting marine antifreeze into the engine, just read about that on the net and the engine gets drained of any water and then the antifreeze goes in by way of the hose/muffs. I'm sure not physically "in-shape" to do that!

I get emails from BoatUS Insurance all the time and according to them, the state with the most claims for freeze damage every year is California, followed closely by Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia. Here's an article about it from Seaworthy magazine. BoatUS: Seaworthy

Just consider the cost. $20 for a couple of gallons of marine anti-freeze or a couple of hundred for your deductible. Or for that matter, draining the block is free if you do it yourself.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

Also, people who have access to electricity, whereever their boat is stored, can hook up a light for heat or something like that.........we can't.

Now, I've heard of another thing to help the block from freezing.........a few pieces of insulation tucked into the engine area. Anyone here done this or heard of someone who has?

I just happen to think of something else now: For people who do use their boat during our so-called "winters" here in Florida, what about the water that is left in the engine after taking it out on the water. I mean, a person could take their boat out on a nice/warm day here in Dec. and the next week there could be a Cold Front that comes in and we have a few days of pretty cold temps in the early mornings. Can't drain the engine after each time taking it out, right?

The only way to know for sure is DRAIN after each use once the temps can start dropping. This is one reason outboards are more popular for those that run their boats through all seasons, the freeze-sensitive water pockets drain "automatically" when the engine is down.

This reminded me of a boat seller who winterized their for-sale boat in the Fall and advertized it as such, then took it out on a test run or two. No one bought it and the boat sat. The next Spring they found that the block had cracked and the seller wanted to know how that could have happened since they had winterized it. It was a raw water cooled boat in the Midwest after a normal Winter, they had no idea that their "winterization" was undone by the first water test.

Drain it and no worries. Anything else and the block can still crack with one nite at 26 degrees for 4 hours or so.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Winterization In Florida........Yes or No?

...the freeze-sensitive water pockets drain "automatically" when the engine is down....

This should read more like "the freeze-sensitive water pockets drain "automatically" when the boat is out of the water and the engine is down"