I've Just Winterised the Boat

[cuthound]

Given the forecast for at or below freezing temperatures this coming week I decided to winterise my boat. 

Took me all of 10 minutes.

1. Put the dehumidifier and 2 x oil filled electric radiators on board.

2. Plugged the dehumidifier into a galley socket and switched it on. Put drain into sink.

3. Plugged a thermostatically controlled plug set to operate at 5°C into a bedroom socket.

3, Plugged the oil filled radiators into an extension lead and then plugged extension lead into thermostatically controlled plug.

4. Plugged mushroom vents with old bath sponges and covered louvre vents with cardboard.

5. Isolated water tank and opened all taps.

6. Locked boat and poured myself a pint.

 

All set for what ever winter can throw at me now, plus I can go cruising whenever I like by simply by unplugging the orange mooring lead, unblocking the vents, turning the water back on and undoing the mooring lines. 

Edited October 30, 2017 by Dave_P
User request

[CV32]

2 minutes ago, cuthound said:

4. Plugged mushroom vents with old bath sponges and covered louvre vents with cardboard.

i am intrigued why you do the above, would you not want some air circulation ?  Asking as I have to consider the winter preparation soon (did a coolant part change / anti freeze top up today).

[Arthur Marshall]

I never know whether it's best to leave the windows and vents all open to keep the air moving through, or block them up to try to keep some warmth in.  No shore power, so no heating on over winter.

 

[cuthound]

2 minutes ago, CV32 said:

i am intrigued why you do the above, would you not want some air circulation ?  Asking as I have to consider the winter preparation soon (did a coolant part change / anti freeze top up today).

To eliminate condensation inside the boat and prevent frost damage to the hot and cold water systems.

[David Schweizer]

11 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Given the forecast for at or below freezing temperatures this coming week I decided to winterise my boat. 

Took me all of 10 minutes.

1. Put the dehumidifier and 2 x oil filled electric radiators on board.

2. Plugged the dehumidifier into a galley socket and switched it on. Put drain into sink.

3. Plugged a thermostatically controlled plug set to operate at 5°C into a bedroom socket.

3, Plugged the oil filled radiators into an extension lead and then plugged extension lead into thermostatically controlled plug.

4. Plugged mushroom vents with old bath sponges and covered louvre vents with cardboard.

5. Isolated water tank and opened all taps.

6. Locked boat and poured myself a pint.

 

All set for what ever winter can throw at me now, plus I can go cruising whenever I like by simply by unplugging the orange mooring lead, unblocking the vents, turning the water back on and undoing the mooring lines. 

Isn't sealing your roof and louvre vents in contravention of the BSS requirements, or is ventilation now only an advisory?

Edited October 28, 2017 by David Schweizer

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Isn't sealing your roof and louvre vents in contravention of the BSS requirements, or is ventilation now only an advisory?

If you are not actually on the boat though does it matter?? As long as you remove them when you go back on of course.

[cuthound]

17 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Isn't sealing your roof and louvre vents in contravention of the BSS requirements, or is ventilation now only an advisory?

Ventilation is only advisory for private boats,  and are not required when no one is on the boat, cooking or using the stove.

When I go for a winter cruises it takes 2 minutes to remove the ventilation covers.

Edited October 28, 2017 by cuthound
Clarification

[MHS]

Very similar to our regime. Did you remember to drain the calorifier?

We also bring in the spare Thetford  cassettes from the bow locker, put some salt in the shower, basin and galley sinks plug holes. We cap the chimney, leave the stove door open and turn off the gas. Wd40 in the door locks. Check the stern gland and any drain holes. 

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

Given the forecast for at or below freezing temperatures this coming week... 

What?! Who told you that? Where? I'm not about to start my Autumn cruise for another fortnight and already someone's telling me it's winter! I'm sorry, I can't be having that - what am I gonna call the one after Christmas? You're worse than the bloomin' shops, you are - you'll be telling us you've bought your easter eggs next!

[cuthound]

BBC West Midlands local news last night and confirmed by the "Accuweather" App on my phone.

[Sea Dog]

Well that's the bloomin' BBC West Midlands off my Christmas card list this year.  Honestly, no consideration these modern weather gurus - this would never have happened when Ian MacCaskill was organising the weather.  Proper gent, he was.  I'm glad I drained my pipes and left my taps open last week now then.

Hold on a minute - the BBC weather app and the Met Office weather app don't show freezing temperatures next week!  Low of 3 degrees tomorrow night then no lower than 7 for the rest of the week.  Still, I'm not knocking your wise precautions.

[Scholar Gypsy]

That's all good until the power supply trips...

I prefer to drain the whole water system,  which only takes 10 mins (and rather a lot of valves to  operate ...)

[nipper]

It's so good to hear people are winterising their boats already with October nearly out and November just around the corner!

This, of coarse, is welcomed by the proper boaters, I mean those who cruise all year round, who value the peace and solitude that comes when the warm weather boaters hang up their windlasses.

Oh for the miles of boat free water and empty moorings,  locks with no ques and kingfishers escorting you along the cut entertaining you with their speedy flight.

No, you winterise your boats and moor em up tightly, for us that will be cruising, may not notice you as we glide on by.

And at the end of the day, oh the welcome warmth as you kick your boots off and sup tea and cake!

Roll on winter!

Nipper

[Momac]

We have already started some winter preparation today by taking spare clothes off the boat . Surprising how many pairs of socks were on the boat.

No frost forecast next week at my location (East Midlands).

It is usually a little later , towards mid to late November when I think of winterising . Putting frost protection heaters on is as said a quick and easy job.

I have not been in the habit of blocking  up any vents as some air circulation is a bonus to help protect against condensation . Leaving interior doors open may help air circulate a little.

I have used moisture traps to help control dampness in an uninhabited boat but last winter the moisture traps were not coping so I bought a dehumidifier.

I will drain off the domestic water before any significant frosts occur. This possibly the longest winterising operation but not physically demanding.

[MHS]

4 minutes ago, MartynG said:

I have not been in the habit of blocking  up any vents as some air circulation is a bonus to help protect against condensation . Leaving interior doors open may help air circulate a little.

I have used moisture traps to help control dampness in an uninhabited boat but last winter the moisture traps were not coping so I bought a dehumidifier

If you’re running a dehumidifier, you are surely better to block up the vents. You’re letting in moist air into a boat that you’re trying to keep dry. 

[StephenA]

We drain off the domestic water from the calorifier, disconnect the water pump, top up the antifreeze in the engine and the central heating and that's basically it. So taking the boat out in the middle of winter is just a matter of taking some bottled water, start up the engine and off we go.

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

That's all good until the power supply trips...

I prefer to drain the whole water system,  which only takes 10 mins (and rather a lot of valves to  operate ...)

That's one of the benefits of having a canalside house. If the power trips the burglar alarm "cheeps" and wakes me up so I can reset it. 

[MHS]

11 minutes ago, StephenA said:

We drain off the domestic water from the calorifier, disconnect the water pump, top up the antifreeze in the engine and the central heating and that's basically it. So taking the boat out in the middle of winter is just a matter of taking some bottled water, start up the engine and off we go.

If you only take a bottle of water, don’t you start to smell after a week or two without washing?

[cuthound]

19 minutes ago, MHS said:

If you’re running a dehumidifier, you are surely better to block up the vents. You’re letting in moist air into a boat that you’re trying to keep dry. 

See point 4 of my OP.

[MHS]

Just now, cuthound said:

See point 4 of my OP.

I agree, it’s what we’ve always done, but it’s not what MartynG was suggesting. 

[Scholar Gypsy]

57 minutes ago, nipper said:

It's so good to hear people are winterising their boats already with October nearly out and November just around the corner!

This, of coarse, is welcomed by the proper boaters, I mean those who cruise all year round, who value the peace and solitude that comes when the warm weather boaters hang up their windlasses.

Oh for the miles of boat free water and empty moorings,  locks with no ques and kingfishers escorting you along the cut entertaining you with their speedy flight.

No, you winterise your boats and moor em up tightly, for us that will be cruising, may not notice you as we glide on by.

And at the end of the day, oh the welcome warmth as you kick your boots off and sup tea and cake!

Roll on winter!

Nipper

Just to be clear,  I dewinterize and then rewinterize my boat several times during the winter! 

[Momac]

Just now, MHS said:

I agree, it’s what we’ve always done, but it’s not what MartynG was suggesting. 

The vents into the living accommodation are not large in my boat. Four x 3 inch circular fixed  louvred vents and three sink plug holes .

I have some larger vents into the engine bay but I don't worry about them. 

[cuthound]

42 minutes ago, MHS said:

I agree, it’s what we’ve always done, but it’s not what MartynG was suggesting. 

Sorry, my misunderstanding.

[matty40s]

I did hear we had some cold weather was on the way so I wintered as well.

1. Take a couple of bags of coal off roof and put inside front cratch.

2. Move a summers detritus off the Epping.

[David Schweizer]

For twenty years I was clearly too cavalier about winterization. All I did was leave the Porta Potti empty, ensure the water tank was not too full, drain the calorifier and domestic water pipes, and disconnect the water pump. That was it, and the boat survived quite happily with no condensation .