First time winterization. Is there a checklist?

Newsgroups Archive Prior to 2025
21

Here is a description of winterization tasks that I must have grabbed from the Westerbeke web at some point in the past.

Michael Massagli
NS22 #4 Piccola
lying Nantasket, MA

(attachments)

Westerbeke_winterization_notes.doc (41.5 KB)

22

Siva & Mike, on the member’s side of the INA website look in Appendix 5: Sample Winterizing and Pre-Launch Checklists in the “New Owner’s Guide”.

Ron

Ron & Diane Schryver
“Alpha Waves” 1987 NS30U #393
Georgian Bay Midland ON

23

Salt water freezes around 28F or -2 C

New Owners Manual covers it

24

I have been winterizing my own boats for years and shouldnhave a written checklist, but rely on memory.
First, if on the hard, make sure all seacocka are open so that no water remains in them to freeze and destroy them (that will happen!). Now the engine: Disconnect the water intake hose and jam a 3’ piece of 3/4" hose into it. Place the other end into a gallon of pre-diluted antifreeze and start the engine. Let it run until the antifreeze is gone–just a few seconds. You should see the solution exiting the exhaust. Stop the engine and replace the hose.
Next, on board water: Run the system until all water is expelled (I augment the water pump with my foot-pump). Disconnect hoses around the water pump and drain the water.
Next outboard water: Make sure all strainers are empty. This includes the bilge-pump strainer in the head, the two strainers in the bilge under theain cabin deck, and the strainer for the deck-wash pump forward.
Water heater: Mine is disconnected so I don’t have to worry, but if yours is in use, make sure it is drained by opening the hose behind the aft lower hatch in the main cabin.
Head: (I assume your holding tank is empty). Pour a qt of antifreeze in the head and pump it through.
That’s about all I can think of. I’ll leave it to others to say what I’ve forgotten, bit after 7 years, this has worked for me.

Bill Barr
Garuda
Nonsuch 26 U

25

If I do haul my boat in the winter for maintenance, I have a simple solution to winterize the engine. The photo shows a flush valve and hose connection previously installed. I take a bucket with a hose attached at the bottom, pour two gallons of RV antifreeze into it close the raw water seacock, open the flush valve and run the engine. Real simple and inexpensive.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA


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![NS30U Flushvalve002.jpg|2288x1712](upload://BzQfzV5JlVEIuxl5evtuzZ2ElS.jpeg)

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