When can my engine be safely re-comishened from winter storage in Warwick RI? My boat has been in the water all winter as I could not find affordable dry storage last fall. I will need to move it to it’s new home in mid April so want to get as early jump on prepping as possible.
I tried to post this last evening so my apologies if this is a duplicate message, I don’t see it displayed anywhere.
Thanks in advance.
Dan, Flashcat30
Are you in fresh or salt water?
Can you plug in a heater if temp drops low enough to freeze your raw water system?
I don’t think any one will give you a date
BUT!
My Cal 34-3 lived in water at Spicers marina Noank since 1990.
The marina is in a bight of fishers Island sound and is salt.
I have never drained the raw water system while she wintered in the water.
I had led acid batteries and never removed them from the boat and never plugged charger in.
The inside temp of Southern Comfort was usually just a few degrees below water temp.
Come April 1st I always just cranked her over and changed slips.
Fran Cichowski Southpaw #300 N30U Noank CT
Are you in fresh or salt water?
Can you plug in a heater if temp drops low enough to freeze your raw water system?
I don’t think any one will give you a date
BUT!
My Cal 34-3 lived in water at Spicers marina Noank since 1990.
The marina is in a bight of fishers Island sound and is salt.
I have never drained the raw water system while she wintered in the water.
I had led acid batteries and never removed them from the boat and never plugged charger in.
The inside temp of Southern Comfort was usually just a few degrees below water temp.
Come April 1st I always just cranked her over and changed slips.
Fran Cichowski Southpaw #300 N30U Noank CT
Thank you for your reply!
Flashcat30 is currently at the Fairwinds Marina located in Warwick RI near the entrance to Warwick Cove on Narragansett Bay. I suspect there is some fresh water mixing but don’t really know how much. The water at the dock did freeze over this past winter that lasted for about one month.
My Nanni n4.38 engine’s raw water cooling system was flushed with antifreeze last fall. The seacock was closed during this procedure with the antifreeze entering from the raw water strainer.
Yes, I do have the ability to power a portable heater in the engine room if needed. Bottom line, I want to start the Springtime commissioning as soon as safely possible as I’d like to be in a position to depart by mid April for Flashcat30’s new home.
My previous sailboat (The Orient Express, a 30’ O’Day sloop) was kept at Noank Shipyard for many years, it was sold about 10 years ago. I was saddened to hear Noank may have been sold and turned into another Safe Harbor Incorporated facility.
We took the Orient Express all over our coastal area from NY to Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Provincetown and everything in between encountering all sorts of weather. We had very minimal electronics in the late ‘70’s, no cellphone, no radar, no GPS not even an automatic bilge pump. The 1st few years no autopilot ether, that was probably my 1st piece of electronic grar that I felt was absolutely needed since I was always the one at the helm. A Loran C receiver came next, it was very helpful and much used. This all started in the late ‘70’s and lasted for around 15+ years of regular seasonal use enjoying every minute of it till the boat was eventually sold. I got back into sailing two years ago after my Lady Tina passed in September of ‘23, we were together for 33 wonderful years. I needed something to get myself back into living life & sailing was always something I’ve enjoyed.
Hope I didn’t give you more information than you wanted, sailors just naturally like to share sea stories.
Thank you again for your response, it was very helpful. I will wait a little while longer past the next cold spell hoping we’re past the Artic blasts to start the process.
Stay safe! 
Dan
Dan,
If all you need to do is flush the glycol out of the engine then you can wait until the day you’re ready to move the boat to open the fresh water intake through hull. Replace your fuel filters and the impeller in the meantime. I’m assuming you already changed your oil before you winterized so your oil is fresh and your oil filter is new.
Thanks Bob,
Unfortunately, I did not change the oil last fall, that’s another reason I’m hoping to start the engine so I can change it before I leave. Should have done it before I winterized.
Dan
Last summer, while my boat was in the water, I wanted to flush my heat exchanger with Salt Away. I closed the engine raw water through hull, and removed the through hull hose from the intake side of sea strainer, replaced it with a short length of clear hose. I used clear hose so I could see the water flow, and its cheap too, but make it long enough so no kinks. I filled a 5 gallon pail with water, and Salt Away, and put the other end of the hose in the pail. Worked fine, but you want to stand there to hold the hose to ensure it doesn’t slip out of the bucket. In my case it was only about a half bucket before I saw blue water coming out of the exhaust. In your case, you might want to have a water hose so can replenish the water in the bucket as engine sucks it out. And ensure easy access to engine shut off cable. See photo attached.
Don
Dan,
You can change the oil anytime. If you have not cranked the engine since last fall, all the old oil is in the oil pan. There is no need to have the oil hot in order to drain it or pump it out.
After changing the oil, you can run the engine. That will replace the antifreeze in the seawater system with seawater. To prevent freezing of the seawater system before you move the boat, drain the seawater from the heat exchanger by removing the drain plug. Remove seawater from the seawater pump by loosening the cover screws and then drain the seawater strainer.
When you are ready to motor away, make sure the HX drain plus is in place, the seawater pump cover screws are tight and the seawater strainer drain plug is in place.
You can replace fuel filters in any weather with no problems.
Thanks but I would prefer to not re-winterize the cooling system, we’ve only got a couple more weeks till April and much warmer temperatures. I’ll just wait till then to change the oil, not in any desperate need to do it now.
Dan
