fall tips
Here are a few common sense suggestions for laying up your boat equipment
during the off season. While probably known to all T&T listees, I still talk to
many people who have no idea of some of these basics.
(1) Change your engine lube oil and generator lube oil before the off season.
Get it at least warm to suspend impurities and ease pumping before removal.
That way impurities cannot adversely affect highly machined engine parts over
the winter. Consider an oil analysis at a testing lab especially to compare
with earlier tests for trends. Use oil approved for you engine.
Also change transmission oil to manufacturers specs. Often this interval is
much longer than engine oil and combustion product contamination is not
present.
Change all filters according the engine manufacturer recommendations.
Always check lube and transmission oil for color and viscosity. Also check
the odor. A milky color indicates water, thin oil may reflect fuel dilution. A
burned or smoky smell not normally present is a sign of impending trouble.
(2) Test your antifreeze for both cold protection and acidity. Litmus like
strips can be used to assure the proper alkaline PH. So can a voltmeter test. (I
forget the exact parameters and my reference is aboard my boat) . I change
one gallon annually and replace it with a new mix to assure continued
protection. Use antifreeze approved for your engine. Diesel engines generally require a
more robust antifreeze formulation than do gas engines. Engine manufacturer
websites often provide approved brands, spec s, types,etc.
(3) Check your engine and heat exchanger zincs and replace as required. Some
people caution on the use of teflon tape or pipe compound. This is because it
is feared the screws will not contact the threads...I use a bit of grease....
(4) Drain your engine mounted fuel filters especially if these are metal
encased as even a few drops of water can cause corrosion and failure of the
canister (don't ask how I know). (That delayed my departure 8 days this spring.)
Drain RACORS as well.
(5) Rotate any fuses in their holders used for powering equipment during the
winter. This scrapes and cleans the contacts. I popped a fuse on my Webasto a
few winters ago because of just a touch of corrosion which caused heating...it
melted the fuse, not high current!!! (In the Spring rotate ALL fuses in the
spring; flip all circuit breakers on and off a few times, flip all switches on
and off a few times..."use it or lose it.."
(6) Check shaft and rudder stuffing box for leaks,,,snug up a bit as required.
(7) Don't use ethylene glycol (permanent antifreeze) for winterizing water
lines where it will be pumped overboard after use. It's very toxic. Keep pets
away from it...they like the sweet taste and even a tablespoon can be fatal to
them...Use propylene glycol (pink stuff).
(8) In freezing weather, relocate compasses to a heated area. The freeze thaw
cycle stresses compass diaphragms as compass oil expands and contracts.
(9) Looking for any easy, inexpensive winter project? Consider adding a
coolant overflow tank on engine and gen like that in your car. If your marine
engine has the tube beneath the radiator cap for connection its easy. Any auto
parts store carries kits....about $12 for small, about $16 for van/truck
size...even with a holder for mounting. You can then monitor antifreeze level and
color visually without having to remove the engine radiator cap. It also
provides some backup fluid if a leak develops underway.
(10) If you have an all chain rode, rinse the chain in fresh water and dry
before storage. This helps minimize off season corrosion.
Rob Brueckner
1972 Hatteras Yachtfisherman
GYMKIDD319@aol.com wrote:
(7) Don't use ethylene glycol (permanent antifreeze) for winterizing water
lines where it will be pumped overboard after use. It's very toxic. Keep pets
away from it...they like the sweet taste and even a tablespoon can be fatal to
them...Use propylene glycol (pink stuff).
I assume you're referring only to engine etc water lines, not the fresh
water or sanitation plumbing. However, just in case...NEVER use ethylene
glycol in fresh water or sanitation system plumbing, whether it goes
overboard or not. Use ONLY the non-toxic POTABLE propylene glycol in
these systems.
There is another version of propylene glycol for use in engines etc.
And while we're on the subject of winterizing...just pouring antifreeze
down the toilet will not protect any part of the sanitation system but
the tank....it will not protect the intake line, the pump or the bowl.
To winterize any sea water toilet correctly, disconnect the head intake
line from the thru-hull, stick it in to a jug of the "pink stuff" and
flush the whole jug all the way through the toilet and into the tank.
To winterized toilets that flush using onboard pressurized flush water,
disconnect the line from the fresh water plumbing (which is one of the
reasons why there should be a valve at that connection), blow it
out...then put antifreeze--only the non-toxic potable kind--down the
toilet to protect the tank.
--
Peggie
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=40&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detail.tpl?fno=400&group=327
GYMKIDD319@aol.com wrote:
Here are a few common sense suggestions for laying up your boat equipment
during the off season.
(9) Looking for any easy, inexpensive winter project? Consider adding a
coolant overflow tank on engine and gen like that in your car. If your marine
engine has the tube beneath the radiator cap for connection its easy. Any auto
parts store carries kits....about $12 for small, about $16 for van/truck
size..
Good points all, BOB.
Being the frugal one that I am, many yrs ago I made up a Coolant
Recovery Device.
Extend the tube just beneath the radiator cap to a 1/2 gallon plastic
milk bottle or similar container. Bingo. And it is very easy to pour
the overflow back into the engine each morning.
when checking the engines
CCC
M/V CC RIDER
Charles C. Jr. and Pat Culotta
Patterson, La
http://www.geocities.com/charlesculotta/
If you have a Lehman, American Diesel sells a replacement filler neck and
recovery bottle so you don't even have to pour it back in.
Rich
GB32-277
Good points all, BOB.
Being the frugal one that I am, many yrs ago I made up a Coolant Recovery
Device.
Extend the tube just beneath the radiator cap to a 1/2 gallon plastic milk
bottle or similar container. Bingo. And it is very easy to pour the
overflow back into the engine each morning.
when checking the engines
CCC
M/V CC RIDER
Charles C. Jr. and Pat Culotta
Patterson, La
http://www.geocities.com/charlesculotta/