www.iFourWinns.com

This is my first winter with the boat so I'll let a professional do my winterizing.
This is what I know they are doing:
- Winterize both engines
- Change engine oil
- Change gear oil
- Winterize AC, water system, generator
- Change oil in generator

On top of this I will add stabalizer to the fuel, put open containers with kitty litter in it for moisture and probably toss in an open container of charcoal to absorb any odours. I'll remove the batteries and bring them home. I guess I need to get a home battery charger and charge maybe once a month. Remove plug and zip tie to steering wheel.

Here's my questions:
1. What is the expectation when you winterize the fresh water tank? Empty, then do you put anything in it?
2. Same for the black tank, obviously you pump it out, rinse and pump out, anything else?
3. Do you leave all cockpit storage compartment and interior cupboard doors open or closed? Does it matter for condensation?
4. Do you leave the companion way to below open or closed? If you close it, does it negate the value of the vents in the shrink wrap?
5. Are there specific places to block the boat that FW outlines, or will a competent boat yard know where to put the blocking without causing damage?
6. Opinions on leaving life jackets and material seat/bed cushions on the boat or taken home?

Anything I missed or am incorrect about?

Thanks for the help.

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1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

For your water systems, pump out all that you can, then dump in a couple gallons of propylene glycol (pink antifreeze), available at ChiMart. Then run your faucets etc. so that it gets circulated through the pumps, etc.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I would pick up a trickle charger (Tractor Supply - $10) for your batteries over the winter. I use R/V antifreeze for water systems in all my tanks (waste grey/black, fresh water, head) and run like previously mentioned through all faucets.

I open all my cupboards and doors (head and cabin), while making sure I have Dri-Z-Air to absorb moisture and smells.

I trailer so I can't speak to blocking....

I pull all carpets, cushions and life vests off of the boat. I have shelving in my basement (dehumidified and heated) so they don't pick up any strange smells....

Hope this helps and good luck.

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

It does help, thanks!

_________________
1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

Don't forget Bounce dryer sheets all over the cabin when you store. Keeps it fresh, varmints don't like them either.

Consider heated indoor storage if you can for next year, you can rule out your entire list above, except for dryer sheets, Sta-Bil and disconnect but do not remove the batteries. Add all that up, and it about equals the price of indoor heated storage.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Good idea, are there any surfaces that you would not put a dryer sheet on? Wondering if some surfaces would be damaged?
Most of the indoor I've found in my area is for smaller boats, say 23' and under. I'll continue my search next year. As it is, this year I'll be making a 45 mile boat ride to get to my choosen storage location - which is in the US, not Canada where I live. Leaving it there, with all the winterizing services is 40% the cost of my summer marina. Crazy.

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1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

Regarding your question # 5 and blocking.

Yes, the boat yard should be very aware of where to block your boat. On our 328 the factory has identified on our port/starboard side of the boat both towards the bow and at the stern where the "sling" should go when being lifted out of the water. This "sling" identification is right at your rub rail level.

Our boat yard when blocking our boat for the winter months places two keel blocks and four corner blocks in the area where the "sling" identification is.

I really like the way our marina blocks our boat. My wife laughs at me, as whenever we have a chance to visit other marinas in Canada and the United States over the winter months I always check out how the other marinas block their boats. I have seen a number of boats that if they were mine I would not be happy with how they were blocked.

Mike.

_________________

Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

Good to know - my boat doesn't have the sling stickers or marks on it, but I have seen measurements in the manual to figure out where they should go. I'll have to get some new 'sling' stickers and put them in the correct locations.

_________________
1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

Ideally when you get your boat blocked, you should be able to pour some liquid (antifreeze or water etc.) into your bilge and the liquid should run out your drain hole and not run forward.

I had the marina re lift my boat once, to block the bow slightly higher because I didn't want any rain water over the lay up period to run forward and accumulate over the winter months. Fussy maybe, but do it right the first time.

My boat does get shrink wrapped but it can spend a couple weeks before shrink wrapping and about 3 weeks after I remove the shrink wrap with just the mooring cover on. I know the mooring cover is good but far from waterproof.

Mike.

_________________

Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

Couple things i have always done (everybody has their own quirks) - wipe down all vinyl with the 3M vinyl treatment before storing for winter (i do this after every trip anyway) - open all compartments and prop open seat cushion lids. My boat is smaller than yours so most storage is under seats. Mine is on trailer, but same principal in that i store with bow up so if any water should get in boat it drains.

It doesn't get that cold here so i leave my battery in, but shut it off. If your area has long periods of freeze then better yank them and put them in warmer place. I switch mine on a couple times during off season and use the built in stage charger, but doesn't sound good for your situation.

I also will pull the shut off cord so it will not fire and spin the engine a couple times thru the winter season - raise and lower the drive - spin the wheel back and forth....part of luxury of being in area that doesn't get hard freezes very often.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

also - it is best to either totally consume all fuel or store with full tank of treated fuel. I always go with full tank and remember to treat with pink stabil (long term storage) and not the gray sta-bil ethanol treatment. You want to fill the tank, add stabil and run the motor for a while to get treated fuel thru the entire system - naturally this needs to be done prior to having rest of winterizing completed cuz you cant start it after you drain or u need to drain again.

You may know this, but mentioned just in case.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

Thanks, not safe to assume I know anything...I'm new at this and will take all the advice I can get.

_________________
1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

There's something to be said for NOT using pink antifreeze in the fresh water tank. Getting rid of the smell is a hassle. Better to drain the tank completely and then winterize the lines ahead of it, and then drain them. I put a tee hose fitting into the line between the tank and the pump. This way I can use the built-in pump to deliver anti-freeze throughout the system (without leaving any in the tank).

I've also put a by-pass on the water heater (camco makes a kit for this). This allows draining the heater tank. Why waste 10 gallons of pink in the water heater? Instead, the by-pass shunts the cold line back out the hot line and allows pumping antifreeze through both the hot and cold. Then I just open the drain and pressure relief valves to drain the water heater tank.

Don't forget to pump out the waste tank and then add antifreeze to the toilet and shower drain.

And make sure all water fixtures have been run. This includes all sinks, showers and hoses.

Finally, pay attention to your various bilge pumps. Get antifreeze into the bilge pump lines so there's no water left in them. If you're completely covering the boat and it's not in the water that's often enough, as there won't be any new water getting pumped through them. But if you're keeping it in the water or it's not covered you'll want to make sure the pumps keep working, especially if there's a re-freeze. For ours I keep a heater in the engine bilge to make sure it never gets frozen.

I use a two sensor wireless thermometer setup (intended for home fridge/freezer monitoring). This keeps track of both high and low temps. This way I can keep track of whether the system froze or not. For the past three winters the lowest temp it tracked was 39F. Due to keeping a BoatSafe heater in the engine compartment. It's target temperature is 45F. The 39F reading was after more than a week of below freezing daytime temps.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

First off, sorry to hijack this thread, but perhaps it may help another newby out there with a setup like mine. I'm trying to by-pass the water heater as you've described, but I've got the quick connect type fittings as seen here. Any easy way to hook a the standard by-pass kit up to the raw hoses?

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2002 Vista 248
"Sunny Dayz"

The by-pass kits go into the fresh water fittings. Using the raw water fittings would have zero use. It's the contents of the tank you want to by-pass, not the raw water engine heated water (that would be handled by winterizing the engine itself). I suppose you "could" save a small amount of engine antifreeze from by-passing the raw water lines, but nowhere near the 5 or 10 gallons used in a typical water heater tank.

The kit goes into the threaded fittings in the heater. Your tube connections would connect onto them. You might not be able to tell, but from your picture it looks like your tubing fittings are female, there's a shorty pipe 'nipple' between them and the tank. You'd remove the tubing fittings and the nipples and then install the by-pass. Then you'd reconnect your tubing fittings onto the by-pass. I can't recall for sure but I think the by-pass fittings were male/male. So your female tubing fittings would thread right onto them (losing need for the nipples). But either way you're good to go, all you need is the by-pass kit, some teflon tape for the threads and maybe an hour of your time.

The by-pass kit is inexpensive and easy to install.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista