www.iFourWinns.com

Took a trip up to Haverstraw on the Hudson earlier this year and decided to winterize and keep it there next summer.

Any chance one of you are in the area to help me winterize? I'd pay for your trip up there as well as pay you for your time. I will have the marina shrink wrap the boat for me, but I would like to do all the other items on my own. They are a marina in which they let you work on your own boat which is great and definitely a cost saving. Please let me know if you guys can help out.

Also, if not, maybe there is material out there that explains how to winterize step by step instructions?

-Tommy

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2005 Four Winns 268 Vista

Here's a quick rundown of how I winterized my 268 last season...

I have done it myself every year, and it is a breeze. I just checked, and the fluid transfer pump I bought from Harbor Freight is no longer available. A cheap one will work..no need to spend the dollars on the Jabsco.

I bought a new tube for mine, a hardwalled plastic tube from Lowe's that fits perfectly on the pump end and also on the oil dipstick tube. I do not run the tube all the way down it. I heat up the engine on the garden hose, then extract the oil. Do the oil change, and then empty the block off all water via the drains at the bottom of both side of the engine block, and also the exhaust manifolds. Stick a small screwdriver in there to make sure nothing is blocking the holes and they drain completely. I also remove all hoses from the water pump housing at the bottom front of the engine and let those drain completely. Then put those back on. I leave the exhaust manifold and block drains open so they can let pink flow out, then seal back up. Make sure you remove the two hoses running to the water heater. Forget those and the water heater will burst!

Remove the hose from the thermostat, and start dumping in pink until it comes out the drain holes. Thats it for the engine. I like to drain the pink out to help get the water out of my bilge...and air won't freeze. My boat stays in the fairgrounds barn over the winter so its not heated, but I just use the pink -50 antifreeze. I still have a case left over from last year!

On to the drive. I built a drive stand out of a 2x8 and four casters. Very easy to use and lets me get the drive off.

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread. ... rive+stand

Is the link that I used to build it. Just put it below your drive and lower it down. Take off the 6 screws as well as the shift cable and it will come off no problem...no lifting even. I bought a alignment tool off eBay for about $30 to check my alignment. Do that and check the bellows for wear (I think I'm changing mine this year as they are original), then put the drive back on.

Remove the props and drain the fluid out. Refill the fluid with a drive oil pump, and then grease the prop splines with Volvo Penta prop grease. I bought the jar of it for a few bucks and have enough to last for the life of the boat. It sticks on there well, and isn't harmful to the environment. Be careful not to get metal splinters as you spread it on the splines.

For the head, I just pump it out and pour a gallon or so of pink down it. Same with the shower sump, pour pink down the drain tube until it comes on and pumps it out.

I take a funnel and a plastic tube, and stick it in the A/C through hull on the side of the boat. Pour pink in until it comes out the bottom of the boat. Verify the strainer is full of pink. The genset is the same...warm it up on the garden hose (open up the strainer and stick the hose in, turn it on full blast...make sure the seacock is closed. The genset will use less water than the hose puts out). Change the oil/filter/spark plugs, and then run it again to check for leaks. Stop it and then as you start keep pouring pink into the strainer. Have 2 gallons ready..I think it takes just over a gallon to suck it all up.

Now the genset is done.

Last but not least..freshwater system. Run your faucets until your tank is empty.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... -kit/15717

Install that on your water heater. Drain it by opening the drain valve. The water left inside it will freeze but not damage anything. I leave the drain open over the winter. Make sure the bypass valve is turned so you don't get any pink inside the water heater.

Buy this and install it right before the water pump. You want it to draw directly from the bottle of pink so you don't get any in the water tank and get the tank contaminated. Its non toxic but a bear to get out of the tank come spring time. Turn on all faucets (galley/head/transom) until pink flows out of them.

Buy this, http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... -plug/4410 and screw it into the city water hookup. I use my air compressor and blow out the lines so barely any pink is left in them, so I don't have to deal with an off taste come spring...only a quick sanitizing with bleach and its good to go.

On the trailer I just make sure to grease my bearings real good in case any water got it.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Or try this link

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Thanks for the assistance, but I really have no idea where any of that stuff is. This is my first time being a boat owner and I know nothing about engines so a lot of this stuff might as well be Spanish to me.

Capn' I did some searches and they are all pretty generic. They don't go into detail.

I really need a professional to walk me through the steps. Maybe I can post on Craigslist or something and get someone with credentials that wouldn't mind showing me how to winterize the boat.

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2005 Four Winns 268 Vista

I used to do it myself. Not anymore. What happens if you screw up a step? You are held holding the bill in the spring. Have a licensed tech do it and it is his issue. Your insurance will not cover it. When I looked at the $$$$ in materials and then just paying a marina to do it...it cost me about $100 to have them winterize my entire boat. That is back when I had my cruiser. For $100 a season...that is cheap insurance. I sleep good on the -20 below nights.

Sure...you could do it yourself. But I would rather spend the day with my kids and family.

Good points WD. Also, I did check the rates at this Haverstraw place you plan to store at. Is it correct that they
will charge you about $1100 to store your boat on the hard, in the cold for the off season? That is without shrink wrap
cost and winterizing, correct ?

If so, that is outrageous. Since you are a new cruiser owner, you may not have known what your options were.
Here are some examples of what we have done over the years. We have always stored indoor heated, it preserves the interior,
exterior and fittings from undue stress, fadin, mold growth in the snow, ice and cold. Plus, zero winterizing needed.
Costs : for our 268 last year, indoor heated rack storage = $750.
This year for our 282, indoor heated on floor stands and blocked= $1150.
Both were from October thru May.

I always thought the object of storing on the hard, outside, was to save you money by winterizing the boat yourself and paying less than you would for being inside heated or cold. Your rates for indoor heated may be over the top, I don't know, but I would be curious to find out.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

If you truly are clueless as to your boat and all it's components and how they function what the routing is etc.. It would be better off leaving this to the professionals. The first year I did my own it cost me $1200 in repairs and oil changes because I froze and split the oil cooler that I didn't know existed.
You really need to find a knowledgeable, seasoned person that you trust or just hire it out. It will be intimidating to do it yourself but very satisfying knowing that it is done properly (as opposed to half fast by the marina so they can maximize $)

I would be glad to help but am too far away...

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Cap'n...I would consider myself lucky if I were you! Those prices are awesome! Last year with our 27' Rinker, it was $2000 for indoor heated. That is without stands! Just running it in with the trailer. This year, with our 33' Four Winns...ugh...don't want to even think about it yet. I think it is going to hurt.

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Wayne & Kari
00' V338 Four Winns

Did you haul out yet? Too bad... I think this is my last week in Westchester.

I also recall that you could probably help with the shrinkwrap too. Hopefully you guys can hook up and work something out. Maybe he can help you with your boat in partial trade?

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Are you guys winterizing boats with closed loop cooling & antifreeze?

Mine is a 5.8L OMC Cobra. I have a coolant resevoir and am baffled. As I understand the only area I should be pulling fresh water into is my exhaust manifolds. I found the 2 plugs at the rear of the mannifolds and removed them, this released a small amount of very dirty silty water.

One thing I don't undertand is that I have a hose from my resevoir overflow (a 3 way T) into the front of each manifold... how can I have water and antifreeze in the manifold without diluting my coolant???...however when I blow into the hose which enters the front of the manifold I hear gurgling but it doesn't seem to push any fluid out of the drains..is there something separatinting the systems internally?????

I guess I'm in the same boat as the original poster, I don't really know enough about the system, I had thought I would pour antifreeze down into the lines into the mannifold but I'm thinking maybe they already have coolant in them if so how do I get anitfreeze into the area I removed the plugs from.

Apparently I don't have to do anything with my engine block due to the fact that i have a closed loop cooling system..
Not sure if anything anyone says can help me but usually writing things out helps me to understand.


I can't start the boat because the starter is pooched otherwise I would drop the leg into a 15 gallon tup of antifreeze and fire it up... might be cheating but it's easy....If I can get the old starter out and a new one in I might still do this but realistically we are looking at temps below 0C this weekend and I'd prefer to just put it awy and deal with the starter/oil change etc.. come spring

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I treat my children well because I want the good diapers when I'm old....

4 kids, 2 dogs, 2 horses, 4 acres, an amazing wife, a boat and no time....

It's easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

Raw water is used to cool the heat exchanger and the manifolds, the block uses the antifreeze.
In other words your raw water pump with the impeller inside draws raw water in then sends it out to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is what cools the antifreeze (heat exchanger is much like the radiator on your car) however since there is no airflow across your heat exchanger (like in your car) it has to use raw water. After it leaves the heat exchanger is when it goes to the manifolds.

Nothing wrong with doing things yourself, but I would higly recommend you pay someone the first time and "watch" how they do it. You will worry about it all winter, and it is quite costly if you do it wrong.

Good luck

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Bridgewater, PA
2008 Vista 318