# Winterization List: How to Winterize? Step-by-Step Photos?



## captxtina (Aug 5, 2008)

I was sure there would be a never-ending list of winterization threads, but I didn't find much via the search, so here it goes....

The best Winterization List I've found thus far is at SailingMates.com under "Winterize your boat, part I and II". This was a great resource because it gave me a clear understanding of all the parts that needs to be done, which really helped me feel much more at ease with my first go at winterizing after the first season. 

So now that I get the big picture view, I'm looking for the specifics. For each system, I'd like to see photos or illustrations of a step-by-step. 
Specifically, images of winterizing:
1. the head, incl. intake, pipes, and holding tank.
2. the hot-water tank. 
3. the electric pump and lines for the fresh water system and tank.
4. the diesel engine. 

If you can point me to an online or printed resource, or help out direcly, I'd greatly appreciate it. thanks!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

CaptXtina-

I'm working on an article regarding this on my blog and will post a link to it when I'm done.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*I'm also working on this...*

Here's the fresh water system...

*Photo #1* -In this photo I have drained the port and starboard water tanks with the fresh water pump & then disconnected them from the manifold so they can drain into the bilge compartment, naturally through gravity, with the rocking motion of the boat.

This photo was taken after only a few hours and it's almost totally drip free and dry at this point meaning both tanks have virtually zero water in them and will get NO antifreeze.. I prefer not to put any antifreeze into my tanks because it is a bear to get out through dilution in the spring!

I'm rather anal about keeping a dry bilge that's why you'll notice a rubber stopper in the limber hole to keep the water contained in that compartment. 









*Photo #2* - This is my water heater by-pass. It's installed so I don't have to fill my water heater with antifreeze. I sucked all the water out first with a drill mounted pump then placed an Absorber (brand name) synthetic chamois under the drain. After a few hours of rocking at the dock no more water came out.









*Photo #3* - Here's my drill mounted pump. I use it to keep my bilge dry and avoid water getting into nooks and crannies by draining the water heater into the bilge before winter. I am allergic to mold and as such try very, very hard to keep a dusty dry bilge. As of now I am winning the battle and have zero leaks and a very arid bilge. This drill pump helps keep it that way..









*Photo #4* - This is why I don't just drain the water into my bilge! It is a six gallon heater.. The water was NOT that dirty I just started with a dirty bucket!









*Photo #5* - The antifreeze and my water heater by-pass hose.









*Photo #6* - Here I've removed the fresh water pumps supply hose from the manifold and added an extension hose that I can stick in a bottle of antifreeze to suck it through the system.









*Photo #7* - If you have a water filter don;t forget to remove the cartridge before sucking the antifreeze into the pipes.









*Photo #8* - I often find that once you've drained the tanks using the boats 12V fresh water pump that it has become air bound and can't self prime. The easiest way to get a new prime is to hold the extension hose above the level of the pump and use a turkey baster full of antifreeze to fill the hose. P.S. Shameless plug for my favorite lights.. Sensibulbs! There is one right in that light fixture.. Sensibulbs are GREAT!








*
Photo #9*- The hose if full now just flip on the 12V fresh water pump!









*Photo #10* - Make sure you get solid pink, the same color as in the bottle, and not diluted and light pink!! this stuff is not meant to be diluted and is rated at full strength.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> I'm working on an article regarding this on my blog and will post a link to it when I'm done.


Where is your blog 'Dog?


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

For what it's worth, here's what I do for my Atomic 4 engine. Most of the concepts are transferable to any raw-water-cooled engine. I inherited it from another A4 owner with habits quite similar to Halekai's!


Winterizing an Atomic Four and Related Systems on a Viking 33


1.	Run the engine until oil pressure drops to “normal” levels indicating that it (the oil not the water) has risen in temperature. Oil changes are best done before haul out as the engine can be properly warmed up and the oil is easier to pump out. 
2.	Shut down the engine.
3.	Remove the four bolts holding the transmission cover from the top of the transmission and GENTLY remove the cover taking great care with the cork gasket under it. I place this cover and bolts on a single piece of paper towel or cardboard on the counter. 
4.	Use a hand pump with a narrow tube pick up set into the oil in the transmission to vacuum up the oil into an empty four-liter container. 
5.	I use a bucket of hot soapy water to rinse the oil from the pump after the oil has been pumped out. I wipe the outside of the pump with paper towel. 
6.	Replace the cover and the bolts. 
7.	Add approximately 3 liters of 10W 40 oil to the crankcase \ as required, check the dipstick, it should read at but not above the full mark. 
8.	Open the two starboard water drain plugs on the block as well as the one port drain plug on the manifold and let the water drain to the bilge. A 3/8, ¼ and ½” wrench are required for the three different plugs. The ¼” wrench must have an open end as the plug drive is square. The ½” other wrenches can be either box or open end. A nail or other probe is sometimes needed to probe the block to ensure that all the water drains and that no internal debris and/or scale is keeping water inside the engine. 
9.	Mix two liters of antifreeze with two liters of water and place in a four liter container, (an empty plastic container is handy to do this with a full four liter bottle of antifreeze as some of it is used for the bilge pumps and holding tanks as well. Propylene glycol antifreeze is better for the environment than Ethylene glycol is. Test the antifreeze with a tester to ensure that the mixture is good to –35 F. If not add some antifreeze and mix until it is. 
10.	Close the sea-**** and remove the hose from the intake. If the hose is short procure a 4–5 foot length of ½” or 5/8” heater hose and instead remove the hose from the water pump and hook up the new hose to it with a hose clamp. Insert the hose into the bottom of the bottle of antifreeze mix. Start the engine. While it is running look out the tailpipe for the color to come out. Shut down the engine. 
11.	Take a disposable plastic drinking cup and remove ¼ cup of antifreeze from the aft port drain plug. Test it to determine what the freeze point of the mix inside your engine is. Add this cup of antifreeze back into the now empty bottle of antifreeze. This is the most important step of the whole process. It lets you sleep like a baby in February when it is cold outside. 
12.	Re-attach the water intake to the engine water pump or sea-**** as the case may be. Keep the valve closed if on water, or open it if on land (to allow the water above it to drain out the hull). If it was done in the water then remember to open the valve when hauled out. 
13.	Close the fuel pet **** at the tank.
14.	Disconnect the Fuel delivery pipe from the fuel pet ****
15.	Disconnect the Fuel line from the fuel pump and the carburetor. Place an old towel under the port side of the engine to catch any spilled fuel.
16.	Move the short copper fuel line over to the outboard side and reconnect it to the fuel pump (but over to the side so that the fuel can be drained from the line and pump. 
17.	With a narrow (an empty small olive jar works well) glass container under the fuel line pump the fuel from the line with the primer on the fuel pump until the line is empty. 
18.	Re-connect the fuel line to both the pump and the carburetor. A ½” wrench is required and it can be a line wrench or an open-end spanner. 
19.	Carefully remove the sediment bowl from the fuel pump (you will spill some of the contents onto the towel placed under the port side of the engine). Take it out and examine the contents for evidence of water sitting at the bottom of it. Water and gasoline are not miscible and if it is there you should notice a clear boundary layer between the two liquids. Rust at the bottom of the bowl is another indication of water. Place the contents in the glass jar. 
20.	Now open the ½” drain plug on the aft bottom edge of the carburetor to drain it. The contents can not easily be collected in the glass jar and will tend to drop on the towel. About ¼ cup of gasoline is involved. Replace the drain plug. A ½” box wrench is required for this job. Be careful to replace the washer on this drain plug. It keeps the gasoline from leaking out. 
21.	Re-connect the fuel line at the fuel tank. 
22.	Fill the fuel tank to within 1” of the top (not so easy to do) and add one cup of Methyl Hydrate to aid in the absorption of any water in the tank. If the tank is over filled the excess fuel will leak out the vent and go on the deck on a warm day under the tarp. A 5/16” flare fitting and a piece of tubing hooked to a hand pump can remove some fuel from the tank back into the jerry can (from the fuel petcock). 
23.	Label first and then remove the wires from the four spark plugs. Remove the spark plugs from the engine, examine for deposits and clean and re-gap the plugs or replace them if they are worn (not likely as they can easily last about 3 or four seasons or even more with the light use we give the motors). I use lacquer thinner and an old toothbrush to clean things up with the same glass container used to drain the fuel. Keep the plugs in the order they were in when taking them out. 
24.	Spray Mercury Marine Storage Seal (preferred) in the combustion chambers or add some (1/16 of a cup) of engine oil to the spark plug holes. Turn the engine over several turns by hand with the hand crank (or with the starter motor if a towel is placed upon the engine head to catch the splashing. This coats the valves and rings and cylinder walls with a protective film for rust prevention.
25.	Coat the plug electrodes and threads with some white lithium or silicone grease and replace the plugs and torque down gently by hand with a spark plug socket and wrench. 
26.	Replace the plug wires (1, 2, 4, 3) to the plugs. 
27.	Remove the distributor cap and clean the contacts and coat them with a thin film of grease. Clean the rotor (top and edge) and coat it with a thin coat of grease. Gently spread the points apart and put a small dab of grease between them as well as on the distributor shaft where it drives the points. Inspect all components for physical wear and replace or acquire replacement parts over the winter as required. Make a note to use some paper towel to remove the grease from the spark contact components in the spring with some paper towel as it is there to prevent corrosion over the winter.
28.	Replace the distributor cap onto the distributor. 
29.	Check the tightness of the wires to the coil. 
30.	Loosen the alternator mounting bolts and relieve the tension from the drive belt. Inspect the belt for wear or stretch and replace as required. 
31.	Take a piece of coloured tape and wrap it around the engine key with a label indicating that the engine has been winterized. 
32.	Stuff a rag into the tail pipe on the transom to keep moist air from entering the exhaust. 
33.	Check the tightness of the engine electrical wires. Coat the contacts in line connector in the harness with silicone grease. There is another connector behind the instrument panel and this should also be checked either now or in the spring for tightness. 
34.	Charge and disconnect the batteries negative post. Charged batteries in good condition may be left aboard the boat for the winter. 
35.	Check engine mounting bolts (nuts) especially the top ones for looseness. 
36.	Check the shaft coupling for slop or play. Check the tightness of all coupling fasteners. 
37.	Examine the cutlass bearing for lateral movement to the shaft and signs of cracking. Replace as required. 
38.	Touch up paint as required on the engine or in the spring as time allows. It is best to remove a component first if this is possible. In other cases mask out and protect the areas not to be painted. Canadian Tire near match Copper paint is a perfect match for the original colour.


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## captxtina (Aug 5, 2008)

Wow! I had a busy week at work, but it's the weekend and I'm back to thinking about sailing and winterizing. MaineSail and Valiente, these photos and the to do list are awesome! I'll be going to the boat tomorrow to do a dry run, see what supplies I need, etc. 
SailingDog, I'm excited to see the how-to you're working on. 
If there are any other suggestions, I appreciate the tips. Wish me luck!


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## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

Valiente said:


> 1.	Run the engine until oil pressure drops to "normal" levels indicating that it (the oil not the water) has risen in temperature. Oil changes are best done before haul out as the engine can be properly warmed up and the oil is easier to pump out.
> 2.	Shut down the engine.


Let it sit 5-10 minutes to let all the oil drain back down into the oil pan.



Valiente said:


> 3.	Remove the four bolts holding the transmission cover from the top of the transmission and GENTLY remove the cover taking great care with the cork gasket under it. I place this cover and bolts on a single piece of paper towel or cardboard on the counter.
> 4.	Use a hand pump with a narrow tube pick up set into the oil in the transmission to vacuum up the oil into an empty four-liter container.


That is definitely the Hard Way.

Spend $38 on this oil change kit










from Moyer Marine. You can find it at the bottom of the Kits/Accessories page. You'll get the same amount of oil out and won't ever have to disassemble anything.

Coupled with this Moeller fluid extraction kit from West Marine (has a 5-star rating there, and for good reason, IMO):










Oil changes are a snap.



Valiente said:


> 6.	Replace the cover and the bolts.


And possibly the gasket.



Valiente said:


> 7.	Add approximately 3 liters of 10W 40 oil


Actually, the A-4 was designed for straight 30-weight oil. 10W30 is the next best thing.



Valiente said:


> 9.	Mix two liters of antifreeze with two liters of water and place in a four liter container,


I just put in straight purple RV antifreeze and have done with it.



Valiente said:


> 10.	Close the sea-**** and remove the hose from the intake. If the hose is short procure a 4-5 foot length of ½" or 5/8" heater hose and instead remove the hose from the water pump and hook up the new hose to it with a hose clamp. Insert the hose into the bottom of the bottle of antifreeze mix. Start the engine. While it is running look out the tailpipe for the color to come out. Shut down the engine.


To be clear: If the thermostat is not open, you will not be thoroughly flushing the entire engine block. And, at this time of the year in cold climates, it will take a while for it to open and it'll close-up relatively quickly.

Another way to do it, and the way it must be done on the hard, as you can't warm the engine up enough there, is to remove the thermostat, put the thermostat housing back on, and pinch off the bypass hose with a pair of vice grips. I'm going to do it that way this season.



Valiente said:


> 11.	Take a disposable plastic drinking cup and remove ¼ cup of antifreeze from the aft port drain plug.


I just went ahead and opened all three of them (the PO had replaced the plugs with valves), and let the RV anti-freeze drain into the bilge. Then I mopped that out.



Valiente said:


> 22.	Fill the fuel tank to within 1" of the top (not so easy to do) and add one cup of Methyl Hydrate to aid in the absorption of any water in the tank.


Stabil wouldn't be a bad idea, either.



Valiente said:


> 24.	Spray Mercury Marine Storage Seal (preferred) in the combustion chambers or add some (1/16 of a cup) of engine oil to the spark plug holes. Turn the engine over several turns by hand with the hand crank (or with the starter motor if a towel is placed upon the engine head to catch the splashing. This coats the valves and rings and cylinder walls with a protective film for rust prevention.


Everybody has a different way of doing this. Don Moyer recommends squirting Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders. The guy at the auto parts store that looked like he'd been wrenching on engines since before the A-4 was even created said to spray misting oil into the carb of the running engine until it stalled. This is what I did.

It looks like nobody mentioned the head and holding tank yet?

Close the water intake to the head. Dump a box of baking soda and some white vinegar into the toilet and pump it through. Some time later, pump-out the holding tank. Fill it up with fresh water and pump it out again, if you can. (Our club has a pump-out, so it's easy for us.) Dump a gallon of RV anti-freeze into the toilet and pump most of it through. Once the boat's on the hard, re-open the water intake to the head so it can drain.

To the OP: Your best resource for all things relating to your A-4 is unquestionably Moyer Marine.

Jim


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## HerbDB (Sep 30, 2000)

Very nice instructions on winterizing the water system. FYI, both Beneteau boats that I have owned have a male and a female line in/out of the hot water heater. To bypass all you have to do is disconnect these lines and then connect them to each other.

I follow the same procedure you use except for pumping antifreeze through the system. Instead, I use an air compressor dialed down to about 15-20 psi and blow the remaining water out of the lines. I just hold the air fitting up against the supply line while my wife opens each hot and cold line until no more water comes out.

I have been doing this for years without problems. I am sure that there is some water remaining in the lines, but not enough to cause a problem in a flexible water line. If I have hard pipes like in my motor home, I would pump the antifreeze. Great pictures.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Valiente-

When you said:



> 9. Mix two liters of antifreeze with two liters of water and place in a four liter container, (an empty plastic container is handy to do this with a full four liter bottle of antifreeze as some of it is used for the bilge pumps and holding tanks as well. Propylene glycol antifreeze is better for the environment than Ethylene glycol is. Test the antifreeze with a tester to ensure that the mixture is good to -35 F. If not add some antifreeze and mix until it is.


I'd point out two important things here: First, if you're talking the raw-water side of the boat or the bilge of the boat, *YOU HAVE TO USE THE NON-TOXIC ANTIFREEZE-or propylene glycol stuff. Also, the non-toxic stuff SHOULD NOT BE DILUTED. It is designed to be used full strength. * If you dilute it, it will raise the freezing temperature and you will lose much of the protection it is supposed to provide.


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