leaving in water over winter

[diverphil]

hi, just wondering what the opinions are on leaving a boat in the water over winter, anyone who's done this have any advice, due to restrictions we cant get down to the boat but the fuel was full and the fresh water drained off last time we were down, and its not plugged in to marina electric. what are your experience's ?

[tiger79]

Should be fine in North Wales, although keep an eye on the long-term weather forecast for severe freezing.  I leave my boat in the water all year round in an East Coast UK marina.  Been doing this for years, and never had a problem, even when the surface of the water in the marina froze one year.  I don't drain the fresh water, and don't leave a heater in the boat.  I do turn the water pressure pump off before leaving the boat, and open all the taps (and also drain the water out of the cockpit shower hose).

[symphony2]

Also leave the boat in all year round and don't do any "winterising" except that I have fitted stop valves in the pipes to the shower on the transom as one year the water in the shower head froze and split it. This enable the head to be removed completely for the winter while still leaving the rest of the system functioning. Although I have Coppercoat, still find it useful to have a week or so out of the water each spring as it is easier then to clean and polish the hull.

[tiger79]

I just use International Micron, and leave the boat in the water for 2 years.  I only lift it out in summer every second year, when the marina has cheap liftout deals, for antifoul, polishing and anodes.

[diverphil]

good idea with the shower head, ours had a slow drip from the head,sat inside the tube with a bung on it on outside. took me ages to find the leak. water just kept apearing in the bilge, spent a few hours trying to find it, it happend just at the first time we had put the new to us boat back in, so  causing me a stress head  . every time we went out it appeared, finaly figured it was when the tank was filled and the pump left on (being on deck you dont hear the pump re pressurising the water every 15 minutes) then played follow the pipes till i found it.

[Clivert]

We always stay in over winter.
Portsmouth Sailing Club has a race on Christmas Morning !!
Haul out in spring. The weather's warm,yards not so crowded etc.

[Salty]

Hi Phil, I used to leave my boat in the water all year round in Holyhead, and would monitor the sea water temperature from the input transducer for my Raymarine log speed. I don’t  recall it getting much lower than 4 or 5 degrees Celsius, so on the basis that the sea water temperature would most likely warm the air around the boat I didn’t worry too much about freezing. In more recent years and before selling the boat in September this year I have had the boat lifted ashore in Beaumaris over winter. Having the boat ashore over winter did concern me a little such that I fitted two mains powered pole heaters, one next to the aft fresh water tank and pump, and one next to the calorifier, but the weather didnt get cold enough to use them more than once in the four or five winters it was there. I did remove the shower head, and never put it back in place, mainly because the water around the UK is too cold for me, and I cant swim anyway, so I had no need for an external shower.

[symphony2]

Later boats have a shower head that is also the tap, rather than a separate mixer tap. Therefore the water is under pressure right up to the head. Mine froze year before last because the stern faced east and the Beast from the East did for it, even though the seawater did not get anywhere near freezing. Hence the installation of the stop valves to isolate the shower completely and then drain by removing the head.

[diverphil]

going from the replies it looks like it should be ok, will probably have killed the battery's by next year as we cant go down to it for the foreseeable future. the main is in a sail bag and tied up, and the foresail has 2 or 3 extra turns of the sheets around it. hopefully all will be well but cant do anything if its not till we are allowed back into wales from Lancashire.

[Salty]

going from the replies it looks like it should be ok, will probably have killed the battery's by next year as we cant go down to it for the foreseeable future. the main is in a sail bag and tied up, and the foresail has 2 or 3 extra turns of the sheets around it. hopefully all will be well but cant do anything if its not till we are allowed back into wales from Lancashire.

I’ve  sent you a private message Phil regarding looking at your boat. So if you go to your “My Messages,” you should pick it up.

[diverphil]

Have the message and have replied. Let me know if you get it or not. If not I'll try from pc insraed of phone