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Should I WINTERIZE my boat?


SCCA_Racer07

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Helloo.. My first post here:) I have just aquired a 95' Malibu Echelon LX(pictures pending). I am wondering how critical it is to winterize my boat. We really don't have cold weather here in San Luis Obispo, CA. I would say at the coldest point maybe in December-January it would drop to maybe 25 degrees at night. Reason I don't want to winterize it is because I am sort of a year round watersport kind of guy. So I figured if I winterized it I would have to keep it on ice for the season. haha I have had my waverunner here for 4 years and never had a problem.. Any thoughts or possibly things I could do like drain water from engine after each use would be helpful. Thanks!

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Where are you storing it, just outside with the cover?

At a minimum I would drain the block and heater if you have one once temps are close to the freezing mark.

Also, how often are you going to be using it Dec-Jan?

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Where are you storing it, just outside with the cover?

At a minimum I would drain the block and heater if you have one once temps are close to the freezing mark.

Also, how often are you going to be using it Dec-Jan?

Yes, just storing it outside covered.. I was thinking that draining the block would be sufficent and minus the anti-freeze in the block. Just seems a little excessive. Also, I never know how much I will use it in the winter. I am thinking of taking fishing up this winter so who knows.

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Helloo.. My first post here:) I have just aquired a 95' Malibu Echelon LX(pictures pending). I am wondering how critical it is to winterize my boat. We really don't have cold weather here in San Luis Obispo, CA. I would say at the coldest point maybe in December-January it would drop to maybe 25 degrees at night. Reason I don't want to winterize it is because I am sort of a year round watersport kind of guy. So I figured if I winterized it I would have to keep it on ice for the season. haha I have had my waverunner here for 4 years and never had a problem.. Any thoughts or possibly things I could do like drain water from engine after each use would be helpful. Thanks!

Unless you can get the boat indoors when the temp is below freezing I would winterize it. If it only happens a few nights a year maybe putting a 100watt light bulb near the block (under the cover) would keep the temperature above freezing.

And welcome to the crew.

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Yes, just storing it outside covered.. I was thinking that draining the block would be sufficent and minus the anti-freeze in the block. Just seems a little excessive. Also, I never know how much I will use it in the winter. I am thinking of taking fishing up this winter so who knows.

Fishing from a Malibu? Guns.gif

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Fishing from a Malibu? Guns.gif

What can't fish and wakeboard all in the same day?!? It's funny.. I have had 4 boats and one waverunner in the last 5 years and have not fished once. Trying to remember if I enjoy 8 hours of nothing..

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If you are going to leave the boat outside in freezing temperatures you better drain the block, if it gets too cold one night all you can have a $3k fix to your new boat.

FWIW I do not use antifreeze in the block here in New England so it is certainly not a requirement if the block is drained properly.

-Chris

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eco friendly rv antifreeze is much better than ethlyene glycol antifreeze for the environment.

don't think i've ever seen a fishing pole on a ski boat

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If your boat has a heater definitely blow that out as it will freeze first. If the temps are going to drop below freezing you have a few options, personally I'd drain the block but a lot of people have success with either a lightbulb by the engine or running the engine at night and letting it warm up.

One fellow made quick disconnects in low spots in all of his hoses so he just cracks those open and pops out the block drain plugs and he is good to go.

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Welcome to the crew!

I guess in reply, to me it is like insurance. Hope you don't need it, but glad its there if you do need it. So I'd say at least drain the block if you plan to not use it for a couple weeks/months and temps are below freezing. Never heard anyone say after a cracked block that they were glad they took the risk.

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I have a similar concern. I live in Vacaville CA but my boat is stored indoors. It gets chilly during the winter, but not too bad. Still drain the block? Do I need to worry about filling the it w/ anti-freeze?

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A buddy of mine here in south Texas never winterizes his Nautique because he likes

to take his boat out on those warmer winter days. It rarely gets below freezing here, and even

when it does, it even more rarely stays freezing for more than a few hours.

He keeps his boat at his house and keeps one of those remote thermostats in his bilge. If it

starts to get close to freezing, he keeps an eye on the thermostat, easy to do since the digital

readout on it sits in his kitchen. If it gets at all close to freezing, he runs an extension

cord out to the boat and plugs in a lightbulb. Works well for him.

But, since my boat lives on a lift at a marina an hour-and-a-half away, I spend the fifteen minutes

or so that it takes to drain the block, manifold, and hoses. Works well for me.

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I have a similar concern. I live in Vacaville CA but my boat is stored indoors. It gets chilly during the winter, but not too bad. Still drain the block? Do I need to worry about filling the it w/ anti-freeze?

No need to do any full winterization if it's indoors. I still do drain my block & heater if I am not going to use the boat for over 1 month in the winter, just because it's so easy with the quick disconnects.

Edited by Addictedto6
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Thanks for all of the replies.. I am thinking that the quick disconects sound like the best option for me. I will take some pictures of the engine and maybe you guys can help show me all the little drain spots on it.

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Yes, mine is winterized and yours should be too! I'll let you know when you can get it back out Tease.gif

WHAT??? It was 75° this past weekend!!! Surprised.gif

We had 7 or 8 boats full of hydrofoilers over at Belew's! The weather and water was awesome. Yahoo.gif

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WHAT??? It was 75° this past weekend!!! Surprised.gif

We had 7 or 8 boats full of hydrofoilers over at Belew's! The weather and water was awesome. Yahoo.gif

No, it was 75 on Sunday, Saturday was decent but Sunday was awesome, and what did I do...oh yeah, raked frickin leaves!!! Cry.gif

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No, it was 75 on Sunday, Saturday was decent but Sunday was awesome, and what did I do...oh yeah, raked frickin leaves!!! Cry.gif

That sucks..........for you! Tongue.gif

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No need to do any full winterization if it's indoors. I still do drain my block & heater if I am not going to use the boat for over 1 month in the winter, just because it's so easy with the quick disconnects.

Same here. I don't use mine for 3 months during the winter, so I also drain the engine oil. I've heard that the previous summer's oil goes bad even if barely used.

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Thumbup.gif

Same here. I don't use mine for 3 months during the winter, so I also drain the engine oil. I've heard that the previous summer's oil goes bad even if barely used.

I wouldnt drain the oil. All it does is break down so starting it and running it might not be the best idea but it is not hurting anything by leaving it over the winter. Plus the crank stays nice and saturated over the winter. Just drain it at the beginning of the season. Plus you dont run the risk of accidently bumping the starter or starting it with no oil

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I have taken some pictures of the motor.. If someone could help point out where the drain plugs are that I need to drain would be great. BTW there are some other picturs of the boat included along with my car. I couldn't edit the slide show...

http://img4.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=dscn0328q.jpg

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