"Fallization"

[JeffC]

Happy Friday All,

This is my first transition to winter with an inboard.     My question is about continued operations into fall, as night time temperatures start to drop to freezing.   

Background:

• 2017 22 VLX, 410, Hard tanks Bow, center, and rear.  550 PNPs in rear.  
• Winterization appt (included with my purchase) scheduled for Oct 20.   Good possibility that I will have some great days to be on the water until then, but also good possibility that nighttime temps could drop into 20's too.
• Storing in covered but not enclosed/heated storage.   I do have 110 power available behind the boat.

With my old I/O, I would tuck a couple trouble lights into the engine compartment (functionally redundant in case I lost a light bulb) whenever the temp was forecast to drop below freezing.   That was giving me 2-3 more weeks of boating season until I completed the winterization.   I always did that myself (change fluids, drain block, fill with RV -100 antifreeze, etc etc etc).   I felt pretty secure with the trouble lights since pretty much anything that would freeze was in the engine compartment.   The VLX is a lot more complicated, so Im curious what others do.  Im thinking about the ballast tanks, water lines, heater, shower, etc etc etc.   

Is the trouble light method something others do with inboards?   

I have to admit I have not gone through the manual YET about winterization procedures, so I WILL be doing that.   I dont have any near term threat of freezing weather, but in CO it is not a question of if, it is a question of when.   If the answer is drain everything per a procedure in the manual, Im fine with that, but if I can reasonably save time using the trouble lights between now an Oct 20, then Im even better with that. 

[minnmarker]

I use this for the engine compartment: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MEMRGZE/

Drain and winterize the ballast system and shower before freezing is a possibility.

Don't have a heater.