A piece of advice that was passed to me: always hang the engine ignition key over the closed off seacock for the raw water intake. Without the key you are forced to reach for the seacock before starting the engine.
I do something similar, and I take it one further-- the key is in a ziploc bag along with the raw water impeller. I pull the impeller out all winter, as a couple of the fins get badly bent over by the volute.
I have a rudimentary 26-footer, no need for winterizing. No inboard diesel engine, no marine loo. In my opinion, winter is the best sailing season. I like the colder temperatures, I especially enjoy the serenity of the open water without a lot of other boats about.
Great ‘checklist’ Tom! Only one thing I would do different and that is to postpone the fuel filter exchange to the spring which avoids build up of bad fuel in the filter over winter. Grtz! Harry
Great advice Tom! I haven't ever heard of the sea strainer trick, should prove very useful. I also see some comments below about how you have non sailors watching your videos and just want to say I think it's amazing that you can get someone who doesn't sail to watch a near 25 minute video on winterizing a sailboat AND comment about how they enjoyed it. Amazing stuff Tom, it really shows your charisma.
I just recently discovered this channel and have found it informative and entertaining. This video is, quite probably, my favorite so far. Thanks for making them. I look forward to seeing many more.
Very many thanks Martin for your kind remarks and for watching. More vids in the pipeline for this channel. You'll also find more on my website www.tomcunliffe.com. Tom
Great video Tom, if I could give it two thumbs up I would. I wish i had someone like you as a neighbour in the Marina and not those two cantankerous old buggers who have been rubbing me up the wrong way for years, so I do.
Just wonderful, thanks! I dream of having a proper cruiser, even with all her extra chores. For now winterizing isn’t too bad - not when the little boat sits on a trailer under a carport!
Hi Tom. Another good video: all the right points, and no wasted words. But... fresh water tanks & pipes? In the Baltic one blows down of course, but in the UK open up the lockers and rely on the boat heaters to hold it from freezing? And messengers? I always remove all my running rigging and install messengers, then pop each length of running rigging into a bag and take them to the launderette (add a bit of conditioner). Finally a word about boat covers? Lovely things...
Thanks Tom. Very good points. It's interesting that in the UK, people don't go in for boat covers so much. You certainly need them in the Baltic. The launderette is the place for washing the ropes - my wife won't let me use our washing machine! Tom
Excellent, Nice and complete! I will point friends and neighbors with the usual questions straight to this video! So happy I never have to do any of it living on board :-) The one thing I do is the Glycol in the engine and exhaust in the winter months. It is important to note that this operation will make your Impeller run dry for a bit, so always put in a new one in spring! You should do that once a year anyway.
Well, to change the impeller is of course good advice. However, the need for that differs s lot depending on engine hours, motor brand and so on. With moderate use it might just be enough to pull it out for s good inspection and just leave it out during the winter if it is free from wear and cracks. A common advice is to store it glycerine. That's the Scandinavian style. 😱🇸🇪
Excellent informative video, great presentation. Thanks Tom, keep them coming. Just subscribed, now back to persuading the wife that we really need a boat...
Top tip on pickling the heat exchanger! Particularly using the right antifreeze or you'll be killing the fishies!! Hope you have a good closed season. Hopefully keep us amused with lots of sailing videos over the Winter. Cheers! (nice Hallberg Rassy over your shoulder when you're the jetty! Yours?)
Hi Ruaraidh. Glad you found the heat exchanger tip useful. I've got more vids in the pipeline. Neither boat was mine - Constance (Mason 44) is tucked up in her warm shed in Denmark. Tom
Thanks for another masterclass Tom - I'm a bit frustrated not being able to winterise anything at the moment - hopefully next year. The exchanger wrinkle is a cracking tip - it's a much overlooked component and worthwhile mothering. If I can add anything I have done on earlier craft - give the winches and windlass the once over and service if necessary - wipe over with lanocote or ACF 50 or similar and cover . Do the same with the metalwork - heavily wax any exposed brightwork and remove the dodger canvas. The best thing we ever had was a full length cover - you would not believe the amount of guano that can be dropped by the Whitby gull population in 5 months. Best wishes for the new year :-))
Whilst you are busy cleaning the boat would it be an idea to check the fire extinguishers are okay? Or is that left until Spring? Retired from offshore now but have a narrowboat and the laying up procedure is very similar, no sails of course. Also make sure gas is off?
Hi Ray. Yes, definitely turn off the gas. I usually have a look at the fire extinguishers too and if they are creeping into the red order new for the Spring. You can also check them again then, just to make sure they haven't dumped. Thanks for that input. Tom
All good sound stuff as ever Tom. I would add one comment. When we go sailing we stow everything so it is ‘secure in any event’. After one winter storm, my boat which was tucked up in Lymington, was pressed so hard the toe rail was chewed up under the pontoon. If there are heaters and dehumidifiers running, make sure they are secure in any event, and the shore power is equally secure but can never be the line that’s holding her to the berth.
Hi Andrew. That's an excellent point and I always made sure to check the power line when we stayed in the water all winter. I should have mentioned it, so thanks for flagging it up.
Not in perfect order but I believe I got the gist of it. 1. Fill fuel tanks 2. Add Bug inhibitor 3. Run Engine to warm oil 4. Change engine oil 5. Change Oil Filter 6. Change Fuel Filters 7. Anti-freeze in Heat Exchanger 8. Clean the Loo with Fresh water then a liter of Antifreeze 9. Turn off All Seacocks- Leave Notes to remind you to open them come the Springtime. 10. Charge all Batteries, then remove all terminals. Or leave them plugged in if you are able 11. Dehumidifier - Drain 12. Green house heater DO NOT USE AN ELECTRIC FAN- FIRE DANGER! 13. Cushions- remove them or stand them up to allow air to circulate 14. leave frig doors and lockers open 14. A Bottle of Whiskey 15. Remove all food from boat 16. Clean boat throughly 17. Remove all gear from boat 18. Remove all electronics if possible 19. Put Transducer plug in 20. Chafe protection on lines 21. Remove all sails if able. Store them somewhere dry Happy New Year my Friends!
Excellent tips really well presented. Any tips on water tanks and gas bottles? If left in the water, and you have installed solar panels, any thoughts on trickle feeding 1 house battery and leaving electric bilge pump on? Finally, any value in covering the winches, wheel, hatches, etc against weather and uv?
Thanks Stephan. There was more that could be said, so I may do a follow up next year. All your tips there are winners. Thanks. I drain my water tanks and shut down the gas at the bottle. I honestly haven't much experience with solar panels, although I'm planning on getting one next year. What you say sounds sensible. I might put this question out on my monthly members forum which you are welcome to join. My club costs just £15 a year and there are all sorts of other benefits besides the forum including free articles, videos etc. I have covers over my hatches which are teak and when I kept the boat on a mooring I used also to rig a cockpit cover to protect the instruments and the vanished coaming. Tom
Excellent video, thanks. One thing worth knowing is that the most common joker valves in marine toilets are made from neoprene which is not resistant to propylene glycol, for this purpose ethylene glycol should be used.
I remove the sails and every bit of running rigging, plus the danboy and life ring, left up it doesn't take long for everything to get overgrown with that horrible green growth Cheers Tom
Hi. The best answer I know to stop decks and canvas covers from going green is Boracol. You just paint it on and it's a result. No green in the spring. Tom
Totally agree on using the bug inhibitor! After I started using it I never had any more bug issues.You have a lovely clean engine and bilge :) I also like to give a light spray and then wipe off with corrosion inhibitor on any parts where the paint is starting to look ropey. You could also remove the water impeller to stop it getting a set if leaving it for a long time (and putting a warning label over the start key hole).
Hi Spiral Diving. All remarkably good points that I should have mentioned, but time, space and memory prohibited. I might use the impeller one as one of my #TomsTuesdayTopTips on Facebook. Thanks. Tom
Great ‘briefing’ Tom and indeed a merry X-Mas! Would like to make one small comment and that is to change the diesel pre-filter at the end of winter instead of before as this ensures a clean filter instead of one that is already filled with diesel for all winter months. Best regards, Harry
Hi Harry. Good point. Thanks for your input on filters. I suppose I do it now to get it out of the way. It's not the easiest job on my own boat and I do it while I'm doing the engine oil.
Hello Tom, I just found you and your channel and it is fantastic. My problem is the videos are so interesting I haven’t completed my boat projects and it’s getting cold here in Newport RI. 😎
Hi Tom, that was a great video, thanks so much. Most of the things are fairly straightforward but the thing we are unsure of is winterising the fresh water pipes, we do not have the option of any heaters. I have actually bought a compressor and I'm going to try and blow the water out of pipes with about 4 bar of pressure to not blow the pipes. Sone people are saying there still could be some low spots of standing water doing this but i really don't want to put chemicals in the fresh water system. Unsure if this is going to be successful yet. If anyone has any advice on this, that would be awesome 👌
Pour a bottle of Milton in a full tank of fresh water and run all the taps for a bit to circulate it, then just empty it all via your taps next spring and refill with fresh clean water, it'll be as clean as a whistle
Thanks for the tip, but the real issue here is preventing freezing. We live in Stockholm, where temperatures can reach as low as -30 degrees centigrade in the winter. I've read so many forums and the Americans tend to put antifreeze in everything, over here they tend to try and clear the pipes either with vacuum or pressure. Just waiting for the compressor now, just wondered if anyone had any experience with blasting the pipes with air. Cheers, Chris
Hi Tom, thanks for another great video. This year my engine man suggested completely draining the fuel tank, and giving it a good clean as we had a bit of bother with clogged filters in the summer. He told me that it's best to do this every four or five years. I hadn't heard of this before, have you? I also normally drain the fresh water tanks and system if laying up on the hard as it can get really cold with the wind chill, is this something you do? Thanks, David
Hope you can post some videos over the winter. Just musings or reminiscences from the comfort of your own home would be fine, thank you! Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year to you and yours.
Hi Sir Prancelot. I've got a few good vids in the pipeline - some of which I made on board this summer - and will do my best to keep you all entertained over the winter. If you want more, sign up to my members club on www.tomcunliffe.com. It's only 15 quid a year and there's a load of articles, more videos and an audiobook on there, plus a regular online forum. Tom
Hi Depends where you are, whether your boat is wood or what, how your finances are, what you want to do in the off season... I could write a book about that! Tom
Wow I am happy I charter a cruiser every summer and someone else has to worry for it during the winter! On the other hand my skiff is dry and happy in the garage during winter while the car gets rained on. I guess it's a matter of preference!
The only thing better than disconnecting the batteries is to have a small solar panel. Doesn't need to be a big one, 20 or 30W is enough ... it will keep them topped up and ready to go. Putting a small solar panel on our boat was the best thing we did. We are on a swing mooring and whenever we go out to her, the batteries are always topped off.
Great point about using a dehumidifier but unless the area is heated make sure a fan type desiccant type dehumidifier is used. The normal compressor type dehumidifier will work but the efficiency will plummet as it gets colder, where the desiccant unit is not so badly impacted. Also if a switch timer is used running the unit in the very early morning before dawn when it will be coldest for a few hours works well. At 50% HR should see zero equipment/material degradation, thought with wooden built boats this may not be a good target point, ask someone who knows about wood.
I Denmark we se a rising numbers of boatfires in the winter because the boats on shore is more or less constantly connected to til 230 volt system. Often the charger or the batteries are the reason. Most harboures has therefore forbitten connetion to the 230 volt system, if you are not present at the boat!
Hi Matt. The only time the boat smells of diesel is if there is a leak. If that's happening with your boat - have a good check round. The last time I was on board I got a whiff of diesel and discovered that the filter had a tiny drip. Tom
Tom .. to ad on your well said instructions on fuel , the only inhibitors on fuel is a biobore .. there not many others that works. If you buy TLG diesel ( gas to liquid ) it does not needs any. It’s the cleanest diesel ever. Having some experience on aviation fuels and storing larges quantities.. it’s clear that good brands obtains the inhibitor this for sure if you buy the later in the fall. We call it winter diesel.
Thanks Monk for this input. I couldn't agree more. I used TLG diesel for the first time last year in Denmark, having heard good reports of it. Great stuff. Seek it out where you can! Tom
as for oil filters. do make shore that the O-ring seal comes off with the old filter. worst is putting on a new filter and little run later the bearings klimbe out the sump to look for oil. 2 seals on each other will hold oil and not leak for as long as you sit and watch it.......the moment you leave it and get on with stuff one will blow out and all your oil after. easy and simple...when a filter comes off the oring must come with.new filter wiith new O-ring
Actually Tom since this is the "dead" season for many boat works, shops, shipwrights, etc. Now is the time to also have the hull repainted, fixed, caulked, or antifouling/blacking or whatever. Hard stand rates are probably cheaper. And if you have a composite/Fiberglass boat good time to have blisters taken care of. Some antifreezes have additives that can eat aluminum and destroy magnesium. As for sails I'll slightly disagree. It's better to take all sails inside as the current rainwater is not all that good and can leave dirt and mildew behind. There is also bubble cams with movement sensors. These are sneaky little things that don't freeze, come in various colours and can take a pic or two of people who should not be looking where they shouldn't. Oil filters, yeah you may want to check with manufacturer of engine as to which filters do NOT void warranty. For example putting a wix filter on cars made in North America voids engine warranty completely as well as oil pump manufacturers. Got burned by that one.
Why isn’t everyone like Tom ? (Well; men, not our girls obviously 🙄!) I’m lucky enough to work with a few good guys who have similar knowledge/attitude combinations...So I can’t complain.
Used fan heaters with thermostats on my yachts for over 34 years with no problems! Thing is they have to be safe to be used in peoples homes they circulate the air and dry it out Agree re Ocean safety i have used them for years!
Tom, It's easy: 1. empty water tanks 2. put about 5 liters of vodka (the cheapest you can find) in Tank 3. put the vodka from the tank into a receiver (it will not spoil the vodka) 4 put the vodka back into the water tank 5. to recover the vodka through the water circuit & repeat the dose in another water tank (if you have more than one water tank) when removing the vodka from the tanks is until the tap only comes out the smell of vodka, when filling the water tanks, they are clean, and the water even has a slight taste of vodka, there are products (chemicals) to do this, this method I learned from a sailor with a respectable age from Denmark! The old school is always the best!
personal bit that is quit obvious tho never the less should be pointed out when replacing filters and the like take a look at them see what they look like see what material is stuck in them will give you a good idear of the sate of your tanks, pipes and engine (as well as the quality of your fuel)
I find the whole idea of shutting down for winter a little strange? Why would you not want to go sailing in the winter? We dont live in the arctic in the UK and there are so many great days to sail, should you wish. If you keep your boat in another country, certainly. I'll still be sailing out of Pwllheli for as long as the Welsh will let an Englishman cross the border.....
Well now, Graham. I didn't say I laid my own boat up did I? When she was in England I kept her in commission and used her when I could, but the general attrition on brightwork etc out there in the rain and snow were horrible. Right now she's in Scandinavia, so she's tucked up in a heated shed and will come out like new in spring.
Top tip for wintering your engine...use an electric engine and don't mess with all the fuss, smell, mess and failed starts.Skip to 8:10 if you have enough sense to not rely upon an archaic, environmentally destructive diesel POS. A diesel engine these days is just stupid...no other way to describe it.
Well yes mister lithium has an opinion , yell yell yell so your investment is to be justified. Obviously you didn’t do the big numbers. For your reference and to keep the explanation short , a Tesla is old school and not clean than a Mercedes. Diesel is the cleanest engine of the carbon fuel burners. Tip for you .. studying a bit harder and don’t trust the salesman.
@@MonkPetite Solid state is only a few years away and I've never listened to a salesman, only done extensive research into battery technology, coming advancements, and supportive solar technology that will completely change the landscape of electric engines on sailboats. I've never witnessed a sailor that didn't have problems with their diesel engine right when they couldn't afford for it to not work. besides, sailors sailed the world a long time before diesel engines and we only went to fossil fuels over combustion in the early 1900s because of that lack of infrastructure and capability to recharge to match combustion at the time. We only use combustion now because the oil industry has spear-headed billions to keep battery tech down...but now it's time for a valuable change. Thanks for your advice, but really you shouldn't assume that when someone doesn't agree with you it's because they don't know what they are talking about. right now we have tech to power a sailboat completely across the ocean with only solar power and that's just the tip of where we will be in just a few short years
Kent Wood your could be totally righ👍🏻. nevertheless you comment is totally out of the context Tom video. You might as well not respond here . This video is made dor those that not even have a fantasy of a battery drive. But have an old stinking diesel. Or maybe a very clean one. By the way I don’t make assumptions. And live a electric ⚡️ pipe dream. We test.. and it’s proven that battery’s are not the right answer. Thats my work.. as of to day.
