GL: Winterizing

[Lawrence Zeitlin]

On Oct 2, 2008, at 12:00 AM, Coral wrote:

> We therefore are asking boat owners that have opted to do this process
> themselves, to please share their data, experience and itemization  
> lists with
> us.
> Also, we plan on leaving the boat outdoors in a cold, snowy  
> environment, and
> not shrink wrapping it.


Visit your local West Marine. They give away a detailed checklist  
about all the steps necessary to properly winterize a boat.

Most boats can tolerate a modest snowfall without trouble. But if it  
gets really snowy you can run into serious problems. The first is  
weight. Repeated snowfalls leading to an accumulation to several feet  
can add a couple of tons to the boat's weight. The jackstands and keel  
support blocks must take this into account. When the weather warms  
above freezing, the snow doesn't evaporate. It melts, then refreezes  
as the weather cools. If you have any hairline cracks in the gelcoat  
or paint, the repeated ice expansion will make them larger by spring.  
Ice may also block the drain ports permitting a pool of water to build  
up in the cockpit. This can seep into the interior of the boat. You  
will find a soggy mess when you come back.

Shrink wrapping is the ideal preventive for snow accumulation. The  
taut polyethelyne cover sheds snow and water quite well. Current costs  
are $10 to $15 a foot, depending on the nature of the job. You can  
also use tarps, the blue kind found in most hardware stores. If these  
are carefully placed and tied they will prevent most snow intrusion  
although they are rarely completely waterproof.

This winter is predicted to be particularly snowy north of the Mason/ 
Dixon line. Take care.

Larry Z