When do you winterize question

[Jack Hutteball]

I admit to being guilty with having the electrical power on when not on the boat.  Always leave the charger on for a few days after we have been out for a few days to a week to bring the batteries up to a full charge which I thought was a good thing.  How do you accomplish that if you turn everything off and leave the boat until you are ready to go out the next time?  Also being able to leave the boat in the water here in Anacortes Washington all year and ready to go (yes we do occasionally head out for a few days in the winter if the weather is good) I am guilty of keeping a couple of the WM dehumidifiers running in the boat.  It is always nice and dry, no mildew which is great.

I have always thought that the main breaker where the power comes on the boat would shut the AC power down immediately if a short or other kind of fault would occur.  Is this not true?  I always turn off all the DC power, including the main battery switch and engine power switch.  The AC side of the system is the only thing on, sometimes with the charger, but generally only with the electrical outlets on and the dehumidifiers running.  Any way to make this operation safe?

Jack

[captran]

I have always, with 20 years of boat ownership, changed the oil just prior to laying it up for the winter, so that there is clean oil all winter.  I'd been told dirty oil can damage your engine if left sitting.  We drain the water tanks and then put about 6 gallons of antifreeze (RV type) in the fresh water side of things, as well as a little in the toilet bowl.  Never have had a problem in Anacortes in the winter, where it does occasionally snow.

[Jeff Kaplan]

as stated, i have always changed the oil and all filters as part of winterization. as i have spent most of my working career in the trucking business, parts and supplies, many of my friends are diesel mechanics. having read many of past posts where everyone has a different approach to this subject, i asked one of my closest diesel mech. friends what he thinks, remember a diesel engine is a diesel engine, and his take is to change the oil and filter at layup. that way, clean oil is on the pistons and in the sump. in the spring, you are ready to launch. as far as diesel fuel mixing with the engine, a little is possible, but that only thins out the oil a little, nothing to worry about. he did tell me though, the new low sulfur fuel might deteriorate the o-rings in the inj. pump of older engines. what to do is add fuel cond. that increases the lubricity of the fuel. that will help. if the o-rings do weaken, an external leak will be noticeable, then you must take the pump in to be rebuilt. so as stated, change you oil in the fall and in the spring you're ready to go...jeff

[Footloose]

Jeff,

I have been using the same procedure as you at lay up.  Thanks for the sanity check.

[Ron Hill]

Jack : I don't know what to tell you, except not to stay plugged in while you're not on the boat. 
Why don't you call BoatUS Insurance and ask them how many claims they have from electrically caused fires on unattended boats - think you'll be surprised!!