We're storing Dolphina with her mast up this winter and I've got a couple of questions I would like some input on.
I've noticed that most people leave the wind direction and speed sensors on the masthead when the mast is up. Are these remote sensors able to stand the ice and freezing? Should they come down? On our previous boats we did not have electronic sensors. I image that most leave them up just because its a pain to to topside to do so, but if the units fail, that even more of a pain.
We've also comissioned a winter cover from Topline Canvass, here in Midland, and for this it will allow us to leave the boom connected. I'm curious about the vang. To keep the boom level, I need to pull on the vang a fair bit. These would leave the internal spring loaded for the entire winter, which I figure could cause it to fatique some. What do most people do? Leave the vang compressed, or disconnect it and support the boom with a crotch or post?
Much thanks, Fred.
Hi Fred
Here in Ottawa there are 5 Catalina 34's. All remove the mast for winter storage. We all take the wind instruments off, but that is a precaution against damage more than the cold.
Tony
Thanks Tony,
Yes, if and when I take the mast down I do remove the equipment, and yes it is definitly to protect it from damage since all the masts typically sit together on mast racks. But I'm particularly interested in knowing what people do when they leave the mast up.
Cheers, Fred.
Fred,
My mast stays up all winter and I've left the instruments on. Actually, over the winter at my marina it looks like everyone by far keeps their instruments up. We store our boat, summer and winter, on the Chesapeake Bay, Rock Hall Maryland. I also have a custom winter cover. The boom is adjusted with the vang to get the level correct. I've had no trouble doing that for over 10 years (with the vang or instruments on top of the mast)
We store mast up and leave instruments up and boom vang in place with no issues
Fred,
Call me anal, but I take off the wind instruments, and I take off the vang. It's not that big of a deal to take a trip up the mast in the spring and fall. Good time to inspect everything, too. The instruments rest over the winter in the cabin, and the spring in the vang takes the season off, too. Boom is supported by a topping lift. I'm pretty sure most over-the-boom winter covers are made with a hole at the end of the boom. Mine is. The hole has a collar that wraps around the topping lift, and ties in place. No snow gets thru.
A quick check of the specs for Raymarine ST60 instruments gives a "non-operating" environment lower limit of -10C. If your temperatures in Midland drop like they do here in Ottawa significantly below this, then you might want to take this into account. Not clear if this also applies to the wind vane/wind speed sensor. South of us the temperatures don't drop below this much.
I remove all the instruments and the compass and store them in the basement every winter. A pain to disconnect and reconnect everything, but worth it to protect the investment!
Tony
I'm in Erie, PA. The only problem that I've had with instruments at the mast head over winter is for some reason (ice maybe) the radio antena (just the rod) has come out of the socket. This has happened twice, when I bought Shamrock, and last season. Not a big problem, but a real pain to fix in a bosuns chair because I can't get high enough to get a good look.
We get a lot of winter wind here, things I watch for are. The frame should support the cover clear of the life line stantions, or the wind pressure on the cover will bend the stantions. Watch out for mast pumping, this was discussed here and on the C36 forum. Try to get your boat set with the bow into the prevailing winds.
Jim
Fred : Great question!!
I've always left mine on the top of the mast for the previous 23 seasons, but after paying over $500 to get the mast head unit repaired last year - it's well worth the trip up there to remove it !!
Also why have it turning 24/7 for 5 or 6 months?? A thought
Hi all,
Here in San Diego when our witnter tempretures dip to the low 60's we leave our boats in the water and instruments in place and go sailing on the week ends. Kind of like the rest of the year. not complaining, just bragging.
Ralph
Ciao Bella
I always removed my instruments. I felt it was a good excuse to go up the mast and check things out. I also replaced all the halyards with messenger lines and removed all other lines. I used a couple of old dock lines to hold the boom up and lock it into position.
I live at Montreal and nobody remove their mast for winter because no place. My question is, is it better to slack the shrouds just a turn or two because the temperature go down at -30 celcius sometimes. Thank you
Do you change your motor oil before the winter or only at spring.
I've heard that you should slacken the shrouds and stays a bit to relieve the stress on the hull
As for the oil change, it should be changed in the fall because I also heard that the used oil contains corrosive elements that are detrimantal to the engine metal.
Maybe some others can confirm this for me.
Cheers, Fred.
I mark the turnbuckles and slacken the shrouds 2 turns on all shrouds except the forestay. Change the oil and filter at haul out, top up the fuel tank and change the fuel filter. Every 4 yrs. the mast comes down for the winter for inspection. This has worked well for me for the past 30yrs.
Paul
Fred,
Leave the instruments up if you're not inclined to go up the mast. I purchased my boat from the Lake Saint Claire, Michigan, area. The boat had been on the hard, mast up, instruments attached, for 3 and half years, winter, spring, summer, and fall! That windex and aerometer just spun away the whole time. When we put the boat in this July for sea trail everything went right back to work. The whole rig came down for transport to Florida, surveyor inspected the mast, rigging, and fittings. They all passed with flying colors.
Leave it up, sleep well at night my friend.
Paulo
Definitely change your oil at haul out to eliminate as much of the contaminated oil as possible because that does wear your engine faster.
Since we are talking about winterizing. What about the plumbing. Typically I drain the water tanks and replace it with antifreeze and run the taps until the anti freeze flows through all the lines. But, it takes a while in the spring to flush out the antifreeze.
So this year I was thinking about blowing out the lines but i wasn't sure where in the system I need to hook up the air hose to.
Any suggestions?
Some guys say me that's better to change oil 2 times. In fall just change oil and in spring change oil and filter because the cold winter can cause some condensation in the oil. What do you thinking about that. Thank you and excuse my English is not very good.
I blow out my lines. Disconnect the input line to the pump, close the forward tank valve, stick the air chuck in the aft tank fill with a rag to seal it, put a piece of tape over the vent, letting the water drain into the bilge. Once the aft tank is empty, close the aft tank water manifold valve and repeat with the forward tank. Once the tanks are empty, insert the air chuck into the water pump output line and run the sinks/aft shower until they are dry. Helps to drain the hot water tank first.
Also use the air to blow out the water lines for the air conditioner. Whole lot easier than trying to fill with antifreeze.
Dodger,
You are not putting anti freeze in the potable water storage tanks on your boat are you?? Do you know how poinous that stuff is. You could never flush those tanks good enough to ever use the water in them for any thing that you touch after that.
Ralph
Ralph, I'm pretty sure he's using the non-toxic anti-freeze (propelyne glycol). It's the pink stuff; specifically made for winterizing potable water systems. While it is non-toxic you still want to flush as much out as you can and that's a bit of a pain.
That's correct, it's the plumbing antifreeze not your engine antifreeze.
Thanks for the instruction on blowing the lines. Maybe Ralph was right...there is something to be said about being moored in the south, the only winterizing you lucky devils have to do is winterize your drinks with ice.
Guys : Ethylene glycol is what you use in the radiator of you auto radiator (Prestone etc. usually light green in color and poisonous).
Propylene glycol (pink in color and non poisonous) is used for water systems. Also propylene glycol for "engines" is a darker green!
Read the bottle!!!!
A few thoughts
My story is similar to Ken's...just at the opposite end of all the plumbing with a shop vac. Save $$'s on antifreeze and there is nothing to flush out come spring. Definitely drain the hot water tank first or the project will take 6 gallons longer!