I am picking up a 2018 C28 with the D4 260 and moving it to Central Oregon where we still have freezing weather. Is there a guide for winterizing the onboard water system so I don’t freeze water lines etc. I’ve been told the engine cooling system will drain when I pull it and put it on a trailer for transport.
2018 C28 Winterization
- Thread starter JJGKJG
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Mastercraft
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For engine heater, I use a “twin hornet 45” on Amazon for $299. Expensive but very durable. Put in very aft of bilge on wood shelf and snake the power cord to inverter.
For cabin, I use a CH872 milk house heater on Amazon. I like it because it is metal and low is only 750w . Simplest ones have low at 1200w. Place it under table . Turn thermostat knob to almost off. These are built very cheap $45 china. The thermostat is not consistent.
Maybe an electric dehumidifier.
Plug in shore power.
For short term storage, I think that is all you need.
For cabin, I use a CH872 milk house heater on Amazon. I like it because it is metal and low is only 750w . Simplest ones have low at 1200w. Place it under table . Turn thermostat knob to almost off. These are built very cheap $45 china. The thermostat is not consistent.
Maybe an electric dehumidifier.
Plug in shore power.
For short term storage, I think that is all you need.
glider4
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We keep our 2017 C-28 in our Ashland, OR driveway over the winter. Elevation 2,200 feet. Am in the process of starting to de-winterize it over the next two weeks.
You stated that the engine cooling system would drain when seacock opened for trailering. Yes, but it does NOT drain enough for effective winterizing! See #6 below.
Getting it ready for winter involves the following:
1. Double pump out the black water tank prior to leaving marina and remove garboard drain plug when on trailer.
2. Either fill the fuel tank to full or get fuel level really low prior to getting boat in driveway. I plan my last cruise to end with less than 20 gallons of diesel in tank.
3. Adding fuel stabilizer to fuel when boat in driveway.
4. Connect boat to shore power in our garage using the normal big shore power cords that can handle 30 Amps. Do not use cheap extension cords designed to handle less than 30 Amps!
5. Install an automatic heater in engine bay using shelf aft of transmission and running cord into cabin through cabin floor hatch near door. I use the Twin Hornet 45 700 watt heater for this task. I also use 1” ABS pipes to prop up the cabin floor hatch opposite the hinge so the electric cord doesn’t get pinched.
6. Close seacock and with engine on at idle run 4 to 6 gallons of pink RV antifreeze through big port side strainer into sea water cooling system. This works easiest with 3 people. One at helm, one pouring antifreeze into strainer and one at exhaust flap looking for pink.
7. Add pink coolant to smaller sea water strainer on starboard side leading to the toilet. Keep flushing toilet until you see pink coming through lines. This takes 2 people, one flushing while one pours pink antifreeze.
8. Run fresh water pump with all faucets open (while turning to both cold and hot) until fresh water tank is empty. Add 5 gallons of pink antifreeze to fresh water fill. Run all faucets (cockpit, galley, v-berth sink and sink in head both hot and cold until pink coming out on both hot and cold faucet settings. Note: Some use air to blow lines out but that’s a much more complicated process to me.
9. Install heaters and 2 dehumidifiers in cabin. I use two Caframo dehumidifiers and a Caframo True North Deluxe Space Automatic Heater. Make sure door to head is propped open for circulation.
10. Pour pink RV antifreeze so it goes through bilge sump pumps and through the shower sump pump.
11. Run pink RV antifreeze through cockpit wash down pump and hoses. I think this is done through the starboard side sea water strainer but I’m not positive.
12. Turn on Webasco cabin heat furnace at least once per month and run for 20-30 minutes each time.
This whole process takes me about 3 hours to do each late October.
Many folks recommend doing the annual oil change and fuel filters change just before taking boat out of water for the season. For more on winterizing see the As The Prop Turns video from FM here.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mHZr7ANbIkI
You stated that the engine cooling system would drain when seacock opened for trailering. Yes, but it does NOT drain enough for effective winterizing! See #6 below.
Getting it ready for winter involves the following:
1. Double pump out the black water tank prior to leaving marina and remove garboard drain plug when on trailer.
2. Either fill the fuel tank to full or get fuel level really low prior to getting boat in driveway. I plan my last cruise to end with less than 20 gallons of diesel in tank.
3. Adding fuel stabilizer to fuel when boat in driveway.
4. Connect boat to shore power in our garage using the normal big shore power cords that can handle 30 Amps. Do not use cheap extension cords designed to handle less than 30 Amps!
5. Install an automatic heater in engine bay using shelf aft of transmission and running cord into cabin through cabin floor hatch near door. I use the Twin Hornet 45 700 watt heater for this task. I also use 1” ABS pipes to prop up the cabin floor hatch opposite the hinge so the electric cord doesn’t get pinched.
6. Close seacock and with engine on at idle run 4 to 6 gallons of pink RV antifreeze through big port side strainer into sea water cooling system. This works easiest with 3 people. One at helm, one pouring antifreeze into strainer and one at exhaust flap looking for pink.
7. Add pink coolant to smaller sea water strainer on starboard side leading to the toilet. Keep flushing toilet until you see pink coming through lines. This takes 2 people, one flushing while one pours pink antifreeze.
8. Run fresh water pump with all faucets open (while turning to both cold and hot) until fresh water tank is empty. Add 5 gallons of pink antifreeze to fresh water fill. Run all faucets (cockpit, galley, v-berth sink and sink in head both hot and cold until pink coming out on both hot and cold faucet settings. Note: Some use air to blow lines out but that’s a much more complicated process to me.
9. Install heaters and 2 dehumidifiers in cabin. I use two Caframo dehumidifiers and a Caframo True North Deluxe Space Automatic Heater. Make sure door to head is propped open for circulation.
10. Pour pink RV antifreeze so it goes through bilge sump pumps and through the shower sump pump.
11. Run pink RV antifreeze through cockpit wash down pump and hoses. I think this is done through the starboard side sea water strainer but I’m not positive.
12. Turn on Webasco cabin heat furnace at least once per month and run for 20-30 minutes each time.
This whole process takes me about 3 hours to do each late October.
Many folks recommend doing the annual oil change and fuel filters change just before taking boat out of water for the season. For more on winterizing see the As The Prop Turns video from FM here.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mHZr7ANbIkI
Great advice. Thanks for the feedback. I will use heaters for the short term until the weather warms and do the full winterization in the fall. I’m trailering the boat from Bellingham in a week and when we get it setup for cruising will move it to the Oregon coast for the season.