Above, Great Escape, backed in and tied to the dock til spring
Below, Great Escape in SALT WATER should be the
Prefered Winterization method.......BUT.......
ALAS.... when we look at our budget we are forced to keep our boat
in St. Louis in a frozen harbor all winter with a bubbler running
Every year in the spring, or sooner durring the hard freeze in our area
durring the winter, we hear of a boat, or two that sink
at the dock. This can be due to improper preparation for the winter.
Important items to be completed to keep a boat in the water in winter are:
1, All "thru hull" sea cocks must be closed and filled with antifreeze.
2, All water lines and strainers subject to freezing must be emptied
and filled with antifreeze.
3, Air comditioners / heat pumps must be filled with antifreeze.
4, Marine toilets and their holding tanks likewise should be winter-
ized with antifreeze.
5, I keep a marine electric (110) heater in the bilge set to go on when
temp drops below 40 degrees. This helps keep various items like
batteries, hoses, gaskets, etc. etc. in the bilge from freezing.
6, Bilge pumps should be in working order and it doesnt hurt to run
some antifreeze thru them.
7, Cabnets in the baths and galley should be emptied of all freezable
substances. This includes refrigerators inside as well on decks.
8, A good time to change the engine and generator oil is at this time
each year even though this isn't a must.
9, This is also a good time to check the battery bank to avoid "heart
ache" in the spring.
10, If there is any doubt about your ability to get this job done on
your own; have it done professionally. (I've always done my
own winterizing in the past. However, since we acquired
Great Escape in 2009 I've had our marina do it. Crawling around
in the bilge wrestling with 4 inch hoses, I have decided is just too
much work. Also if something is missed, your insurance co. may
not be forgiving after your boat sinks . A pro is insured for their
.work.
11, Run the pink antifreeze thru the ice maker.
12. Seal the fuel vents with small oil soaked rags,
13, Seal the vent covers that aeriate the bilge to prevent cold drafts
entering the engine compartments.
14, Fuel additives, stabilizers can be addet to fuel tanks.
One thing I do before the really cold weather in late Jan and Feb. sets in is to
have a system on board that allows JoAnn and I to occasionally stay on board
after winterization. It goes like this: I keep a small amount of water in the large
water tank. (about 50-75 gallons) In the small water tank I keep 6-10 gallons of
antifreeze. This allows me to switch from the large tank to the small tank
before leaving the boat to go home and run the antifreeze to all lines used
until pink ( Hot water heater is bypassed for this process but left full and on all
winter). We use the built in wall electric heaters rather than the winterized
heat pumps. I know our friends in Alaska who follow our blog can't do this as
your winters are a little cooler than here in St Louis Mo.
When we recently took an Alaskan cruise I couldn't believe how many Pilot-
house 4788s we saw there. Every harbor had several where as we only have
5 in the whole St. Louis area.
(WHEN THE HARBOR FREEZES IN WE DON"T LEAVE ANY
WATER ABOARD) (this list is not intended to be a complete
winterization schedule)
Local knowlege is always paramount in your decision making even if it comes in strange advise. These channels are too shallow for most cruisers including our Great Escape.
At some point in time it became fashionable to decorate your toilet seat and help mark the channel with it ! When seeking local knowlege never rely on the advise of only one expert. Always try to get as much direction as possible when ever you're leaving a marked waterway !
Some of the pics are from fellow bloggers as "ABOARD C-BAY" and "Chloe's blog"
This channel off of Islamorada Key, is supposed to be kept passable by the prop wash from passing boats ! Lotsa Luck
GREAT ESCAPE WAS LIT UP TOO
Tis the season to celebrate brotherly love and our Lords comming! 
