Preventing Freezing in the marina

ziggy

ziggy

Well-Known Member
I was wondering what the guys who leave their sterndrive powered boats in the marina and use them all winter do to prevent freezing. Specifically those with a heat exchanger, but raw water cooling for the manifold and risers. Ive been getting tons of conflicting advice from not doing anything, to installing different drain plugs (to make removal easier so it can be drained after every use) to adding a heat source (concerned with a gas engine). Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated
 
I used to keep mine in the marina all winter, used a trouble light in the engine compartment, never had any issues. However I always thought a heating pad would be better, one like the old waterbeds used, never got to try it.
 
The stern drive will act like heat sink and generally will not freeze around here. But if there is ice around your boat plug in a low watt trouble light if you have shore power.
 
I'd be asking how fast your insurance company will nix a claim if a fire starts using a trouble light in the engine room to heat.
 
used a 400 watt oil heater in engine compartment for last 9 yr. with no problem--1st yr. used nothing & it cost me dearly-
froze & screwed up both heat exchangers & powersteering cooler--won't happen again!
 
So, if I'm reading this right, my merc. (305 chevy) CLOSED cooling system, still needs to be drained even sitting on the trailer.Yes/no?
Of course it's been -20 here for the last 2 weeks, so the damage would already be done!

By draining, I don't mean the antifreeze system, but the manifolds.
 
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Any water that is left on the "raw" water side of the cooling system should be drained. So that means the cooling hoses that go to the exhause manifolds should be disconnected and drained, the heat exchanger should have a petcock valve that will drain the raw water side of the heat exchanger and any other hoses that could hold raw water should be disconnected and drained. On my volvo the raw water pump is attached to the motor so I make sure no water is in it. After everything is drained then you pour a 50/50 mix of anti freeze into those hoses and heat exchanger to protect things. Hope this helps.
 
****!
Guess I will throw a heater in the dog house and thaw it out enough to see what I froze!
Thanks for the reply.

Might be podding it sooner than I thought. LOL
 
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