Marine Heater or Winterize

dafoedafoe Member Posts: 4 ✭
in Rinker Support Q&A
Hey all!  This is my first post...  I live in the Mid Atlantic, and wanted to get some advice. 

Me and my father in law have inherited a 2008 Rinker 300 cruiser, only has about 50 hours on her.  Most of the time she's on a boat lift on the water, hooked up to shore power.  She was previously winterized for two years...  and not used at all...  SMDH.

This year I got her cleaned, and spend a LOT of money on fresh oil, out drive oil, water pump fixes, and a few other things.  Spending $8700 for these fixes I plan on doing most of the work myself in the future.  I love working on cars, and am mechanically inclined.

For these few mid atlantic winter months on the Chesapeake, would you recommend we use a marine engine compartment heater, and start her up a couple times a month, or do a full winterization?  The fresh water system was never used since the last full winterization.

Any help would be greatly appreciated guys!
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Comments

  • Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I would winterize. An engine room heater will do nothing for the outdrives while on a lift. Personally, I'm not keen on heaters in the engine compartment. 

    PS : welcome to the site!

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
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  • youstolemybeeryoustolemybeer Member Posts: 246 ✭✭✭

    If it gets below freezing then I would winterize.

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  • dafoedafoe Member Posts: 4 ✭
    Thanks Guys!  Yeah, I found a local shop that's charging $170 an engine to winterize...  The engines are 5.0 Merc's fuel injected...  I think I am going to have them come out and winterize, and hopefully, I can burn his ear on the process....  which along with this site I can tackle this next year.

    Took some pics today, I'll post them up later.
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  • Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's really not hard to winterize yourself, do some reading, ask on here and watch/help a few slipmates..most will give you a hand. :)

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
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  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,026 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Watch the tech that is going to winterize the boat. It isn't all that difficult to do. Once you have seen it done, and since you are mechanically inclined, you should be able to do it yourself next fall.
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
    Go Steelers!!!
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  • dafoedafoe Member Posts: 4 ✭
    Absolutely!  Thanks guys...  I'll watch him this Friday.  Though we had another surprise today, which may be a HUGE expense.  I'll post another thread, so to keep this on topic.

    Appreciate the tips fellas!  :)
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  • LaReaLaRea Member, Moderator Posts: 7,755 mod
    Yeah, the other problem with engine room heaters is they are only as reliable as the power that feeds them.  It's like placing a bet that you won't have a hard freeze and a power failure at the same time.  If you win the bet, you win small.  If you lose, you lose big. 
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  • Dan4754Dan4754 Member Posts: 80 ✭✭
    LaRea...I'm gonna steal your last sentence and use it a lot!!
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  • LaReaLaRea Member, Moderator Posts: 7,755 mod
    8-)   RBOC ... home of boat lovers AND philosophers! 
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