Refit: Winter 2008-2009
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Winter
2008-2009 Refit | Saturday, October 4, 2008
Technically, winterizing and
unloading for the winter aren't part of the refit. But
I figured I'd just log all the work I did to the boat from
the time she arrived here after the season, partly for my
own interest (in terms of time spent), and partly because
this site has been quiet for some time, and I thought you,
dear reader, would enjoy something new to read.
Today, I spent an hour
winterizing the engine and fresh water system--nothing new
and exciting here. As usual, I ran the engine for a
time with fresh water in a bucket, then ran 2 gallons of
pink RV antifreeze through the system before shutting down.
This is more antifreeze than it takes to begin seeing it
through the exhaust outlet, but I like to ensure that there
is plenty of antifreeze run through to displace all the
water in the exhaust system. On another day in the
near future, I'd change the oil, oil filter, and fuel
filters, but not today. |
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Afterwards, I disassembled the raw water pump to inspect the
impeller. I always leave the impeller out of the
housing during the winter, to prevent it from having a
memory of the vanes' position within the housing and
therefore extend its useful life. I removed the raw
water strainer and emptied it, as usual. The photo on
the right below shows a season's worth of seaweed that was
inside the basket--although I checked the basket frequently
during the season, I never had to empty it. |
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I continued by winterizing the fresh water system and
head--straightforward processes that barely deserve mention.
Last evening, I had opened the drain valve in the water tank
line to allow whatever water remained to drain out, so
winterizing was a simple matter of pouring a gallon of
antifreeze into the tank and pumping it through the two
faucets. Similarly, I ran a gallon of antifreeze through the
head plumbing.With the
winterizing complete, I moved the boat into the shop and set
her on blocks and stands. |
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Next, I began unloading cushions, sails, lines, and
everything else to make room for the projects ahead and to
properly clean, organize, and store these items for next
season. This took quite a bit of time, and I didn't
finish today, but I brought large loads of laundry, clothes,
and books up to the house. The boat's comfortable when
we're on board during the summers, but that makes for a
terrible unloading chore each fall! |
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Total time today: 4.25 hours
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