Using your C-Dory in winter

J

Jeanie P

New member
I have 160 hrs on my 90hp Honda. I'll probably get another 20+ hours before I pull the boat from the slip sometime in November. I'll most likely get the 200 hr service done a little earlier instead of a regular winterization.

My question is can I still use the boat on those nice winter days after winterizing it or does it need to stay laid up?

Allan
 
One of the pleasures of the C-dory is the ability to use it year round. We try to be out almost every month. One of our most pleasurable winter cruises was a week up in Canada over last Thanksgiving. As long as you are thoughtful and prudent about winter weather (and have heat) there's no reason to not go out on those great winter days. Getting the boat to and from the launch site on winter roads is probably more dangerous than anything you'd do on the water.

By all means cruise over the winter.
 
I use my TomCat all year long down in Oklahoma. The air temp gets really low, but the Wallas usually heats up the cabin so much that I keep a window or two cracked open.

Winter gives me almost my own private lake. As for bugs and spiders, there are few to none and it's easier to keep warm than to stay cool in the mid summer. I also see lots of wildlife in the winter.

I am amazed at the number of huge boats that are left sitting from October to May here in the MidWest.

While some of you NW experienced boaters tip the prop up and out of the water in the winter, the local experts in this area have told me to keep the outboard leg down since there is a continual current of warmer than air water flowing from the depth of the lake, up, and around the boat, preventing freeze-ups here. Just 60 miles North, however, it is not advisable to keep boats in the water year 'round.

So far, two winters down the road, and no problems running year 'round.

As for winterizing the head and water supply, I use RV antifreeze to flush the head and drain and bypass the hot water heater, and run RV antifreeze thru the water pump and all lines. I disconnect the livewell pump and the wash down pump, drain the lines and shut off the thru hull fittings. I use bottled water in small or 2.5 gallon size to cook and wash up.

btw, the small, Cobb charcoal grill goes a long way to warming the cockpit while cooking dinner or fishing, but you have to leave the canvas sides open when using charcoal.

John
 
I've had my CD-22 for almost six years and have been out on it 272 times. The main reason I got it was to be able to take advantage of non-summer weather when the Columbia is devoid of the drunken seventeen footers.
I've slept on it in December and have been snowed on several times.
 
What is winterizing? In old 2 strokes to winterize the motor you had to put oil or a fogger spray in the motor and carb’s. This kept water out of the engine and carb’s. With four strokes this is less of a problem and all you really have to do is drain the carb’s by running the motor until it stops after pulling the fuel lines. That and fill the gas tanks up. I have 918 hours on my Honda 90 so far and have never winterized it. I run the engines like I said. When I want to use the boat I just hook up and go. Now I get out in the winter once or twice a month to fish. Other then draining your water tank and running the fuel out of the engine there is not a lot to do to a c-dory for the winter. It’s great to be the only boat on the water on a Saturday in November thru April. you have the whole sound to yourself. we have been snowed on in the san juans on many trips. Nothing like a snow on cedar weekend.
 
I'm in the water from early April until after the local boat parade when Santa arrives, around December 15th. Here are couple of local observations.

There are very few pleasure boats still on the water after the first of November and, here on Cape Cod, the boat tow operator stops around Thanksgiving. Therefore, if you encounter a problem be prepared to call the Coast Guard.

To have some redundancy I added a kicker last winter. However, starting the kicker when the temps were below freezing became problematic. While the Honda 90 was hard starting the Johnson 8 HP was damn near impossible to start without tenting it and heating it up with a hair dryer

Inside I have a Mr Buddy heater I put in front of the porta potty which works well but be prepared for the window condensation.

Depending on the temperature and tidal action, your fiberglass hull may encounter ice - not a good thing!

On the plus side, once underway the engine performance should be better in cool less humid air.

Oh yeah - You'll find a lot of die hard boaters/fishermen mailing you Christmas cards :lol:
 
I lived two years in the Richmond, VA area (and also spent a winter in Norfolk in the 62 foot motorsailer I used to own). We never winterized the outboard powered boat we had in Richmond. There were some delightful days on the Chesapeake during the middle of the winter. With the pilot house of the C Dory you can have year around boating. If you have the Wallas stove, it is a good and safe heater (just turn it off when fueling up). You always need a carbon monoxide detector in any boat where a petroleum heat source is used.
 
We boated year round on Long Island Sound for 6 years with a Nordic Tug 32. We did have to jug in our fuel in the winter. Some of the best days we have every experienced on the water were in mid winter. In our area, it is either blowing like stink or gorgeous and calm so it is easy to pick one's days. The places that are so crowded in summer are exclusively ours in the winter. A calm day with 15 degree air temps is still wonderful at anchor in a quiet cove as long as you have heat. That said, with water temps around 30 degrees (just above ice formation levels in salt water) the water is deadly and the importance of safety, caution, and preparedness cannot be emphasized enough. We always used Mustang suits. While we always boat cautiously, we are even far more cautious in the winter. We found it was just us and the commercial traffic out there. Sea Tow and Tow Boat US have had the wisdom to go to Florida for vacation!

We are in the midst of the purchase of a CD22, with the C-Dory selected in part for our ability to boat year round with it. We will have to do a good bit of work on the boat this winter so we won't launch until next spring. However, with the addition of heat, we are looking forward to boating with it on LI Sound next winter.

In deciding to go winter boating in northern climates, be very harsh and honest with yourself in judging your preparedness and capabilities as the margin for error (which may well result in death) is a lot narrower than in warmer months. If you decide that you are properly equipped for winter boating, check with your insurance carrier before launching. Most policies in northern climates have a layup period. We always get 12 month insurance at modest additional cost so that we can continue our boating. The only thing that we found would not be covered would be ice damage. On the other hand, neither a Nordic Tug nor a C-Dory makes a good icebreaker!

Jim
 
Something that may help with your reluctant starting kicker, Phil, is to keep the fuel mixed with HEET and STABIL. I keep the main tanks, and genset mixed with it most of the year, and for certain, the chain saw fuel, since it seems we use those more in the cold weather.

John
 
Thanks for the tip Dr John.

I've got the kicker running off the main tank(s). Those tanks are full of 100LL AvGas - never used a drop of the ethanol mixed junk. In mid October I'll try some HEET in one of the tanks and see how that "souped up" mix works. I'll post back on this thread around Thanksgiving and let everybody know if it helps.

BTW: I recently posted about the success I've had with the Sea Foam additive in smoothing out a rough running engine. I wouldn't dismiss any of these additives. Some of them are very effective. In the past I've used the STABIL when I lay up for about 4 months. :thup
 
My boat is in the water year round. It's in a slip on the Potomac River at Washington, DC. The winter here is mostly mild enough for excellent day-boating - as long as the temp is up to 40-45 with some sun. That's without cabin heat away from the dock. I think it's the best boating time of year around here. The river is empty. No wakes constantly interrupting steady running at fuel efficient speeds. A chance to really enjoy the natural spectacle of the Potomac and the shoreline and the large creeks. I am rarely at the boat during the peak season -- it's way too hot and crowded and noisy then. Peace and quiet and the natural setting returns to the river in the Fall. Going out tomorrow for the first time in awhile. :tux
 
Unless the water freezes solid where you are at - there is no reason not to be out in your C-Dory - thats what I think gives these boats their true value. The times when everyone else has long since considered the end of boating season is when C-Dory boating is at its best.

Cheers,
Tom

Of course after that last trip in November here in Everett up the river I went and got a heater.
 
tom&shan":2smfvet2 said:
Of course after that last trip in November here in Everett up the river I went and got a heater.
Click to expand...

Tom... what heater did you get for your 19' Angler? Can you share wiring/mount location etc.? We plan to waer out the water for the first time this winter (central NC so no big deal) and may need a little extar heat on some days.
 
If you add gas and then have to add stabilizer again be sure to run the motors for a few minutes to make sure that the fuel in your lines and fuel system has the stabilizer in it as well. Many people stabilize the fuel in the tank but end up with gunked up carbs or injectors.

David
 
I don't understand why you need to fill the fuel tanks before winter storage.

Last winter I wish my tanks were full due to the fuel price increase. After my carbs are drained I shut off the fuel tanks and leave them pretty much empty. However I can take the boat out year round weather permitting, but fishing is closed for now so the boat will sit.
 
Jeanie P":jzrjqiwi said:
I have 160 hrs on my 90hp Honda. I'll probably get another 20+ hours before I pull the boat from the slip sometime in November. I'll most likely get the 200 hr service done a little earlier instead of a regular winterization.

My question is can I still use the boat on those nice winter days after winterizing it or does it need to stay laid up?

Allan
Click to expand...

I use my boat all year. I try to get out at least 3x a month. I have got caught with my pants down (so to speak) once :mrgreen: :roll: :wink:
ICE_1.jpg
 
Winter Boating :thup
Something easy to forget is, other boats exiting the water will often leave a layer of frozen water on the ramp making traction difficult. :crook
A 10 lb. bag of kitty litter is cheap insurance. :wink

:smiled Jack
 
The worst part of boating last winter was the wash-down/engine flush in the 40F breeze here in Sequim, WA.
On the other hand, there was presumably not quite as much backsliding of the growing skillset had we not been out monthly.
We plan to try it again this winter and expect hardee to join us in the Sleepy C.

Paul Priest
J.C.Lately
 
Well, I just received my full boat cover from Angola Canvas Co.
I bought it after my fellow C-Brats convinced me about the pleasures of winter boating. I't gives me the flexability to use the boat in winter when shrink- wrapping did not.

This is a great site. Thanks to all.

Allan
 
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