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Seasonal Maintenance
Because of the check valve mechanism built in the
pump, blowing the lines will not remove the water
from the fresh water pump. Remove the inlet
and outlet hoses on the pump. Turn the pump on
and allow it to pump out any remaining water....
about a cupful.
A recommended alternative to the above-men-
tioned procedure is the use of commercially avail-
able non toxic, fresh water system antifreeze.
After draining the fresh water tank, lines and
lters, pour the antifreeze mixture into the fresh
water tank, prime and operate the pump until the
mixture ows from all fresh water faucets. Be sure
to open all water faucets, including the fresh water
washdown hose. Make sure antifreeze has owed
through all of the fresh water drains.
For additional information refer to the Fresh Water
System and Drainage Systems chapters.
Raw Water System
Completely drain the raw water systems including
the sea strainers in the stern bilge. Disconnect
all hoses and blow the water from the system.
Use only very low air pressure when doing this
to prevent possible system damage. Because of
the check valve mechanism built in the raw water
washdown pump, blowing the lines will not remove
the water from the raw water pump. Remove
the inlet and outlet hoses on the pump. Turn the
pump on and allow it to pump out any remaining
water....about a cupful.
A recommended alternative to the above-men-
tioned procedure is the use of commercially avail-
able nontoxic, potable water system antifreeze. If
potable water antifreeze is used, pour the mixture
into a pail and put the raw water intake lines into
the solution. Run the pumps one at a time until
the antifreeze solution is visible at all raw water
faucets and discharge ttings and drains. Be
sure antifreeze has owed through all of the raw
water drains.
Make sure to run the sh box pumps until all the
water is removed from the sh boxes and the
pump. Then pour potable water antifreeze in each
sh box and activate the pumps until antifreeze is
visible at the discharge thru-hull ttings. To avoid
damage to the pump, be careful not to run the
pump dry for more than a few seconds.
Make sure all water is removed from the livewell
and that the drain is clear and free owing. Open
the drain plug and pour antifreeze into the livewell
until it is visible at the thru-hull tting. Wipe down
the inside of the baitwell.
Refer to the Raw Water System chapter for ad-
ditional information on the raw water system.
Marine Toilet
The marine toilet must be properly winterized by
following the manufacturer’s winterizing instruc-
tions in the marine toilet owner’s manual. Drain
the intake and discharge hoses completely using
low air pressure if necessary. The head hold-
ing tank and overboard discharge pump must
be pumped dry and one gallon of potable water
antifreeze poured into the tank through the deck
waste pump out tting. After the antifreeze has
been added to the holding tank, open the over-
board discharge valve and activate the overboard
macerator pump until the antifreeze solution is
visible at the discharge thru-hull.
Notice:
Make sure you follow the marine toilet manu-
facturer’s winterizing instructions exactly.
Bilge
Coat all metal components, wire busses and con-
nector plugs in the bilge with a protecting oil. It
is also important to protect all strainers, seacocks
and steering components. The bilge pumps and
bilge pump lines must be completely free of water
and dried out when the boat is laid-up for the win-
ter in climates where freezing occurs. Compart-
ments in the bilge that will not drain completely
should be pumped out and then sponged until
completely free of water. Dry the hull bilge and
self-bailing cockpit troughs. Water freezing in
these areas could cause damage.
Outboard Engines
The engines should be ushed with fresh water for
at least 15 minutes prior to winter storage. This
will remove salt, sand and other contaminates that
can damage the engine. It is also important to
“Fog” the cylinders, change the gear and engine
oil, coat each engine with a protector, wax the ex-
terior and properly store and charge the batteries.
You should refer to the engine owner’s manual
or contact your dealer for specic instructions on
winterizing your engines.
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