This is my  First season with my houseboat ...I have been very happy....I love it.....my question is if i wanted to still use my houseboat over the winter....would there be a way to still use the water system....and bathroom (without winterizing it)????  I would assume using a heater or something like that.....but I would only be there a few times a week.......

thanks ....Laurie

Where is the boat located??

Minnesota or Florida?

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Also, is it full hull, or pontoons? watertank-holding tank-etc. above waterline or below?

Bob

-------------------------
I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

Location, Location, Location????

-------------------------
Rick
1994 Sumerset 80'
Lake Lanier, Ga.

I'm in south Texas, but even here the winter will bet below freezing, some times for weeks. Guess my water hose will freeze shut
, thus will just have to use my water tank?

-------------------------
Dave
1988 14x 62 Somerset
Lake Conroe, TX

My boat is in Tennessee so it is hard to imagine it being colder in South Texas but I know what you say is true. The biggest problem you will have is a constantly reliable source of electricity. Like many who keep their boats where the water never freezes, I never "winterize" in the classic sense because we might want to cruise up to the Hiawassee River to see the 15,000 Sandhill Cranes make their stopover or look at Bald Eagles. But I do take precautions. Just like Ted655 said, you have quality bilge heaters( I use two Singers because if one quits I have a redundancy to save my engines). I also keep a thermostat with a sensor inside and in the engine room so that I can check what the minimum and maximum temperatures have been and make adjustments on my heaters if necessary. Inside I use good quality ceramic space heaters in the galley, the main salon and cuddy set on low. My goal is to never have the temperature to drop below 40 degrees.I also keep three fans on low circulating air( one in rear stateroom, one in main salon and one in cuddy). I pull up the floor hatch over my freshwater pump and open all cabinets. So far I have never had a problem but winters have been relatively mild lately. I have no inverter so if the power goes out on the dock due to some kind of winter storm then I must get up there or have someone get there that lives near the dock and crank my generator which will burn a gallon per hour. I know it is risky but it is a risk you take to use a boat in winter. My nightmare is an ice storm where no-one can get to the dock for a couple of days of sub-freezing weather. BY the way, my electric bill has never been more than about $25.

-------------------------
The Judge Rules


Edited: 01/04/2008 at 01:49:34 PM by TheJudge

I too take the precautions as the Judge. Engine room heater and small space on the interior, plugged into shore power. Of course I am further south and sitting next to the Gulf of Mexico.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Got down to 17 degrees in Florence Alabama winter of 87 or 88. power went out and a lot of engines were busted including 1 of mine. Winterized after that until we moved aboard. Had to run Genny for 3 days on 3 occasions during the 90s We were at Joe wheeler marina for 13 years. during that time we had 3 significant cold snaps with no power.

-------------------------
OLD HOUSEBOATER

I would not worry about winterizing at all.  I live on Lake Houston and my HM 38 is stored on a lift, with one mile of open water to north.  

I have put heaters on when the temp looks like it will stay below 30 for more than 12 hours, but my bottom is 4' above the water.  If yours kept in the water I would not be to concerned.  If temp looks like it's going to be real cold (not getting above 30 for several days)just plug in or drain engine and put pink antifreeze in water system.

-------------------------
Johnplatou
1990 HM 38 with Mercruiser 454 Bravo.Lift Stored, Trailerable, and Fits in garage. One of 9 boats presently owned. Boating experience 45 years and 8000 hours. Trailering Hm 38 16 years and 6000 miles, other trailering 100,000 miles and 39 years.

We seem to be posting a bunch of perfectly good information for someone who's not bothered to check back on their original Post! Hopefully they got pertenient information locally.

best,

Bob

-------------------------
I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

Seem to see a lot of that...

-------------------------
Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

It's ok though.  As a brand new house-boater myself, the information is very useful.

-------------------------
Superdad

OK, I'll jump in here and give you a location. Edmonton.

Pontoon Waterway.

Aluminum hull.

My issue is that I wouldn't mind leaving it in the water over winter and use a bubbler. However, I worry about aluminum in ice vs steel.

While I know how to take care of most other options (winterizing here is a necessity like Minn), it is the hull I worry about most.

Secondary question, would a barge semi-v be a smarter choice?

Edited: 01/04/2008 at 12:50:02 AM by Edmonchuck

Edmonchuck,
You may want to consider getting what they call a de-icer instead of just using a bubbler.
They cost more but, churn up a lot more water.

Thanks, as always, for the good question and the thoughtful answers. As I look out on the third 20-degree morning in a row on Edenton Bay, I wonder what the proper care for our planned outboards will be. Space heat at our dock will be no problem, with a few ceramic heaters here and there, but the outboards will be exposed and impossibly heavy to move. Like several others of you, we'll want to use the boat fairly often, I think, and hope not to have to do any extensive winterizing that would then have to be undone when it warms up in a couple of days. ( I wish this weren't still in the hypothetical-question category, but maybe NEXT year!)

-------------------------
Amelia
Edenton, NC

How are the operating costs? A little extra $$$ up front is better than a sunk boat...