Hi Folks,
Diana and I are getting ready to write up a couple more cruising guides and need to store Semi-Local on the hard for about 1-2 years.
Do you have any experience with "longer-term" storing? Any tips you could give us would be MUCH appreciated!
We're especially concerned about the blocking. We've heard that cats don't like to be out of the water for very long and don't do well sitting on their keels alone. Have you heard/experienced this?
Also, did you do anything special with your diesels, fuel additives, fresh water systems, solar panels, et al?
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Stay in the deep water,
Mark & Diana
s/v Semi-Local
Bristol, RI
Hauling Haul Out and Blocking PDQ 36 Capella
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Semi-Local
- skipper
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:36 pm
Haul out
I've hauled every year, more because I travel in the winter than because I worry about ice in my slip. I've got my winterization chore list down to two easy days by myself, and take a couple of weeks in the spring to hit my fix-it-later list. Its important to spread the load under the keels as far as possible. For that I use two four foot long 12x12s with a lot of shimming on each side. I also support the bows and sterns with screw jacks and try to set them to carry a lot of the weight, to keep the boat from settling at the ends, or "hogging." In the event of a hurricane I would tie down to augers, but I haven't had to yet. That is presuming that I'm spotted higher on the hill above the water. I have outboards, so my winterizing list is shorter than a diesel boat's, but the essentials are:
1. Keep a list of what you do and what you take off the boat. Buy a case of pink antifreeze, some fogging oil, new plugs and engine oil. Before hauling, run the engines to get warm enough and change the oil. Pump out the holding tank, fill it with water, and pump it out again. Pump all your water overboard, right down to the point the pump sucks air. You're now ready to haul out. Have the yard give the boat a really thorough pressure washdown, to reduce your sanding chores when you paint the bottom to launch later. When out and on the blocks, replace all water with pink stuff. Put a couple gallons in the water tank, then run all the faucets until you get a solid pink stream, including the aft outside shower. Turn off the propane and run the hot water taps. Some folks have run a few gallons of vodka thru their systems, but I wouldn't want that information to get around the boat yard. Three flushes with water and bleach will take care of the taste issue. Pink all the raw water plumbing, including refrigeration, airconditioning, head inlet, raw water supply to the sink, generator inlet. I like to use the purple stuff with corrosion inhibiters on the generator and airconditioning. Note all that on your list. I've found West Marine's Engine winterizing kit (520411) very useful for flushing both the enines and the raw water inlets on the boat. It saves a lot of wasted pink stuff. Have your watermaker pickled by a pro. Give the engines a salt-away flush, disconnect the fuel and let them run dry while fogging thru the intake. Remove plugs and fog the cylinders while manually turning the flywheel. Leave the engines hanging upright to drain. Pink and then fog the generator. Put locks on the engine clamps.
2. Remove and send off for cleaning, repairs and storage all sails, bimini, sail covers, and awnings. My Bimini is original and still serviceable.
3. off load ALL perishables, and all metal containers that could rust, prop reefer open (is the drain open?), set out dessicants, prop mattresses and cushions up off the glasswork, hang up insect strips, and decide whether or not to remove the batteries. Toss every flashlight battery on the boat, including the ones in the little gadgets like weather stations, clocks, kitchen timers, thermostats, etc. Note all that on you list so you know what the buy for reconditioning. I you can't get to them every month to check fluid levels, take the house and starting batteries out and store them. My solar panels can be tilted to minimize output, so they keep a bare trickle charge to the batteries, and I have to check electrolyte as a result, but they won't freeze. I have to empty the dessicant buckets in the cabins too.
4. Pump out the fore and aft collision tanks. Mine catch half the rain that falls on the boat, and can hold hundreds of gallons of water. I probably should pink them too, but I haven't. Sealing the access ports is on my fix-it-later list.
5. Plug all sparrow-sized holes with stiff scrunges and tape lest ye become an avian landlord. Tie off all haryards so they can't chafe.
6. If you're thinking about more than a year of dry storage, definately get shrink wrapped, with good sturdy access doors. If possible, drop the mast and support it well over the boat, or on a rack. Rent a storage closet if you must, but keep everything off the floor, and bagged.
there are other tricks I try because I haven't shrinkwrapped Page 83. Just don't put tape over anything and leave it for a long time. Trust me.
7. Remove Charts, books, tapes, CDs, tools, clothing, and that last half quart of engine oil. It all goes on your list. Leave a bare minimum of small hand tools and cleaning supplies, but no paint, tape, or precious little indescribables. The charts will be even more out of date, you may want that tape or CD, and this is the only time you can really get rid of all that ballast. The clothes won't fit either.
8. Remove all removeable electronics, wash and dry all pots and pans, but leave them, possibly with a light coat of Pam, along with your boat's silver and tableware. Clean, coat, and bag all the cutlery. Leave some trash bags, a roll of paper towels, and toilet paper wrapped in plastic, for just in case.
9. Come back to the boat a month or two later, when everything has dried out, and vacuum out the bilges, and trace any leaks. A final sweep for sundries, and you have boat that won't harm itself over a long period of time, that won't be hard to recommission, and won't have any nasy surprises waiting for you later. By removing all that stuff (and preferably throwing it away) there will be less efluvia to clear, and less stuff to attract the casual thief.
1. Keep a list of what you do and what you take off the boat. Buy a case of pink antifreeze, some fogging oil, new plugs and engine oil. Before hauling, run the engines to get warm enough and change the oil. Pump out the holding tank, fill it with water, and pump it out again. Pump all your water overboard, right down to the point the pump sucks air. You're now ready to haul out. Have the yard give the boat a really thorough pressure washdown, to reduce your sanding chores when you paint the bottom to launch later. When out and on the blocks, replace all water with pink stuff. Put a couple gallons in the water tank, then run all the faucets until you get a solid pink stream, including the aft outside shower. Turn off the propane and run the hot water taps. Some folks have run a few gallons of vodka thru their systems, but I wouldn't want that information to get around the boat yard. Three flushes with water and bleach will take care of the taste issue. Pink all the raw water plumbing, including refrigeration, airconditioning, head inlet, raw water supply to the sink, generator inlet. I like to use the purple stuff with corrosion inhibiters on the generator and airconditioning. Note all that on your list. I've found West Marine's Engine winterizing kit (520411) very useful for flushing both the enines and the raw water inlets on the boat. It saves a lot of wasted pink stuff. Have your watermaker pickled by a pro. Give the engines a salt-away flush, disconnect the fuel and let them run dry while fogging thru the intake. Remove plugs and fog the cylinders while manually turning the flywheel. Leave the engines hanging upright to drain. Pink and then fog the generator. Put locks on the engine clamps.
2. Remove and send off for cleaning, repairs and storage all sails, bimini, sail covers, and awnings. My Bimini is original and still serviceable.
3. off load ALL perishables, and all metal containers that could rust, prop reefer open (is the drain open?), set out dessicants, prop mattresses and cushions up off the glasswork, hang up insect strips, and decide whether or not to remove the batteries. Toss every flashlight battery on the boat, including the ones in the little gadgets like weather stations, clocks, kitchen timers, thermostats, etc. Note all that on you list so you know what the buy for reconditioning. I you can't get to them every month to check fluid levels, take the house and starting batteries out and store them. My solar panels can be tilted to minimize output, so they keep a bare trickle charge to the batteries, and I have to check electrolyte as a result, but they won't freeze. I have to empty the dessicant buckets in the cabins too.
4. Pump out the fore and aft collision tanks. Mine catch half the rain that falls on the boat, and can hold hundreds of gallons of water. I probably should pink them too, but I haven't. Sealing the access ports is on my fix-it-later list.
5. Plug all sparrow-sized holes with stiff scrunges and tape lest ye become an avian landlord. Tie off all haryards so they can't chafe.
6. If you're thinking about more than a year of dry storage, definately get shrink wrapped, with good sturdy access doors. If possible, drop the mast and support it well over the boat, or on a rack. Rent a storage closet if you must, but keep everything off the floor, and bagged.
there are other tricks I try because I haven't shrinkwrapped Page 83. Just don't put tape over anything and leave it for a long time. Trust me.
7. Remove Charts, books, tapes, CDs, tools, clothing, and that last half quart of engine oil. It all goes on your list. Leave a bare minimum of small hand tools and cleaning supplies, but no paint, tape, or precious little indescribables. The charts will be even more out of date, you may want that tape or CD, and this is the only time you can really get rid of all that ballast. The clothes won't fit either.
8. Remove all removeable electronics, wash and dry all pots and pans, but leave them, possibly with a light coat of Pam, along with your boat's silver and tableware. Clean, coat, and bag all the cutlery. Leave some trash bags, a roll of paper towels, and toilet paper wrapped in plastic, for just in case.
9. Come back to the boat a month or two later, when everything has dried out, and vacuum out the bilges, and trace any leaks. A final sweep for sundries, and you have boat that won't harm itself over a long period of time, that won't be hard to recommission, and won't have any nasy surprises waiting for you later. By removing all that stuff (and preferably throwing it away) there will be less efluvia to clear, and less stuff to attract the casual thief.
Sandy Daugherty "Page 83" PDQ 36026
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Knotty Cat
- 1st mate
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Sun May 09, 2004 1:08 am
- Location: rowley,ma.
- Contact:
I have a 32 not a 36 but the manual supplied by PDQ has specific instructions on blocking during storage. Essentually they want you to put a beam under the fore and aft bukheads as well as suporting the keels. I've been storing mine by using 3 jack stands at each location instead of 2 stands and a beam.
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jmfrankovich
- deckhand
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 8:22 pm
Long term storage
Page 83 gives excellent advice on what and how to winterize, but Knotty Cat points to the PDQ manual for blocking instructions. We routinely, every year, store Cataria on the hard in Danvers, MA, for ~8 months each winter season following "the book". We use three padded 4x4's under each bridge deck bulkhead as the manual indicates, plus jack stands at each bow and stern to keep things stabilized. Also, each year we remove the mast and store it indoors. And, in addition, have the boat shrinkwrapped over the lifelines and down to the waterline. The keels are not solid, as in a monohull, and we doubt that it's a good idea to leave the weight of the boat on them for extended periods, particularly in the event of severe winter (or in our case, hurricane) storms.
Cataria
jmfrankovich
Cataria
jmfrankovich