BOAT MAINTENANCE LAKE MAGGIORE

YACHT SERVICE - Boat Maintenance Lake Maggiore.
Marine technology: When is the winterization a necessary operation?

In autumn, the question also arises at the moorings of Lake Maggiore: Does a ship have to be winterized?

YACHT SERVICE - Boat Maintenance Lake Maggiore presents some aspects that may help to give an answer:

Although the average temperatures at Lake Maggiore over the winter are not as severe as on the lakes north of the Alps, some precautions should be taken on the boat. Cold and dampness lead to condensation inside the ship, causing mould growth on exposed surfaces and rot in cushions and mattresses. Cold also causes increased self-discharge of the batteries on board. At temperatures below 0° Celsius, there is also the danger that freezing water expands and can burst thru-hull fittings, pipes and equipment.

To be precise: Ice increases in volume from a temperature dropping below - 4° Celsius. If there is still some water in the fittings, pipes and equipment of the on-board systems, the expanding ice can cause them to burst.
The following systems should therefore be made winterproof by draining, pumping or blowing out the water they contain: Ship's engine, bilge pumps, drinking water, grey water and toilet facilities.

Water must not freeze in the cooling system of the ship's engine!
The open cooling circuit, or the seawater circuit of a dual-circuit cooling system must be completely drained, including the impeller pump and muffler, as well as any other heat exchangers of the lubricating oil and hydraulic oil circuits.
The coolant of the closed circuit must be tested by means of an antifreeze tester and should provide protection depending on the expected minus temperature, but at least to - 20° Celsius.

All components of the drinking water system must be drained.
That means tanks, all pressure water pumps, hot water boilers, pipes, deck wash connections and cockpit showers must not contain any water.

Also the aggregates and pipes of the grey water and WC system must be drained:
Toilets, grey-water collection basins, holding tanks and corresponding thru-hull fittings and valves should either be water-free or filled with antifreeze.

Contamination of the fuel in the fuel tank must be avoided.
If the tank is filled up before the winter break, only very little condensation water will form in the tank, which otherwise can contaminate the fuel.
Specific additives, so-called stabilizers, which are added to the fuel before the winter break, have a water-binding function and counteract the formation of bacteria, oxidation and ageing of the fuel.

The on-board batteries, especially the wet lead-acid batteries, are subject to a high degree of self-discharge in cold weather.
Either a charger with the float current function can remain connected over the winter, or the are to be batteries removed and stored in a suitable room and regularly charged.
In order to prevent the equipment inside the ship from suffering, sufficient ventilation should be provided to prevent mould growth. Mattresses and pillows shall be removed or at least placed in such a way that no moisture can collect under them.

In conclusion, the following can be stated: If a boat is moored on land for the winter, a complete winterization should be carried out, since temperatures can easily drop considerably below - 4° Celsius for days.
If, on the other hand, a boat remains in the water over the winter, the winteriation may only be partially carried out. In principle, the water of the lake does not freeze, so it has a temperature of at least + 0° Celsius. Components of the on-board equipment, which are located in the lower part of the bilge, are therefore hardly exposed to the risk of freezing. However, if aggregates and pipes are located far above the waterline, a possibly dangerous freezing cannot be excluded.

YACHT SERVICE - Boat Maintenance Lake Maggiore.
Your partner for boat maintenance Lake Maggiore provides advice on winterization.

YACHT SERVICE - Boat Maintenance Lake Maggiore will be happy to advise you and is available for the winterization of engines and on-board equipment. Furthermore YACHT SERVICE - Boat Maintenance Lago Maggiore arranges the suitable winter berth for your boat.