General Category - Pearson Owners and Enthusiasts > General Discussion

Moving North/Winterizing

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GusF16:
New England 323 folks:
All of my sailing has been in warm climates; florida, bahamas, caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico.  I live in south Mississippi, and keep my 323, which I've owned for less than a year, in the marina year-round.  Now, I am faced with possibly moving quickly to the DC area.  I don't want to sell the boat, but it seems the best option given the distance, shipping cost, lack of slips, and need for winterizing.  I am currently shopping for a "boat sitter", that can look after my boat for a time, run the engine, check the bilge, etc, etc, until I get up there and decide for sure what is best.  But, having never sailed in that part of the world, and never having to take a boat out to the water for winter, I have questions.
First, is taking a boat out necessary up there?  What else can be done.  Considering freezing thru hulls, sinking due to snow, and so on, are there those who do other things for prevention?
Any information would be helpful, especially from those of you up there.

Cheers

Ryan

Dolce_Vita:
New England is still hunderds of miles north of DC!  ;D

We live midway between DC and Baltimore, and keep our boat up by Baltimore, off of the Patapsco river on the Chesapeake Bay.  Winterizing is a must up here, but removing your boat from the water is a maybe/maybe not.

My marina places and maintains "bubblers" throughout the marina, keeping it ice-free, so I leave the boat in the water over the winter unless I have some major project going that goes easier out of the water.  The boat actually stays warmer in the water than on the hard.  Snow in the DC area is usually pretty light, but every few years we get clobbered with a few feet.  This requires going to the boat and removing the snow.  I've done it once in 4 years.  Snow can potentially clog the scuppers, and can also divert melt/rain water through the gaps around the hatch and companionway boards.  I've never had a problem with either.

Our previous, smaller (21 ft) boat was at a dock with no bubblers, on a creek that always froze, and we always pulled it for the winter.

You do need to drain and winterize all of the cooling and plumbing systems on the boat, as we do get a few sustained hard freezes here every winter, and you will split lines, fittings, and crack the engine's cooling jacket if you don't.

GusF16:
I knew I'd get a reply out of you!
Thanks for the info, that is what I suspected.  I'm headed north in just a couple of weeks, and I'll scope out my options when I get there.  I'm going to list the boat for sale anyway, but really I hope to be able to move her up there and keep her for several more years. 

Dolce_Vita:
Once you're up here, give me a shout and we can meet for beer & pizza somewhere.

Also, the Pearson Sailing Association of the Chesapeake Bay (I'm the outgoing Commodore) is having it's annual meeting and Brunch on  March 24th in Eastport, Annapolis.  Might be a good opportunity to meet a bunch of local Pearson owners and gather information on where you'd like to dock. Guest tickets are $20.  Let me know if you're interested.

GusF16:
Yes to meeting for beer and pizza, and also the Pearson Sailing Association Brunch.  I'll be in touch in the next couple of weeks.  Thanks

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