How do you winterize?

[lesman01]

Well, it's about that time of year again, and I'm sure everyone is thinking about winterizing. As I was reading through the posts, it's clear that there are about 100 different ways to winterize, and everyone seems to do it just a bit different.

I'd like to get a thread started where everyone describes their winterization procedure. I know a few of you hve already gone to great pains to document winterization and Vdrive annual maintenance procedures located in the maintenance section, thanks Derek and Pete! But what do you all do?

I've always gotten Atl Marine to do the "water ready" winterization and fluids change, but it seems like this year I really need to sve the $$$. If memory serves, they get like $350 bucks to do it. Seems like they go up more and more every year. I'd like to do the antifreeze thing myself and change the fluids, but might consider just draining it following the maintenance docs.

For those of you who use the antifreeze, what kind and what's the procedure?

[epicfire]

Here in San Diego we only have 2 seasons: summer and not-summer. I just flush it with fresh water and fill the fuel tank with Sta-Bil enriched gas and call it good until the following season.

[blindside]

I run the boat till it has fully warmed up on the lake and them after loading the boat on the trailer, hook up the fakalake to a bucket of anti-freeze and turn the engine on until antifreeze comes out the exhaust (back into the bucket).  This puts the antifreeze in the whole system. 

I leave it that way till spring and start the boat up and it is ready to go.  I do not do any draining except for the ballast system.

I also have it stored in a boat storage unit year round.

I would install a block heater if I lived up north.

[boneil]

I'm in the same boat as Les.  Ok not literally.  I want to winterize myself this year.  Anti-Freeze is new to me.  Phil Dill in TX didn't put anti-freeze in... assume it was drained and almost dry.   Pooled water should be ok as it has plenty of room to expand.   Anti-Freeze can only be to save a step in the process... Or there is ample water left after the current winterization proceedure and if temp is below XX then anti-freeze is required?   I just moved way north so if I'm mistaken pls set me straight!!!

[wakehead]

I do very much like Blindside does except I warm up  the boat by  running water thru water intake hose past sea-strainer. After boat is sufficiently warmed up, I change all fluids. Finally,  I run about 4 gallons of  marine anti-freeze which come out via exhaust. Draining plugs in V-drive for me is too difficult due to poor access and rusted plugs. I do store inside and have used a space heater when weather became too cold in Denver, twice or so.