Been a little cold.

[jlh3rd]

yep, that's what the man, uh , groundhog just said!...

 

[jlh3rd]

Summers are getting warmer, winter patterns are shifting

sigh,
Yeah, ok...

 

[Scott Danforth]

office building cools OK ish in the summer, doesnt heat worth a crap. its under 60 in my office.

 

[JonBoat55]

Branford Point in CT, frozen solid past the channel. Housatonic River also frozen almost solid. Hasn't looked like this for almost a decade

 

[Lou C]

Same here, I posted similar pix.

 

[flashback]

at least it will get above freezing, 57 sounds good right now. :}

 

[airshot]

I've seen a shocking amount of cracked outboards last few years... and I just can't help but wonder how people manage that.

Many folks leave their outboard tilted up over the winter, see lots of them around here in NW Ohio.

 

[Pmt133]

Many folks leave their outboard tilted up over the winter, see lots of them around here in NW Ohio.

You'd think that would only be the lower cracking though. I'm talking whole power heads blown open... like glorious levels of freeze I'd think you'd have to try to achieve.

 

[airshot]

You'd think that would only be the lower cracking though. I'm talking whole power heads blown open... like glorious levels of freeze I'd think you'd have to try to achieve.

Once the exhaust opening freezes shut....no place else for water to drain. Many never drop the motor down to let it drain before tilting it up. I have saw a few that left their boats in until well past seasons end, figuring the water would keep the lower unit from freezing....but the block is still susceptible to freezing !! No explanation for some folks reasoning......

 

[Jeff J]

I run mine up and down a couple of times to drain it every time I pull it out of the water just in case I don’t lower it when I get it home. I mine is up now. Shouldn’t be but I haven’t been around the boat since August.

 

[arks]

Been crazy cold here on the Chesapeake. I typically leave the boat in the slip all year, and if it ices up it’s only a thin coating. Not this year!
Can’t see it, but my de-icer is doing its job off the finger pier. The vast majority of the boats still in here do not have any ice protection.

 

[dingbat]

I have saw a few that left their boats in until well past seasons end, figuring the water would keep the lower unit from freezing....but the block is still susceptible to freezing !! No explanation for some folks reasoning......

But, But, But....outboards are self draining even with the foot tilted up......lol

Outboards have an open loop cooling system. The only thing keeping the block from draining is not storing the motor verticaly, possibly a plugged thermostat and/or a loss of gravity.

Have left the foot in the water to prevent any moisture in the lower unit oil from freezing up and cracking the foot for years. Never had an issue

 

[Scott Danforth]

except outboards with oil coolers or charge air coolers where the plumbing dips

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I will say the sun does feel stronger, the rood clears off pretty fast after it is plowed now.

 

[Lou C]

we reached a balmy 31*F here today, and sunny.
might get some snow over the weekend then back to the deep freeze with highs between 15-20. So the snow we had last weekend will stick around a good while.

 

[dingbat]

except outboards with oil coolers or charge air coolers where the plumbing dips

Any idea which outboards?

Not having any luck finding an owner’s manual that gives instructions on winterizing the cooling system