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O.K., I have a question/dilemma that is not really related to anything that has to do with a classic whaler or project, but figure the expertise of the members of this forum might help. My wife and I are planning a long weekend at the end of March to bring our new whaler up from Norfolk, VA to Kent Island, MD. Now I have been out on the bay in March several times and for the most part it is brisk, to say the least. However, I have something new to contend with…my wife. You see, the boat will be prepped, cleaned, etc all except one thing – the water tank/system will still be winterized. This tank feeds the head, sink, shower, etc (see where I am going with this). The dealer said that they are more than willing to drain, flush and disinfect the system for me before we head on out, but suggests that if the water is still around the freezing mark, I re-winterize it when I reach our destination. I have been trying to find information on average water temps for the bay (Maryland DNR, etc) for the past couple of years, but haven’t found anything of “real” value to make an informative decision. I would hate to have to the system prepped, just to have to re-winterized it and then undo everything in a few weeks. I would think that the Unibond construction would add some insulation value to the plumbing, although the tank and water heater are a bit more exposed to temp changes. Any thoughts or suggestions? Anyone have experience with operating/maintaining water systems in cold(er) climates? I am finding myself stuck between a rock and hard place – take a chance with the (possible) elements or my wife. I know it may seem trivial, but anyone who has been on a long trip with their better half when nature calls, should appreciate where I am coming from – it’s not like I can just take the next exit. Also, the mere suggestion of a 5-gallon bucket and potty seat (you can buy them at Boaters World), went over like, well you can imagine. Thanks everyone…
Not sure what kind of head you have but for 1 or 2 days I would carry 5 gallons of water and use it to flush the head. When finished for the weekend, pour in a few gallons of antifreeze. You should be good...
Thanks AtoZ. It's a VacuFlush. I think I am going to leave the system winterized, but turn on the VacuFlush breaker and use your idea if water is needed. This should just fill up the holding tank, which I will pump out when we reach our destination and add any needed antifreeze back in.
You should be fine. Water temps in March are in the 40's, when you get to April, they rise to the low 50's. Crank it up, don't even think about the bucket! The first link below has the chart of temps, the second is the home page for NOAA; Interactive Data Access and Retrieval System. That's a long way to say a bunch of cool data that NOAA makes available.
Thanks Kamie. I found that site early this morning and printed out the table. I think I am going to play it by ear and check out the site above and MD DNR's site (they have "real time" bouy readings) a week before I head on down. If it looks good I am going to have the dealer prep the system before I arrive. The less I have to do in April when spring trophy season starts, the better. Thanks again everyone.
