Winterizing

Last night's cold north winds whipped fresh water out of the river into the salt water of the Bay making a frothy foam. With low tides, the foam washed up onto the beach and froze creating a winter playground for Crockett. Dianne took him out at dawn this morning to play in the ice. I pulled the boat out last night and did what I could to get it prepared for this stint of icy weather. I opened the plugs on the block and risers and drained all the water. Then, I pulled the thermostat and opened the hose to drain the water pump. After I was satisfied that most of the water was out, I closed the system and refilled it with Marine/RV antifreeze. I already added antifreeze to the freshwater system a few weeks ago. This weekend I hope to remove the duo-prop and get the dings machined out. Then, I'll change the oil and filter and whatever other fluids and filters I can find. Hopefully, that'll be adequate to survive the cold. It shouldn't be too difficult to get things ready to go as soon as the weather breaks. Let's hope that's not too far away. -S