Freezing nights, but still skiing ?

I see. Thanks for all your help jimbo. The temps end up getting down to zero once or twice a year in my area so I'll be putting in the mix, and it sounds easy so I'll fog too.
Thanks again.

You wouldn't believe me if I told you! Click the Discount marine link above, then go to their site and look up fogging oil.
I've never done it but I live where it's hard to breath after walking 1/2 mile in August

I guess I should give credit where credit is due. I got the graph from this Article
Here's a couple of links on winterization:
Ski boat help
Discount Inboard Marine

79Tique--depending on where you live, that might be a good idea. You might have problems if it gets below 10 F for a couple of days. At 50/50 you're good down to -35F. If you want to go through the ha$$le of mixing a 60/40 solution, you'll be good down to -65F. That's North Pole cold
I'd just dump two gals of anti-freeze and 2 gals of water in a bucket and run it through the engine.
By the way, don't forget to "fog" the engine, if you're putting it down for the winter. There are a number of post on winterization.
Like I said, I don't do anything special. I seem to remember JIM in Houston posting something a couple years back about his method of winterizing. Involved hoping in the boat and cruising down to a beer joint I believe.

I sucks training the newbees every year, oh wait their not new,

Good info, wish I could get by with the light bulb in the motor box, you never know up north if it's going to be -10 for a week or 0 for the month. And the northeners across the border in the sticks, I can only imagine how cold and for how long it stays around, then again their boats are winterized already I guess.

personally if you get the good premixed antifreeze from west marine, purple or green stuff your good to go, it's non-toxic, prevents rust, lubes and you don't have to drain it come spring just let it pump out when fogging and tuning up the motor for the season. Much easier then trying to get the mix right and I don't acgree that it won't freeze if used straight. Guess you could throw some in the freezer and try it out, if it gets slushy then it will freeze given enough temp.

if your real cheap and want to save a buck or two use windshield washer fluid with a rust inhibitor...... i know guys that do   eric

My understanding about mixing the antifreeze is that you mix it with water because the antifreeze does a poor job of exchanging heat. In the boat it just needs to prevent freezing while the boat is is parked for the winter. I will flush it out next spring before the boat goes to the lake, the lake water will do all the cooling. Also I think straight antifreeze does a great job of lubercating and preventing rust. I know it must be mixed in a car for cooling reasons but does any one know a reason that it must be mixed in the boat for winterizing?

i use to do some work for this marina in which they also stored boats in the winter and when it got real cold out early in the season the owner said he could hear the blocks snap if he was outside near the yard and he would just giggle knowing he had more work in the spring, i did a 2005 larson this year with 12 hours on it. even the manifolds were just about snapped in half. that was a 5k oops

not a very accurate method and you cannot depend on the mix being evenly distributed either. Personally it's not a very good way to winterize your motor and leaves a lot of room for the block to crack because it's not done right.

I hope you didn't use straight antifreeze and it was mixed.

La. about the same 90 in the day 70 at nite,will not winterize till dec.will pull the chute and ski till turkey day. Tim i always said and have observed 17 is the magic number,it will split a GM Vortec right at the balance shaft,manifolds are a little more forgiving.open the block drain valves,drain the ex. manifolds,dont take but a few min. and well worth the piece of mind,drop lites in the bilge,NOT IN MY BOAT,just drain the water,how hard is this.................. boat dr

jimbo wrote: Lately I've been wishing for it to cool off 30 degrees or so

I'm ready for some cooler weather too. Spending the day in the boat on Thursday. Out on Galveston Bay.

If your curious to know what is going on put acup of water inside the engine cover somewhere and see what it does .

Pat

OK I'm giving up the dry start. I'll make sure there is not gas building up while the boat is off, and start using a light bulb on the colder nights. I can't leave the boat in the water at the public dock and I don't live on the lake.

Thanks everyone for the advice.