To Fully Winterise....or not
Since owning Bluebell we have always winterized, our morbid fear of the boat freezing solid being the main reason to do so. Living relatively close to the moorings (a 30-minute drive) we could have had so many nice winter days out if only the boat hadn’t been winterised.
Our chance to keep the boat in working order all year round arrived with the availability of a mooring (still within Herbert Woods) with access to a metered electricity supply. Now we could install a little heating to beat the cold. After all, it rarely gets that cold in Norfolk these days - not like the winters of 78/79 and 62/63......We still have not got around to fitting a ring main so the wiring into a multi-socket extension lead is not the tidiest, but that can be sorted out later, along with a few other jobs. We purchased a couple of tube heaters, one for the engine bay and one in the galley along with a dehumidifier.
The tube heaters have built thermostatic controls to keep the temperature just above freezing. The dehumidifier works extremely efficiently and has eliminated 95% of the condensation. Bluebell is now dry and, if not cosy, not freezing.
The bonus has been several nice days out since November when we would normally winterize and now the start of spring when we would join the queue for de-winterizing at Herbert Woods.
We had some concerns over the cost of electricity, but we are pleased to say, apart from the cost of the equipment, the running costs have been lower than the usual costs of winterizing and de-winterizing.
Little did we realise the “Beast From The East” was just around the corner!........Our boat moored during early March 2018!
The good news was that the tube heaters had worked their "magic" keeping everythings safely free from freezing on the inside! Our verdict is that, for us, it has been successful and we will do it again next winter....