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Posts: 742
Location: Grand Rapids MN | Ok, I just started thinking about this a few days ago and need some advice. I fish up until season close the past few years with no problems but I always pull my boat out of the water after I'm done fishing. Well I will be up on LOTW for a few day trip in a week and I know the temps at night will be below freezing and my boat will be tied up to the dock. Is there anything I should be concerned about? Water freezing in the water pump and passages? Would like to hear some feedback/experiences. I'd hate to the ruin the trip with motor problems.
Just for more info its a new Mercury 115 four stroke and 8hp Nissan four stroke.
Thanks... |
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Posts: 1887
Location: syracuse indiana | well what i have been told before. if you leave the boat in freezing water. make sure you leave the motor in the water. dont raise it up.. it will freeze then, but if its in the water it wont |
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Posts: 1887
Location: syracuse indiana | another thing you could do is blow some air though it , but thats hard to do when the boats on the water and the motor is in the upright position and the drains will usually be on the top part of the lower unit.. i would just keep the motor all the way down in the water |
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| I personally would pull the boat out & let the water drain out of the motor. Just my honest opinion. Don |
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Posts: 742
Location: Grand Rapids MN | I would pull the boat if that is an option but we are staying at a cabin on an island. I've fished up there in late Oct before but I can't recall the night time temps but I know it was usually unseasonally warm during the day. Sweat shirt weather during the day most of the time. I figured to leave the motor in the water so anything under the surface would not freeze but I was curious about the water in the passages above water level. I thought about raising the motor and running it for a second to pump out any water and then lowering back down after shutting it off. Similar to blowing it out as mentioned. I know there are quite a few people who fish this late so hopefully they chime in. We are only a little ways down the shoreline from Walsh's Bay Store Resort. Might shoot them an email to see if they have any advice.
If worse comes to worse I can run out and start it every few hours. Or has anyone used the magnetic block heaters and stuck it on their outboards?
Thanks for the replies. I'm hoping to avoid any possible mis-steps. |
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Posts: 720
| Leave your boat in the water and keep your engine down. With the engine up your exposed to the air temps which are well below freezing. While the water temps will remain above freezing. I have fished well into the first week of November with over night temps in the teens. Resort owner told me to leave the engine down in the water. I also took note of the fact that all of his rentals were in the water with engines down.
We had no issues. |
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Posts: 742
Location: Grand Rapids MN | Thanks Hunter. That's what I was hoping to hear. Frank's resort usually has boats outside as well and I figured it would be ok but hey, doesn't hurt to ask. |
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Posts: 518
Location: Cave Run Lake KY. | Mike - - You should be fine, but anytime your on the water with freezeing water temps you can ice up. We fish year round here on Cave Run and have very few problems with the ice. I kept my guide boat in the water year round at Long bow marine and had the boat freeze in every year with 3" of ice. We allways kept our motor's strait up and down and I whould start mine up and let it run for about one hr. every two or three days. The ice never damaged the boats as the marina's go up and down with the water level. ONE THING TO DO when you pull your boat out to leave is to make sure all the water is drained out of the lower unit and the boat. The new Four CL. motors hold more water in them then the 2CL's do and I run mine all the way up and down twice just to make sure all the water is out of the lower unit. Have fun and take care. Marv. |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Just trim the motor under water. Done it for 40 years with no problems.
Doug Johnson |
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Posts: 742
Location: Grand Rapids MN | Thanks guys.. Glad to hear I can relax about it. |
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Leaving boat in freezing water