Best way to blow $8,000 in Georgia... Don't winterize your boat.

[Griffin928]

Learned the hard way this weekend that sub freezing temperatures in Georgia are the same a sub freezing temperatures in the North.
Had my boat on my lift on Lanier and did not winterize .. went up and dropped it in the water to keep it from freezing, figuring that it would surely never get cold enough, long enough to freeze an engine block.... Well Shirley, I was wrong... Got my boat out on Sunday and started right up, idled out a while and the bilge pump started pumping water out like I was sinking and motor sounded bad.... got it to Gainesville Marina and learned the block forze and the water was spewing out of the block... motor destroyed, roughly $8,000 for a new one.... Life carries expensive lessons. If my bad decision can save any one else I figured I should share..... Less wealthy today than I was last weekend.

Griffin 928

[clark123456]

Sorry, man.  That sucks big time.

[DOUG]

Dang, hate to hear that.  i wish you had asked on here.  My boats are at Lake Sinclair, much further south, and they would freeze there if I didn't winterize. 

Boat heaters are another great way to handle it unless there is a power failure, ao I don't use them and always winterize.

[Griffin928]

Appreciate it ... I knew better... just had one of those it would not happen to me moments ... then it did...

[jd30005]

I'm sorry to hear this as well.  I grew up in the Boston area and winterizing is in my blood so I do it consistently with my boat on Lanier. 

[clark123456]

How old was the motor?

[xjcrawler]

Will insurance cover something like that?

[Griffin928]

It is not covered by insurance unless you have specific anti freeze insurance and then only if you winterize and it still freezes... I checked.

[cudruln]

Sucks to hear. But I can guarantee your not the first one, probably not the last.

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[94xjsport94]

Sorry to hear that. We keep ours out of the water, but its also made for going out into the deeper waters of the gulf.

[Blue J]

Bummer. I keep a heater connected to shore power and set at just above freezing which keeps the cabin and inboard from freezing. I have heard that boats kept on lifts are more susceptible to freezing.  If I remember correctly my Boat US policy says the line for mandatory freeze insurance is just north of us in TN and NC. Yours is the 2nd I have heard of on Lanier this year.


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[BlackDak]

I actually just picked up a boat this weekend for cheap for this same reason. Going to do some surgery in the next couple of weeks to get it lake ready. Already have the replacement block, just gotta start wrenching.

-Carlo