Boat Head Blog: Always Keep Your Boat's Deck Safe Throughout Cold Winters

Safeguard Your Boat's Deck From Ice Damage This Winter

It is the very first day of fall, which means winter is right around the bend, which is absolutely no fun sailors who reside in the northern slice of the earth, unless, of course, you're an ice-boater or frost-biter-- in which case, I'm happy for you (spoken like a true Floridian). Your marine toilet systems experts talk about how regarding all of the numerous evils that winter visits upon our boats-- mold, mildew, snow, ice-- one of one of the most insidious is actually also unnoticeable. I'm speaking about the water, soon to become ice, that could be trapped in the center of your deck.

In case you had worrying leakages at your mast, your forward hatch, or deck hardware this particular summer, those niggles can become nightmares whenever freezing temperatures begin to do their sledgehammer work upon our boats-- as well as our psyche. Many decks these days are sandwich cores, which possess a stiffening material, typically foam or balsa, or plywood, sandwiched in between two fiberglass skins. (For a more in-depth picture of the pros and cons this particular construction process, have a look at our record on core construction.) For the moment, however, all you need to understand is this: Once water goes into the center of your deck through a small leak, it can often spread undetected. Bring on winter, and its freezing and thawing cycles, and the core begins to break down, and our light, stiff deck starts turning to Jell-O.

The freeze-thaw pattern may also damage the bond between the fiberglass and the core, further compromising the deck structure and presenting new issues. In a worst-case scenario, you return to your boat in the springtime and discover bubbles, bulges, and cracked gelcoat or fiberglass where water has actually pooled and frozen, pushing your deck's outer skin upwards.

Bottom line is this: Of all the autumn maintenance fun (don't call them chores) you've got to handle in the weeks ahead, take some time to deal with the leakages. Your electric marine toilets suppliers talk about how a lot of what you'll need to perform your very own leak-repair project is right here in our archives. Our most recent record on caulks and sealants can help you discover the right sealer for the job. Owners of teak decks will certainly wish to consider our tests of teak sealers. When it comes to a good do-it-yourselfer perspective on sealants and caulks, check out PS contributor Scott Rosenthal's account of his seasonal assault on leaks aboard his boat Willow.

Even better, if you wish to avoid leakages to begin with, comply with the time-tested method for sealing through-deck penetrations to prevent leaks from getting to the core whenever you add or re-install deck hardware. Your manual marine toilet specialists talk about how although not a complete treatment against the scourge of winter, our boat winter-cover project can cut down on the damages done. 

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