Is it going to freeze?

[Mikeski]

It's been getting cold in California the last few nights so I did a little temperature recording last night, check it out.

[Proud2BeCC]

RE: Is it going to freeze?

Very interesting....Sure does show that during the cool down periods that the motor box area does stay considerably warmer than the other areas.

[MNSuperAir]

RE: Is it going to freeze?

I like that. Can you add the actual outside temp to your chart. That would help some. Also, V-drive or direct drive? I have a feeling the a V-drive would stay more warm.

[jhiestand]

Definitely makes sense, as I've noticed my engine compartment stays warm for quite a while once we get off the water as the engine slowly cools. Obviously it's relatively insulated from the rest of the boat.

Great info!

[surroundsound64]

Re: RE: Is it going to freeze?

I like that. Can you add the actual outside temp to your chart. That would help some. Also, V-drive or direct drive? I have a feeling the a V-drive would stay more warm.

Could we get the solar flares calculated into there also?
Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

Just kidding. :mrgreen:

[Adrian]

Yesssss, this is something very interesting. I used to ski until the first expected freeze. But I always have thought the engine must be warmer with the engine cover, boat cover...

I don't understand why the temperature of the "top boat" and "side boat" is higher between 8 am and 4.30 pm. Is the boat outside exposed to the sun?

[Sinkoumn]

Adrain, I'm guessing it's like heating up a burrito - hot on the outside and icey cold in the middle (heat can't penitrate into the engine block as fast as it heats up the outside of the boat).

[Mikeski]

Here are more details.

The temperature recorders take a sample every second and record the average reading every 15 minutes. The graph is a line of the samples over the 24 hour period.

My boat is on it's parking pad on the side of my house covered only by it's dark blue full side sunbrella cover.

The recorder labeled Motor is inside of my V-drive compartment sitting on the valve cover, so it is measuring the temperature of the motor compartment. I figure the block temperature is probably going swing about 3-5 degrees less than the temperature I recorded.

The Side Boat recorder was sitting on the step pad behind the trailer fender on the north side of the boat. That recorder is sheltered from wind and sun, it should represent the ambient temperature as measured in the shade. It's very close to the weather report.

The Top Boat recorder is on top of the cover with it's thermocouple exposed to all the elements.

Adrain, the motor is insulated from the ambient temperature. This results in a buffered temperature swing where the peaks will be less than ambient, the dips will be more than ambient, plus there will be a temperature lag until saturation is reached on both the up/down swings.

It is also of interest to notice how the increasing motor temperature is much steeper than the decreasing motor temperature.

What does all of this mean? Basically we don't need to worry about our boat's freezing until the AVERAGE daily temperature drops down into the mid 30's. The only times I have heard about blocks freezing is after three or more days of temps where the peak temperature did not break the mid 30's.

[Edwin]

Great info Mike...thanks for sharing!

[darrel409]

Thanks for adding more details... In my mind i was picturing mikeski cussing out his alarm clock every 2 hours and going out to the cold to take boat temp measurements. Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

Although, BKH may take this opportunity to confirm the findings by taking boat temps everytime his new littlegirl needs a
night feeding. Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

Thanks for the valuable info...31 last night where the boat lives. I dont "winterize" but i can sleep well.

[bkhallpass]

Thanks for adding more details... In my mind i was picturing mikeski cussing out his alarm clock every 2 hours and going out to the cold to take boat temp measurements. Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

Although, BKH may take this opportunity to confirm the findings by taking boat temps everytime his new littlegirl needs a
night feeding. Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

Thanks for the valuable info...31 last night where the boat lives. I dont "winterize" but i can sleep well.

Is is great info. I was almost concerned enough to go throw a lightbulb under the motor hatch.

Funny, I had the same picture of Mike running out every 2 hours. If you know Mike, if he wants the info, he'll get it one way or another. But, he's also a gadget guy and I bet he had as much fun playing with the sensors as anything else.

One thing I've learned in my two weeks of fatherhood. Choose very carefully the woman you decide to have children with. My wife's awesome. Only been woken up once in two weeks.

Looks like your Trojans got my Bears yet again Darrel.

BKH

[surroundsound64]

Mike, that is AWESOME! Thanks for clarifying the top and side recordings! It's supposed to get into the 20s tonight but it's been 70-80 the last few days and is supposed to get in the 40s during the day tomorrow. I haven't winterized because I've been trying to go out to a heated lake. I was a little worried it might be too cold and I'd have some problems, but now I can rest assured!!!!

Thanks again Mike!

[Adrian]

Thank you very much, Mike. Really interesting.

[darrel409]

BKH, I'll stay off my "Trojan horse" til after Saturday and UCLA. This city rivalry is huge and it makes me nervous.
Thanks again to Mikeski.

[aquasox]

Awesome info. I just got back in town and found it's getting down to the upper 20s tonight (low 50s tomorrow afternoon) and I was about to head to the marina to open the drain plugs.


I think I can relax enough to go to bed instead.
thanks,