Here are the ingredients for successfully wintering aboard:

  • A boat in good condition with watertight seacocks and a working engine (for emergencies), an electrical panel and a working electric bilge pump that automatically comes on once water in the bilge reaches a certain level.
  • A marina that accommodates live-aboards, including the provision of shore power (electricity), amenities in the form of a heated building with washrooms, laundry facilities and showers, and at-the-dock pump-out service.
  • A winter cover and frame or shrinkwrap to insulate your boat.
  • A working door on the cover or shrinkwrap to enter and exit the boat safely.
  • Two agitators (least ¾ amp) to keep the water from freezing around the boat.
  • 60 amps of shore power for a 30-40 foot boat running two agitators. More might be needed for larger boats. If the boat only has one 30 amp plug, you will need a “pony-panel” for the second one.
  • A 2000w portable generator (in case the power goes off).
  • Three or four small tip-proof electric space heaters.
  • Two fire-extinguishers.
  • If railings are permitted on the docks by your marina, wood and wood-screws to build a safety railing leading up to your boat.
  • Fire, smoke and CO detectors.
  • A kerosene or a candle lantern.
  • Close-cell foam pads for insulation.
  • Blankets galore.
  • A snow shovel.
  • An implement for breaking ice.
  • A sturdy fishing net to remove ice.
  • Earplugs (optional).

The basic issue of living aboard in winter is dealing with cold temperatures. You are not quite living in a tent, but you are living in a floating shack, as fiberglass is a notoriously poor insulator. Your boat needs to be kept from being frozen in and suffering ice damage. Your seacocks need to be protected from freezing and cracking (and sinking the boat). Inside the boat, your water system and your tanks need to be kept above freezing temperatures, and you yourself need to be at least marginally warm. If you have not winterized your engine, that too is a concern.

Agitators

The purpose of the agitators (also known, not quite accurately, as bubblers or ice eaters) is to keep the water around your boat from freezing. They need to be strategically positioned, one at the bow and one at the stern. They also have to be at adequate depth, as they won’t work properly if they are positioned too deep in the water or too close to the surface. The biggest hazards to agitators are floating plastic bags. If a bag gets wrapped around the propeller, the agitator will stop working. One way to protect it is to cover the bottom of the unit with a loose wire mesh.

Winter Cover

Your winter cover or shrinkwrap will insulate the deck and help keep your boat warm. A canvas winter cover will be a hefty one time investment but last you for years. Shrinkwrap is less expensive, but needs to be done and recycled afresh every year. With clear shrinkwrap you get a lovely green-house effect, so on sunny days it is possible to sit in the cockpit wearing little more than jeans and a T-shirt -- even in February. Don’t use the cockpit as a hanging locker if it is shrinkwrapped, as your clothes will be ruined by sun-damage.