Checklists for Winterisation and De-Winterisation
These pages aim to provide guidelines for winterising in the Autumn at the end of your boating season, and de-winterising your boat in early Spring preparing it for the new season ahead. If you live a fair distance away from your Safari and are intending to observe a "CLOSE" season (no trips afloat over winter) from around early November to mid March (GMT daylight times) don't leave winterisation until snow, ice, or deep frosts have already arrived!
If you plan to continue using your Safari over winter then you may want to consider alternatives to using antifreeze between trips, and perhaps look at removing the rubber water pump impellor and draining the engine raw water system at the end of each trip to guard against freezing. You may also use bottled fresh water for washing and drinking while leaving the fresh water tank fully drained and minimising the use of taps etc. The same approach applies for the toilet system.
Winterisation Guide and Checklists
Item | Description |
1 | At the end of the season check all mooring lines for signs of chafing and replace as necessary. Your Safari will probably get buffeted/rocked around by strong winds over winter. Handy tip: Wrap and tape a length of thin flexible hose or tubing split length wise around lines where they pass through fairleads to combat chafing. |
2 | If possible attach extra lines as spring lines for either stern on or side on moored boats. These extra lines will help keep your Safari stable and avoid swinging back & forth (moored side-on) or from side to side excessively (moored stern-on). |
3 | Check the condition of your fenders and buoys and re-inflate any that have deflated slightly with use over the summer. Do not over inflate fenders - they should have some "give" when pressed by hand - See guide. |
4 | Remove any burgees and ensigns - they will be damaged or deteriorate severely if left out in inclement conditions. |
4 | A cover for the rear well (all Safari's) and one for the front well (Mk3's) are strongly recommended to keep rain out of the wells over the winter. Check the condition of the short bungee-balls securing the lower edges of the covers (e.g stretched, lost elasticity, chafed/worn). Replace as needed. |
5 | Front and rear well covers do tend to get very dirty over winter and eventually look less than their best, for use during the season. If you are thinking of replacing them for new ones if they are not badly damaged, it can be useful to (repair and) retain older covers for winter use 🙊😀 |
6 | Check the drain holes at the bottom of the rear well (All Safaris) and forward well (Mk3's) are clear and operational. They often get clogged with leaves etc and if not kept clear the well can fill with rainwater. Carefully and gently clear with a small-medium sized wired bottle brush. The drain holes when cleared, normally empty into the bilge. Also check the drain hole at the bottom of the gas locker.... |
7 | Turn off all gas appliances inside the boat and turn off and remove the gas valve from the gas bottle in the gas locker. |
8 | Top up the diesel tank to full to minimise condensation (water) in fuel over winter. Add a dose of diesel bug inhibitor to reduce potential bacterial contamination, more prevalent in modern bio diesel fuel. Check that the filler is securely fixed/sealed to the deck and replace and screw up filler cap fully (to minimise/avoid avoid rain water leakage into the tank). |
1 | Note: Most online guides to marine winterisation are concerned with boats affected by really severe winters (extreme -ve cold temperatures and for long periods (weeks/months). On UK river systems our winters are generally less extreme (🤞) and (based on general consensus among other owners) we can probably reduce some measures accordingly....(it's your choice). |
2 | Open each Hot & Cold water tap in turn, and leave it running to drain the fresh water tank, but do check that each sink/drain is emptying quickly enough to avoid overflows! Drain the shower head by lowering it to the floor (drainage tray) and running with shower tap on. |
3 | Most winterisation guides recommend adding 4-6 gallons of Propylene Glycol antifreeze (PG A/F) to the fresh water tank and drawing it through the system until it flows from each tap in turn. Although PG A/F is non toxic, it still doesn't taste very nice, and may take a lot of flushing in the spring. We can (optionally) exclude this step - the choice is yours... |
4 | Steps 4 & 5 assume you are NOT filling the fresh water system with antifreeze, so if you opt for that skip, those steps.Disconnect the input/exit pipes on the main water pump (under the rear cabin bed?) to drain the water pump itself to protect it from freezing. |
5 | Leave all sink taps and shower tap OPEN over the winter. This will enable free airspace in pipes to allow any residual water to expand if it freezes and avoid burst pipes. |
6 | It is helpful to put a small amount of PG A/F down each waste (including the shower tray) to ensure that the "grey" water pump is emptied of water and any remaining fluid is antifreeze and not water. |
7 | If you have an inline water filter and separate tap for drinking water fed from the main fresh water tank, switch off the feed tap. Remove the filter from it's bracket and (over a bowl/bucket) remove the pipes from the filter and drain all items. Discard the old filter & leave disconnected over winter. |
| 1 | Most UK winters are not of the polar or ice age variety. As long as ice has somewhere to expand into, the potential for expansion damage is greatly reduced. The various water pipes around the boat can be difficult to access and/or work on and in such circumstances, disconnecting pipes might cause more problems than you prevent, so some caution is advisable. The items most at risk of damage through freezing are probably pumps and valves (raw and fresh). |
| 2 | ALWAYS work on the toilet system with the toilet seacock FULLY CLOSED. It's a good method of scuttling your Safari if not! When maintaining the toilet system and pipes it's a good idea to use disposable gloves particularly when servicing or replacing the valves and/or clearing blockages. |
| 2 | On the last trip out of the season, it's a good idea to flush the toilet through with several litres of fresh (tap not river) water and to then have the toilet tank emptied & a good dose of "blue" added into the tank for winter. |
| 3 | Turn OFF or CLOSE the toilet raw water sea cock. (Hint: It's usually below floor level and possibly under a removable panel under the sink unit cupboard. An alternative may be under the bed in the rear cabin near the bathroom wall - your installation may differ but ithere should be one around there somewhere!). |
| 4 | Full toilet system winterisation involves pumping several litres of Propylene Glycol antifreeze (the same as used for the engine raw water system) from as close as possible to the toilet sea cock and through the whole system. Depending on the accessibility of pipe runs and fittings etc, this may not be totally practical on every Safari.... |
| 5 | ....In practice it is simpler/easier to disconnect the raw water pipe from the toilet pump input, catching any water, in a handy funnel, bottle or bowl. Attach a temporary pipe to the toilet input with the free end inserted in a container of Propylene Glycol antifreeze. Pumping this as flushing liquid through the toilet pump and into/out of the bowl. On completion, reconnect the partially drained raw water inlet pipe, set the toilet pump lever to DRY with the handle locked (turned through 90 deg). The sea cock stays CLOSED over winter. |
| 6 | If you need to use the heads over winter use ordinary bottled fresh water poured into the bowl to flush the waste on the DRY setting. depending on the time of year and forecasts you can then decide whether to add antifreeze down the bowl again. |
| 6 | If you have noticed any stiffness in the pump operation, or water syphoning back into the bowl during the season the winter period is a good opportunity for servicing the toilet pump and valves. There are several good guides on YouTube. |
This section has some (hopefully) useful images to help you locate items around the engine compartment. Click on any image to obtain a magnified view in a pop-up box.... | |
1 | Perform the following steps in the order listed for logical flow... |
2 | Remove the "Radiator" pressure cap from the Bowman heat exchanger. Check the level and strength of the antifreeze (NOT PLAIN WATER) inside, using a refractometer guage.   Top up with antifreeze solution until it's approximately midway between the top plate and bottom of the filler. DO NOT OVERFILL - remember to allow space for fluid expansion when hot. Replace the pressure cap securely. |
3 | Set the main engine raw water seacock to OPEN/ON. Start and run the engine for several minutes to allow it to "warm" up and allow the engine oil to thin and circulate freely. Once the oil pressure and water temperature guages are at normal readings stop the engine and switch off ignition. |
4 |  Place a funnel and suitable container (e.g last years empty oil can) under the oil extractor pump mounted towards the rear of the engine. Wrap some paper towel around the pump shaft as oil sometimes leaks when pumping.  (If you don't have an engine mounted pump you may need to buy an oil extractor pump which extracts oil via a pipe inserted down the engine dipstick hole). Using the pump, extract the engine oil via the funnel into the container. |
5 | Next job is the oil filter. The 1970's period bowl filter housing with replaceable paper filter, can be messy to change and unreliable if you select the incorrect seal from the 3 supplied. Handy Tip: It can be much easier, and more reliable, to change the paper filter by removing the filter bowl complete with housing and changing the filter away from the engine. This enables the bowl to be prefilled with oil on replacement too. A replacement cartridge filter kit is simple to fit (2 bolts and a gasket) & makes the task much simpler, & less messy, in future. Shop around on ebay, the whole kit can be as little as £25.00. |
6 | A Handy tip: (proven while working under classic cars with either type of filter,) is to enclose the filter in a plastic sandwich or (empty!) dog poo sized bag (see image) while unscrewing the filter. Tying up the bag handles helps to keep the filter upright & prevent messy spillage during transfer for emptying. |
7 | If you have the cartridge type filter put a thin smear of oil on the sealing ring, prefill it with clean engine oil, put it in a plastic bag (as for removal), offer it up, and screw it into place firmly but not excessively tightly. | |
8 | For the old bowl filter, oil the correct sealing ring (of 3 variants supplied) and locate it in the filter top housing (- this is much trickier on a boat than on a car due to confined space). Place the new paper filter in the bowl. Offer up the bowl with paper filter inside & long bolt inserted. Carefully screw the centre screw into the top house ensuring that the seal is properly located between the top housing and the bowl rim! | |
9 | Refill the engine with fresh SAE15/30W or SAE 30W mineral oil (not synthetic oil) via the oil filler cap on top of the engine. Fill slowly and allow time for the oil to reach the sump to avoid over filling. Check the dipstick for correct level. | |
10 | Set the raw water cooling system sea cock to OFF/CLOSED. Remove and clean the wire gauze weed filter (if not already cleaned after last trip). Insert a large funnel or cut down 5L water bottle, into the sea cock/filter body. Have around 5-7 Litres of Propylene Glycol antifreeze (PG A/F) pre-opened and ready to pour, standing by the sea cock (- Don't kick it over!) | |
11 | The next step is easier perform with two persons, one starting/stopping the engine, the other pouring antifreeze, but it is perfectly possible unaided. (- it can be "entertaining" but it's OK as there's no audience!). | |
12 | Start the engine and start pouring 5L antifreeze into the funnel/cut down bottle. It will take between 5 and 7 litres of antifreeze to reach the point where pink anti-freeze and not water, exits from the side or rear of the boat (depends on routing of the exhaust water). | |
13 | The engine person can normally monitor the exhaust water and control the engine shut off while the "pourer" continue to pour. Coordinate shutting off the engine as the antifreeze reservoir empties to save spills. (If doing this activity alone just pour in 7L of fluid for good measure). | |
14 | Replace the weed filter foil and the lid for the seacock ensuring that any rubber seals are properly located (- the lid is usually clear plastic). Check it is located/sealed p[roperly by opening the seacock and checking for leaks. SHUT/CLOSE the Sea Cock for the winter period. | |
15 | Check around the oil filter for leaks and tighten filter cartridge if needed. Clean up and oil or fluid spills under the engine. Handy Tip: Oil spillage mats can be useful both for catching or mopping up oil spills but also for spotting leaks while running. | |
1 | The main "enemy" over winter is mildew/mould growth caused by condensation and poor ventilation rather than a lack of heat. Dropping the vertical sliding windows in the rear and middle cabins (galley and heads) to the first slots should provide sufficient ventilation/draughts without allowing water ingress or lack of security. |
2 | Remove all bedding, sheets, sleeping bags, duvets, pillows, and towels from the boat over winter. Also remove all food & drink items and/or other perishable goods affected by damp - even tins can go rusty. (Handy Tip: Use suitably sized lidded plastic storage boxes that fit inside your cupboards to store these things in normal use - it makes removal much simpler & easier, and you can stack and store them at home easier too). |
3 | Handy Tip: Rather than take mattresses and large seat cushions off the boat, obtain some large strong zippered storage and mattress storage bags and store your rear cabin mattress and your front cabin seat cushions in the rear cabin in them. For extra peace of mind pop a reusable silica gel bag inside the mattress bag. |
4 | You can aid air circulation underneath the storage bags using swimming "pool noodles" (which also make handy draught blockers at the rear of the sliding canopy in the main cabin). Clean all cabin surfaces with Dettol Mould and Mildew Spray (or similar) to help deter mould or mildew growth over winter. |
5 | Reccommendation: Place a moisture absorber in each of the cabins. A refill will last around 2-3 months. These refillable types are more effective, last longer and work out cheaper than disposable types in the long run. You can empty the (surprising volume of) collected moisture in the reservoir down the loo and into the waste tank and eventual pump out. |
6 | Some owners prefer to warm their boats over winter using electric heaters connected to shore power to keep the inside temperature above the dew point to minimise condensation effects. The most common appliances used are small oil filled radiators, or low wattage tube heaters operated with a timer. |
7 | In these days of high energy bills, the costs of heating your Safari over winter can be significant. Electric dehumidifiers can be very expensive to run and may be best avoided in terms of "bang per buck"... |
8 | If connected to shore power, very low wattage "tube heaters" (similar to those used in green houses) can be carefully placed in the engine bay to help keep the engine from freezing. These are most useful to owners intending to use their boats over winter, reducing the need for draining down/refilling water coolants & antifreeze, each time you venture out. |
De-Winterising Guidelines and Checklists
Item | Description |
1 | Ensure ALL water taps are turned OFF inside boat. Add tank cleaning powder to fresh water tank via filler hole. Fill tank from hose. OPEN each tap in turn. Wait until water flows & turn OFF. Repeat for all taps/shower Head etc. Leave treated water in system for several hours before draining system (by running taps etc). Refill tank and repeat draining (to flush treated water). Drain again and refill with fresh water purification tablets ready for use. |
2 | If you have a separate drinking water filter and tap fed from the fresh water tank, fit a new filter. Run fresh water through it to "charge" the filter (as directed on instructions). Repeat this at least every 4-6 months throughout the season. |
3 | Prevention is better than cure and If you have followed the winterisation guide the fuel tank should already be full and treated for diesel bug reducing the risk of condensation in the fuel tank. There's no simple way of checking for water in the fuel tank other than by checking fuel filters/bowls downstream of the tank, so check them before filling the tank and adding any additives at the start of the new season. |
4 | Remove any front and rear boat covers (if fitted). Keep them in good condition by giving them a thorough wash and clean, followed by reproofing (recommended). Do not use a (high) pressure washer to blast dirt from your covers (it doesn't do much for the water proofing!). Check and replace any worn out bungee cords. |
5 | Give the entire boat a good wash and clean to remove any green algea, moss, leaves, bird poo, spider webs etc. Pay particular attention to the sliding window channels - use some warm water to soak and soften any hardened deposits between the channel and glass, if they are stuck fast... |
6 | Remove your fenders, buoys and fender lines. Clean the fenders/buoys with Silky Cream Cleaner (or another suitable cleaning product, such as, Starbrite or Autosol boat fender cleaner). Each product removes black scuff and scratch marks as well as general dirt and grime. Rehang the fenders and buoys on clean lines (see below). |
7 | Use a temporary spare set of lines, and wash the fender ropes and/or mooring lines. (Handy Tip: Put the dirty ropes/lines in a well secured pillow case (e.g tightly tie wrapped) and wash in the washing machine at home with some fabric softener. It cleans, softens loosens the rope fibres rejuvenating them. (Best done while your partner is out shopping! 😮😀). |
| This section assumes that you have followed our Winterisation Guide. If you haven't then check those items first as a reminder of what you need to cover annually. The items included under this de-winterisation section are those best done at the start of a new season from a logical sequencing perspective. Click on any image to obtain a magnified view in a pop-up box.... | |
1 | Remove the front seat cushions and any access panels around and/or covering the engine to provide maximum ease of access and working light. Wear disposable rubber gloves to keep your hands free of grease & avoid spreading grease and dirt around the cabin... |
2 | Check around the engine block to see if there are any signs of the block being frozen (this should not occur if the correct strength antifreeze and/or tube heaters were used effectively). Look for any core plugs that have moved, popped completely, or are leaking. Also check hose joints for signs of leaks, poor condition or movement. Fix & repair as required. |
3 | The first job we are going to do is to change the raw water pump impellor. Check out this useful YouTube video guide to familiarise yourself with the steps involved before starting. (Focus on just the impellor pump & not the engine layout as both the pump and it's location may be different to yours, but the principle is the same, and the presenter isn't head down in the engine bay as you will probably be 😳!) |
4 | The symptoms of a failed impellor are: Engine overheats with little or no water pumping from rear/side exhaust as it would normally. The most usual cause: Forgetting to OPEN the main sea cock before starting the engine! (i- easily done, long regretted, & it happens to many!). Note: If the impellor has failed, not only do you need to replace the impellor itself but you will also need to track down all the bits of broken blade from within the downstream pipework and remove them, otherwise you can just end up with an internal blockage & another failed impellor! |
5 | Impellor blades can wear significantly in normal use, and being fixed in one position for several months, can also lead to early failure, so this change best done as a planned activity rather than a breakdown fix in the middle of nowhere!We will be changing the impellor as preventative maintenance to avoid premature but (rare) natural failure. |
6 | Set the main raw water cooling sea cock ON/OPEN. Start the engine as normal. Let it run to circulate oil and "warm" up on idle for just a few minutes. This action will flush the winter antifreeze from the raw water cooling system. |
7 | With the engine still running, CLOSE the main sea cock stopping the raw water to the pump. As soon as the intake to the engine, is no longer below the level in the filter reservoir quickly, stop the engine and switch off ignition. |
8 | Back to our intended maintenance task...Depending on the amount of space for access, and the type and make, of pump you have fitted, it may prove simpler and easier to first remove the complete pump from the engine. There will be inlet and outlet pipe connections to undo, plus more bolts securing the pump to the engine block/housing. |
9 | Locate the raw water pump and impellor housing.  (Most likely on right hand lower front side of the engine looking aft). The impellor is accessed by removing the six slot headed bolts with a screwdriver and/or spanner. There may be raw water still in the pipework so it's advisable to keep a funnel/bowl under the engine/pump and some (water) spillage mats already in place. Remove the six cover plate bolts & the flat cover plate. |
10 | Having gained (sufficient) access to the impellor blades the next task is to remove the impellor from it's shaft. A Jabsco hub puller tool costs around £110+ so the normal DIY method would be to use two pairs of long nose pliers and pull firmly and steadily from two sides (hence the need for good access). |
11 | Pull off the old impellor. Replace the rubber sealing rings with the new ones in the impellor repair kit at this time too. Use the supplied grease to lubricate the rubber blades of the new impellor. Push the new item onto it's keyed shaft (oriented the right way round, & with blades angled in direction of pump rotation, easing the blades in so that they lie correctly). |
12 | Fit the the paper gasket which fits between the housing and cover plate (a little oil/grease will hold it in place. Align the cover plate to the housing securing it with the 6 slotted bolts. |
13 | If the whole impellor pump has been removed for ease of access refit it onto the engine drive and bolt it in place. Rejoin the pipework (which may be compression jointed or hoses with jubilee clips). Ensure not to over tighten compression joint olives and to ensure jubilee clips are tightened securely. |
14 | Restart the engine and check for a good strong rhythmic jet of water from the rear or side pump exhaust. Check visually for leaks or seepage from around the pump joints keeping fingers/hands well away from moving parts! If there is a leak stop the engine adjust the relevant fitting & restart/retest. |
15 | Allow some time for the oil level to settle in the engine sump. Check the oil level using the dipstick. Assuming the oil and filter were changed at the end of the last season, the oil level should be correct. Having run the engine, check around for oil leaks or drips (spillage mats are handy spotting and locating them if any exist). Investigate and fix as necessary. |
16 | Check the condition and tension of the various belts connecting the engine drive to the alternator, pumps and other anciliaries. Replace and retension drive belts as required. |
17 | Locate the stern gland or stuffing box and Greaser (usually located under the galley floor accessed by a lift out panel).  Our tasks for dewinterisation will be restricted to refilling the greaser with fresh Ramonol packing grease and checking to see if the stern gland needs tightening. Please read the following very useful website article and notes for more info. |
18 | Unscrew the greaser cap completely by turning anticlockwise. Remove any old hardened grease and refill with fresh Ramonol (or similar) packing grease. Replace the greaser cap by turning clockwise and wind down until resistance is felt (grease is pushed into the packing). Unscrew the cap, refill & refit it so that is is fitted securely without applying pressure. |
19 | When the prop shaft is stationary there should be no water drips into the bilge from the gland and the prop shaft should be free to turn & not tight. If there are water drops/leak, it probably needs repacking (outside the scope of this guide). When the prop shaft is running at idle and above, there should only be 1-3 drops per minute. If the rate is quicker or heavier the stern gland probably needs to be tightened. |
20 | Finally the bilge pump. Operate the pump manually (switch on dashboard) to drain/pump out any accumulated (dirty) water.Mop up and clean the bilge channel using spillage mats and or rags/wipes etc. Lift (and/or disconnect) the pump out of the bilge and give it a good clean. Check any filters are clean/clear. Return the pump back into the cleaned bilge. |
21 | Give the pump a good flush through with clean water (pour some fresh water into the bilge to prime it and to test it after cleaning. Periodically check that the bilge pump is operating correctly throughout the year (even when winterised). |
1 | We are assuming you have followed our winterisation steps at the end of last season... |
2 | Check the interior surfaces of each cabin (ceiling, walls, doors (both sides) and inside cupboards for any signs of mildew or mould. Clean all surfaces with Dettol Mould & Mildew spray or similar to remove it and prevent recurrence |
3 | Give the remainder of the interior a general "spring clean" cleaning carpets, curtains, windows, crockery etc. Check inventory of disposable items such as dustbin/waste bags, soaps, toilet tissue, wipes etc. |
4 | Unpack the interior seat cushions from their sealed storage bag and reposition them in their respective cabin locations. Retain any sliica gel bags to take away for regeneration at home (see product instructions). |
5 | Unpack the rear cabin mattress from it's storage pack and reposition in the rear cabin. Pack away the mattress and cushion storage bags, together with any "pool noodles" and take them to store at home ready for next winter. |
6 | Return bedding (sheets,pillows, sleeping bags, duvets etc) and store on board (perhaps in storage bags) until the first major overnight trip out of the season. |
7 | Clean/wipe out the onboard fridge (and ensure the door is left ajar until used). Return and store onboard any other electrical appliances (TV, Radio etc) removed for the winter. |
8 | Disconnect and remove on board heating appliances used over the winter. Assuming these are not used in season, take them home to store for next winter... |
9 | Empty, washout, remove and store the moisture absorbers (Handy Tip: Reuse the retained original packaging they came in as they are easier to store). If the blocks were recently changed and still relatively new, you can store them wrapped in foil in a sealable plastic "sandwich bags" to keep them dry. If they are almost fully used, then you may as well keep them in use until the block is completely used. |
10 | Restock the on board "pantry" with non perishable foodstuffs (much easier if you use large plastic stackable storage boxes to move/store them in bulk). Restock the "duty free" bar...🙃 |
11 | If you use a Purytec (or similar) head treatment unit (see our article "fixing a smelly loo") check to see if the sanitiser bottle needs changing. Locate the raw water sea cock for the toilet and turn it to ON or OPEN. Flush the toilet through. Do a quick check for leaks (especially if any pipe connections have been moved during winterisation). |
