Hey guys -
Reasonably new boat owner here (2nd year). Last year the boat was in dry stack all winter. This year, I've upgraded to a covered wet slip on Lake Martin. I have power on the dock, etc. I drive a Chaparral 227SSX.
I was considering a bilge heater, but not sure if I realllly needed it. Lake Martin water temp won't go below 32, and the boat is an I/O. So, that means it should have conductive heating of the engine from sitting in the water all the time. I am thinking that unless the Lake had a long stretch of sub-freezing weather, the boat should be ok?
Should I drain whatever I can off the block into the bilge anyway after use? Is this something I even need to worry about? Last week, water temp on Martin was 65 degrees.
Thanks!
Jim