How bad is Ice around your boat?

[Natesms]

I was at the lake this weekend checking things out. The lake was frozen like I've never scene. My boat and marina was in good shape with everything properly agitated. However I saw a lot of boats around the lake absolutely surrounded by ice. It's a lake, and there really won't be much / any wave activity (at least not until things start to thaw). So assuming everything is properly winterized, just how bad is it having that ice all around the boat?

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

I would think little impact...ice expansion is a problem when it's got no room to expand...given the exteme cold.. new stories will abound for those who normally dont have to deal with ice/cold/boating...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

It's not good. Up in Tahoe, people that keep their boats in the water put bubblers in to keep the ice from forming around the boat.

Couple inches of ice probably doesn't matter much. If it gets to be a foot like it is at my house, I would be worried.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

It's not good. Up in Tahoe, people that keep their boats in the water put bubblers in to keep the ice from forming around the boat.

Couple inches of ice probably doesn't matter much. If it gets to be a foot like it is at my house, I would be worried.

Ayuh,.... Actually, the shape of the hull has alot, if not everything, to do with whether a hull can be left to freeze in, or not,...

My tin barge, a Starcraft Islander, has a hard chine runnin' the length of the hull, outside corner,...
That chine would lock the hull into the ice, 'n probably crush it,....

This barge We built 15 or so years ago, outa big ole propane tanks, has been in the St. Lawrence river ever since We finished her up, year in, year out,...

Bein' all rounded below the waterline, when the ice gets thicker, 'n bigger, the barge just rides up onto the ice,...

We knew this was gonna be the way it lives, so We also build a hyd. transom for her outboards,...
In the fall/ early winter, the outboards get lifted up, 'n completely outa the water,...

The outboards were bein' replaced when this picture was taken, but you can see the hyd. rams that lift the moveable transom,...

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

great pics Bondo!! unless constructed to deal with ice pressures,,, ice and boats = bad things..... u walk out there and poke a few holes in the ice? fish?

 

[Bondo]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

great pics Bondo!! unless constructed to deal with ice pressures,,, ice and boats = bad things..... u walk out there and poke a few holes in the ice? fish?

Ayuh,.... Occasionally,.... nothin' like years past,....

'n I prefer to ride out there, 'n drill holes with my auger, rather than walkin',...

This was the March Burbot run a couple years ago, in Black River Bay,...
That's Sacket's Harbor Ny. in the background,...

 

[Natesms]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

Cool pictures of the barge! So by that same principal, the boats on lifts with the round toons under them would get pushed down by the ice since the top of the toons is all that is above the water line?

The average boat stuck in the ice that I saw would be a v-hulled fiberglass cruiser 26 - 50+ foot. I can see how it might "push" them up a bit. Definitively bad for the bottom paint. I would think if there were potential for more movement it would be much worse.

Also saw an old 60's christ craft wood cruiser completely encased in a few inches of ice. Her bilge would kick on for about a minute then off for 10 seconds and then back on for a minute. If that bilge wears out or loses power she'll need 2 feet of ice to keep her off the bottom. I called the marina and left a message...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

I have a slip in a marina Big Bear CA as well as my dock in Tahoe. At Big Bear, they strongly encourage everyone to pull their boats. There are a few that don't so they put all of them on outside slips and put bubblers on them.

 

[Natesms]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

Depending on who you talk to at the lake, it hasn't frozen like this since 91. Many winters they don't even put out agitators at the marina.

Picture doesn't do it justice, but past that dock as far as you can see is solid ice. Not normal around here.

 

[canyonken]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

My boat is up on a lift in the slip. I have a fiberglass pontoon style 6000 lb lift. There is probably 3 inches of ice in our marina. My pontoon lift sits pretty high in the water since the boat is less than 3000 lb weight. At least half the diameter of the pontoon is above water line. Is a few inches of solid ice a problem for a typical fiberglass lift ??

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

Is a few inches of solid ice a problem for a typical fiberglass lift ??

You should talk to your lift manufacturer. At my lake all the lifts that are used are the plastic type and no bubblers are being used.

 

[phillyg]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

I accidentally dropped my mixed drink overboard this afternoon and a couple of ice cubes floated by; they were melting. Of course, I'm in South FL.

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: How bad is Ice around your boat?

North Carolina. The ice finally made it down the cove to my slip, but it it was less than 1". My dad in VA picked this year to leave his pontoon in over winter (after a decade on almost no ice). He's a bit worried as his ice is several inches thick, but we won't know the damage (if any) until spring.