ICE AROUND BOAT

larglo · Post by **larglo** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 11:03 am

Hi all,

Didn't get much sleep last night, as it was supposed to get down to 9 deg's last night.
I was really concerned about the BoatSafe heater I bought for the eng. rm, doing it's job!

I rushed out to the boat this morning to check on her and saw ice around the boat. As soon as I stepped aboard, I could hear it break up.

After boarding, I open the engine hatch, got down on my knees and looked at the temp gauge I have laying on top of the engine. I was real happy to see it was a little above freezing, 38 deg I think?

But what really made me happy, was when I heard the BoatSafe heater come on!
I now have a little more confidence in it.

I would like to ask though, about the ice around the boat. Will that hurt the boat?
I can't see much I can do about that!, except try a break it up each time I go out.

The low temps will last a few more days according to the weather. Is there Anything I can do about the ice?

Thanks for your help.

Larry

k9th · Post by **k9th** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:22 pm

Up north if we want to keep our boat in the water during the cold weather we use a bubbling device. It pumps air bubbles into pipes submerged all around the boat and bubbles the water to keep it from freezing. You may not be set up for that.

From what I understand, if the ice freezes hard enough and thick enough the pressure exerted on the fiberglass hull may fracture it. I have no idea of the relationship between duration and range of temps below zero with thickening of the ice. I guess anything you can do to keep it broken up would help.

I know elsewhere in the forum some owners in northern Florida are facing similar situations - many for the first time.

Can you pull it out of the water and winterize it?

larglo · Post by **larglo** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:48 pm

Right now there is no way I can take it out of the water. The BoatSafe heater would be usable if I did according to the manufacture.

I just ask my son his opinion, and he said there has been boats in the water there for years, without damage from the water freezing around the boats, unless perhaps the whole lake froze up, and that has never happened.

I hope he's correct.

I still would to hear others opinions of what you think. I checked on bubblers to keep ice from forming around the boat, but they are much to expensive for me right now.

Larry

Coralkong · Post by **Coralkong** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:19 pm

Well, it all depends on how thick the ice gets.

If it is a half-inch thick, don't worry about it.

If it's a foot and a half thick, well, then worry about it!

Generally speaking, unless it freezes to the point where the boat is literally frozen up in the ice, you'll be fine. Fiberglass gets brittle when it is super cold, but again, I really wouldn't worry about it. I've kept my boat in the water the last 2 seasons and the bay gets some ice on it, but as long as your bilge isn't frozen (and do make sure you run some antifreeze through your bilge pumps!), you should fine.

You might lose a little bottom paint along the waterline from ice rubbing along it, but that's easy enough to fix....

Tuck · Post by **Tuck** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:49 pm

hey fellow tennessee-an...or however ya spell it.

don't worry about the ice around the boat. same thing happened here last year..about this same time, actually. was cold enough for a week or so to the point we had ice all around the boats. BUT, it wasn't enough to worry about. while the ducks could safely walk across the ice, if anything larger would have tried to, it would have fallen thru.

point is, ice that thin won't be enough to compromise the hull.

JC3 · Post by **JC3** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 4:41 pm

Larry, Other posters are right. You are going to be fine. JC

LSP · Post by **LSP** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 4:52 pm

Larry ... if it doesn't get thick enough to skate on it, you'll be alright. I had to break away some ice last week to take my boat around to be pulled.

larglo · Post by **larglo** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 5:00 pm

THANK YOU,,,THANK YOU,,,AND THANK YOU!

I feel a lot better now! It must not be to thick as some of the boats around mine had a mix of ice and water around them. As long as the engine room stays above freezing and doesn't mess up the engine,, if that happens,,,I'm dead in the water, so to speak.

Thanks guys!

Larry

millrock · Post by **millrock** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:07 pm

Hi Larry, Does it not get cold enough for you to winterize your engines, I think the bilge heaters are a great idea but I was always reluctant thinking with my luck there would be a power outage for a while and then what. As far as the ice goes as most of the replys have stated I guess a thin layer would not hurt much but it sure is easy to rig something up to move the water around your boat pvc with holes drilled in it weighted and lowered close to the bottom then a air compressor line run to it bubbling the water up from the bottom even any electric motor that you could submerge with a prop on it both of these items could be ativated by a water temp. switch or just turn it on and off if you live close enough to do so.

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:41 pm

In the past there were times I would have to brake three inches of ice around the boat to get it out to the river so I could go fishing for the day. I keep the temperature in the bilge high enough so I don't have to worry about any of the water systems freezing including anywhere in the bilge and I also keep the cabin nice and warm so when I'm at the boat I can relax and read or just hang out. braking the ice up every couple days keeps the ice from building pressure against the hull, and I always enjoy being at the boat, every day if I can.

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:33 am

it's going to warm up again Larry well above freezen any way. it better or you'll see folks setting on it with fishin' poles ! and they talk funny

and besides that now you've got another reason to go to the BOAT

chauzer · Post by **chauzer** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:45 am

i give ya talk funny! and when hell freezes over i'll fish there too!

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 11:21 am

When that happends I'll let you teach me how to.

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:57 pm

Larry,

Do you have a freshwater cooled (closed) system? If so, it should have anti-freeze in it, which will protect your engine, but not the seawater pump (which you can attempt to drain and back-fill with environmentally safe anti-freeze).

If the engine is seawater cooled, you will be in trouble if the heater goes out!

I'm not familiar with the setups on these boats ... and don't want to cause alarm, but I froze the 454 on my 26 Chaparral with a Bravo1 I/O about 6 years ago - sitting in the driveway on a 15 degree night. $6,000 mistake. I installed the new engine with a Mercury Freshwater Cooling (closed loop with heat exchanger) system, and like it a lot better. I added brass body, stainless ball valves (with Stainless handles) on each manifold, so I can drain them as well ....