Frozen mooring procedure?

[brandenjg]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if theres a set procedure for a boat frozen in an inch to two inches of ice I went to clear some snow off the boat today to find that the ropes were frozen solid, there was about 4 Inches of snow on the boat and that the whole mooring (basin) is frozen solid. What i've done is cleared the whole topside of boat and smashed as much ice around the boat as i could which wasn't a whole lot. I tried throwing a brick at the ice but it just ended up skidding so i attacked it with a metal pole . I'm now wondering if it was a good idea to smash the ice or not as it means the boat can now smash back and forth between the ice. I'm heading down again after work tomorrow/today so want to know whether to keep smashing away at the ice or let it refreeze around the boat and wait for it to melt naturally?

P.s the mud weight could only crack the ice around the boat. I tried swinging it further into the basin but it wouldn't go through the ice.

[Soundings]

I would have thought there would be a risk of damaging the hull. Strange though for at Stalham the mooring basin was solid but an area of about 6 inches around boat remained unfrozen - I wonder why?

[Oddfellow]

Unless you plan to move the boat, I'd leave it alone. Seriously, don't put yourself at risk.

[Guest]

If a boat had perfectly vertical sides at the waterline, then in theory the expansion of very thick ice could crush the hull.

In practice though, nearly all boats taper downwards at the waterline, so even if surface ice was thick enough to crush, it would just lift the boat.

When mooring basins freeze on the Broads, trying to keep the ice from forming is a pretty hopeless task. You'd have to be there 24/7, and crack away at it every hour or so.

What you're doing is in fact making the iced area around you boat even thicker. As you break the ice, when the lumps refreeze they're now a lumpy mass that is thicker than the original unbroken sheet.

It's also usually advised to not even stand on loosely iced boats of less than thirty feet or so, since the rocking action can abrade certain types of antifoul and even scrape the gelcoat.

Best advice from most general boating forums is to leave well alone.

( and apart from that there is a considerable risk to yourself, if you slipped in, under the ice sheet)

[Oddfellow]

I would have thought there would be a risk of damaging the hull. Strange though for at Stalham the mooring basin was solid but an area of about 6 inches around boat remained unfrozen - I wonder why?

Probaby because

1) There's latent warmth within the boat

2) the gentle movement of the hull keeps the water moving.

Prolonged periods of freezing conditons are likley to freeze it closer.

[loribear]

hi all, whats the thickest the ice has been down there,? & which would crack first the fibreglass boat or the wooden boat? taking into consideration that wood does tend to flex well, & has anybody seen it happen to boat ? . lori

[mbird]

When we had the really cold winter 2 or 3 years ago, we were moored at St Olaves. The marina froze to a thickness of over 3" in places. There weren't any reports of hulls being damaged, so as others have said, best leave it alone rather than trying to keep it thawed.

[Oddfellow]

Certainly staying cold though. The river at Thorpe was beginning to freeze today.

[MBA Marine]

There is nothing you can do for your boat for at least a week, I should think you struggled to stay on your feet when you crossed the bridge onto the basin. The only thing you could do is put a strut under yr canopy (padded so it will cause damage) to stop the weight of the snow pressing down on the canopy.

Tryin to break the Ice there is not wise, if you fall in you would be very lucky if anyone was around to notice, the ice would reform in just a few hours and your body would not surface until it thaws (as said at least a week)! I dont mean to sound morbid but its just soo dangerous, no-ones boat is worth a life!

[Oddfellow]

Absolutely, Mark.

We've had lots to do that took me away from the yard this week. That left just Mark on his own and rather than take risks around boats, we just shut up shop for a couple of days - I would not put someone in that position. It's not worth it.

[MauriceMynah]

There is a tried and tested procedure for dealing with an iced in boat.

1. Approaching the boat with great caution, have a visual check of the situation. The thickness of the ice can, for all practical purposes, be judged by it's appearance. If dark to the eye, it's thin, if pale or white then its quite thick. However the next stages are applicable in everything but the thinest of ice.

2. Without attempting to board the boat, and ensuring that you are standing firmly and safely, give a gentle push on the deck to see if there's any movement.

3. Observe the boat from a safe standpoint just to see if there's anything there that might cause any sort of problem. Broken windows, that sort of thing.

4. Retreat to the nearest public house. Any problems you have found should be communicated to the boatyard or to the people most likely to be employed to effect repairs. Have a nice pint and discuss just how ruddy cold it is to all the other customers.

5. Warm yourself by the pubs fire whilst enjoying another pint. Real ale is preferable but can in extreme conditions be substituted by a whisky Mac. Conversations should be kept warm and convivial so for best results try to avoid football teams and politics.

6 When your wife has cooked the dinner, or fulfilled any other instructions you may have left her with, return home and enjoy the rest of your day.

Simples!

[Hockham Admiral]

Although our basin is frozen over we're lucky enough to be on a floating pontoon and the tidal range at Brundall keeps the boat free from the adjoining ice...

[pks1702]

Perhaps a little help needed

[diesel falcon]

Got me thinking .......then came up with this! enjoyed the memories...................

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9852&hilit=whomping&start=90

[Guest]

Just a thought, not connected with boats, but if anyone's thinking of the same method to clear the ice from their garden fishpond, don't.

If the ice is fairly thin and can be broken by poking with a stick, that's ok, and will help oxygenate the water.

If it needs clouting with a heavy object however, the percussive impact is transmitted through the water, and can injure the fish.

(such was the advice from specialist sources when I kept Koi)

[pks1702]

Agreed Strow.

Putting a relativity heavy floating ball in your pond will do the trick.

[Brian]

There is a tried and tested procedure for dealing with an iced in boat.

4. Retreat to the nearest public house. Any problems you have found should be communicated to the boatyard or to the people most likely to be employed to effect repairs. Have a nice pint and discuss just how ruddy cold it is to all the other customers.

5. Warm yourself by the pubs fire whilst enjoying another pint. Real ale is preferable but can in extreme conditions be substituted by a whisky Mac. Conversations should be kept warm and convivial so for best results try to avoid football teams and politics.

6 When your wife has cooked the dinner, or fulfilled any other instructions you may have left her with, return home and enjoy the rest of your day.

Simples!