Leave it in or pull it out?

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by Shrew

You would understand if you went somewhere where there are hard freezes over the winter.

I did say I understood where there are Arctic conditions, but not where there aren't, like the UK. Temperate places like that, you only get a frost problem of you haul out. In the water is fine. Yet lots of people do haul out, exposing their boats to frost problems.

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by bmz

There is no need to take your boat out of the water regardless how much ice there is. If water is confined within a closed area such as a bottle or a hose, it will expand when frozen and damage the container. But if a boat is floating on a waterway that then freezes, it will simply freeze around the boat without damaging the hull. In the 37 years that I've owned it, I have never taken my boat out of the water, even though it has been iced in for weeks--no damage.

bmz, do you winterize the plumbing system or just leave it as is?
If you don't winterize, I don't understand how the pipes will not burst simply because the boat is in the water - can you explain?

Thanks.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by bmz

There is no need to take your boat out of the water regardless how much ice there is. If water is confined within a closed area such as a bottle or a hose, it will expand when frozen and damage the container. But if a boat is floating on a waterway that then freezes, it will simply freeze around the boat without damaging the hull. In the 37 years that I've owned it, I have never taken my boat out of the water, even though it has been iced in for weeks--no damage.

How much ice do you get? Where I’m used to cruising it’s ranged from a few centimetres to up to a couple of metres. When we were down in Lake Ontario, on the Canadian side, we considered leaving the boat in the water. Quite a number do, but most use some sort of bubbler system to keep the ice moving.

It’s not so much the freezing ice that is the problem. It’s if that ice starts moving around, usually in the spring.

[bmz]

Originally Posted by navdi

bmz, do you winterize the plumbing system or just leave it as is?
If you don't winterize, I don't understand how the pipes will not burst simply because the boat is in the water - can you explain?

Thanks.

Winterize, of course.

[bmz]

Mike,
It varies from winter to winter. Some winters we have had so much ice that teenagers would go out to the middle of our waterway and make a campfire at night. I have never had any damage from thawing ice scratching the hull; but then again, we have never had big ice flows in the spring.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by navdi

bmz, do you winterize the plumbing system or just leave it as is?
If you don't winterize, I don't understand how the pipes will not burst simply because the boat is in the water - can you explain?

Thanks.

It depends, which is what many have been saying, quite properly.


Our water here is 47F, 8C. It snows sometimes and gets cold below freezing snaps sometimes. But as long as heat is on inside the boat, I have no worries. I check regularly, especially during cold weather. Most others in my marina do this, no "winterizing." Even if the heat were off, as long as it doesn't snow I'm fine. If it does snow, the deck is colder than the inside from the warmer water and it rains inside the boat!!! Like your G&T glass during the summer.


Others, who leave their boats during the winter but live esewhere do things differently, even in the same place.


It depends, I don't know why this is so hard to understand.

[Mike OReilly]

What Stu says .

If a boat is in liquid (or even mildly icy) water, it’s very unlikely to have any systems issues with regard to freezing. This is especially true if it has any heat source at all. Pipes and hoses and tanks don’t break at zero C. It usually takes a sustained ‘hard freeze’ to cause real damage to engines or plumbing. Probably the most susceptible system are pumps, because these can trap water in small areas with little ability to expand. But even here, a dip below freezing for a few hours is usually no big deal.

The reason I’ve always hauled out is because where I’ve cruised the ice is usually hard, and in the Spring it usually gets moving. Ice that’s not moving is less of a problem, but ice a foot thick with some force behind it will easily damage a hull, unless precautions are taken. Far easier just to haul out.

[model 10]

You guy's kill me. Down here, lot's of boats haul out for the summer. The water stays about 86deg, but it gets so hot on the hard, plastic melts. I also realize, if our boat sank in a shallow slip, it would only doom that damn Perkins for life and I could get a Beta.

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

It depends, which is what many have been saying, quite properly.


Our water here is 47F, 8C. It snows sometimes and gets cold below freezing snaps sometimes. But as long as heat is on inside the boat, I have no worries. I check regularly, especially during cold weather. Most others in my marina do this, no "winterizing." Even if the heat were off, as long as it doesn't snow I'm fine. If it does snow, the deck is colder than the inside from the warmer water and it rains inside the boat!!! Like your G&T glass during the summer.


Others, who leave their boats during the winter but live esewhere do things differently, even in the same place.


It depends, I don't know why this is so hard to understand.

Wow Stu, I appreciate your very pleasant know-it-all and condescending attitude but I would suggest you go back and re-read my question to bmz. I completely understand the flavor of this thread is "it depends", but I asked him a very specific question to which he provided a short and straight answer, and unless you have something meaningful and constructive to add to his response it's better to stay out of it.

[Mithril Bham]

I pay half the cost on the hard as I do for a slip here. So many variables.

[Capn Jimbo]

To the OP. You've had the benefit of lots of good info - now please tell us, what did you decide and why? Repay those who replied with your decision... thanks...

[Capn Jimbo]

Originally Posted by navdi

Wow Stu, I appreciate your very pleasant know-it-all and condescending attitude but I would suggest you go back and re-read my question to bmz. I completely understand the flavor of this thread is "it depends", but I asked him a very specific question to which he provided a short and straight answer, and unless you have something meaningful and constructive to add to his response it's better to stay out of it.

Speaking of the pot calling the kettle black, lol... "It depends" is also a straight, short and honest answer. Breathe, por favor. It's all good.

[bmz]

Originally Posted by Capn Jimbo

Speaking of the pot calling the kettle black, lol... "It depends" is also a straight, short and honest answer. Breathe, por favor. It's all good.

"It depends, I don't know why this is so hard to understand" is not straight, short and honest, nor was it appropriate.

[Capn Jimbo]

Originally Posted by bmz

"It depends, I don't know why this is so hard to understand" is not straight, short and honest, nor was it appropriate.

My mileage varies, lol... on almost any thread at CF, there are often differing opinions, often at odds with one another. The right answer? It depends - and that is easy enough to understand, nicht wahr?

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by navdi

Wow Stu, I appreciate your very pleasant know-it-all and condescending attitude but I would suggest you go back and re-read my question to bmz. I completely understand the flavor of this thread is "it depends", but I asked him a very specific question to which he provided a short and straight answer, and unless you have something meaningful and constructive to add to his response it's better to stay out of it.

Sorry you took it that way. As others have said, sometimes using a quote makes the quoted feel personally responsible. The "...I don't understand..." was NOT aimed personally at YOU, please, please, please, don't take it that way. I included it because of all the back and forth from others, not YOU, I just used your post as an example.


I am glad you got your answer. I read it. I get it.



Thanks, jimbo, too.