Something different

Here is something that you guys have probably never seen before. It really makes my boat look tiny and actually it makes my house look small too.

Check out this video. The fellow in the coveralls is 77yrs old and the other chap is 69yrs old. Fit as a fiddle I tell ya. These guys are trying to get to the channel the icebreaker created and left today for a sealing trip.

Regarding video...

That ice stuff can get real serious on a boat's hull. I lived in NY and Maine for couple decades + in 50's 60's and early 70's. Ice cuts right into wood hulls. I don't know result of ice against glass hull... can't be good though. How the heck / why the heck did they let that nice looking boat get into that ice bound position?? Somebody simply forget it was on a mooring... or maybe get too drunk for too many days in a row?? GEEEZZZZ!!

They build these hulls to handle this stuff not saying they don't get damage though i.e. 1/2" glass over wood. Oh, he ( friend of mine ) had it on dry-dock until a few days back when he launched it to get into the channel the icebreaker made so he could go out Seal hunting.

I have a heavy steel hull and have driven through the ice. After about a 1 hour and you have not damage anything it becomes kind of fun. I would never allow anyone to be walking around the boat while breaking the ice that is just dumb. If you fell, in the prop would pull you in and split you out under the ice. Epoxy paint will stay on the hull but all your bottom paint is cleaned off that about the extent of the damage.

funangler said:

I would never allow anyone to be walking around the boat while breaking the ice that is just dumb. If you fell, in the prop would pull you in and split you out under the ice.

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I tend to agree with you Fun but I can tell ya this wasn't their first circus. They grew up doing this stuff. I on the other hand can't walk on ice without thinking I am heading for a cold drink in the matter of seconds even in an Arena.

The chain saws a nice touch. Did they finally get out?

Ocean Breeze NL said:

They build these hulls to handle this stuff not saying they don't get damage though i.e. 1/2" glass over wood. Oh, he ( friend of mine ) had it on dry-dock until a few days back when he launched it to get into the channel the icebreaker made so he could go out Seal hunting.

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Well – It seems something went askew with their plans of getting that boat to the ice broken channel.

Cause... the brightness of that day's sun shows me chances are that the night will be way below freezing. Good chances that deep-freeze weather will be occurring day/night after day/night. Thick clothing the men are wearing in the sunshine while working hard depicts that it is freezing or below as they try to bust through some relatively thick ice. Amount of weight the forward boat section is placing atop ice already sawn, without busting through, shows the ice pack to be stable, dense, and well formed. Also, the fellows working on the ice, knowing for years what ice straight-baring, chain sawing, and boat weight ice breaking is all about... obviously feel comfortable up on the ice’s edges because of its stability (In my closet, I still keep my strap-on spiked ice walkers from the 70’s in Maine – good as new!). Yup – I’ve many times chain sawed ice on lake and harbor in Maine.

Therefore, I have statement and question:

1. If the freeze comes in hard enough that boat’s hull will be “pinched” big time during the long night after the day of video (and, for maybe way more than one night too if it’s a long cold spell). Fighting “forming” ice in a deep cold snap can become a losing proposition. If it’s a duration deep temp drop cold spell then the ice will severely thicken in the harbor and all around the hull. Boat’s very existence can be jeopardized from pressures of forming ice on and around its waterline. Unfortunately, if a strong wind comes up then the “sail” effect that boat’s superstructure carries could rock-it/grind-it to smithereens on ice-edge at water line. I sure hope they did not make too big an error of judgment and they got that baby to the ice broken channel!

2. A. Did they get the boat safely to the channel? B. Even if they make it out hunting... what the heck were they going do for mooring/docking upon completion of the hunt? From factors on that video it sure looks like there would be nothing but frozen sheet-ice in that harbor for a long time to come. Gotta dock some where!

Please, let us know how your friend’s boat fared as result of that endeavor. I’m interested to learn outcome to this story!

Thanks, Art

Art great analytical synopsis but nothing went askew with their plans, they got to the channel and headed out seal hunting the next day. These fellows working around the boat grew up "copy panning or step & copy" - ( see last picture ) jumping from one ice flow to the next for fun so them being on the edge of the ice is normal. Once they shoot a Seal which are on ice flows these guys go get it.

Naw, lots would disagree with you here on pinching the boats hull - see some of these picture from my buddy Larry shows that. Lots of fellows don't even bother pulling their boats out year after year.

Upon the completion of the hunt they will come back through the channel again or anchor at the edge of the ice from open water then head back on foot or have someone on a sled come get them. There is always a plan. My buddy is going for a three day hunt so he'll be back on Monday or Tuesday depending the success.

Amazing video.
I had an ice problem on the Ulysses once but I sent my son out to buy another bag then replaced the ice maker only missed one drink.

ulysses said:

Amazing video.
I had an ice problem on the Ulysses once but I sent my son out to buy another bag then replaced the ice maker only missed one drink.

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Hahaha I'd much rather your ice problem

Because of the fairly large river close to the city floats we had ice at times in the very southernmost part of Alaska. Once it got 3" thick around Willy and I was a bit nervous. Could'a walked on it I spoze but I was not inclined. Nobody hauled out. No place to haul out other than the beach. Don't recall anyone suffering any damage. Many people on the bay can't get to town in their skiffs at times because of the ice. When the skiffs would run over some clear ice at speed there was an awful racket. That was the most effective way to clean the bottom of small boats that didn't have antifouling paint. And they all didn't on aluminum skiffs. The harbor master would break up the thin ice w the city's 17' Boston Whaler and a friend of mine did ice breaker duty too. Most of the time our ice was nowhere as thick as where Ocean Breeze is. The strangest thing to me was stepping aboard Willy and there was no boat movement at all. Like she was cast in concrete.

Ocean Breeze NL said:

Art great analytical synopsis but nothing went askew with their plans, they got to the channel and headed out seal hunting the next day. These fellows working around the boat grew up "copy panning or step & copy" - ( see last picture ) jumping from one ice flow to the next for fun so them being on the edge of the ice is normal. Once they shoot a Seal which are on ice flows these guys go get it.

Naw, lots would disagree with you here on pinching the boats hull - see some of these picture from my buddy Larry shows that. Lots of fellows don't even bother pulling their boats out year after year.

Upon the completion of the hunt they will come back through the channel again or anchor at the edge of the ice from open water then head back on foot or have someone on a sled come get them. There is always a plan. My buddy is going for a three day hunt so he'll be back on Monday or Tuesday depending the success.

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Glad to hear all went well.

In different ways and for different reasons... many moons ago, while youngster in New England winters, I've seen wood boat hulls badly damaged (carved-out) by ice.

I've replaced cut up planks while working in boat yard.

WOW - Those ice pad jumpers in last pict are more brave than me!

HEY - Wait A Minute! I revisited your post. That's not a pict - it's a painting. Anyone can paint anything! I spent years on ice... wondered how those guys got so damn brave - cause they didn't! It's simply a painting - GEEEZZZ!!

Art said:

Glad to hear all went well.

HEY - Wait A Minute! I revisited your post. That's not a pict - it's a painting. Anyone can paint anything! I spent years on ice... wondered how those guys got so damn brave - cause they didn't! It's simply a painting - GEEEZZZ!!

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hahaha - Skeptics amongst us ah lol... That's why we love you Art..I'll find you a picture..

Here Art, better than a picture Thanks to Diane Davis

Also, here is a picture of a Seal, just in case you don't believe there are seals here too haha

Wood boats suffer WAYYYYYY worse than glass boats...

Ice is usually in one of two situations...compression or separation caused by current or wind. Icebreaking in compression is difficult at best....separation can be as easy as just cracking it.

Here's my favorite pic...Palmer Station Antarctica

psneeld said:

Wood boats suffer WAYYYYYY worse than glass boats...

Ice is usually in one of two situations...compression or separation caused by current or wind. Icebreaking in compression is difficult at best....separation can be as easy as just cracking it.

Here's my favorite pic...Palmer Station Antarctica

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Guess that is why so many around home use glass ( up to 3/4" ) over wood, i.e. so they don't receive too much damage. I would never attempt anything like that with my boat. Oh well like I said, I just wanted to show you people who freak on a 1/4" ice in your harbours/bay's and inlets something different. Those that freak because the ice maker stops or run out for cocktails, I'm with you on that one too.

Ocean Breeze NL said:

Guess that is why so many around home use glass ( up to 3/4" ) over wood, i.e. so they don't receive too much damage. I would never attempt anything like that with my boat. Oh well like I said, I just wanted to show you people who freak on a 1/4" ice in your harbours/bay's and inlets something different. Those that freak because the ice maker stops or run out for cocktails, I'm with you on that one too.

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The unknown is always misunderstood. I've broken ice of all different thicknesses from 20+ feet to skim ice with a variety of vessels.


Again..there's really only 2 tricks to breaking it with a boat...whether it's under tension or compression....


As to walking on it...I'll defer to the hometown crowd!!!!

Although beer and a football game always made ice liberty a day to remember!!!

(the pics are old slides from my archives...sorry about the quality)

Ocean Breeze NL said:

Here Art, better than a picture Thanks to Diane Davis

Also, here is a picture of a Seal, just in case you don't believe there are seals here too haha

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Cool! TY - Art

How do props hold up drawing in those chunks of ice? I'd think some chunks would get drawn in when powering up onto ice. Must use a pretty beefy old-skool thick bladed wheel. Probably not using a DQX!!!

Ski in NC said:

How do props hold up drawing in those chunks of ice? I'd think some chunks would get drawn in when powering up onto ice. Must use a pretty beefy old-skool thick bladed wheel. Probably not using a DQX!!!

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Not seen in the video is a diver with a hammer to staighten them out and the big icebreaker usually has two divers. ( just kidding ).

I thought I had a picture of the prop area but I don't. They are somewhat protected but I've never heard of it being an issue.

The ice was 3' thick so thus some of the reason for a bit of a struggle but that never stopped them, just slowed them down.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Trawler

Ice floats pretty well and if going slow without a lot of engine to slide far up on the ice...usually the props do OK.

Aluminum props on an I/O get torn up pretty bad if really jockeying around as I have to break ice out of smaller marinas...but bigger bronze ones well below the waterline do fine unless really being a cowboy.

Then again on anything thicker than a foot...I wa sin REALLY big icebreaking vessels.

Ski in NC said:

How do props hold up drawing in those chunks of ice? I'd think some chunks would get drawn in when powering up onto ice. Must use a pretty beefy old-skool thick bladed wheel. Probably not using a DQX!!!

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Two summers ago a cruise ship in Glacier Bay totaled a prop on a small berg when doing about 10 knots. Cost to repair about $100K plus two lost weeks of trips. Ouch.

BTW, I kept a wood Trojan in the water during the winter in a St Louis area marina. Ice about 1 foot thick, neither me or the few hundreds who do it every winter there seem to have suffered. Not even an Awl Grip scratch!