Snow problems

[leeman]

I'm not sure this has been posted. Never heard of this happening before.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/juneau-alaska-snowfall-sinks-boats-1.7095587

 

[SteveK]

It does happen, usually when a piled on snow gets wet and heavy.

 

[O C Diver]

There's a lot of weight to wet snow. Have seen pictures of boats sunk by ice forming from freezing rain. Snow can atleast be shoveled off.

Ted

 

[tiltrider1]

Boat houses collapsing due to excessive snow fall is not uncommon. Boats sinking due to excessive snow fall is unusual. However, boats that are in marginal condition often only need a little assistance to sink. This can come in the form of heavy rain or heavy snow fall. The boats in the photo were going to sink soon. The heavy snow fall just sped up the time line.

 

[Crossroads]

Yes. I've seen it on the Columbia River and again in Puget Sound when boathouses and their boats were sunk by well intentioned fire equipment trying to wash heavy snowfall off their roofs.

 

[OldDan1943]

Broom

 

[Mac G]

Cockpit drains can get clogged with snow then freeze and plug up.
Then more snow or rain can fall and fill and flood the cockpit and end up going down below thru less than watertight lazerett hatches.
One thing leads to another and then you have a big problem.
As a teenager I worked for some boat owners who wintered in the water shoveling off their boats and keeping them clean and all drains and scuppers operational.

 

[Larry M]

In December 1996 the Seattle area had a lot of heavy wet snow. The Port of Edmonds Marina’s covered docks collapsed and over 200 boats sank. That was one of several but the worst.

 

[koliver]

In December 1996 the Seattle area had a lot of heavy wet snow. The Port of Edmonds Marina’s covered docks collapsed and over 200 boats sank. That was one of several but the worst.

Around the same time there were several boats pushed under by the weight of their shelter with unshoveled snow contacting the upper parts of the boat. I recall specifically this occurring in Canoe Cove, Sidney BC. At the same time I know our yacht club called owners and had work parties to ensure this didn't happen in our Coal Harbour marina. I know my own boat has limited clearance to the underside of the shelter roof before some damage would occur, then only another limited amount before there is a likelihood of water entering the hull. How much snow on the shelter roof would push it down too far? That open question is why the club is diligent about getting shovelers down when there is a significant snowfall.

 

[Bmarler]

No less than three instances at my marina the snow has driven the covered moorage down. The covers are mounted to the dock, as are the boats tied to the cleats. The boats help to hold up the roofs until the tipping point. Roofs collapse, boats sink. It’s heartbreaking really. A slow motion disaster.

 

[PierreR]

I have seen problems like this with die hard fisherman, in early season snows in Buffalo NY.

 

[Jeff F]

There were several big marina roof collapses in Tennessee recently.

 

[ksanders]

Regarding Juneau Alaska snow.

Shoveling snow is a never ending job in Alaska and boats are no different.

I was over a decade in Seward and it was standard practice to shovel your boat after a storm. If you were going to be gone you hired a boat watch service to shovel the snow and keep track of your boat.

No need to have boats sink because of the snow. Owners need to get off of their butts and protect their boats.

 

[HopCar]

What is this “Snow” of which you speak? Said the Florida Man.

 

[Lou_tribal]

Please, stop talking about snow...

L

 

[PierreR]

Please, stop talking about snow...

L

The Inuit have 67 words for snow. I have three. Snow on Christmas day or on the ski hill is fantastic snow. Snow I have to drive on is damned snow, but snow where I would be praying down a sketchy dock and shovel off my boat to keep it from sinking would be nothing short of F-ing snow.

 

[SeaDogAK]

I live in Juneau. We had about 5’ of snow in 10 days or so. I spent my mornings shoveling at home, and my afternoons shoveling the boat. Boats sink every year here when people don’t get the snow off them.

 

[Benthic2]

For boats: It seems like a revenue opportunity for the marinas. Offer snow removal for $250/inch or whatever the costs are. A guy with a leaf blower can clear a boat in 10 minutes.

For Marinas: Are they lible for your boat if the marina built and maintained structure fails and sinks your boat ?

 

[SeaDogAK]

For boats: It seems like a revenue opportunity for the marinas. Offer snow removal for $250/inch or whatever the costs are. A guy with a leaf blower can clear a boat in 10 minutes.

For Marinas: Are they lible for your boat if the marina built and maintained structure fails and sinks your boat ?

The people in Juneau who aren’t clearing their boats aren’t going to pay the City (which owns the harbors) to do it. And the boathouses here are owned by the people who have their boats in them. So no one is liable but the owner.

Our snow is usually pretty wet. It takes shoveling, not leaf blowers.

 

[slowgoesit]

Removing snow is the owner's responsibility . . . . there's that word again, responsible. Absentee owners often don't hire any boat watching service, or the service is less than thorough.

You see it a lot in marinas before a forecast storm (not just hurricanes). A diligent/responsible few boat owners are out there checking or doubling up mooring lines, checking scupper drains, making sure there are adequate fenders out, and repositioning the boat in the slip . . .

You know, simple BOAT STUFF, that RESPONSIBLE boat owners do . . . .

Most just figure that if their boat sinks, insurance will take care of it. Which is one of the reasons why so many boat insurers are getting out of the market, and what are left are going up and up in price.

It just pisses me off to have to pay high premiums to subsidize the idiots who aren't responsible boat owners . . .

 

[Hippocampus]

Shrink wrap is fairly effective. Both in preventing snow from accumulating as well as freezing rain, slush and ice. The stuff is slippery enough that as long there’s a decent pitch all that slides right off. The other benefit is scuppers aren’t filled with debris or ice. Side advantage is passive solar warming of the interior even with the white stuff.

Back when before MMCC and New England actually saw significant snow always shrink wrapped my boats if winter stored. It allowed working on the boat in the absence of running heat as on a sunny day it was toasty inside and on deck.

 

[ksanders]

Removing snow is the owner's responsibility . . . . there's that word again, responsible. Absentee owners often don't hire any boat watching service, or the service is less than thorough.

You see it a lot in marinas before a forecast storm (not just hurricanes). A diligent/responsible few boat owners are out there checking or doubling up mooring lines, checking scupper drains, making sure there are adequate fenders out, and repositioning the boat in the slip . . .

You know, simple BOAT STUFF, that RESPONSIBLE boat owners do . . . .

Most just figure that if their boat sinks, insurance will take care of it. Which is one of the reasons why so many boat insurers are getting out of the market, and what are left are going up and up in price.

It just pisses me off to have to pay high premiums to subsidize the idiots who aren't responsible boat owners . . .

Yep!!! We saw it first hand in La Paz last summer.

43 boats were lost, almost all with absentee owners.

The boat in my slip (we allowed the marina to sublease) was unattended and suffered damage.

Why??? Lazy owners.

 

[SeaGator]

Yes, it is more common than one might think. A few years ago, a big heavy snow pressed down my nieces Bristol sailboat below the waterline and sunk. It was on the Severn River above Annapolis, MD. Yes, Maryland!

 

[garyj4101]

Lived and boated in Juneau during the 70's, very common then and now. Had 7" of snow for 7 straight weeks back then. Moved up North and kept my boat in Whittier where it snowed even more!

 

[Tator]

We kept our boat in Petersburg, AK for 16 years and it was required that if you were an out-of-city owner that you hire a boat watch service when you are not in town.

Tator

 

[cosinalaska]

34, Sportfish shrink wrapped on stands 12/2023 Valdez Alaska.

 

[Hippocampus]

Amazing picture. Have kept shrink wrapped boats in NE and snow has always slide off. On rare occasions with wet snow it takes a bit of wind. But even that is rare. I’ve never seen anything like your picture. Any clues why that occurred?

 

[CharlieO.]

Sometimes freezing rain attached to shrinkwrap before snow.

Valdez can get amazing amounts of snow in a short period and the snow can be all the way from the ground to gunwales with snow having no place slide to.

 

[ofer]

Most just figure that if their boat sinks, insurance will take care of it. Which is one of the reasons why so many boat insurers are getting out of the market, and what are left are going up and up in price.

It just pisses me off to have to pay high premiums to subsidize the idiots who aren't responsible boat owners . . .

Yes!

The DNA of boat owners have changed dramatically in the past 10 years. many don't belong there and fell into money. the only thing missing in their lives was a boat, so they got one. covid contributed to that crowed and that's where we are today. not sure it will go back anytime soon although we are starting to see that crowd wondering why they own a boat.

as usual insurance will stay up and we will continue to carry to burden for our passion.

 

[cosinalaska]

Sometimes freezing rain attached to shrinkwrap before snow.

Valdez can get amazing amounts of snow in a short period and the snow can be all the way from the ground to gunwales with snow having no place slide to.

CharlieO,
You’re exactly right. That was the case this fall. Also, the rain on the shrink wrap then snow can happen anytime during the winter in Valdez. It constantly swing above and below freezing temps. -5 for a low last Friday night. Cold for Valdez.