Hang in there, ice eater!

With temps staying well below freezing for the last few days & another 4-5 of the same cold forecast, I sure am glad I put the ice eater thing overboard this weekend. The boat will take it but it would suck to have the dock pulled up by thick ice. It's an inch of ice offshore of the boat already. Come on spring...

My ice eater caught a plastic bag and stopped the other day. Luckily it was on my day off and I was able to bring it up, remove the bag and redeploy before the ice got too thick here just east of Toronto.

I'm having a hard time finding one in Fort Myers, FL.

Ted

O C Diver said:

I'm having a hard time finding one in Fort Myers, FL.

Ted

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You *could* be a little more sympathetic towards us less fortunate,geographically challenged forum members, you realize!

Got skim ice on my creek in SE NC. Probably 80% marine salinity. Ugggh.

I saw a picture of ice forming on Pamlico Sound this morning. That doesn't happen often!

I have a Kasco deicer pump that keeps my slip clear as well as the slips on both sides of mine. Here's a shot taken last winter with it in the water. It sure moves a lot of water.

What is this ice thing you people speak of? [emoji23]

boomerang said:

You *could* be a little more sympathetic towards us less fortunate,geographically challenged forum members, you realize!

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You're right, I was in that position in late January of 2016 before heading South from Crisfield, MD. After 55 winters North of Virginia, I decided to do something about it instead of being miserable. I will try to be more sympathetic to those up North.

Ted

What is an "Ice Eater"? A bubbler kind of thing?

Around Blue Sky the ocean never gets below about 5 degrees C so ice in the marina is never an issue.

I guess ice eater was the brand name of the first contraption of the sort that I learned about & the name stuck. It's just a waterproof motor with a small propeller on the exposed shaft suspended underwater to keep the water turbulent. The brand of the one I'm using is actually D-Icer.

We have well over 12” of ice on our river now. The snowmobilers love it, boaters not so much...

Come to Sydney Australia we will see 45c this week and no SNOW

boomerang said:

I guess ice eater was the brand name of the first contraption of the sort that I learned about & the name stuck. It's just a waterproof motor with a small propeller on the exposed shaft suspended underwater to keep the water turbulent. The brand of the one I'm using is actually D-Icer.

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Thanks! Makes sense.

cardude01 said:

What is this ice thing you people speak of? [emoji23]

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That stuff you put in your drinks to keep them cool. Look under the little umbrella sticking out of your glass.

Conrad said:

What is an "Ice Eater"? A bubbler kind of thing?

Around Blue Sky the ocean never gets below about 5 degrees C so ice in the marina is never an issue.

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But, for vessels on the hard in BC, forecasts for late January show strong boat system freezing potential. What a difference a few meters inland makes.

Seems like it is also good to catch plastic bags...

Down south it would only make chum.

"What is an ice eater?"

The OP wrote, correctly.A device to keep the pilings from being lifted .

"The boat will take it but it would suck to have the dock pulled up by thick ice."

I guess the swallows aren't stupid

Conrad said:

What is an "Ice Eater"? A bubbler kind of thing?

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Good question; i didn't know either as i have never had to use one, but i was curious so i found this cool graphic to illustrate...

This Kasco brand is what I have, in the 3/4hp model. Works great.

Ice eaters keeping the perimeter clear. Colder weather is forecast for this weekend. Milford Landing Marina, Milford Ct.

Around here they're often called "bubblers." Obviously a misnomer because all the ones I've seen work as above, with a propeller, not bubbles. But everyone knows what you mean, so it's OK. Sort of like calling a semi-displacement twin-screw recreational boat a "trawler."

"Around here they're often called "bubblers.""

Bubblers are a different system to do the same job.

A large compressor is hooked to the summer fresh water lines and weighted hoses with multiple holes are laid out under the dock and pilings.

This is the worst system for a liveboard boat as the noise of the bubbles is 24/7 , like being a fish in a tank.

gaston said:

Come to Sydney Australia we will see 45c this week and no SNOW

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Yikes. I guess we still have global warming after all....just not in North America!

We couldn't be happier with the area that this little thing keeps open! The whole dock plus the boat slip is clear. I better mark the lines exactly where they're tied because in the past it didn't seem to clear the same area. We did extend the dock one section this summer so as to be able to scoot the boat back so the ramp access was less obstructed by the bow of the boat. I suppose that did the trick regarding the de-icer placement.

Ice eaters and bubbler systems work great until there is a power failure.

hmason said:

Ice eaters and bubbler systems work great until there is a power failure.

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Yeah, that's true with pretty much every appliance we have plugged in at our house. The only exception is when it's above 32° outside, it does a great job during a power outage...