wintering below freezing on the water

It does get cold here and, after our fresh water thickens, it freezes.

Over the years, here in Michigan I have witnessed boats wintering in their slips
listing badly from uneven accumulation of snow and ice, poor element coverage
resulting in torn plastic and canvas, unattended bilge pumps sputtering, heavily
laden vessels with their waterlines submerged and boats sunk in their slip.
Somehow, some do OK.

I have to believe, as bad as salt is for boats in salt water, freezing fresh water,
snow and ice for a boat over the winter like hereabouts is worse. Salt water
prepping for use is rather straight forward. Prepping for winter storage in fresh
water is not. Especially for first timers. Chances are, the first time, maybe more,
you'll miss something crucial and suffer consequences.

What does your insurance company say about this?

The above plus more severe weather patterns and required, or advised, diligence
make the idea revolting for someone who professes to care about their boat.

Aye.
 
I hear you on the necessary diligence and higher risk vs salt water running, and have not made my decision yet on wether to stay in the slip past November. I am leaning towards risking it but it may come down to My personal schedule. I want to run up lake with my snowshoes and ice axe and approach some higher elevations from a rarely seen route in winter, but if that longer trip is not doable this year then it’s likely not worth wintering over on the water past November. Sunny days with the kids would be nice but they probably would rather stay in the valley and sled! As far as my insurance is concerned, I carry it only out of necessity of living in a world of lawyers and litigation. If my boat sinks due to my own negligence I only hope that nobody was hurt and the exploit was Legendary. I keep my tools in a bucket, my boots in a pile, and my vehicles look rode hard and put away wet. Others may lose sleep over this sort of treatment of things, but there are no museum pieces in my life. If the tool is not up to the task, then so be it. But if it is, I am interested in how to keep it functioning optimally in the harshest conditions. A bit of torn canvas tarp and plastic is certainly no deterrent. A frozen block or cracks at a through hull fitting are another story. Sinking in a marina or destroying a motor is not the desired outcome but I am of an entirely different disposition regarding what is revolting in this world. Some wear and tear might mean somebody had some fun, saw something unique, went somewhere difficult, had an adventure worth having. And if they didn’t and their boat looks like hell, well then it was theirs to destroy I suppose. Just trying to avoid destroying mine but squeeze the most out of this short life.
 
Yes, your boat and you get to make the decisions. The down-side I see isn't lack of preparation on your part, but Mother Nature's potential harshness. As I recall, Washington State had a colder and wetter winter than usual last year.

At our home in the Tropical Tip of Texas, October was nearly 10º warmer than "usual"... except for the 3 northers that blew in already. We typically don't see those until late November/early December.

Seems that much of the country is experiencing regular non-typical (is that an oxymoron?) weather. An extended period of cold and snow can be an issue for the boat if you aren't right there to keep an eye on it.

Good luck with the decisions.
 
I understand loving the North - not so much about owning a boat that's
considered a throwaway, tho' some may consider the CD 22 'one of those'.

Taking on a challenge is also understandable, maybe even enviable. There
is such a thing as being too cavalier, vacuous or maverick that can result in
one "going' South" while doing' your thang in the North.

Aye.

Grandpa, an old Navy man, used to say, "The sea simply waits for the innocent
and actually stalks the foolish, the unprepared and the arrogant."
 
I take it by some of the responses here that the idea of leaving a boat in the water in winter is similar to tossing a stick of dynamite in the bilge and driving away. If I felt my boat was a throwaway, certainly I would just blow it up in the driveway and save myself the mooring fees. I am not, however, in the throwaway boat tax bracket and I assure you your warnings are appreciated. I know they come from witnessing first-hand the result of poor planning and harsh conditions.
 
Doing your research, homework, and preperation are part of the boating experience. Tapping the resource here is part of that, and there is a plethora of intelligent experience here with experience in all ranges of temperature and weather conditions from across the continent.

It looks like you are doing your share of the research and homework, and the preperation. Being able to monitor the vessel and conditions could bring some piece of mind. Having a good (boat) neighbor will be helpful. Pushing the envelope intelligently in order to have some unique boating experience is admirable. All the best. Go forward in steps. Enjoy.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
https://kozi.com/boat-sinks-to-the-bott ... ke-chelan/

I’m just gonna park this here humbly and not over-comment; thereby jinxing myself. We’re still floating and enjoying snowy rides around the lower half of the lake. I will attempt to find out who owns this boat and see where exactly the failure occurred. We have had temps down to 4f and snow loads between 9-12 inches. canvas tarp over the cockpit on a pvc frame, rv antifreeze in the bilge, motors down, oil filled radiant electric heater in the cabin and a fan circulating from the berth. So far the interior is bone dry and the Honda 40’s fire up on queue.

Nigel
 
Texan: Greetings from Boston. This is our mildest winter in a LONG time. The next 2 weeks for us are 40s to mid 40s!! This is skinny dipping weather for us!

The Southie polar bear club is doing back strokes in the water now. Whitey Bulger may even raise from the dead!
 
SnowTexan said:
Some wear and tear might mean somebody had some fun, saw something unique, went somewhere difficult, had an adventure worth having.
Click to expand...

I love this. Couldn't say it better myself. While I certainly relate to those who shed a tear whenever something damages their boat - boats are, after all, a much loved member of the family - I buy my gear to use it. My mountain bike has scars that are trophy's from incredible rides, my SUV is scratched from amazing expeditions into the mountains of Colorado, and my boat shows signs of use earned in the process of creating great memories.

This was something a family member recently had to learn after setting out on a 7500 mile sailing expedition on their incredibly well kept boat. It was hard to see the scars of the journey develop but this is what the boat was made for, not sitting at a dock.
 
South of Heaven":1gs0kcpz said:
Texan: Greetings from Boston. This is our mildest winter in a LONG time. The next 2 weeks for us are 40s to mid 40s!! This is skinny dipping weather for us!

The Southie polar bear club is doing back strokes in the water now. Whitey Bulger may even raise from the dead!
Click to expand...

That’s Pretty crazy weather, fire up the grill and break out the lawn chairs!
 
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