Ice and bubblers

[Warren Milberg]

Its been bitter cold here on the East Coast -- worse in the midwest. Here is an interesting image of a friend's 26' Pearson Ariel located on a river just outside Baltimore, Md.
2" of ice all around her and all of the the other boats in Jones Creek. Within 30 secs. of turning on the de-icer there was a bubbling hole in front of the boat. In five minutes the boat was floating in her own bigger hole.Note the chunk of splash ice that fell off the waterline.

 

[richk]

Thanks for the picture, Warren. We just took a drive to our creek where the water's frozen in wavelets....south of your image on Deep Creek off the Magothy.

brrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ken Palmer]

Boy, my browser has a tough time opening your bmp file. jpg is just fine which most images are on the internet. I know, all I need to do is download it and open it with an associated program. I am just a little lazy today.

 

[Manny]

I was actually thinking of going sailing today...

Until I crossed over the Susquehanna river and saw that it was frozen
I wasn't expecting it. When I got to the boat I found it iced in. I had to use a pipe to break up the ice so I could pull the boat close enough to the finger pier to get aboard! Lots of small dead fish frozen on the ice (and lots of seagulls trying to get at them).

Manny

 

[DougM]

We actually bubble our entire marina even though there are no boats in the water. the system uses a cetral air pump and bubbler hose along the marina wall and around the pilings. Its been working even in near zero temps

 

[BobM]

Cold in the northeast? Don't I know it. The fan on my pickup liiterally shattered from the cold destroying my radiator and radiator shroud! To cheer me up I had to clear about 8 inches of snow today. It is still snowing so it looks like I get to shovel again before I leave for the airport tomorrow.

I've been tempted to leave my boat in the water every other season, which would save me about $1000 each season I did so. My club would require an ice eater and I have been thinking about picking one up. I am glad to see that they are effective. Any idea what electricity runs per month? That is the one unknown for me. Do you usually run with a thermostat to save power?

 

[Ron20324]

One bubbler across the creek is on a timer, and runs even when there's no ice. Our marina's control boxes have timer and thermostat, but we are not replacing the timers as they break. You's want the bubbler on day OR night as long as it's cold out. Best deal would be no control box, and just turn it on when the ice forms. That's if you are close to the dock, though.

 

[Dean5735]

HOLY CRAP Dude did you know you just showed everyone all that porn!!! I clicked on right or left when the sailboat picture popped up and WOW all that stuff you been looking at.

 

[rpwillia]

Hmmm ... does it really matter? This is the first year in a few we have had any appreciable ice in the Potomac. I was down on my boat Saturday and it is iced in, but it is more like a cradle. Used to leave my US27 in all the time, as inside the marina the ice just builds up and is held in place by the breakwall. In the late winter/spring it just thaws and goes away. They do have some bubblers, but I don't see the point.

 

[Dean5735]

Point being that when the ice shifts in the spring your liines will never hold, unless there is no movement of the ice. It could also crush the boat if it gets to hi on the sides and it could lift the boat up and it could lean over onto something. I consider myself lucky as mine is indoors for the winter.

 

[Warren Milberg]

For BobM re electricity costs

Any idea what electricity runs per month? That is the one unknown for me. Do you usually run with a thermostat to save power?

My friend with the pictured Ariel tells me that his elecricity bill in winter runs $20-25/month to run the bubbler. The unit had a thermostat, but it broke and he elected not to repair or replace it. Instead, he sets a timer to kick the bubbler on/off a couple of times per day when its very cold in this area.

 

[Ron20324]

"In the late winter/spring it just thaws and goes away. They do have some bubblers, but I don't see the point."

When I had a 235 with a transom-mounted rudder, the rudder and stern of the boat were frozen in a few years ago. I made mention of it to someone on the dock committee, and he said the bubblers are there to protect the PILINGS- not the boats. Ice and tides might lift the pilings out of the bottom apparently. I said if you'll think about it, my boat is WITHIN the confines of the pilings, and thus the pilings frozen in also. We looked, and he moved a bubbler to keep the pilings- and my boat- in the clear.