freezing through hulls

[bigman1]

as the temperature in the uk plunges to record lows,i feel concerned that my through hulls may freeze and then thaw with disastrous results,i live some distance from my boats berth on the clyde.do i have reason for concern?.thanks.

 

[V1701]

There's a couple of threads recently that are relevant to your question, I can't give you links to them as the insert link doesn't work for me at the moment for some reason, also learning to use the search facility on the forums is well worth the effort, try searching for "freezing point sea water"...

 

[Bosun Higgs]

I share your worry but my boat is moored in fresh water. When I went down to check it today, there was ice on the marina surface but the boat hadnt frozen internally. And at 0900 this morning it was minus 13.8C here.

So I reckon you are OK in sea water

 

[daveyw]

Ice Bound here. About 3" thick around the boats today. Definately worried about my sea cocks

 

[nathanlee]

try searching for "freezing point sea water"...

A guy here in Preston has just bought a lovely steel ketch. It's in belfast and he can't get it back here because the lock has frozen (apparently it's a sea lock!).

Preston marina is frozen absolutely solid, and I've just had a phone call off another liveaboard.

her gas has frozen, or at least turned to liquid!

 

[Tremlett 15]

Ice Bound here. About 3" thick around the boats today. Definately worried about my sea cocks

your pics, is that L Neagh ?

 

[daveyw]

your pics, is that L Neagh ?

Yep

 

[Tremlett 15]

Yep

thanks, us going down to our boat on L Erne to see how things are....

last w/e ice cover had started

 

[daveyw]

thanks, us going down to our boat on L Erne to see how things are....

last w/e ice cover had started

Ours was like that last w/e. I was wondering whether to blow torch my seacocks and close them now or just leave be and make sure I'm around when the thaw comes

 

[hlb]

I've had mine turned off today, for the very same reason.

 

[Tremlett 15]

thanks, us going down to our boat on L Erne to see how things are....

last w/e ice cover had started

Ours was like that last w/e. I was wondering whether to blow torch my seacocks and close them now or just leave be and make sure I'm around when the thaw comes

dont think I would use a blow torch...... any electric near to your boat ? a hair dryer gentle heat!!! I would think, others on here may know better.......

we have seacocks closed with 50/50 anti freeze thro raw water system & domestic drained with 2 tube heaters ( 240 w & 120 w ) plus 500w in cabin but taking a few more tubes ( 4 x 120w ) down as it looks as if this cold weather is holding for another 7 > 10 days for us, just hope the el is still on in marina.

hope all is well with your boat.

 

[vyv_cox]

as the temperature in the uk plunges to record lows,i feel concerned that my through hulls may freeze and then thaw with disastrous results,i live some distance from my boats berth on the clyde.do i have reason for concern?.thanks.

We moved to Holland at the beginning of 1997. In my first month there the temperature never rose above -10C and was a lot less at night. During this period we visited Hellevoetsluis, where the ice was about a foot thick with skaters all over it. Many boats were at pontoons, obviously completely frozen in.

Later we took a berth there and I asked the harbourmaster how these frozen boats had got on - were they crushed, damaged in other ways? The reply was that nobody had experienced any serious problems.

In later years we were frozen in too, never had a problem.

 

[Wunja]

We moved to Holland at the beginning of 1997. In my first month there the temperature never rose above -10C and was a lot less at night. During this period we visited Hellevoetsluis, where the ice was about a foot thick with skaters all over it. Many boats were at pontoons, obviously completely frozen in.

Later we took a berth there and I asked the harbourmaster how these frozen boats had got on - were they crushed, damaged in other ways? The reply was that nobody had experienced any serious problems.

In later years we were frozen in too, never had a problem.

Thats good to know as my boat is just east of there and probably also frozen in. Last winter (boat on shore) we were able to walk around the marina on the ice.

 

[Tremlett 15]

my heating tubes seem to be working