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[andyn]

We get a LOT of ice on our lake every year, as it's quite small, so given the weight of my perkasa when it's got the SLA in it, I figured I might have a go at some icebreaking this year.

I'm thinking that it will need some prop/ rudder protection, I have a ton of Ally sheet I could do this with, and I also think it'll need some protection on the bows. I would also attach a line to it so I could pull it back if it did get icey prop syndrome...

Anyone tryed this sort of thing before? I know Roland (scale man) has an icebreaker but it was far too light to break the ice (no pun intended ).

[boatmadman]

I used a springer as an icebreaker, crept up to the edge of the ice, stopped, then went full ahead and said springer jumped onto the ice and broke through - worked for me 

[andyn]

An amazingly fast response there...

No offence but I'll be using something a little less slab sided, and it probably isn't as tough as a springer.

As I say i literally have tons of ally sheet (a friend got me a 20m roll of the stuff) so that isn't a problem to protect various parts

[Arrow5]

The Springer technique described by boatmad is how the big boys do it . They dont cut through the ice they climb up and bear down on the ice to break it with the weight of the ship. 

[red181]

I have been on a real Icebreaker in the Arctic, and was amazed to see how it did the breaking. I thought it would just cut through the ice, but its exactly as described, it rides up on the ice and the boat weight breaks the ice, no pointing thing on the bow slicing through as expected

[andyn]

Yup thats what I presumed.

I'll probably have to put an extra SLA in it to bring the weight up, but it would make a nice festive youtube video

[Shipmate60]

I don't want to put a damper on your enthusiasm, but I have seen 2 boats sink while doing this.
They rode up on the ice, the bow went right up, stern down and submerged.
filled with water and sank.
Once the bow is high you cant use the props as they will just drag her down.

Bob

[nhp651]

only with a fifty six foot narrow boat......great fun..

[andyn]

Bob, a very good point well made, which possibly eliminates the idea of using the SLA as it does push the stern down quite a lot anyway, so I'll see if it can be pushed up in the bows.

Shouldn't be too much of a problem because I have rescued Pat's Catamaran from halfway across the lake, bows very high and didn't get any water in.

It is quite a funny sight to watch actually, I ride the Perkasa onto the bows of his boat, between the sponsons, and this pushes the front of his boat under so it doesn't fill up from the back, and it stays locked in this mounted position until we get the boat back, and I just use the rudders on the Perkasa to steer it. It may sound a bit stupid but this is the only way that works, as the other day we tryed pushing it back with something else and it filled up completely and sank, only saved by rudder hitting slipway and having a inner tube in the front of the sponsons!

And doing it with narrow boats sounds great fun

[wideawake]

only with a fifty six foot narrow boat......great fun..

Me too!  I broke my way back to my mooring at Shop Lock, Stockton Flight from Calcutt through 2 inch fresh ice back in the late '90s after Christmas.   Did it again a few years ago but only down the flight.

Guy

[nhp651]

oh, andyn,
it is magic, as guy will probably back me up. wrapped up on a cold crisp sunny morning whith the smell of bacon butties wafting up from the galley, the steady chink chink clink of the ice as it breaks and is washed astern at a steady two miles an hour, and no grockles stuffing up the progress.............sheer heaven.
It's at times like this, remenissing that I miss my old boat,...............but not the £1500 a year just to keep it on the canal before I even go anywhere. ceste la vie

[wideawake]

oh, andyn,
it is magic, as guy will probably back me up. wrapped up on a cold crisp sunny morning whith the smell of bacon butties wafting up from the galley, the steady chink chink clink of the ice as it breaks and is washed astern at a steady two miles an hour, and no grockles stuffing up the progress.............sheer heaven.
It's at times like this, remenissing that I miss my old boat,...............but not the £1500 a year just to keep it on the canal before I even go anywhere. ceste la vie

Yup you're right, both about the pleasures of icebreaking and the cost of keeping a boat.   I live aboard part-time otherwise I'd be thinking twice about it these days.  With licences going up wildly more than inflation and less and less maintenance being done it's getting hard to justify the cost if you only use a boat for a few weeks holiday a year.  ATM I reckon its cost me near £3000 this year before we go boating 

Guy

[Ron1]

Is this what your thinking of doing.been there , done that, got the ice cubes, 

[cos918]

hi there done ice breaking with happy hunter. she has brass props so no problem there in the way of a blade breaking off. the only tip i would say is if you have a boat witha fair bit of power go very easy as she ill ride up on to the ice and if the ice is to thick she will be stranded .

john

[hama]

Hi!
Did search for something else but found this also!

www.pbase.com/gearedsoft/ijbreken

[nhp651]

hi Guy.
 its doubled then, in just the 10 years since I sold our boat. and the vandalism up our way on the canals has shot through the roof.
I look on them, when I see boats on the cut ,with fond memory but as you say, unless you live aboard, it is now a very expensive hobby.
You could have a holiday in Oz or NZ every year just on bwb fees, insurance and mooring fees, let alone maintenance.....think I'll stick to models..less expensive.
neil./

[Captain Jack]

"butties", "grockels"? I'm baffled. Someone please enlighten this poor yank as to which language you are speaking....

[boatmadman]

Capn Jack,

Local lingo, butties are sandwiches, so we are talking bacon sandwiches there - the food of gods.

Grockles: again local term, this time for tourists. 

[wideawake]

Capn Jack,

Local lingo, butties are sandwiches, so we are talking bacon sandwiches there - the food of gods.

Grockles: again local term, this time for tourists. 

......and just to confuse you even more, since we were talking about canals, a butty is also an unpowered narrow boat towed by a motor (engine powered narrow boat).

Narrow boat - 7 foot wide boat, maximum length about 70 feet designed to fit the locks on Britain's narrow canal system.

Guy

[Proteus]

Capn Jack,

Local lingo, butties are sandwiches, so we are talking bacon sandwiches there - the food of gods.

Grockles: again local term, this time for tourists. 

......and just to confuse you even more, since we were talking about canals, a butty is also an unpowered narrow boat towed by a motor (engine powered narrow boat).

Narrow boat - 7 foot wide boat, maximum length about 70 feet designed to fit the locks on Britain's narrow canal system.

Guy

So if it is carrying Pigs is it a Bacon Butty    


Proteus,

[Roger in France]

Grockles...not a word I expected to hear outside Cornwall, where in the tourist season we displayed augbait to relieve them of their money.

"augbait" = from "bait deployed in August", tourist gifts for gullible shoppers!

Roger in France

[tigertiger]

Grockles is also used in N Wales for tourists. As are many middle English and Anglo Saxon terms.
 

[wideawake]

Capn Jack,

Local lingo, butties are sandwiches, so we are talking bacon sandwiches there - the food of gods.

Grockles: again local term, this time for tourists. 

......and just to confuse you even more, since we were talking about canals, a butty is also an unpowered narrow boat towed by a motor (engine powered narrow boat).

Narrow boat - 7 foot wide boat, maximum length about 70 feet designed to fit the locks on Britain's narrow canal system.

Guy

So if it is carrying Pigs is it a Bacon Butty    


Proteus,

I wouldn't say that but you're obviously rasher than me 

Guy

[Arrow5]

Sometimes you just wish you had something a bit heavier

[Arrow5]

There is a lot of icebreaking on Youtube. I`ve got one on http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_LG6hv_eo    For a full-size "Springer" have a look at Towboat Bill`s  M/V "Neff" breaking out of 23" thick ice from it`s winter moorings.  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ro4VR70bwrM     What she looks likeis on his "winter warm-up movie", ideal for a Springer !