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Winnipesaukee Divers · 12-25-2008, 08:30 PM

That is Dane’s boat in the picture, the other Hunter 38 at the club. My boat wintered in for 10 years and my previous boat for 6 years, but for the last 4 years I’ve been having it hauled. Actual boats fare better in the water during the winter, since they are in their designed element. Snow and wind loads are handled better, as the boat is in perpetual motion. We don’t heat the boats for obvious reasons such as: cost, humidity control and chance of fire. However, if we are staying over for a weekend to do some snowmobiling or other winter sports we turn on the heat.

I’ve had my boat freeze in hard several times because of power failures, but due the round bottom of the haul it just lifts up and out. The worst damage I’ve ever received was ice forming at the waterline and breaking off and taking the bottom paint with it.

The reasons I’ve stopped wintering in was because of boat age and its need for springtime maintenance such as gel coat repair and waxing, which can’t be done with the boat in the water. The other reason and more important are my health issues; I had to give up all my cold weather sports such as; snowmobiling, ice diving, ice boating and snow shoveling. Yes, you read that right… competition shoveling. That’s when it below 0, the wind blowing and you got a hundreds of feet of dock to clear to get to the boat… So far, I still hold the record at the club.

Our boat insurance covers us while it’s wintering in, however it has to be taken out of service (steering wheel removed) during the winter layup, so no quick trips to see how well it breaks ice.

12-25-2008, 08:30 PM	#6
Winnipesaukee Divers Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Exeter, NH or @ WCYC on weekends Posts: 250 Thanks: 7 Thanked 46 Times in 28 Posts	Winter over in the water That is Dane’s boat in the picture, the other Hunter 38 at the club. My boat wintered in for 10 years and my previous boat for 6 years, but for the last 4 years I’ve been having it hauled. Actual boats fare better in the water during the winter, since they are in their designed element. Snow and wind loads are handled better, as the boat is in perpetual motion. We don’t heat the boats for obvious reasons such as: cost, humidity control and chance of fire. However, if we are staying over for a weekend to do some snowmobiling or other winter sports we turn on the heat. I’ve had my boat freeze in hard several times because of power failures, but due the round bottom of the haul it just lifts up and out. The worst damage I’ve ever received was ice forming at the waterline and breaking off and taking the bottom paint with it. The reasons I’ve stopped wintering in was because of boat age and its need for springtime maintenance such as gel coat repair and waxing, which can’t be done with the boat in the water. The other reason and more important are my health issues; I had to give up all my cold weather sports such as; snowmobiling, ice diving, ice boating and snow shoveling. Yes, you read that right… competition shoveling. That’s when it below 0, the wind blowing and you got a hundreds of feet of dock to clear to get to the boat… So far, I still hold the record at the club. Our boat insurance covers us while it’s wintering in, however it has to be taken out of service (steering wheel removed) during the winter layup, so no quick trips to see how well it breaks ice.