Ice Eater

[jrirvine1]

Decided to keep her in the slip this winter and need an ice eater. The marina will rent them, but I have never been one to rent something that you will need repeatedly, especially when the cost of one rental may be over 50% of the cost to purchase.

Anyone have any recommendations as to manufacturer, size (1/2, ¾ or 1hp) and how best to install in the slip?

 

[osd9]

I have a Kasco 3/4 HP mounted on a dock pole plugged into a 24 hour timer/thermostat. I bought it new in 2000.

I change the shaft zinc every season and keep a spare prop on hand. You have to keep an eye on these things as many times stray plastic bags and similar debris will foul the prop.

 

[osd9]

Oh.....and it works great!

 

[Nehalennia]

Ok, for the uninformed and those of us in places water doesn't freeze, what is it; and how does it work?

 

[sbw1]

We've used a 3/4HP Kasco for probably 20 years. In Michigan, where our low temp gets down to 1-2 below zero for a day or two, and where it is consistently around 26 degrees, this unit keeps our 50' dock and two 17 x 50' slips free of damaging ice. It is suspended by two poly lines attached to the dock under the middle of the dock and does a great job. I replaced it last year. We were out of town for 10 days and lost power long enough for the dock to freeze in. When the power came back on the unit was ruined. I had to chop a hole in the ice and install a new one. The dock was wide open within 24 hours.

 

[comsnark]

I use a Kasco 3/4hp as well.

This is simply a small submersible electric motor with a prop. You "hang" it down in the water such that it pushes warmer water from the bottom up to the surface. Between the warmer water and the agitation. . ice can't form on the surface.

Naturally, the colder it is outside, the less effective the unit. At 20F, it works great. When you get down to 0F outside, the "ice free" zone shrinks alarmingly.

Simple unit. . about $400. They sell a timer / thermostat for about $99 last I checked. The timer thermostat says "I want to run 4 hours a day. . .except if it is over 40F. . then I don't run at all".

I am cheap. I bought an heavy duty outdoor timer for $10 and run it 4 hours a day every day. If I actually lived at the dock, I would only plug in the de-icer on cold days and not bother with the timer.

If figure running it every day will increase my Carbon footprint, and through global warming I eventually won't need to even use a de-icer.

 

[sbw1]

We turn our's on from inside the house at the circut breaker only when it's needed. Once a slip is open, winter sun does a pretty good job of keeping the water from freezing. This is especially true if temps are close to freezing and there is wind. Many times during the winter, we will let a thin layer of ice form over night. We then turn the ice eater on for an hour or two to open things up for the day. We don't have to worry about a boat getting scratched, but our slip is in a location where it would not be safe from damage. When the ice goes out in the spring we run into long flows that can do lots of bad things.

 

[Nehalennia]

thanks....glad I'm out west

 

[osd9]

There is a difference between using an ice eater to protect the slip/pillings or using it to protect your boat. As sbw1 briefly metioned, he doesn't have to worry about a soft/hard skim coat of ice scratching his boat....he doesn't winter his boat in the water.

Myself, and the OP, use/will be using the ice eater to protect both the slip and the boat. A skim coat of ice can easily scratch the hell out of the hull sides at the water line and damage your boot stripe at the very least and the gelcoat at worst. Spend the money and get the progammable thermostat. Calm cold nights freeze the water quickly.

Mounting the unit is also something you have to give some thought to. Many folks will hang the ice eater under the boat from the railings. Fine...works great....until you have a problem (bag wrapped around the prop) and there is 8" of snow on the boat/docks and ice forming around the hull. I bought and use the dock pole mounting unit. Don't cheap out....remember what you are trying to protect....and figure that what can go wrong, probably will.

Also check with your marina that they have generator backup to the docks, and somebody monitoring when the power does go out.

 

[sbw1]

A bit off topic but check your insurance policy. Some require boats to be on the hard and many exclude ice damage.

 

[comsnark]

Dom is correct. There is a risk level here that must be paid attention to.

Clearly, Dom is more risk adverse than I am.

Geographically, we are in the same area.
In terms of resolving problems. . .Dom lives at his dock. .I visit the dock every week or two. And yes. . I do occassionally find the de-icer non-functional. I don't normally sweat it, because it is rare to have serious freezes in our area. A 10 hour power outage would be no big deal in my mind.

BUT. . Dom is keeping a 410DA at the dock. I am either protecting just pilings, or the pilings plus a low value boat (the SeaRay is on the hard). The value of the asset and the cliamate is a big factor in the risk equation.

If I had a 410DA at the dock. . .or the dock was in Maine. . .I would view things differently as well.

BTW: If it goes down all the way to zero F. .. I am going to show up. Not just to ensure the de-icer is working, but that nothing stupid is happening to the house.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

I have used in the past a friends 1/2hp Powerhouse on my 400EC. I now have a Kasco 3/4hp model. I like the powerhouse better. It seemed to move more water with less HP. I hang it off the bow with enough slack to pull in if the prop gets fouled. Works great. When running a warm current flows along the length of the boat = No ice. Also, its automatic with the optional temp switch at the plug. Turns on at 28 degrees when salt water will start to freeze.

 

[comsnark]

Hmmm. The original poster is at Kent Island in Md.

Do you really freeze the bay down there? Or is this something you buy but don't hook up until the weather turns nasty? I have friends who have a boat on Kent Island. . and the last two seasons they did not bother with a de-icer.

 

[osd9]

....... I don't normally sweat it, because it is rare to have serious freezes in our area. ........

It's not as rare as you think. I've owned homes in Ocean County for near 30 years now. On MANY occasions I've walked accross the Toms River....I even witnessed a few folks drive their trucks accross the bay.

The pics below are from 2002

Here's a pic of me riding a friends air boat on Cedar creek....

and another of my daughter standing by the day sticks on the Cedar creek....

 

[comsnark]

Dom; I have been around almost 30 (gasp) years as well.

I remember being out on the Toms River a number of times. . .but honestly how often has that happened in the last 10 years? In the last five years, I probably skipped installing the de-icer twice.

I don't know what it is. . but it just doesn't freeze up like it used to.

I am not saying you shouldn't be prepared, but hard freezes seem to be like Tropical storms in our area: You know what you need to do, and when the time comes you do it!

I test the de-icer in November, but don't typically install until the first cold snap.

- - - -

I am hauling out tomorrow. I am depressed.
The Admiral wants me to postpone, yet we don't plan to be down this weekend. So out it comes (I can't do a haul out next week for buisness reasons, so the next opportunity would be November 17th.). Sigh. Dom; I should swing by and pick you up for an early morning ride!

 

[osd9]

.........but honestly how often has that happened in the last 10 years? In the last five years, I probably skipped installing the de-icer twice. ........

Honestly....it happens just about every year....some years it lasts longer than others....

About 3 years ago the entire bay was frozen over and then we had a nor'easter run by the coast. The water under the ice rose about 2 or 3 feet above normal tides real fast and the ice crumbled up on the beach. The sound was amazing.....

This picture was taken at Island Beach State Park in Berkeley.....a few miles down the road from my house...

another view...

 

[comsnark]

Cool photos Dom.

 

[jrirvine1]

Hmmm. The original poster is at Kent Island in Md.

Do you really freeze the bay down there? Or is this something you buy but don't hook up until the weather turns nasty? I have friends who have a boat on Kent Island. . and the last two seasons they did not bother with a de-icer.

No, the bay and the tributaries don’t typically freeze in our area. The last two years we had no ice at all in the marina, with the exception of a wayward piece that floated in from further out in the river. This year we will likely experience a hard freeze if for no other reason than I am staying in.

The marina policy is that if you are staying in, then you must have an ice eater connected to a power outlet on your boat. This sounds a little peculiar because the boat is of course connected to the marina shore power. I suppose this somehow releases them from liability in some convoluted way. But regardless of policy, I would still have the ice eater that might be needed from late December through February.

 

[Four Suns]

As Dom's post pointed out, how do you handle ice flow? When I first bought this little place on the Chickahominy River back in 99, it had this old rickety dock... I did not keep any boat there yet (waited for new dock to go in)... That first winter, the river froze and it was about 3 inches thick but the real issue was when the tides move and these huge sheets of ice were flowing down and up the river smashing into the docks. Those things had to be several tons moving at 2-3 knots with jagged pointy edges. You don't worry about that? I'm further south than you'se guys.

I only kept a boat on that river in the winter one time... but it hasn't froze like that since 10 years ago...

 

[comsnark]

Gary; That is a good question.

On the Barnegate Bay, we don't have "flow" like you do on a river. Normal tides are about 1 foot. Ice flow is not a concern.

My friends on Kent Island are in a protected marina where there would be no "flow" of ice.

Of course, we have already demonstrated that Dom and I have different memories of weather conditions 10 miles apart . . .don't be surprised if he comes by and says something different regarding Forked River.