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sneg
12-18-2008, 09:15 AM
hi guys,

have anybody been to westham isl marshes these days ?. just wonder if there is lot of ice for boating.

FLHTCUI
12-18-2008, 09:49 AM
If there isnt any ice , there sure will be in the very near future.
The Albion Ferry @Frt. Langley has stopped running due to the ice flow in the river.
Sooner or later that same ice will work its way into the marsh and create havoc on small alum. tin boats.
Also anyone heading into the marsh for the first time ( newbies) be aware that your leg will freeze up ( boat motor ) in this sub zero weather and it could take awhile for the water to melt in the power head. bring along something to clear the tattle tail out .
Rob

sneg
12-18-2008, 11:00 AM
Rob, Good point about the leg. If water freeze up in the head, you can wreck engine before ice actually melts down.Also,there are quite lot of ice floating around already. It will pack into marsh channels when tide goes up.

branthunter
12-18-2008, 11:24 AM
Rob, Good point about the leg. If water freeze up in the head, you can wreck engine before ice actually melts down.Also,there are quite lot of ice floating around already. It will pack into marsh channels when tide goes up.

I have a 15 hp. Mariner on my big punt and in this cold the tilt mechanism freezes up so that when you tilt it up the spring doesn't work to let it go back down again and there you are, stuck out in the marsh, if that is where it occurs. I have motored through pack ice in that punt for considerable distances in the past--- you have to go slow (but it's crucial to maintain momentum) and watch what areas of the pack you head into (ie. some areas are more compacted than others.) The hull sheets are probably heavier gauge aluminum too than most cartops. When the ditches do start to accumulate ice watch out for your decoys. When the tide moves the ice pack will move with it and you'll be watching your whole spread go cruising down the ditch (and in some spots out into the open river).

sneg
12-18-2008, 11:38 AM
Branthunter you have very rigid boat by look at it. i think my cartopper 12ft would be not real "icebreaker". Also excellent point re docoys, ice will build up on them and increase buoyancy,may lift up anchor and go . For sure will go with ice when it moves inside ditches.
cheezs...not to use boat for next week or so ? probably will have to walk to marsh. or may give a try with boat. anyway it is time to be really prepared. do not go without proper floating devices and means of communication.

branthunter
12-18-2008, 12:51 PM
Branthunter you have very rigid boat by look at it. i think my cartopper 12ft would be not real "icebreaker". Also excellent point re docoys, ice will build up on them and increase buoyancy,may lift up anchor and go . For sure will go with ice when it moves inside ditches.
cheezs...not to use boat for next week or so ? probably will have to walk to marsh. or may give a try with boat. anyway it is time to be really prepared. do not go without proper floating devices and means of communication.

The big boat in the thread to Gunner pics that you saw is not the boat I was refering to and you're right , that boat in that pic would be a better boat for moving in ice---we just haven't had that kind of ice since I got it---it's a long time since we had ice floes on the river down here. As for the ice build up on decoys, that occurs above the water line so it actually makes them heavier so that they sit lower in the water.

sneg
12-18-2008, 01:47 PM
HEAVIER ?YEAH , YOU' RIGTH. But overall they will have greater mass ,so can pull anchor easier. Long time since I saw any ice build up on decoys. It is not big issue in calm weather,but when there is slight breeze. Years ago in Europe, remember duck hunting on swallow fresh water lake on jon boat,pushing with stick. lake started to freeze up while we were in the marsh hunting. that was some work out to crush back thru the ice.

f350ps
12-18-2008, 03:42 PM
I was out this morning and there's ice in the river. K

sneg
12-18-2008, 04:54 PM
Thanks f350ps. were you able to hunt or returned back home ?

f350ps
12-18-2008, 10:54 PM
The ice wasn't bad ya just had to keep yer eyes open. It's gonna get real bad in the next couple days so watch yerselves out there. The amount of birds is dropping signifigantly though. Still did good, just took a little longer. K

sneg
12-19-2008, 08:47 AM
Thanks. i think in this weather ducks tend to fly less and stay longer for feeding.Also cold air should push some more migrating birds,as they may been hesistant to leave in warm weather.