How Much Ice Against The Hull Is Too Much?

[JedNeck]

My little Cal21 is tied off at the end my dock on a small mountain lake. Temps have been below freezing every night for a few weeks now. The lake has started icing up overnight and thawing during the day.

How hard is this on my fiberglass hull?

At what point do I need to freak out?

I didn't want to haul until after Xmas...but I don't want to haul from the bottom of the lake either.

[PaulinVictoria]

When our marina froze over last year (ice was about an inch thick), there was none directly against the hull, don't know whether the hull absorbed a bit of heat during the day which it let out at night, or if it's just the constant motion that stopped the ice forming.
Of course this is no indication the same will happen for you

[CapnBilll]

Icing overnight, shouldn't be a problem, but if it permanently freezes, the ice has sunk boats before.

I hope all through hulls are already closed, frozen hoses WILL split. Where is the lake, what lattitude? ... altitude?

Some techniques for ice survival are; a small motor to agitate the water and keep from freezing. Daily busting ice with big hammer, (if legal salt the ice), etc... Any chance of heating??? a warm hull will take longer to freeze.

[WanderingStar]

I'ver had wooden boats freeze in so hard that you could drive a car on the bay. It rubbed a little bottom paint. The first year in the first boat, the pintles were bent on the outboard rudder (pull it if you have one). Otherwise you're fine. Moving ice can damage hulls, drag moorings, etc. Stationary ice is no problem.

[kwaltersmi]

Any ice around my fiberglass hull wouldn't make me feel very comfortable. As was mentioned, I'd probably initially be most concerned about the thru-hulls and plumbing. If you're concerned and can haul out, I'd do it.

Unless you're Alvah Simon and have a steel boat: