winter liveabord in Montreal?

[jobi]

sorry to bring back this thread, but can a boat hull survive iceing? I mean in proteted not open waters.

[mtboat]

I have been living in my boat for 2 1/2 years. On Flathead Lake, the bays freeze in the winter, so I pull it out and sit boat and trailer on land. I think of it as my boat shaped camper. It is plenty warm as I have a wood stove, and most days I have to leave a hatch open, or it is about 80 in there. Why would I liveaboard on the hard? I wanted to see how long I could stay aboard, in the event that I could achieve a bigger better boat and travel. The worst thing about it, is clearing the snow off, and ...the ladder.

[ICEBIRD]

I have lived aboard my 30ft Excalibur sloop for 3 winters now. There are about 8 boats at the Marina in bowmanville,on the shore of Lake Ontario that do it. In the water. All have an electric bubbler,or a device with a strong electric powered prop on it to keep the water moving around the vessel.No ice in the coldest weather. Most also shrink wrap part of or all of thier boat.Some of them are pretty elaborate,with wooden doors,windows ect.I think you probably could do it on the hard,with plenty of power and good heaters..well tarped..you'll survive..yur a Canuck! Cheers BILL s/v ICEBIRD

[sailingdog]

BTW, bubblers and circulators only really work well if the slip is deep enough. Shallow slips are far more likely to freeze over.

Originally Posted by ICEBIRD

I have lived aboard my 30ft Excalibur sloop for 3 winters now. There are about 8 boats at the Marina in bowmanville,on the shore of Lake Ontario that do it. In the water. All have an electric bubbler,or a device with a strong electric powered prop on it to keep the water moving around the vessel.No ice in the coldest weather. Most also shrink wrap part of or all of thier boat.Some of them are pretty elaborate,with wooden doors,windows ect.I think you probably could do it on the hard,with plenty of power and good heaters..well tarped..you'll survive..yur a Canuck! Cheers BILL s/v ICEBIRD

[Digiital]

Difference between Montreal and Toronto for winters is day and night.

I'm in Toronto. Over last winter we had 10 liveaboard boats at my club and 11 in the water storage. Granted last yr was a mild winter. I only used my bubbler(s) once for a 24hr period. Otherwise it was the routine of getting out of the boat, turn it on, have my shower, come back and turn it off. And I was good for another day without having to run them. And I did need it I would turn it on in the evening while having dinner.

Living aboard on the hard? That’s insane. I may a well just move into a walk in freezer with a tent.


Each boat at my club has access to 120amps, the pedestal each are metered.
I had three 30amp cords coming into my boat. One for the boat itself. I don’t run heaters on the house power. The other two shared power with 1500watt oil filled heater (which was on pretty much ALL the time), 1500w ceramic heaters which I never ran above 900watts(Only turned on when I would get back to the boat after work) and my bubblers.

I’m thinking this year there will be more liveaboard’s from what I have been hearing.

[tomwatt]

Jobi, I second (third?) the suggestion that you don't try it when the boat is on the hard... for one thing, it's a long way to the ground from that deck... before I sold my Bristol, I took a tumble while it was on the hard, and even though I didn't break anything, it isn't something I'd want to repeat or wish on anyone else.
Get that thing in the water and live in her that way.

[canadianseamonkey]

Living on the hard during a Canadian winter seems all very simple and possible, but I'm sure not enjoyable. Have you gone to visit your boat when it's -30? that itself should change your mind. When I visit my boat during winter, I can't wait to leave it.

[Digiital]

The key is to keep the boat warm all the time. Once it's cold its cold and take hours and hours to warm up again.

Last winter there was a few days/nights of -19C. Having the Oil Filled heater going full out and the 2 space heaters at 900watts I was able to keep the boat about 18C or so. But most nights I was on the boat with a tshirt on and the temp was about 21-22C.

I've learned from my first winter. I've done liveaboard for 3 summers and last yr was my first winter. Guess who is doing it again this winter

[Yofy]

Live on the hard in Montreal BBBBBRRRRRR

We lived aboard just east of Toronto, on Lake Ontario for 8 years. One year we hauled our boat out because we were planning to travel for a few months and when that didn't work out we were stuck on the hard. It was REALLY MISERABLE. People don't understand how even cold water has an insulating effect. At -20 C it was just unbearbale in the cabin even with all our heaters blasting away and insulation on the deck. Comparable to that -20C in the water isn't pleasant but it's warm inside.

And don't forget that you'll have to be up and down that ladder for every call of nature, to haul jerry cans of water on deck (You can't fill the water tanks because they will freeze) not to mention groceries, equipment and all the other regular necessities. And you can't use your drains unless you put hoses from your through hulls and jerry cans under them, but at -20 C they'll freeze too....

And Montreal gets way worse winters than where we lived.

Naw... there is a reason that boats are made to float in the water.

Robyn

[mtboat]

"Living aboard on the hard? That’s insane. I may a well just move into a walk in freezer with a tent."

Guess I am insane. Two winters on the hard, and in January we get two weeks of -20 F every year. I have never been cold.