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A houseboat in winter: what protects the hull from ice?
Short answer
Houseboats usually winter afloat.
When the basin freezes the ice presses on the hull,
and on a river drifting floes drag at lines and pontoons.
Keeping a ring of open water round the hull and giving the lines some slack are the best
protection.
Unlike most boats, a houseboat rarely comes out for the winter. It stays on its mooring, lived in or at least heated, and that exposes it to whatever the season brings. When a sheltered basin or canal freezes over, the ice expands and pushes sideways against the hull. On a river there is also moving ice: floes carried by the current pile up against the hull and the piles and pull at everything that is made fast. Canals in England freeze only now and then, in the Netherlands and further east a hard frost can hold for weeks.
The best defence is to keep the ice off the hull altogether. Bubbler or de-icer systems do that by lifting warmer water from the bottom with air or a gentle current, keeping a channel of open water around the boat. They need a power supply and regular checks, because a unit that trips out on the coldest night protects nothing. Add mooring lines with enough slack for the boat to move, and make sure fenders and lines are not frozen solid. The marina or the navigation authority may have its own winter rules, so read them.
It is also worth reading your policy before the first frost. Check whether ice pressure or ice damage is mentioned at all, as a covered peril or as an exclusion, and what precautions are expected of you over the winter. If a claim does arise, being able to show that the de-icer was running and that someone checked the boat regularly makes a real difference. Keep a short winter log with dates, visits and photographs.
Worth remembering
Ice on the hull
presses and drags at lines and pontoon
Open water
keeps the pressure off the hull
A de-icer only protects while it runs. Check regularly and keep a record.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Does a houseboat have to come out of the water for winter?
Usually not, most houseboats winter afloat. You then need a plan for ice, regular checks and lines with enough slack.
What does a bubbler or de-icer do?
It keeps a channel of open water round the hull using air bubbles or a gentle current, so the ice cannot press directly on the boat. It only works while it runs, so power and checks are part of it.
Is ice damage to the hull insured?
That depends on the wording, and many policies do not mention ice pressure at all. Check before winter whether it is covered or excluded and which precautions are required.
Related
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Whether it is “A houseboat in winter: what protects the hull from ice?” or another question: send us your residence and the flag your boat flies. You will get a straight answer in one email; including a no, if that is the answer.
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