Winter boating: What's the coldest weather you've boated in?

pullin

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Sep 19, 2012
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This is the first winter for us with a boat slip. Because of this, we had the mechanics install a marine-grade heater for the engine compartment (Xtreme) so we no longer winterize. We're really enjoying having the lake to ourselves and in Texas we rarely see temps below freezing. I went out a few weeks ago when it was 38-40 degrees and it was pretty comfortable with all the canvas up.

So I figure there are a lot of northern boaters here from the Great Lakes area or even Canada. What is the coldest temperature in which you've gone out? Have you ever been on the water when there was ice?

Thanks for replies, just curious what the folks up north have endured to get on the water.
 

jkust

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Well, I'm in MN and my lake house where my boats are kept in the northern part of the state is an area of the country that tends to get cold.
If you have an I/O, you would have drain the block if you wanted to boat early or late after each use as it sits on a boat lift on the water. We have however become adept at knowing how cold is too cold and how long it must be cold to actually do damage on and off the water. You would have to have an Outboard to conveniently boat early or late season. The temps can, in a single day, drop 50 or 60 degrees and catch you off guard. Coldest I've ever boated is when I drive the boats from their lifts to the access at the end of the season. I suppose It could have been as cold as 50. It is extremely uncomfortable at colder temps with wind and any speed as we are leisure only boaters and that is not leisurely. Plenty of fishermen are out on the lake until the very end of the season and dressed for it at very cold temps. That's now how we roll.
 

ondarvr

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Fishing from a boat probably around 10-15 degrees, but below 32 is common.
 
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88evinrude

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Well I'm not from the north I'm from Tennessee. We have been on the lake when the air temps were in the high 20's. It was miserable but the bass were biting on some deep structure.
 

SeaDooSam

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Coldest I have boated in is probably 40 degrees. Coldest I have jet ski-ed in is 50 degrees
 

bajaunderground

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When we picked my buddy's interceptor in Tennessee it was in November and early morning water test...may 40deg F? otherwise, nope! October in CO is about as late and April is about as early...with draining after each trip...spring snowstorms can he terribly cold!
 

oldjeep

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Waterskied a few years ago when it was snowing - air temp 31 and water was about 50.
 

dingbat

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Striped bass fisherman here. November thru January is prime season.

The lowest temp at the time we left the dock was 12 degrees. Mid to upper 20's is more typical.
Measurable snow accumulation on the boat's hardtop by the end of the day on numerous occasions. Other years we've fished in tee shirts on New Year's Day
 

roscoe

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26* 10-14 mph wind 12' jon boat Depere WI


and 34* 1/4" of ice
 

DeepCMark58A

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When it gets below 40 the priority is filling the freezer with venison then we hard water fish colder than that.
 

airshot

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We are on lake Erie out of Toledo ohio so our season ends in November about the second week. During the last of oct into early nov the temps can drop into the high 30 to low 40 and we have perch fished many times in that temp. You definitely have to dress for it. thank goodness I have a cuddy with a tall windshield to block most of the wind, but there have been times when a snowmobile suit was needed as your not moving around much to keep warm. After the second week nothing is open to get bait or fish cleaning stations so time to put her to bed for the winter.
 

wrvond

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In the mid 80's I lived near Charleston, SC. I used to scuba dive the rivers and creeks in the winter. Several times there was ice on the water and snow on the ground. I used a boat to get to the dive locations, but the real purpose was diving rather than pleasure boating.
 

achris

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If it's below about 65 degrees, I'm not interested!
 

Scott Danforth

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Coldest I have been in was about 10 degrees in an OB powered boat on the Menomonee River. 28 degrees with an IO in the Bay of Green Bay. -10 degrees on a fishing trawler with twin diesel inboards just off of Washington Island

Yes there was ice.
 

David Young

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We're old and live in Tennessee. If its colder than 78 degrees, us and the boat stay home :)
 

Patfromny

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I took my boat out for a final ride to the boat ramp in early November this year. It was in the 40s and I didn't mind. The other two in the boat weren't so happy. One of my buddy's was curled up under one of the side consoles. I cut the trip short for obvious reasons. I would have to agree that 60s is probably the end of "Pleasure Boating" and it becomes something else entirely.
 

gm280

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I have no idea what the actual temperature was, but boating at mid-range speed (35-40 MPH) to my favorite crappie fishing spot during the winter time seemed like freezing. And when you stopped, if felt like some one turned on a heater. Cold hands are very hard to make work to fish, even with gloves on. :eek;
 

roffey

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Nov 22, 2012
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ice fishing in June, in Canada... Need I say more....

winter-boating.jpg
 
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