Jan seems like it’s a long way from boating weather

[Lowlysubaruguy]

You ever start your car and it’s headlights made that thick layer of ice on your boat make you feel sad last couple of mornings my boat was depressed. So I left her there all by herself to wallow in her own self pity.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Up here this time of year my vessel for ridin' 'round on lakes is my Ford F250,.....

 

[JimS123]

On New Year's day one of our local Waterskiing Clubs did their annual ski for charity, all dressed up in Dry Suits and Santa costumes. Donations go to St. Jude and such. This year was slightly problematic because of massive ice flows coming down the Niagara. But, they didn't let the kids down - those MasterCrafts really get it done.

One local Niagara River ramp is usually free from ice and you see fishermen out in their boats most every weekend.

Not my cup of tea, but for them "boating weather" has no limits...

 

[bobofthenorth]

I was out moving water around with the snowblower earlier today. I've been moving the snowblower back and forth out of the way so I can work on a new to us 2755 Baylurker which is taking up about half of my shop and shows no sign of leaving before spring. We're downsizing into the Bayliner from a 43 Defever which we sold almost exactly a year ago now. I haven't been boatless since I was 10 years old so it was a hard summer but we'll be back on the water in the spring. So yeah, looking forward to spring but the 2755 has been out of the water for 2-1/2 years now so there's no shortage of projects - nothing major but its not ready for the water yet.

 

[JimS123]

I haven't been boatless since I was 10 years old so it was a hard summer but we'll be back on the water in the spring. So yeah, looking forward to spring

My earliest recollection was in Grandpa's boat when I was 4 years old. When I was 11, hard times fell and they had to sell the cottage and the boat. When I was 18, Grandpa helped me build a wooden boat and I haven't been boatless again. If I have to be boatless in the future, please put me in the nursing home, or better yet, just shoot me.

 

[bobofthenorth]

My earliest recollection was in Grandpa's boat when I was 4 years old. When I was 11, hard times fell and they had to sell the cottage and the boat. When I was 18, Grandpa helped me build a wooden boat and I haven't been boatless again. If I have to be boatless in the future, please put me in the nursing home, or better yet, just shoot me.

We had an old WW1 vet who used to take us out in his 22 foot Y-stern freighter canoe - my earliest boat memories are the adults paddling the old canoe back to the dock after Harold's Johnson crapped out again. His idea of maintenance was to hang it on the transom. He told me one time he stood the outboard up against a tree and threatened it with an axe. That was a believable story based on the number of times it either didn't start when we launched or died somewhere on the lake.

When I was 10 I built a cedar frame canvas covered kayak from plans in Percy Blanchford's book. That was followed closely by a 14' multipurpose runabout from plans in Popular Mechanics. Then a Bluegill skiff and a couple of fibreglass production boats. When the kids were still small we bought a Malibu Response LX which was the source of a ton of wonderful summer memories. We must have taught over 50 kids to ski and board using that boat and it is still in the family but one of my boys pays the upkeep on it now. I guess we weren't technically boatless this summer because we still had a couple of Hobie kayaks but we felt boatless.

 

[JimS123]

my earliest boat memories are the adults paddling the old canoe back to the dock after Harold's Johnson crapped out again. His idea of maintenance was to hang it on the transom. He told me one time he stood the outboard up against a tree and threatened it with an axe. That was a believable story based on the number of times it either didn't start when we launched or died somewhere on the lake.

After Grandpa helped me build the boat he gave me his 1955 Mercury Mark 10 to go on it. That ole girl would NEVER start until after at least 100 pulls. Same thing after I got it. Grandpa was not a mechanic (he was a carpenter), and as a pre-engineer I was always into troubleshooting.

I found out that the diaphragm in the gas tank was installed crooked (probably since new), so no gas was getting to the engine on startup when the primer was squeezed. Got the part and fixed it for a buck and a half. She started second pull every time afterwards.

The ole girl became my first kicker on my second boat.

 

[gnappi]

You ever start your car and it’s headlights made that thick layer of ice on your boat make you feel sad last couple of mornings my boat was depressed. So I left her there all by herself to wallow in her own self pity.

I can't relate any more after 40 years in Florida we boat and ride our motorcycles year round.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

On New Year's day one of our local Waterskiing Clubs did their annual ski for charity, all dressed up in Dry Suits and Santa costumes. Donations go to St. Jude and such. This year was slightly problematic because of massive ice flows coming down the Niagara. But, they didn't let the kids down - those MasterCrafts really get it done.

One local Niagara River ramp is usually free from ice and you see fishermen out in their boats most every weekend.

Not my cup of tea, but for them "boating weather" has no limits...

I have been invited out to fish the lower river a few times this winter. Not my cup of hot tea. I think they are nuts actually. Ice fishing in open water, nope.

 

[Davetowz]

As we get closer to the end of Feb, I see the light flickering on. The ice will be gone soon and we will all be back on the water where we belong!

 

[BWR1953]

Folks around here are already cutting their grass. Suuuucks! :blue:

 

[Mule Laker]

I was on the lake last weekend, in my CR-V.

It's getting warmer, but still 3' of ice on northern Minnesota lakes.

 

[southkogs]

Folks around here are already cutting their grass. Suuuucks! :blue:

Yup. Just cut mine for the first time this year. The "weed war" has already begun.

 

[oldrem]

Most of our ice is gone now - from the yard. Lakes are a different story except Lake Michigan. Finally not seeing any ice there along the shoreline.

 

[NYBo]

I saw a fisherman out in front of our place yesterday. Seneca Lake doesn't freeze.