Calling New England Boaters-Question

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Unusual Attitude

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So if we get the Dory and move up to NH as planned, what can we expect for a boating season? I am hoping that I can be out more than six months of the year. I am not a sunny day boater. Is it possible to get out in the winter or is it just too cold, even for weirdo's? Thanks, Kevin
 
Kevin we used to live in Seattle we kept the boat in all yr long on lake Washington(never should have sold ) so it was usually 40's that was back in the 1980's Once in a while it would snow and we would put up the canvas and run the windshield wipers put the heater on and go The boat was not a c-dory it was a Seaswirl 23 so it can be done . Lake Winnecasaupe seems like a nice lake there's even a dealer up there .Another way to get a boat ride is going to the Miami boat show going on right now 12-16 I think <Marc from Wefing's is there give him a call850-670-8100
, I sent you an e-mail , Jim
 
I'm in from April to mid December. I could be in today but the ice floating in the harbor isn't kind to the hull. I have a Mr. Buddy heater which works well.

In the really cold weather I've had issues starting the Honda and the kicker.

One thing to keep in mind. If you do have a problem the tow services are not operating so you'll have to call the Coast Guard. :embarrased
 
Kevin, we've lived in MA (Eastern) and Maine (DownEast) and the only problem with winter boating is that the water gets too hard. :roll:

Most lakes, even large ones, freeze over by late Nov and don't go "ice out" until April or so. That's the only thing that restricts you as long as you have heat in the boat. You'll get a little longer season in Salt Water.

Charlie
 
We lived in Connecticut for a couple of years and would use our boat almost year round on Long Island Sound and even down to New York Harbor. I had to break through light ice at a ramp one time though. The Wallas heater and enclosed cabin really make it nice in the cabin when it is cold outside.

The main thing that I noticed is that there are very few people on the water in the winter except for commercial traffic, so you need to be prepared to deal with problems on you own or expect to wait longer for anyone to help if something happens. I think that Vessel Assist and Sea Tow may not even operate in the "off season".
 
Unusual Attitude":2hwia2up said:
So if we get the Dory and move up to NH as planned, what can we expect for a boating season? I am hoping that I can be out more than six months of the year. I am not a sunny day boater. Is it possible to get out in the winter or is it just too cold, even for weirdo's? Thanks, Kevin
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I put in the 2nd weekend of April and pull her out the very end of October. That's a respectable 6.5 months in the water with pretty good weather. I'm usually one of the first in and among the last out. I can't believe how many boaters run Mem Day to Labor Day. I pulled Napoleon the 2nd weekend of November this year but the freezing temps were upon us quickly. The day after the end of season wash down, some of the water had collected around my battery boxes and they were frozen in place. I had to give them a bit of a kick to get them out. I was also winterizing the the engines and getting the shrink wrap done is some cold temps.

I run commercially year round. In fact two weeks ago I ran over some ice in Boston Harbor. It was not large enough to cause any damage to the tank I was in but with cold enough temps you will have to deal with ice. After mid November the number of good weekend days will be harder to come by. I'm dressed for skiing when I operate in Jan and Feb. With a good heater it will be more comfortable but I personally prefer to have her on the hard for the worst of our cold weather.
 
I agree with Ripple. On LI Sound, you can run nearly year round or indeed year round. With one of our previous boats, we did run year round on the Sound for many years. The off season was some of the nicest times as there were no crowds! (LOL!) You do need to be self sufficient and extremely cognizant of safety issues. We always use Mustang Suits. Once we finish rebuilding and modifying the C-Dory, we will trailer it but one of the reasons for that is to be able to use the boat in the winter on nice days. Around here, it is either blowing like stink or flat calm. We simply skip the stinky days. We will be adding a Wallas for heat. Further north, you might have more issues with freezing, especially if you are in an area that is brackish which will freeze a lot easier than full salt water that frezes at slightly below 30 degrees. Even if you do not extend your seasons massively, you will certainly get more than 6 months of boating. Just be careful as April and early May, when the days are warm are times when a lot of people get into serious trouble as the water takes a long time to warm up and can easily be fatal if you go overboard.
 
You have 2 boating venues in NH: Ocean/coastal Rivers and the Lakes. Either way, it's hard to get more than 6 months of boating.

You'll typically only get 6 months of boating on the coast as the docks/floats at ramps usually are only in service from May 1 to Nov 1. About all marinas around here limit their season to 5/1 to 11/1. Similarly, the nearby Mass. & Maine ramps close on Nov 1, and usually aren't in service before May 1. Interestingly, Mass. often shuts down their ramps before Maine. There is one ramp that in Kittery that stays open all winter but pulls the floats, so it's not easy to use, but the Cod fishing can be good near the isle of Shoals in winter.

The lakes freeze over in winter. Some ramps open by mid April, but most close by Nov 1. Lake Winnipesaukee cruising in late October is gorgeous with the foliage.

Rick from Maine
 
Thanks for all the great answers. It sounds like it may be possible to boat most of the year. We are used to running self sufficient and extra cautious. Its how the name came about. I used to boat in Pittsburgh and would always get out on New Years day just to do it. I agree about the hard water, not as easy to deal with but not much different than running with heavy debris in the water from bad storms. Slow. Again, thanks for helping us figure this thing out. Now we just need to pick a town close to the coast to live. See ya later.
 
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