Frosty morning tip

[Gippy]

Hi all can I please ask how do people in marina's over the winter cope with ice on the pontoons??

 

Is there a way to make them less slippery?, thought of rock salt but it wouldn't be good for the wildlife!

 

Any hints and tips please?

[Alan de Enfield]

In no particular priority :

 

1) Stay on the boat until the frost has melted

2) Staple chicken wire down onto the pontoon

3) Get the marina to change the pontoon to textured plastic (as per the C&RT visitor pontoons)

4) Human life is more important than the odd Duck or Newt - use salt.

 

I have found that most (that I have seen) marinas supply salt - they tend to have a big plastic tub and a shovel at the end of the pontoon.

[Gordias]

Where is the ice coming from?

 

Frost is very fine-grained, and not particularly slippery.

Your ice is more likely to be the result of water that was lying around and freezes (water to ice) overnight. This leaves a thin layer with a few "lumps" from drops. It's slippery and potentially dangerous. If you're unlucky and it doesn't all melt during the day it can build up.

 

Along with chicken wire, anything "furry" (door mats, artificial grass, etc) will sort out the friction problem for both cases. Make sure it's something that drains adequately (or ice can build up on the mat). If there's a lot of water (e.g. in concave boards) brush away as much as you can in the evening.

[John V]

Be careful with covering wooden jetties with astroturf or similar, it traps water and can cause galloping rot beneath. Due to the problems with it at this boatyard anything like that is verboten.

I find a mix of salt and coarse sharp sand the most effective

[ditchcrawler]

Its probably one of the things about boating, when it freeze the ground gets icy around the boat, when it gets a bit colder the water gets icy as well.

[matty40s]

Its probably one of the things about boating, when it freeze the ground gets icy around the boat, when it gets a bit colder the water gets icy as well.

I can't believe CRT waste money on enforcement and don't deal with real issues like this......

[John V]

I can't believe CRT waste money on enforcement and don't deal with real issues like this......

 

 

[Gippy]

Hi guys thanks for the answers so far, the pontoon only has grips on half way up the side of the boat, and when leaving the boat this morning the frost on the wood was very slippery and before it gets worse wanted to put a solution into place.

I need to leave the boat every morning to get to work so can't wait till it defrosts unfortunately

[lampini]

+1 for chicken wire + staples. Don't forget to make the edges neat/tucked under & stapled so as not to snag you or any random "critters"!

Edited November 24, 2014 by lampini

[Lmcgrath87]

When I lived on colder countries, we used to use cat litter for the sidewalks and also kept some in the car in case the wheels got stuck in the snow.

[Gippy]

Brilliant thanks everyone

[magnetman]

I wouldn't staple chicken wire to someone else's pontoon

 

In fact I wouldn't staple it to my own pontoon either.

 

Rock salt,

 

or the best thing might be some sort of heating element under the pontoon woodwork. That would probably be a good long term solution, no idea how practical it is but it might be do-able similar to underfloor heating systems, if there is mains electric supplied to the moorings.

 

We are on wooden pontoons but never really get much trouble with ice and if there is any there is a container of salt on the pontoon supplied by CRT.

I suppose another possibility would be to run a router or a circular saw along the planks to groove them?

[Athy]

Scatter the ashes from your fire (assuming that you have one)on to the pontoon. This will help to melt ice and snow and will provide better grip. Just don't forget to wipe your feet when you go on board!

 

- This trick I learned from my Dad many moons ago. I still use it if it's been snowing and I'm clearing our section of pavement.

[MtB]

These are a good lateral thinking solution:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SNOW-ANTI-SLIP-ICE-GRIPPERS-FOR-BOOTS-SHOES-GRIPS-OVERSHOE-ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL-/161149420052?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Climbing_Mountaineering&hash=item2585410214

 

 

MtB

[RLWP]

Hi guys thanks for the answers so far, the pontoon only has grips on half way up the side of the boat, and when leaving the boat this morning the frost on the wood was very slippery and before it gets worse wanted to put a solution into place.

I need to leave the boat every morning to get to work so can't wait till it defrosts unfortunately

 

Turn your boat round

 

Richard

[Phil Ambrose]

Nothing wrong with chicken wire, I've always put it on my quay head where ever we've been yes costs a bob or two but that's a small price to pay for security underfoot. I fix mine with a staple gun using S/S staples.

A guy drowned in our marina last year, slipped in during freezing weather,late at night, finito Benito.

Phil

[ditchcrawler]

Who owns the pontoon?

[lampini]

These are a good lateral thinking solution:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SNOW-ANTI-SLIP-ICE-GRIPPERS-FOR-BOOTS-SHOES-GRIPS-OVERSHOE-ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL-/161149420052?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Climbing_Mountaineering&hash=item2585410214

 

 

MtB

These are great, i got my folks some and they swear by them...

[Phil Ambrose]

Who owns the pontoon?

Who was the question directed at Brian?

If me,the marina owns it.

Phil

[Higgs]

A piece of ply with suitable key blokes underneath to fit pontoon. Painted, grit-surfaced or sandy surfaced. Nothing too big necessary. Can be stowed away and used where needed. Something about as big as a doormat, just for stepping off the boat, would help to avoid doing the splits.

[ditchcrawler]

Who was the question directed at Brian?

If me,the marina owns it.

Phil

The OP. I am sure my marina wouldn't want me putting chicken wire down. I know where you are Phil and like my last mooring it was pretty well up to me what I did about access to my boat so long as it didn't effect others.

[Gippy]

Hi yep the marina owned it so would need to check before doing anything!!

I have the grips that go on your shoes but forgot all about them thanks MtB will dig them out ?

[Phil Ambrose]

Interestingly enough,the marina started putting chicken wire down this weekend but on the finger mooring opposite my boat the wire only extended 3/4 of the way down and tonight I saw my mate walk down and the moment he stepped off the wire, whoosh over he went. More wire required I think.

Phil

[David Mack]

Talk to the marina. Under H&S law they have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to provide safe access (or ban you from visiting your boat when there is a chance of frost or ice). So its their problem.

[Sea Dog]

I went base over apex on frost as I stepped onto the pontoon one dark night last winter when taking the dog for her late night consitutional. She's a Labrador and swims like a fish but she's been nervous as hell on the pontoon since then. Reading above about someone drowning and thinking about how I went down like a sack of the proverbial, I'm realising that this is quite a serious subject!