Ice Out - Open Water 2012

Update: No Buoy to be found, not sure if the line was too short or the buoy came loose?? Spent some time rowing around where everything sank, it's about 35' deep on average and we couldn't see anything. Looking like he will need to get some divers down there to find his stuff.

Chris, nice work on gettin wet, the only thing I am getting in the water for this time of year is to install the docks and lifts, lol

Earliest ski run on the lake Chris!!! Way to go. Hope the dry suit sealed.

Pictures or it didn't happen... (to quote Hollywood)   

easy way to get it out...you need a 16' (or bigger) fishing boat, 2 4X4X8' beams, 4 rachet tie down straps, 4 eye screws some extra rope, 1 diver, 1 (maybe 2) cases of beer.

position the boat above the lift. lay the 4 X 4's across the gunnels of the boat, 1 fore and one aft each with a screw eye in each end. hang one rachet strap from each screw eye (at max extension) with extra rope tied to each strap. have the diver tie the ends of each rope to each of the 4 corners of the lift. rachet up the straps until the lift is off the bottom and head for shore. probably you'll have to re-tie the ropes as you get shallower, but this should work. i've done it before...of course the lift was only in about 5' of water, but the principal is the same and a lot less drama than tubes.

agreed...only one use for ice...mix with Beam and Diet Coke.

walked out of our regular friday night Chili's visit in a tee shirt and said to Patti..ain't this nice for the begining of March.


john



john

bkhallpass wrote: What is this thing called ice? BKH

Pretty sure its the stuff that goes in a Beam and Coke to keep it cool... at least thats what JBear told me!

We're not quite to ice-out yet in CT... our lake seems to be the last one in the area still hanging on. Shouldnt be long though- I went for the first boat ride of the year yesterday (remaining ice shown in the 2nd pic). With the mild winter we had, we're almost a month ahead of schedule. Ice out is usually first week of April, give or take a week.

I am with Joe on this sounds like a lot of fun. This project also has the makings of a great CCfan reunion. Pete in his monogrammed business shirt directing Chris with technical drawings on top of beer esky and Hollywood who has the dive suit on. Come on guys get it all on video. Hollywood loves cold water.

Joe,
We do have some great "pros" in the midwest. I'm sorry to hear you only have "hackers" in your area that can only remove sectional piers!



Sorry about the size of this picture but it shows the prep before they moved Charlie's boat house for the new piling work.

allot of boats have been repaired on this site by non professionals and guys and gals who know nothing about restoring a boat but took initiative and the unknown and went with it with fantastic results.

Quinner just might become Chicago's Dock Salvage Extraordinaire

Leave the professionals out. It sounds like a good beer driven man challenge. Once in a while it is fun to re-invent the wheel.

Instead of trying to "screw around" with "home made" solutions (tubes) it's really best to get the pro's involved - the diver and the dock installer with the barge mounted hoist/crane.

Chris,
I'm getting a feeling this neighbor of your's is tight on his wallet!! I think he's going to have to break it open on this project!

Joe, that's a great point, if I remember my dive tables 30 feet is 2 ATM, so when you get to the surface (1 ATM) your volume doubles. Innertube with double the volume, thats a gonna blow!

I use 2 old tractor tire inner tubes to remove and install our 3 lifts every year. They float the lifts with no problems. However, it is hard enough to get the deflated tube into place under a cross member while standing in chest deep water. I can't imagine dragging them down in 30 feet of water as they are somewhat bouyant even with little to no air in them.

skutsch wrote: CQ - Do you think you will be able to see that deep? If so, maybe drop and anchor with a chain back to shore. Use a car to pull it and slide it along the bottom. Anything better then having to send a diver down...

Steve,
I witnessed a 3/4 ton pick up loaded with propane tanks (the guy had the local propane business) go through the ice. Thankfully he and his 2 kids in the truck got out through the windows before it went down completely. Anyway, the DNR (Wisconsin) was out there immediately and told him he had 7 days to get it out or there would be a $1000 fine per day. So, this person got a bunch of his logging friends together as well as a couple cases of beer to get the pickup out. (I hate to stereotype but this was "first class red neck northern Wisconsin" type! ) Ok, they tried to make an A frame to pull the truck up but the ice in the area was so "punky" it kept on going through the ice as well. What they ended up doing was to cut a slit in the ice all the way to shore and then pulling the pickup out with a cable and a log skidder!!! Well, by the time they got it out, you could not even recognize the pickup as even a vehicle! At least he avoided the 1K per day fine!!!

that anchor trick could cause some more damage though, broken windshield etc.