putting boat back in the water .

lockmaster

Is it too early to put my boat back in the water . or should I wait till the end of march ?

fergal.b

If it's on the sea I normally wait till easter, if it's inland or very well sheltered you could leave it on the water all year round.




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lockmaster

cheers man . it,s not on the sea . it,s on the shannon took it out of the water for the winter .

fergal.b

The only fear is if we get a big freeze although boats are kept warmer while in the water as the water is a few degrees above the air temperature, but if a seacock burst the boat can sink :eek: The water levels on the Shannon are very high at the moment so it might be worth hanging on till they settle down a bit.





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lockmaster

cheers man will keep that in mind . what is a seacock

fergal.b

lockmaster wrote: »

cheers man will keep that in mind . what is a seacock

It's a valve like this used to take raw water in to cool an inboard engine.

lockmaster

don,t have an inboard I have an outboard .

Slig

I was on the lake yesterday, water level is very high with alot of marinas and harbours still under water. Currents are strong aswell. If you arent somewhere close to the boat to keep an eye on it id leave it another while. Its a nice time o be on the water, there is no traffic but daylight hours are still short and the weather isnt great yet.

lockmaster

I understand what you are saying but i am going mad to get the boat in the water and do a bit of cruising . i did have a berth last year but i have giving it up it was costing me way to much money . now i plan on launching and retrieving . when i do launch it it will be in the water for a few days and i will not be far away from it , plus i will be staying on it a few night depending on the weather . so all in all i think it will be no harm to get it back in the water . what do you think . i,m asking because i,m new to this . thanks

neris

If your launching and retriving put it in. Its only cold, we could really sail/boat all year round in Ireland. Just be sensible about what you do and where you go with the high water levels, currents and short hours. Also just make sure your dressed up for the cold and have extras especially if your taking people whove never been on a boat. I went out for a sail last sunday one of the guys crewing who is very experienced dressed as if he was going sailing for summer. No hat, gloves or layers. Could have slapped him but with that partiuclar person wasnt surprised

Slig

If you are launching and retrieving then definitely go for it. Its a beautiful time to be on the water. I don't want to sound condescension but I'll list out a few things that you will probably be aware of anyway, just in case. Many of the harbours on the north shannon are completely flooded, I mean you cant even see the actual slip from the car park. This can be tricky for launching as your vehicle will be in the water long before your trailer hits the top of the slip, same for retrieving but you probably wont have a pier to walk along side either. Keep an eye on the nav markers, alot of the banks along the shannon are fairly flat. What was a river in the summer now looks like a lake but the most of it may only be a foot deep. The high water levels that make the quay walls nice and low ( especially for those of us that only have small boats) also make the bridges lower and with more water coming through the arches can cause tricky currents and fast flows. Also make sure you have a phone with you. There is alot less traffic on the river so if anything does go wrong there may be nobody around to help. Make sure that the boat is wrapped up tight if you are leaving it, wind and rain and possibly even snow can make a mess of a canopy in no time.
I hope I'm not painting a grim picture, it is a beautiful time to see the river from a perspective most people dont. Because the trees are bare you can see things like castles and that are invisable in the
Summer. There is more wildlife around and it is much quieter, its also great fun going downstream with a strong current at you back

lockmaster

great guy,s thanks for all the info . as I said early,er I just bought this boat last summer and am not that much knowledgeable and was just trying to get a few pointer,s from all you guy,s that have been at this game longer than me . I will take all the advice which has been giving to me and take it on board . thanks guys for the heads up .

once again thanks guys . and happy boating . . anchors away here I come !!:)

Slig

Also, if you are leaving the boat in the water for any period of time contact waterways Ireland about mooring in one of their harbours, they have very cheap rates for winter moorings and the 5 day rule doesnt apply out of season.

Slig

Just spent the day on Lough Key in Roscommon. We were the only boat on the lake (2 other boats in the marina), it was beautifully frosty and calm and the higher water levels and lack of vegetation left most of the islands far more accessible. We only had a 14ft boat with a cuddy so to keep warm we probably consumed more tea and coffee through out the day than petrol. Took a trip onto trinity island, found a fantastic treehouse someone has built on hog island and took a look at the "grand design" clontikilla castle from the river.

neris

yesterday was a nice day to be on the water started off like a summers day