View Single Post
  #6   Report Post  
posted to rec.boats
Bill Kearney Bill Kearney is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Dec 2006
Posts: 223
Default To sea trial/haul or not


Since I've never used the boat as an ice breaker I don't know the risks
involved.


Ice is hard, probably quite a bit harder than the sides of your hull. They
make icebreakers out of VERY thick STEEL for a reason. I can't imagine it
would take much more than a thin bit of ice to present real problems for the
typical recreational boat hull. The problem being angle of impact. The
sharp edge of a 1/2" chunk of ice hit at speed transfers a heckuva lot of
force at a very small point of impact.

Then there's insurance, your policy quite likely will have coverage
problems. Made worse if you get into enough trouble that someone got
injured. To say nothing of the 'die a quick death' risk due to the frigid
water. That leaves their estate to sue yours, extending the mistake well
past your own lifetime.

It dawned on me that if something happens due to weather or ice, the risk

is
totally on us. The buyer can say, "Gee, that's too bad", and head for
home.


Yep.

If the water is completely clear, and you're SURE your insurance is active
and in-force for being under way, then it'd be like any other day out. Just
make sure the dinghy's on board and working.