Originally Posted by
south point
sometimes in winter my boat will freeze to my trailer. you will know when it does if you watch closly when you back the boat in the water and you don't see the rear of the boat float up when it normaly does. to unfreeze it, just back your trailer in until the bottom bunks are under water. then let it sit there a minute and the ice will thaw, freeing your boat. my boat will actually float the trailer for a few seconds, I know when it thaws because I can feel the trailer fall and hit the concrete. don't try to use your outboard to free the boat from the trailer because it can tear the carpet off your bunkboards.
also, to help keep warm and dry, I wear my neoprene waders when I winter fish. totally blocks wind and water. for running a full faced motorcycle helmet is great, but I must look like a moron. spare, dry cloths are a must as are pfd's.
my boat doesn't have carpet, it has a rubberized coating and it freezes fast. you have to be real careful not to slip. when it gets real bad, I just fill a bucket up with river water and pour it over my floor. it will help for a half hour or so. (better have a reliable bilge!)
I am a cheapskate so i don't use ice melt, i just keep a few folgers cans filled with OLD, COLD ashes from my wood stove. they give good traction on ice.if it is snowy that is another story. don't forget a snowshovel in case you need to clear some tire paths.