Hi everyone
What are the dangers of using Parker boat in near freezing temperatures? Any negative experiences? I am fishing in fresh water.
The only danger I can think of, (boating in freezing weather in a Parker, or any other boat for that matter), would be falling off the boat! Especially if you are single-handed. I fell off the swim platform of our last boat, while at the dock, in freezing weather, fully clothed. I could not get back on the boat, (corrected that issue), then had to 'swim' 75+ feet to get to a place where I could get out of the water; almost didn't make it....
We boat year-round; sometimes in freezing weather. The waters here (eastern NC) in the creeks and back waters are mostly brackish; but they do freeze occasionally. The Pamlico Sound is mostly salty, and although I've heard old stories about it freezing, I've never seen the rivers nor the sound frozen. In winter, to prevent freezing, I drain the 14 gallon onboard fresh-water tank; drain the hoses, and disconnect the pump hoses to make sure they are drained. When back from the trip, and back on the lift, the motor self-drains, as do the other water systems with the seacocks open (same if it were on a trailer).... The only issues I've had is that there have been a couple times where I can't flush the engine when I get back on the lift, because water in the garden hose froze. When this happens I just run another un-frozen hose from the house to complete the flushing.... Being out on the water when it's cold, sleeting/snowing is a lot of fun! Especially when running inside the heated pilothouse!
