Preparing for Cold Water

By Dusty Miller

I have spent most of my life boating, and it is at about this time of year that is spent impatiently waiting for the warm weather from the south to get the boating season underway. To most of us, boating is a lifestyle, not just a hobby. We sit and dream about what repairs and alterations we are going to make while shovelling the January snow or what new points of destination that we would like to discover in the coming summer months.

Depending on what kind of a winter it was and just how fast the ice is moving out determines when the marinas will start the annual ritual of re-launching the anxious boaters. In this part of the country, it is not until about mid-April that the sun melts away the last of the snow and just a hint of the wind from the south blows. It is at this point that that we just can’t wait to get our boats into the water, the cold water that is. And just how cold is it?

My first encounter with the icy, cold water was when I was young boy walking across the still frozen water between two islands in the Kawartha’s. Needless to say, I fell through the ice. Let me tell you, the initial shock literally takes your breath away. The next thing you feel is a stinging sensation and before you know it you realize that your strength is diminishing and a panicking feeling of not making it takes over. Fortunately, at this point I was pulled out of this freezing water, but even today my fingers and toes remind me of this experience when I spend too much time in the cold. Something to learn from this story? Never fully trust the ice in the spring, temperatures fluctuate and the ice may be thin in some spots and you would never know it until it is too late. Another important thing to remember is that dogs have know idea what ice is, and will neglect to check if it is safe before darting across it. Make sure that you watch them and if necessary keep them on a leash or even better leave them at home at least until the ice is gone.

Another cold experience was in Lake Ontario in early May. We had just docked a boat that we had launched and in the exercise of tying the vessel up. I was relying on the hand rail and before I knew it, the rail suddenly let go and overboard I went. The water temperature at that point was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit and after the initial shock I realized that I had to swim about 60 feet to the nearest ladder. I never realized that 60 feet could feel like a mile and a half when swimming in the frigid water as my swimming became slower and slower. Obviously I reached the ladder, but needed assistance just to get up onto the dock. Make sure that before you leave the dock this spring that you have a way to get back into your boat in case you or some else falls overboard. Remember, prevention may save your life or the lives of crewmembers.

It was in early May one year, after acquiring a boat in New York City and coming up the Erie Barge Canal that I realized literally what the expression “chilled to the bone” meant. Leaving Oswego heading for Toronto at about 5 pm the warmth of the sun was still with us, but by 7 pm that evening the sun had gone and the air temperature was matching the water temperature at about 40˚F. I was on an open fly bridge with at least 10 hours of traveling ahead of us. Half way through the trip, I tried using anything I could for warmth even being bundled in sleeping bags and everything else that I could find was not enough. In that damp cold environment, the body temperature drops and a very uncomfortable stiffness takes over. Being in cold weather for prolonged periods of time without proper clothing or shelter can result in any number of conditions. Chilblains are caused by exposure of bare skin to temperatures below 60˚F the result is redness and itching of the exposed area. Prolonged exposure of the feel to cool, wet conditions can result in Immersion Foot and Trench Foot. The skin is initially reddened with numbness, tingling and itching and will progress to pale and blotchy and finally dark purple, gray or blue. It is very important at this point to not walk on the damaged area of the skin and to gently re-warm the damaged area. Another injury produced by cold is Frostbite. This is when the affected area is frozen. Frostbite should be treated as a serious medical condition.

So as you head for the launching ramp this spring, keep in mind that accidents do happen and prevention is half the battle. When and if the situation arises, when you or one of your crew members falls into the water-time is of the essence! Remove the person as quickly as possible from the water and replace their wet clothing with dry layered clothing. Try to keep them moving as muscular activity creates heat. Also try to introduce them to heat slowly so as not to create a shock.

On a bright, sunny day in May, a fellow-boater asked me to accompany him as he took his boat from Oakville to Ontario Place which was to be his home port for the summer. Given a reasonable cruising speed, the trip should take about 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours. Relying on my friend who was a seasoned boater, I assumed that he would have all the necessary safety gear aboard and that he would have checked out the mechanics of the vessel before departing. I was just going along for the ride. About 25 minutes into the trip, one engine began to sputter and cough and then just died. We slowed the other engine down to try to restart the dead engine, and when we did this, this engine too died. We were dead in the water. Remember the air temperature and water temperature at that time of year was in the mid-forties. I tried the VHF radio and found that it was not functioning as a result of a blown fuse during the winter. Here we were approximately four miles out with no means of communication. We were forced to try to fix the engines. After four hours of enduring bone-chilling cold, we were able to restart one engine and limp back to the marina. The cause of the engine failure is very common in the spring -- condensation in the fuel tanks which created water in the gas and old fuel. So before you head out on the eagerly anticipated first ride of the season, do yourself a favour –

• check the electronics;

• check the mechanics;

• check the safety gear;

• ensure you have additional warm clothing.

Remember prepare for the worst and it won’t happen.

*All temperatures are Fahrenheit

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The above article was originally published in Power Boating Canada Magazine.