(thanks button) ...click! ...... except I would be wearing a Speedo

Picture of the broads today.

Starting Christmas night, we are going into the deep freeze for the rest of the week, -7 Wednesday night and continuing very cold through Saturday at least.

That ought to to build a bit of ice! :cool:

I don't see one posted on Youtube yet for 2017 but it would probably look a lot like past years :):

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zXexBlbra4M" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W--3PMKSArg" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N79ls09iYvM" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YBbx4GnwLjA" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

the commute in this morning...
 

got back to the mainland in the "ice-breaker"... it was clear water out by the island but a solid inch+ of ice through the Y-Landing channel... wasn't a problem staying within the "no wake" speed limit... photo and video below

if the weather predictions hold up, should be walking out soon!!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Beautiful Kwanzaa, Grand Festivus, and a Spectacular New Year!!! -PIG

https://youtu.be/WG0SWh3dsWU

Geeze...ya think it’s time to put the boat away!???:rolleye2:

Is that a boat???????? Can we see a better picture?

Bill Engvall says "Nope Tis, P.I.G. strapped a Mercury on his back and went barefoot skiing. Here's your sign! " (sorry, Tis, couldn't help myself [emoji16]).
And I would love to see the icebreaker vessel too.

Dave

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AWESOME. Glad you made it back safe, maybe in 3-4 weeks trade the boat for sled/quad. May have to nix my plans to head out tomorrow to Bear.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Wise guy "up" on patrol! :laugh: I really do want to see it!

The small but mighty ice breaker!
 

After the Eastern gets pulled for the season we can squeak out a few more weeks with our trusty 14’ Alumacraft... hoisted it out yesterday... next trip will be on foot... then hopefully we get enough ice this year to launch the quad for the winter...

The days are getting longer!! -PIG

Won’t be long now. Taken from cow island.

Early Ice In?
 

With the upcoming 10 days of well below zero weather at night, there is a good possibility of having a very early ice in! Sure would be nice to have a normal, good, safe, ice year for a change!

Dan

OMG, I hate to admit it but I thought the black was some kind of special type ice breaking boat. Now I can see it is the motor! :laugh::laugh: Guess I will have to look more closely next time. Thanks for the picture, PIG!!!!

Island Girl's Ice In page??
 

I would think that IG's annual Ice in page would be up and running soon at www.rattlesnakecam.com soon.......

BT

Regarding using an aluminum boat as an ice breaker...

My friend and I went fishing in my 12’ aluminum boat one March right after an early ice out. We encountered ice blocking our accees to a cove where the fish were congregating. A gentle push with the bow broke the ice so we headed in with increasing speed. When the boat climbed up on thicker ice a bit of rocking broke it and we continued.

The fishing was great.

A week later we tried again but with three in the boat. With cold weather the ice had reformed rather than decreasing. The previous trip had taught me how to break it so we continued.

My brisk approach to the first ice sheet came to an abrupt stop. The guy in the bow started yelling. With the extra weight the boat was sitting lower in the water. The bow hit the ice edge straight on instead of climbing up on it. Water as pouring in.

So what do three guys in their twenties do to save themselves from a sinking boat in ice water? Well, we moved the front two guys aft to keep the bow up and attacked the ice again. It worked and we caught plenty of fish.

Lake Effect
 

Zero degrees and calm in Gilford this morning and 12 below just few miles south in Loudon! The lake effect is really throwing some heat! Once it's capped with ice that will be the end of that! Brutally cold weather for the next 10 days or so should lock the lake in nicely.

Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Dan

North side of Mink Island
 

This part of the lake was already skimmed over last year before the warm weather ruined the winter. This year we’re still a bit behind “normal” but the arctic blast this week will catch things up in a hurry.

..... surface water temp - 32
 

Since i finally got my dock out last week, just in time before the first snowstorm; this morning, I used a long handled garden tool to position my incredibly accurate $2.49 Intex JPAO4 water thermometer along the shoreline, about 200-yds from FL-3 ........ and ......drum roll here ......the water temp after being submerged for five minutes was exactly 32-degrees.

Weather; bright sunshine with winds about 10-mph

All the water, all around here, is all open water, but it seems like that may change very soon because there's all sorts of small ice floating about, small padiddles, and shoreline icy build-up.

Just up the road, at the Cattle Landing town dock, there's lots of solid ice all across to Bear Island, and it looks like it has attracted a number of smaller, young black crows who have never seen or walked on ice before. So, what did one crow say to the other crow? So, what is this stuff called "ice"..... I dunno .....but where can I find a dead chipmunk out here on this "ice"and who cares about this new hard water if there's no food out here?

Did you know that a crow has more intelligence than some voters! At least they know enough to get the heck over to the other side of the white line while working a road-kill, large grey squirrel for lunch.

Coming soon...
 

I just chatted offline with Island Girl. She has been very busy with other things.... Her Ice-in page is up at:

http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/watch.htm

I'm sure it will get posted here on the forum soon.

BT

Paugus Bay
 

Hi all,

We drove up this afternoon. About 1/2 of Winnisquam is iced over and Paugus Bay is iced over. It was 5 degrees and it is going to be very cold for the next week....not long till ice in.

Jetskier:cool:

......oh......what a difference a day makes.....la-tee-da!

Yesterday: Dec 28, 2017; It was all open water with small ice padiddles float'n about.

Today: Dec 29, 2017; It's all frozen solid for every direction. From Horse Island to Dolly Island to Penny Island to Bear Island to Mark Island to Mink Island(?) to Timber Island to Governor's Island to Meredith Neck. It's all frozen in with smooth, mostly white colored ice.

If you is soak'n up that Florida sunshine down in Palm Beach and reading this, it's time to call someone to make sure the ice eater at your Governor's Island, mega million dollar mcmansion is working correctly ..... capiche!

The ice is in on Meredith Bay this morning:

From my vantage point in Gilford it appears everything north of Welch is locked in. There is a lot of ice forming in the broads but nothing locked in just big thin sheets of ice all over.

Dan

that's the Weir's pier, no??

Yes, the WeirsCAM is located at Weirs Beach.

Been running my aerator for pretty much five days straight and it's barely keeping up with the ice horseshoe I formed around my docks.

It's so cold we had to chop up our piano for firewood..but we only got two chords.

Thanks for the chuckle PaugusBay :D

Gilford this morning
 

This was taken at 7:30 this morning. I am 1,600 miles south but it is nice to look at.

View today from Belknap Point. As ishoot308 reported yesterday, ice north of Welch. However open water out to Welch and the Broads.

Plenty of snowmobiles on the northern end. One ice shack out in 19mile. Friend drilled holes out at mouth of twenty and had ten inches

A screen capture from the RattlesnakeCam today, 12-31-2017. Love the sea smoke. The lake is losing warmth rapidly. The Smile of the Great Spirit must be ashivering and aquivering!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...85e48eb30b.jpg

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How's Alton Bay looking? I got to believe the lower end below sandy point is getting close to being safe enough to venture out on.

First bob house on Alton Bay

Progress
 

Today's MODIS image tells the story so far.

Image of exactly, what, may I ask? Looks like the moon...

I believe that bobhouse is what the airport manager uses. He was out determining ice depth of and at least in that area was around 7 or 8 inches. It's getting there.

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If that's true sounds like by next weekend getting out there to do some ice fishing can be done safely as it's going to remain pretty darn cold!

Here it's what was said on the Alton Bay Ice Runway FB page:

Good Saturday Morning! It’s over cast and 3 degrees below 0 in Alton Bay . I checked the ice we have approximately 71/2” to 8” in the bay it’s coming along!!

I'm sure Paul would also say be careful out there because ice thickness can vary widely. Check it out as you go.

Dave

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Assuming you are serious, that is the Big Lake in the center of the picture as seen from outah space today. The dark blue is open water. Assuming you aren't serious....never mind nothing to see here....