Ice-in Watch 2007

[Merrymeeting]

Hard to believe we were wondering whether the lake would freeze this year, huh?

[codeman671]

I have to say the whole trucks on ice thing freaks me out. I was out in the airboat last Saturday, just off Samoset and noticed that while going along at 15mph or so the ice was cracking loudly in front of us as we drove, we could see constant cracking happening 20 feet or so in front of us as we traveled. The boat weighs 2000lbs+/- at most, thinking of a truck going in the same area (which one did, it passed me) scares the hell out of me. The ice was plenty thick to carry the load, but still...Who knows when a fault of sorts in the ice could give way and send ya swimmin'...

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by codeman671

I have to say the whole trucks on ice thing freaks me out. I was out in the airboat last Saturday, just off Samoset and noticed that while going along at 15mph or so the ice was cracking loudly in front of us as we drove, we could see constant cracking happening 20 feet or so in front of us as we traveled. The boat weighs 2000lbs+/- at most, thinking of a truck going in the same area (which one did, it passed me) scares the hell out of me. The ice was plenty thick to carry the load, but still...Who knows when a fault of sorts in the ice could give way and send ya swimmin'...

In a word - yup. I tell ya as an entreprenurial type of guy I predict some financial reward for the person who can devise a simple, relatively cheap method of measuring ice thickness ahead of a moving vehicle (be car, snomobile or whatever). Even a walking stick measurer for the person walking about would be good (this I can do). I know radar can do it (been done) but it's not "cheap". I've looked into ultrasonics but that method doesn't seem reliable enough. Yes, build and sell this "better mousetrap" and I forsee a McMansion and fancy boat in your future.