Okay to freeze in Aluminum houseboat?

[Mike Dzurko]

We are considering a move back to the "dark side", i.e. a houseboat. We've had two previously, and the right one will do a good job of meeting our needs on the Upper Mississippi. A lot of folks up here freeze in their steel hulled houseboats. There aren't that many aluminum hulled houseboats here, but there are some that I am interested in. Does anyone know if it is okay to freeze aluminum houseboats in? I'd still pull it every couple of years to clean, maintain, etc. But it would be a real cost and use advantage to freeze in.

 

[David M]

What does "freeze in" mean?

 

[Gregory S]

as in "stuck in the ice" all winter.

 

[Mike Dzurko]

Yep, lots of steel hull houseboats up here are left in the water year-round. Wondering if aluminum hulls can take the pressure.

 

[David M]

What about ice eaters or as others here have mentioned a sump pump and some PVC.

 

[Mike Dzurko]

David:

Interestingly, the first houseboat we bought many years ago, was fiberglass and the previous owner had used a pair of de-icers for several years, leaving it in year-round. I'm not in a position to be able to check on it often enough to be comfortable with de-icers. I'm hoping that aluminum hulls can handle the ice. Lots of steel houseboats here stay in for years at a time. I'll just have to stop at the marinas, look around and ask locals. I was just hoping for answers here as I won't be able to do that probably for a couple of weeks.