De-Ice for Vessel in the Altantic Ocean

**lukie** · February 10th, 2010, 12:37 PM

Hi,
I have a question i hope someone could help me on.

During Cold Winter season in the altantic ocean, ice forms on the deck and bulwarks on the vessel. How do we remove them other then scraping and chipping them away?

Thanks in advance.

**stevefoster** · February 10th, 2010, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by lukie

Hi,
I have a question i hope someone could help me on.

During Cold Winter season in the altantic ocean, ice forms on the deck and bulwarks on the vessel. How do we remove them other then scraping and chipping them away?

Thanks in advance.

Baseball bats and sledge hammers.........watch your ankles if the vessel is rolling.....................

**New3M** · February 10th, 2010, 01:03 PM

If you're on a tanker try routing the tank cleaning heater water through the fire main and do that...its WAY easier than baseball bats.

**stevefoster** · February 10th, 2010, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by New3M

If you're on a tanker try routing the tank cleaning heater water through the fire main and do that...its WAY easier than baseball bats.

Yeah got you, baseball bats were mostly for icicles hanging of the railings of vessels that didn't have heated water through the fire main, you don't want to be walking under one when it decides to part from the rail..............

**JBPA** · February 10th, 2010, 06:11 PM

Get a job in South America, always worked for me. Good luck.

**bob** · February 11th, 2010, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by JBPA

Get a job in South America, always worked for me. Good luck.

EXCELLENT advice!
That is why Im in Fourchon and NOT Dutch Harbor.
Personally I prefer a wood mallet compared to the light weight baseball bat. The kind yould see on a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Something with a head/cylinder about 8"x 18". With a unit that size ya dont get all that knuckle jarring vibration ya get using a bat.

Working happily where Captains think 38 F is too cold for a gangway watch

**richard8000milesaway** · February 11th, 2010, 09:57 AM

if shipping in the extreme cold of the north atlantic, a good captain will always know how far and in what direction the gulf stream axis is located. weather routing the vessel so as to get into warmer waters and melt the ice is a much simpler way (and a fine example of elegant seamanship) for a short handed and middle aged crew to get the ice of of the vessel.
for those of you who don't know or understand, mid ocean the gulf stream actually goes very far north, so we're not talking about routing down towards the Carribbean or anything....