running in ice?

[Capt1972]

So I'm doing a jet-jon and I was wondering if any of you have tried to break ice with one. It is very common to have to break through an inch of ice on the way out to duck hunt in Dec and Jan which is easy with a prop as it is below the ice. But with a jet it seem like it would push you up on top of the ice then stop as there is no more water getting to the intake. Thoughts? Experience?

 

[DaleH]

Only with OB boats, for sea ducking, we'd keep weight to the stern, get most of bow on the ice, then walk one guy forward to break the ice ... repeat. Thinner ice we could power through, but I've never tried either method with a jet and would be wary of injesting ice into the impeller, but I'm not cognizant of your inlet screen sizing.

 

[duckfish]

I've done it far more than I care to. I try to avoid it as best I can but sometimes you just can't. This past winter I was on the Chesapeake Bay and had a mile of very thick ice pack blow in between us and the ramp. It had been a nearly clear 6 mile run to the blind with only some small patches of thin skim ice. Weather had turned very ugly and the only option was to force thru it. Tried finding my way around it in the thick fog but it had completely filled the cove where the ramp was.

It can be done, certainly not as well or as easily as with a prop. The wretched sound of ice cubes in a blender coming from your jet pump is tough to take. My advice is avoid it whenever you can, don't purposely attempt anything more than about 1" thick and turn back and go home if it's on a large flowing river. That can get real dangerous, real quick. Rather not say how I know other than that was in my younger & dumber days.

 

[lowe1648]

I did my share of ice breaking this winter but most of it was in a prop boat. I don't try to break much more then skim ice with my jet. In the spring when the ice is soft I have no problem hitting it wot and sliding as far as I need to hit more open water.

 

[Capt1972]

I did my share of ice breaking this winter but most of it was in a prop boat. I don't try to break much more then skim ice with my jet. In the spring when the ice is soft I have no problem hitting it wot and sliding as far as I need to hit more open water.

=D> =D> :LOL2: :LOL2:

 

[montanaman]

we take an inboard jet out on the lake to break up the ice every spring . good way to get rid of that cabin fever

https://youtu.be/Cq0yBsEFzwU