winter boating safety

Any good winter boating safety tips? Here’s a couple: look out for ice in the fuel line. I use some Heet on a regular basis in the winter. If your motor is two-cycle, it has to the be the isopropyl kind. Also, if your motor is 4-cycle you probably have a water trap. Make sure you bleed it often when it is warm enough to do so, so that it doesn’t freeze and crack. Always have a couple of ways to start a fire. OOOO steel wool and a couple of batteries is a good one. some fire starter in a tube is good to have too, and some water-proof matches. If somebody gets very wet or falls in, you’ll need that fire. That means don’t go alone in the winter, especially. Change of clothes is a good idea. And cover all skin if you have an open boat.

good ideas….and I’d add,
2 cell phones, a two way radio (job lets me have radio to 911) … leave a trip plan … call someone every couple of hours, extra key in car (you can bust a window to get in if necessary – 3rd change of clothes) … have numbers of local people to call … preferably someone who lives on or near the lake with a boat… it late, lets hope my brain is not as slow tomorrow … the weather forecast is bad, but I’m going anyway …. and taking a kid with me too.
Barry