Working with an air boat in the snow and ice creates many challenging and safety issues that need to be addressed so that one can stay safe. Work in winter river ice in locations that another air boat can get to you if you have an emergency. NOTE: They may be the only type of vessel to be able to get to you. Keep an eye on the other operators around you.
Boat Trailer Considerations
It will be wet unloading and loading. Taillights and trailer brakes will freeze up. Trailer bunks will be slippery with ice and snow on them.
Boat Ramps with Ice and Snow
Small or steep – every time a boat is pulled out of the water and loaded onto a trailer, the water dripped goes onto the ground and freezes.
Dry Unloading
Anti-lock brakes on today’s vehicles make it difficult to slide the air boat back off the trailer. You may have to strap the transom to a solid object and pull the air boat off the trailer
Dry Loading on Snow
There is no friction drag, so go slow. Air boat going down a bank and into the river may not just be water, but also ice, a much more solid force than water.
Air boat Winter Preparation / Maintenance
Gas Tank – Keep it full – condensation can form in a tank that is not full. Water filter – Keep it clean.
Cables – Push / Pull for Gas and Steering
Moisture forms inside the cables and they can freeze up. Fill the cables with Try Flow oil or equivalent. Do not use the antifreeze as it is corrosive and will ruin the cables. To do this, remove the rubber caps from the cables. Remove one end of the cable from its mounting clamps. Use a piece of hose that fits over the cable (hose clamp it to the cable). In the other end, have a plug with a tire valve so after inserting the oil into the hose, plug the top with the plug that has the tire valve in it. Now add 3 to 5 pounds of air pressure and work the cable back and forth. When the oil comes out the other end, it is full of oil.
This story is from the January - February 2017 edition of Airboating Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January - February 2017 edition of Airboating Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Osceola Airboat Association Lake Clean-Up
Osceola Airboat Association cleaned up Lake Cypress on March 16, 2014. Club volunteers also did some repairs to the Dead River Pavilion.
PLASH Waterproof LED Flexible Light Strips
PlashⓇ waterproof flexible strip lights are the perfect accent to your air boat and other vehicles. Choose from a variety of light styles and color options.
Seminole County Airboat Club Frog Gig Tournament
Seminole County Airboat Club had one amazing turnout for the first frog gig tournament on March 15, 2014, at Jolly Gator Fish Camp in Geneva, Florida.
Lake Okeechobee Airboat Association's Providing Hunting Opportunities to Florida Youth
We did a total of four youth hunts this season and hope to do a few more. We encourage the kids to register to be part of the Youth Hunting Program of Florida.
Torrey Island BBQ Competition & Airboat Show
The Torrey Island, Belle Glade, South Florida, BBQ Showdown and Airboat show was a big success and raised more than $61,000 for the Everglades Society for Historic Preservation (ESHP), a Florida 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
The Mckenzie Family Special Airboat
We have a 13-year old daughter (Kalyn) who was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and clinical autism. Our youngest son (Colton, 9 yrs old) has non verbal autism.
Airboat Association of Florida St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Poker Run
The Airboat Association of Florida kicked off its “Annual Corned Beef & Cabbage Poker Run” Sat., March 16, 2024. It was a bright and sunny day with lots of festivities for the family. An unforgettable time was had by all.
Airboaters for Autism Awareness 2024 Light It Up Blue
“It is crazy to watch how this has grown over the years. We have given out close to $100,000 across the State of Florida for Autism programs.” shared Reilly Pelkey. The 2024 Light it Up Blue to promote autism awareness was held on April 6 at the Guy Harvey Camp Mack Resort in Kissimmee, Florida.
Airboat History-Airboats for Military Use
The earliest use of an air-driven boat was in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq). In World War I, the British military enlisted the Farman Aircraft Company in France to build boats that could traverse the vast marshland of Mesopotamia as they fought the Ottoman Empire to protect British interest in the oil fields near Basra.
Photographing Birds of Prey
Ruggeri aka “Airboat Photographer,” has been a master captain airboat operator for Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures in Central Florida, conducting eco tours.
