Frozen Bilge

I noticed a fair amount of ice in the bilge last night caused by all the snow we've been getting and a leak in the cockpit drains -- haven't had time to work on them yet. It's mainly the forward one on the port side, so I'll try to seal it today if I get a break in the weather.

I was able to drain a couple of inches off the top last night, and will try to defrost the rest of it today. At some point, I need to come up with a better way of keeping it from freezing, but while she's on land that may not be possible when the temps keep dropping to single digits -- the entire bilge is only about a foot wide, with 1/2" hull, which makes a great popsicle.

Zoe watch:

She must have been a sled dog in a former life, because she loves to roll in the snow and eat the hard chunks that form on top after a few days. I had to dig out a path from the boat to the road, about 100 feet, and on the way back from our walks, she likes to climb up on the hard snow on both sides and just hang out. She'll sink down a little, lie down, half hidden, and either roll in it or hold her head up and keep watch.

No doubt she'd stay there all night if I didn't start getting cold and urge her to come along. Her fur has really grown in nice and thick, so there's no need for any sort of fleece or sweater. She'll roll in the snow all she wants, and stay almost completely dry. However, I still have to use Muscher's Secret to keep her paws clear of salt and snow.