Winter hit Portland with a frigid blast after six weeks of ‘balmy’ weather (meaning no rain, blue skies, cold temperatures but dry).  I was getting my hair done when I looked out the window of the salon and saw snow blowing sideways up Broadway, wind howling and swirling. Living on a floating home requires some special preparation for these winter blizzards that occur every few years. The first thing on my list was to get home fast, stop at the store first……Food, wine, water, coffee for at least 3 days.

1. Leave the water running. If the temperatures stay low, as they did last week, leave the water in all the sinks running day and night. Sitting on the water, pipes are exposed to the air; pipes are locate and exposed under decking and in unusual spaces. Temperatures in the low 20’s are going to cause problems if you don’t keep a steady stream coming out of the faucet the entire time. Next summer’s project: wrap those pipes!

2. Shovel and chip.  Snow is pretty of course, but on floating homes, the weight of the snow can be dangerous. Even though you may only need it every 3 years or so, a snow shovel is a good tool to keep in your storage closet. Get the weight of the snow off your decks, porches and walk ways.  Chip ice away too. You may notice that the swim float attached to your home is sitting higher than your deck; this is an indication that your home is bearing too much extra weight in the form of snow and ice.

3. Stock up!  Just like people living on land, you are prudent to keep a couple of jugs of fresh water on hand incase there is a break in the water supply line for your moorage.  Other emergency items would be propane so you can use your boat stove in case the power goes off, flashlights and candles, batteries; all the stuff you would keep on hand if you lived on land. Keep in mind, with really cold weather, you might not be able to get off the docks to go to the store due to ice accumulation, so laying in a couple of days of good food stuff is also important. Play poker or Cribbage, fresh cards, snacks for the neighbors.  Don’t forget the whisky!

4. Keep your local repairman on speed dial….and pay him promptly!  This is the guy you call if your honey pot acts up; during cold weather, the pump could go out, the pipes could freeze and then …. you need The Guy.  Keep this guy on excellent terms if you want him to attend to your problems during the cold weather…or any other time. Pay him promptly and throw in a bottle of rum. He will put your business at the top of his list when an emergency arises.

5. Keep your furnace in top running condition: This is a job to do in the fall. Get your furnace serviced and the filters cleaned so that you won’t have a problem during the cold weather.