My dad still runs his down to the landing everyday to go to work last year we went on the 27th of Dec and took the boat up he usually puts his last one away about 1-2 weeks before Christmas unless it gets super cold on he can walk out the back. He lives on an island on a med sized lake near MacTier Ont. I tell you there is nothing more eeiry sounding that going up the lake after dart and hitting a patch of ice in an aluminum boat scares the crap out of you even when your expecting it lol.