Driving on lake simcoe

[Basschaser77]

Saw a snowmobile giving a van a helping tow back to shore last week. Snow drifts on the ice will give most vehicles a hard time.

[Photoz]

I took a mosey out from Jacksons Point last week to have a boo at the driving conditions. . . . there was a pretty good trail until you got on the open lake, then it started to get kinda choppy, so decided I'd better swing around and go back. I got a pretty good head of steam on and then swung out away from the wheel tracks. I made it about 150 feet, and bogged down . . . there was about 8" to 10" of 'choppy' snow . . . . so I climbed out and got my good steel snow shovel and dug out about 50' for getting my wheels free . . . . I only made it about 50' past where I finished digging . . . bogged down again! Then a couple fellas came along (OFC guys) with a half-ton and between them pushing and digging it only took a few minutes and I was back in the wheel tracks again. It would have likely taken me an hour to dig my way back to shore!! I shoulda known ti instantly when I saw there were only a half dozen 4 X 4 vehicles out there and NO CARS that I better not even try! There is up to about 10" of heavy snow, not hard enough to drive on top of and is about the consistency of white sugar you just cannot get enough traction. Even a decent 4 X 4 would be hard-pressed to go through. My Grand Caravan ALMOST was 'bottoming out.' It doesn't look like it will be too good for driving on that lake for a while! If I'm gonna fish, I gotta drive to my spot . . . . 4 major knee surgeries put a real dent in my walking . . . . anyhoooooooooooo . . . . . thank you fellas for getting me back on track . . . it sure was appreciated!

[misfish]

Sure glad you got some help out there Steve. Ya crazy ole coot. What were ya thinking? LOL

[Photoz]

I am NOT old, ya young whippersnapper!

[icedude]

I am NOT old, ya young whippersnapper!

Funny stuff guys--still fishing Carp thanks to you Steve

 

How's that Postal Pension?

 

The service sucks in Newmarket-lol

 

Paul

[BillM]

I took a mosey out from Jacksons Point last week to have a boo at the driving conditions. . . . there was a pretty good trail until you got on the open lake, then it started to get kinda choppy, so decided I'd better swing around and go back. I got a pretty good head of steam on and then swung out away from the wheel tracks. I made it about 150 feet, and bogged down . . . there was about 8" to 10" of 'choppy' snow . . . . so I climbed out and got my good steel snow shovel and dug out about 50' for getting my wheels free . . . . I only made it about 50' past where I finished digging . . . bogged down again! Then a couple fellas came along (OFC guys) with a half-ton and between them pushing and digging it only took a few minutes and I was back in the wheel tracks again. It would have likely taken me an hour to dig my way back to shore!! I shoulda known ti instantly when I saw there were only a half dozen 4 X 4 vehicles out there and NO CARS that I better not even try! There is up to about 10" of heavy snow, not hard enough to drive on top of and is about the consistency of white sugar you just cannot get enough traction. Even a decent 4 X 4 would be hard-pressed to go through. My Grand Caravan ALMOST was 'bottoming out.' It doesn't look like it will be too good for driving on that lake for a while! If I'm gonna fish, I gotta drive to my spot . . . . 4 major knee surgeries put a real dent in my walking . . . . anyhoooooooooooo . . . . . thank you fellas for getting me back on track . . . it sure was appreciated!

 

Reminds me of a dude I had to pull out of a snow bank 12 miles out on Simcoe a few years ago. Grand Caravan in the middle of nowhere, no moving an inch. He was lucky I drove by, lol.

[Cast-Away]

The best answer to your question is to phone your insurance company and ask "What if my car goes through the ice?"

 

You will end up walking out on the lake, trust me. Unless of course you have deep pockets!

[DanD]

Why not use the ice road that goes out to Georgina Island; going out of Gilford you must be looking for Perch? I know it's the opposite side of the lake; but it's a maintained road, in decent perch grounds. Drive out and dig out a parking spot for yourself and go fishing. The ice road is approx 3 klm long and you'll likely find some clear ice to park on?

Just don't park on the actual road; the native police with stick you with a heavy fine.

The one time that I was out there, heading to a buddies trailer on Georgina island; I saw a couple of guys with a snow blower, clearing a path for their pick up. Looked funny as hell; but they got to where they wanted to fish. LOL

 

Dan.

[Old Ironmaker]

I I have driven on the ice in my early years more than a few times. With this discussion in mind I was recently talking to my Insurance Broker. I am told I am not insured to drive on ice, no coverage for any loss. I asked if there was a rider one might buy to drive a car or truck on ice and he said not in Ontario. Sleds and ATV's do have clauses for coverage. I should have asked him about the ice roads trucks use up north.

 

Are you covered for loss? I'm not.

[Terry]

I think your insurance guy is full of crap

I know people who did get paid out the. Their truck went through the the Ice and all perials covered it

[Old Ironmaker]

I can only go by what my guy says Terry. If the guy says no then it's no. The first time on Colchicine I thought we were in the middle of a farmers field, my pals Dad says stop here, drill a hole there, for what oil?

[Big Cliff]

I think your insurance guy is full of crap

I know people who did get paid out the. Their truck went through the the Ice and all perials covered it

State Farm Agent told me "there is no idiot clause in your policy". You pay for ALL perils, you are covered for ALL perils.

[Joeytier]

Full coverage is called full coverage for a reason

[Old Ironmaker]

From what I have learned full coverage as well as all perils is for roads that are maintained whether public or private designed to travel on by a vehicle. That does not include waterways and off road conditions. That did not come from my agent, he is basically a salesman is what a Broker told me. There is a difference for vehicles plated as farm vehicles. Please don't take my word for it just ask what the definitions are in your policy. I have about 100K in vehicles here and I wouldn't risk any of that poor investment driving on ice. I'll wait and take the boat out.

[BillM]

Idiot coverage, lol!

[Steve]

all I can say is, each policy works slightly different.

 

in today's quest for the cheapest policy possible, what was once covered may no longer be.

 

Want my advice?

GET IT IN WRITING!!!

He said, she said, my broker said, my friend in insurance said...ALL MEANS NOTHING.

 

Email your broker. Clearly ask the question. Provide scenario's.

 

Once you receive a favorable response, in writing, KEEP IT!

 

If there any any brokers on here, please don't take offense to this but....broker can certainly be wrong. very wrong.

 

That is why they are covered by what is called "Errors and Omissions" Insurance.

 

So if your broker provides you answer, in writing, that doesn't even mean they are correct. It is the claims person's job to follow the underwriters intent.

The broker just sells the policy. They will say they can affect the claims process, but they can't.

 

So if they are wrong, but gave you an answer in writing, you will still get covered, just through the brokers E&O policy, not from your insurance policy.

 

Please folks, these discussions are useless....every insurance company has slightly different wordings.

If you are unsure, email your broker, and get the response in writing. I always suggest to actually provide your broker claims scenario's for them to answer.

 

After all, that's why you pay them 12.5% commission on your auto policy.

 

Even if your not insured through a broker network, and instead a direct writer, STILL GET IT IN WRITING!!!

 

(that's my public service announcement for the day).

[Terry]

Well bottom line I know people who did have them covered I will believe there is coverage in ontario.

[Steve]

just about anything can be covered.....just you have to pay for it.....

 

and the recent trends in insurance is purchasing online, and trying to save as much as possible.

 

as a company, we are moving towards cheaper insurance products, which cover less and less.

Edited February 21, 2015 by Steve

[Steve]

Full coverage is called full coverage for a reason

 

What you meant to say is, all risk coverage is called all risk coverage for a reason.

 

However, "broad form / all risk" coverage actually means everything is covered to start, but then exclusions are presented to reduce the broad form, all risk coverage.

 

The other option is called "named perils coverage". In this case, only perils that are "named" are covered, nothing else.

 

Broad form / all risk coverage sounds nice, until you read the list of exclusions.

 

Although Broad form / all risk coverage does provide more coverage than "named perils" coverage, I believe Named Perils coverage is easier to understand. Named Peril form of coverage doesn't contain a million exclusions and does not require a lawyer to figure out the intent of the exclusions. If the peril is listed, you are covered for it.

 

Not, "you are covered for everything" - except what is excluded, which is what broad form / all risk coverage is.

[Steve]

ok, so I just read my companies auto comprehensive form.

 

at my company, if you are driving and go through the ice - your comprehensive coverage will not respond.

 

if the vehicle is parked, and goes through the ice, and you have comprehensive coverage - you will be covered.

 

I'm not naming my company as I don't want anyone who is insured with us to take my word as gospel.

 

My point is, you see how easy it is to get a detail confused.

 

One person could say, I'm insured with ABC Insurance Inc (my company for example) and I'm covered on the ice. Another person could say, hey, I'm Insured with them, and think they are covered as well. Well the second person was driving on the ice, go through, and not be covered, while the first was parked, and then in turn, covered.

 

fun eh!

Edited February 21, 2015 by Steve

[Steve]

so I'm a geek.

I had to take this one step further.

 

So if your "in motion" your not covered by comp if you go through the ice (at my company).

 

Next step was to read the fine print on the collision coverage.

 

The best I can derive is, if you "hit" something that causes you to go through the ice (ie, a pressure crack), your collision coverage from my company would respond. Or so it reads.

However, it appears that if you go through the ice, but not as a result of a collision with an object on or in a "roadway", your not covered under your collision coverage. Now, my companies policy does not define a "roadway" in the policy (as far as I could see).

 

BUT, your company might. If your company defines a roadway specifically, you might lose this coverage option. I'm quite sure if a policy defined a "roadway" that definition would not include driving on a frozen water body.

 

I know I didn't provide any concrete answers. That wasn't my intent.

My intent was to show how important it is to get your questions and answers (using scenarios like I have described above) in writing.....

[spincast]

You will find roadway is defined in the HTA,and that is what they are using as definition, I suspect . Simcoe ain't a roadway. An ice road up north maybe, but Simcoe....

[Steve]

its possible. However, the design of an insurance policy is to act as a stand alone contract. There are many words clearly defined in your insurance policy already.

 

 

if the intent of the policy was to define a "roadway" as per the definition in the HTA, I think the policy would define it specifically.

 

either way, gotta love the clarity of an insurance policy

Edited February 21, 2015 by Steve

[Basschaser77]

Yesterday while fishing in my hut I heard the sound of a vehicle spinning its wheels. It was obviously stuck in the snow. My buddy turns to me and says "I hope that is just a car". I pop my head out and see it is a full sized 4x4 pick up truck. Luckily another 4x4 truck was there to help pull him out. We were in an all-wheel drive truck and stayed in the existing tracks and got through okay.