I'm just back from perching and it will be our last trip this year. An argo went through the ice about 50 feet from the launch near the Talbot river. The ice we were fishing on may have been at least a foot thick but after a day of sun we started breaking through the top layer into some pretty thick slush on our way out. Damn near wet myself when that happened after hearing the argo went through. If you're going out again, I'd leave the machines at home if I were you.