nicmalone

There are moorings available at Bridgwater Docks, though there is no dry dock on the canal, nowhere agreed with BW for boats to be craned out for blacking, and frequently not enough depth for cruising at the Bridgwater end without getting stuck. There's a great community of boaters though, and it could be a great canal if BW were able to invest more in it. The Tiverton canal does not allow residential moorings, bonkers really, though it saves the council the costs of water points, elsan disposal, licence enforcement, dry dock/cranage points etc, and perhaps they consider the revenue from mooring and licence fees insufficient to cover all that. The Somerset Levels are cross-crossed with huge 'drains' and canalised rivers that look great for navigation, 2m deep and upto 60m wide, but there are too many weirs, sluices and low bridges. Shame as the area was once rife with boating, as several 'disused' canals on the OS map and rotted wharfs attest to. The Exeter Ship Canal, according to the harbour master, did not allow residential moorings either, though one of the liveaboards there told us it has been the watery equivalent of a common for centuries, with anyone able to put a boat in. "Just pop your boat in, there's nothing they can do about it", he said! There didn't seem to be anywhere near enough electrical points to go round though. That was 2 or 3 years ago though, and the council were planning to 'redevelop' the Quay and Basin (the liveaboards were all in the basin). No doubt residential moorings were not a part of their plans (again, the cost/benefit analysis problem, or the common developer mindset that canals should be made appealing to everyone except boaters). The RYA instructor I did my level 2 with a couple of years ago said there were liveaboards in Plymouth Sound, though how 'official' that was he didn't know. Plus you'd really want a Dutch barge for that environment. There are at least two navigable rivers to explore though. The nearest 'normal' place for a narrowboat to Exeter is the Kennet and Avon canal, though it's a long commute! Its connected to the rest of the system and is a popular place for hire-boating and liveaboards which means its a more obvious target for BW's investment (= proper pumpout facilities, independent boatyards, water points, marinas etc). Hope you find something that works for you.

Oops! Apologies all, I forget the webspace I posted the picture too is indeed password protected (of course it automatically worked on my computer hence me not twigging the problem). Hopefully this works instead: Boat in ice picture Its just a picture of a boat in ice folks, don't panic if it doesn't work, just move along - you've all seen one before after all!

On the hand, I do hate the thaw. When a 100 foot sq area of ice starts breaking up and blowing into your hull it makes for sleepless nights and worry filled days away at work. Bump! Bang! We actually got a sizeable dent in the side last year. Ours is the red boat in the centre!

We are frozen in at our mooring in Bridgwater Docks, have been for over a week now. Same thing happened last year, our first winter as boaters. It was the worst Somerset winter in 30 years. After that, our naysaying friends and relatives stopped asking us when we'd give and move back to bricks and mortar. Now this year is the worst winter for 30 years again! Being in a town we have a ready access to a coal merchant (lovely Taybrite smokeless). We also have a water pipe right next to the boat. Most of the time it's frozen up as the unlagged supply pipe runs under a long pontoon. Last night one tap, nearest the dock wall, thawed and everyone had an impromtu hosepipe party! We joined the hoses of several boats and filled everyones' tanks. Alcofrol was brought out, a fire in a bucket lit and a good evening had by all. This is why we won't give a watery life easily, the community spirit is something long lost in the bricks and mortar world.