Ange

I'm really thrilled to share that my son Matt is now able to join us (money was the initial constraint but fortunately we've been able to overcome that). Matt is getting on a train from Kent to London (just over an hour) then the Megabus from London to Bolton (5+ hours) on Friday and doing the same in reverse on Sunday - all for a few beers with fellow CWDF members! Is there a special long distance banter medal that should be awarded? I'm really looking forward to it

oo and you know what's come back that I hadn't noticed had gone - that gentle bump bump bump as the wind knocks us against the side! We really are floating again

Yeah but ... we've got my mum & dad nearby here - they make a world of difference to our lives as my dad runs us around in his car and my mum regularly feeds us! We're definitely keeping warm - thanks for your thoughts

I'm not very good at this blog business am I! I never intended to write every day but did intend to update it a little more regulalry than I have. Anyway, we made our way down from Skipton to the section between Wigan and Johnsons Hillock before the numerous stoppages on the Leeds & Liverpool would have made it impossible. We're now caught between two stoppages for the time being - not that it matters too much - we're embedded in thick ice so won't be going anywhere for a while anyway. It got a little uncomfortable over the last few days when the boat started listing over. When we arrived at our current mooring (Adlington) the water levels were quite low so we could only get the front end to the bank. Then the water level must have risen and the back end drifted in of it's own accord, so Dave tightened the ropes. After that the ice came (we've been iced in since 19th December) and the water levels must have dropped again leaving us grounded. Each day we listed a little more, and late at night there'd be a long "bang" which we assume was the boat moving a little further over and breaking the ice that was bonded to the boat - very creepy! Today the ice melted enough for Dave to push the back end out so we don't have to live on a tilt anymore - phew (I was getting a bit panicky as well - how far can a narrowboat list before it falls over?) Dave's bought himself a workbench so he can work indoors on the cupboards - we have one already in the kitchen and he's working on bedroom cupboards now so we can store our clothes. I can't wait for the ice to melt. We've ran out of water so we're having to cart containers of it along the ice rink they call a towpath, we can't empy our pumpout (fortunately we have a portapotti for just this type of situation), and we ran out of diesel the other day. On the positive side we got iced in near to a marina with a laundrette, toilet facilities and a chandlery, and in a small town with a good selection of shops, so it could have been a lot worse. (And we're only 10 minutes from mum & dad's house and my dad drives us anytime we need to go anywhere, my mum feeds us every Thursday and my sister & brother-in-law feed us every Sunday.) I've got a job interview tomorrow for a 3 month temporary contract that, if I get it, will set us up for next summer. That'll (hopefully) be the next new experience for me - putting on my business suit and walking boots and going off down the towpath to work! My brother-in-law said I'll be "that" temp - apparantly there's always a "different" one in every office and I suppose living on a boat qualifies me as different! Hopefully I won't leave it so long till the next blog (and Dave's got one saved up from the summer that hopefully he'll get round to posting soon).

I opted for "looped continuously round dollies" but should point out that it is looped very loosely so can be lifted off quickly and easily.

You may wobble but you don't fall down! Just as an update, the canal around the boat thawed enough today to enable Dave to push the back of the boat away from the bank, so we're at an angle to the bank now but the list is almost corrected - phew!

Thanks Liam & Hamsterfan. You both know we're very new to this and irrational fears can grab hold of you and lose your sleep if you're not careful! It doesn't help when you talk to non boating friends and rellies about your fears - they immediately assume you're going to sink and drown during the night and ask you how you could possibly sleep! A little bit of knowledge from those with a vast amount of boating experience has gone a long way to making me sleep easier (and actually maybe we can now have a bit of a laugh about teetering at an angle all the time - it's quite funny when you're not scared!) Thanks friends

Somewhere underneath I knew I was being a bit irrational - but needed a bit of reassurance. Thanks friends - I'll sleep a lot better tonight on my weeble!

Dave has reassured me that narrowboats don't capsize - due the ballast making them a bit like weebles. Then he posts this morning asking if it's possible that we're going to tip over. I was rather hoping for some reassuring comments! I'm now just thinking that because our increased list has been a gradual process if we did tip over we'd have plenty of warning? Serious now folks, I'm starting to have nightmares!

A chappie was walking on the canal near our boat yesterday with his young son. They actually walked quite close to the bridge hole where it is still water. It's ok for him to risk his own life but I'd question whether he should make that decision for his son. Also what does that tell his son to do next time the canal freezes?

Nooo - we've been looking forward to someone ice breaking but no one's come past since 19th December and I think the ice is far too thick now (roughly 3 inches) I didn't realise it was that loud though - maybe I should be glad no one has, else there might be an Ange sized hole in the ceiling We've listed even further now btw - we'll have to think about relocating the bookcase if it carries on, a bit further and the books'll start falling out

I'm a bugger for leaping in the air and screaming at sudden noises so my reaction to that would have been quite entertaining! Similarly (but not quite so extreme) I jumped in the air and screamed the other night when the boat bashed against the side of the canal with a big crash in the wee hours when hubby was asleep and I was on my own, as if someone had just gone past us really fast. It's happened quite a few times since then late at night - we think it's the ice thickening and pushing us against the bank. Dave had a go at freeing the boat from the ice this morning so we could push the back out and regain an equilibrium - absolutely no chance! The boat is iced in good and proper - the ice was firmly attached to the boat and wouldn't budge. It looks like we're stuck at this angle till the ice melts - I just hope I don't end up walking at an angle when I'm on land after learning to lean to one side to compensate

This is our first winter aboard as ccers, so we're on the towpath, just where we happened to be moored when the canal froze over. We were very lucky that this happened when we're very close to a BW marina for elsan, toilets and water, and in a small town with good amenities. We've run out of water and have brought an aqua roll aboard which we'd put into storage after installing our water tank. Dragging it to the marina and back on the icy towpath is interesting but not too big a deal. Fortunately we have a portapotti as back up for our pump out toilet, so that's not an issue. We ran out of diesel yesterday - Dave bought some today at the marina but now the lift pump seems to have gone again so we can't recharge the batteries. We're lucky that my mum & dad live nearby, so dad's collecting the batteries tomorrow and will put them on charge in his house to tide us over till we can sort out a new pump on Monday. None of this has put us off at all, definitely no regrets. Whether I'd feel the same if we were stranded in the middle of nowhere, or if my dad didn't live nearby I can't say, but I would hope we'd still have the same attitude. Tis all part of the experience

It could very well have been you that saw us out. We remember it was a young chap about the same age as me (I was 21 at the time) who saw us out of the yard, then jumped back on at Sutton Stop IIRC to see us through the right turn at Hawkesbury Junction - one of the trickier manoeuvers we've encountered, particularly on a sunny day when the beer garden is full at the Greyhound!

Hehe - the year was 1987 so the hairdo's & fashion were decidedly dodgy - I was very selective about which one I published on t'internet for the world to see!

Well we've thought about kicking her out, but the ice is well thick at the mo and the ropes are frozen solid. We might give it a go though. I actually prefer your second option - as long as drinking lots doesn't exacerbate the list leading to falling over

I hate listing - when you live aboard it's very disconcerting when you're at a permanent angle. When we arrived here, the day before the canal froze over, the water levels were low enough that we could only get the front end in. That was fine, ours is a trad so we move on and off the boat from the front. A few days later the back end came in by itself, so Dave tightened the ropes. Over the last couple of days we've developed a decided list away from the bank, so the water levels must have dropped. We're not sure why - the ice is getting thicker and I thought water expanded when it froze. I'm not really asking for advice, just a general discussion. Any opinions on why the water levels should be so variable in such a short period of time with no heavy downpours? What difference does ice make on the water levels? Did I tell you I hate it when the boat permanently lists? (Still loving it though ) Edited for spelling - doh!