Hard Winter?

[Maverick]

We dont need anyone to tell us what a poor summer its been this year. But what about the coming winter? I have this strange feeling that its coming early and its going to be a hard one.

 

Any thoughts or are you too busy enjoying the autumn?

[Paul And Vikki]

From what I have read, its going to be a mild one, and I personally hope its a start of things to come, as I have two weeks booked on a boat going around the Warwickshire ring. We did the Avon ring two years aho in October and it was ok, it rained a couple of days but being from Wales, we are used to it. It got a little hairy when the Avon started flooding and the water was above the canal banks, but we managed.

 

P

[gaggle]

i was burning on the roof of the boat yesterday, what autumn.

 

by the way merry christmas to all forum members.

[Theo]

From what I have read, its going to be a mild one, and I personally hope its a start of things to come, as I have two weeks booked on a boat going around the Warwickshire ring. We did the Avon ring two years aho in October and it was ok, it rained a couple of days but being from Wales, we are used to it. It got a little hairy when the Avon started flooding and the water was above the canal banks, but we managed.

 

P

 

 

Welcome to the forum, Paul and Vikki. Enjoy the Warwickshire ring and keep the posts coming in when you get back. You could always do an illustrated trip report. That'd be nice.

 

Nick

[Lesd]

Forecast 24 degrees down here tomorrow !

[Barry]

Crikey so it should be - I reckon we're still in late summer - Autumn doesn't start till it's nippy enough in the morning to make your breath steam......or you have to put a jumper on to walk to the car on your drive to work

[Paul And Vikki]

Thanks for the welcome, being a photographer, doing an illustrated post would not be a problem, I love to document so much of life so I never forget.

[saltysplash]

Winter can be as hard as it wants, i still enjoy the changing of our seasons even though this years summer was a bit poohy. Its now just after 9 and ive still got both wheelhouse doors open trying to catch what little breeze is flowing over the water.

 

I think even though 'the end is nigh' set state otherwise, our climate has always been very mixed, some years very hot and dry and others very damp and warm. Its english weather and can never be an exact science

[Paul And Vikki]

Winter can be as hard as it wants, i still enjoy the changing of our seasons even though this years summer was a bit poohy. Its now just after 9 and ive still got both wheelhouse doors open trying to catch what little breeze is flowing over the water.

 

I think even though 'the end is nigh' set state otherwise, our climate has always been very mixed, some years very hot and dry and others very damp and warm. Its english weather and can never be an exact science

 

 

I know its the same here in sunny Wales, its black as night outside, and we have got all downstairs windows open and back door to let a breeze in because it is so warm.

[Theo]

Thanks for the welcome, being a photographer, doing an illustrated post would not be a problem, I love to document so much of life so I never forget.

 

There is the Holidays forum or you could write it up as a CWF blog.

 

Nick

[Paul And Vikki]

Sorry new to this, CWF????

[adam1uk]

Sorry new to this, CWF????

 

Canal World Forum. ie, here.

[Paul And Vikki]

Canal World Forum. ie, here.

 

 

LOL ok I feel Stupid now.

[saltysplash]

LOL ok I feel Stupid now.

 

 

join the club

 

When i said english weather, i obviously meant the british isles weather.......camped at portmadoc on a number of occaisions and have been blown off the camp site, washed off the campsite and melted off the campsite.

[Scotty]

But what about the coming winter? I have this strange feeling that its coming early and its going to be a hard one. ooer

I think it all hinges on Bluestringpudding and whether or not she manages to fit her stove and fix her Eberspacher

[Paul And Vikki]

join the club

 

When i said english weather, i obviously meant the british isles weather.......camped at portmadoc on a number of occaisions and have been blown off the camp site, washed off the campsite and melted off the campsite.

 

 

LOL, sounds about right Wales is the only place in the world I know that you can wake up to blue skys have a tornado by lunch, a hail storm for tea then a warm summer night.

[saltysplash]

LOL, sounds about right Wales is the only place in the world I know that you can wake up to blue skys have a tornado by lunch, a hail storm for tea then a warm summer night.

 

 

My mukka in monmouth bought a converted barn overlooking the river wye, We quite often sit in his hot tub when the ale has been flowing in rain/snow/mist and just plain 'god look at those stars' kina nights

 

And then the RAF do a fly past and spoil the illusion

[Liam]

Please someone describe to me the definition of a "hard winter"...

 

As some of you may know, I'm only 22 years old so all the winters of the bygone years are unknown to me, but I do enjoy the company of older folk and also read alot, especially canal books such as Bread Upton the Waters, Windlass in my Belt, etc. and the winters I have experienced are nothing like what they used to be. I've been involved with boats and boating since I was 11 years old and I've never known the cut to freeze over more than half an inch, and that was in the early days. Since, we've either had no ice or a thin sheet which lasts till about dinner time. I enjoy cruising all year round and the weather has never stopped this.

 

With solid fuel stoves and all other forms of heating I really can't see winter as a problem. I've read stories in the past where families have perished on working boats years ago after having no food or fuel for their stoves after being iced in - that's what I'd class as a hard winter.

 

A contraversial post but none the less I can't see what is defined as a hard winter. Winter can be the best time for cruising sometimes and I hope to make the most of it.

[Nic]

Last year I got stuck in Bandbury in March for a few days because of ice. Well I say stuck - the ice was between half to an inch thick and I could have gone through but didn't fancy stripping all the blacking on my (then) recently blacked boat - and we were not in a rush anyway. A few years ago we had a frozen New Year afloat.

 

Though neither of these were particularly hard winters they may not return for a decade or three.

[saltysplash]

Please someone describe to me the definition of a "hard winter"...

 

As some of you may know, I'm only 22 years old so all the winters of the bygone years are unknown to me, but I do enjoy the company of older folk and also read alot, especially canal books such as Bread Upton the Waters, Windlass in my Belt, etc. and the winters I have experienced are nothing like what they used to be. I've been involved with boats and boating since I was 11 years old and I've never known the cut to freeze over more than half an inch, and that was in the early days. Since, we've either had no ice or a thin sheet which lasts till about dinner time. I enjoy cruising all year round and the weather has never stopped this.

 

With solid fuel stoves and all other forms of heating I really can't see winter as a problem. I've read stories in the past where families have perished on working boats years ago after having no food or fuel for their stoves after being iced in - that's what I'd class as a hard winter.

 

A contraversial post but none the less I can't see what is defined as a hard winter. Winter can be the best time for cruising sometimes and I hope to make the most of it.

 

 

hard winters will never affect us these days like they did in years gone by purly due to modern communictions.

 

The people most at risk are those elderly folk who still refuse to put the heating on for fear that they cant afford it, And there dos'nt need to be snow on the ground.

Boat wise, themain problem here is lack of fresh water if iced in. There is always the mobile to call for help if its all going tits up

[StoneHenge]

My normal week camping in wet Wales got cancelled this year due to the flooding. Boat booked in for a blacking, and us for a week's camping and it was all underwater. Shame as there are some beautiful places. Betws-y-coed being one of my faviourites.

 

Welcome to the forum Paul and Vicki, will look forward to your trip report as we would like to do the Warwickshire ring next year when we have finsihed all this painting!!

[Dr Bradley]

Hard winter? :- 1963, it snowed on Boxing day with 12 foot drifts. The water supply to our house froze, and we had to boil snow. The weather from then until sometime in March was clear blue skies and temperatures rarely above freezing even midday. Near the end of March we got our water back but there was still plenty of snow lying. Great fun - three monthsof sledging.

[Moley]

Hard winter? :- 1963, it snowed on Boxing day with 12 foot drifts.

 

Yes, but when since?

 

The last serious snow I can recall would have been mid-eighties, '84/5?

 

We have been in our current house for 15 years and the pipes in our utility (which can virtually be considered as outside) have frozen only once.

 

They predicted a ‘hard winter’ last year, but although I check outside temperatures daily, I don't think ours ever dropped below -4°C, and then only briefly. Our moorings may have iced up for a couple of days, but nothing of any consequence. Now our boat finally has a fully connected woodburner I'm quite looking forward to some crisp weekends.

[Dr Bradley]

Very true Moley, much to my regret - I love being out in snow. Nowadays I have to get to the mountains on the few days they are "in condition". I used to ski locally but afer waiting years in vain for enough of the white stuff, I gave my gear away and cannot recollect getting enough snow since to ski around here.

[BlueStringPudding]

Talking of hard winters, I've been glugging diluted antifreeze into the central heating header tank like a good'un - but what's to stop the water tank in the bow and the waterpipes there freezing in the winter? Does that ever happen (don't fancy putting antifreeze in the tapwater! ) or will it stay above freezing point being mostly below the water level?