Boat frozen in marina

[Byeckerslike]

B****r it!

 

I've just been down to the NB, to make sure all is OK, only to find the marina totally frozen over, even the swans are walking on it to scavenge food from side hatches.

 

We had planned to spend Christmas on board for 4 days, but being as the canal is frozen over, we will have to stay at home.

 

Merry Christmas and festered seasonal greetings to everyone!

Edited December 24, 2009 by Byeckerslike

[Woodford]

Who will feed the ducks?

[moz]

Likewise. What a pain. Loaded the car, got to marina to find ice about an inch thick. Went back home and unloaded the car. Hoping for some sun now to defrost everything.

[stickleback]

We got to our boat at 2.30. Lots of ice and snow - but boats had been moving both on the canal and in the marina. There was one moving in as we unpacked the car - wonderful noises!

 

Found that I had not set the frost stat correctly (must wear glasses next time to see the tiny word"off") and that there was ice in the galley sink. The max/min read -2.5°C. Set the central heating on, lit the Squirrel, went to Tesco. Got back and turned the central heating off, squirrel down and unpacked. Now sittinsg with the front door open to let excess heat out!

 

I am AMAZED how few people are here for Christmas - I thought the place would be buzzing! Meant to be going to Northumberland to visit my parents on the 29th, but that is weather dependent. If it snows / freezes again, I'll stay here.

 

Stickleback.

 

Edited to correct typos!

Edited December 24, 2009 by stickleback

[Mac of Cygnet]

What's the problem about being frozen in? Is the marina not a very nice place? I thought some boats in marinas didn't go anywhere anyway! My last three stays on the boat have been static (two out of the water, one frozen in) and I still loved it. Mind you, good neighbours and several excellent pubs within walking distance........

 

Mac

[Woodford]

Also its going to thaw and you will wish you had stayed on the boat! We will be woken up in the morning by the swans and ducks pecking the side of the boat asking for their breakfast. Cat biscuits preferably.

[deletedaccount]

B****r it!

 

I've just been down to the NB, to make sure all is OK, only to find the marina totally frozen over, even the swans are walking on it to scavenge food from side hatches.

 

We had planned to spend Christmas on board for 4 days, but being as the canal is frozen over, we will have to stay at home.

 

Merry Christmas and festered seasonal greetings to everyone!

 

I broke sombody elses boat out of an iced over maria yesterday. It was only an inch thick!

 

I then took it several miles down an iced over K&A to get deisel.

 

Just go for it imo.

 

ploughing through ice sheets is fun

[ditchcrawler]

I broke sombody elses boat out of an iced over maria yesterday. It was only an inch thick!

 

I then took it several miles down an iced over K&A to get deisel.

 

Just go for it imo.

 

ploughing through ice sheets is fun

I read on one of the threads that some marinas ban you from moving if its iced over

[DHutch]

We managed 10miles in a day and a half yesterday and today (yeterday and the day before) which was a good laugh if slow!

[NB Alnwick]

We managed 10miles in a day and a half yesterday and today (yeterday and the day before) which was a good laugh if slow!

 

We broke through an inch of ice yesterday to go to the water point - but someone has sheared off the water tap by forcing it when frozen! So the water point at Cropredy is now out of action.

[cotswoldsman]

I am still stuck on Rufford Branch of L&L but I am traveling down to Solihull to spend Xmas day with my children and then Boxing Day down to my Mother in Poole it will be the longest time I have ever left the boat in the winter so hoping she will be ok!!

[Athy]

Mrs. Athy and I usually deck 'Trojan' with tinsel and cruise through Upwell and Outwell and back to the Globe Inn on Christmas morning. 'Trojan' is now based in Cropredy so we looked forward to doing a similar trip with my newly-acquired little Springer which was craned into the water the other day at the nearest point which the crane could reach, 150 yards from our house. Alas, Well Creek is still iced over despite the thaw yesterday, so the Springer (now named 'Flo' as she is surrounded by floes of ice) is still 150 yards away and won't be moving today. So we'll have to break the tradition and walk to the pub.

[Fox]

Hi All,

 

New here, just registerd. I'm new to boating only having moved onto my boat in June this year. I love it. A word of warning to you ice breakers, the boat behind me in the moorings i'm in, went ice breaking and punched a hole into the bow of his boat and it cost him an emergency lift and welding work. Consideration must also be made to other boaters as your pushing ice into the side of their boats and if their fiberglass considerable damage can be caused. Please have fun in this cold spell though, I'm game for a laugh any time.

 

FOX.

[Laurie Booth]

Sadly my gear box has broken, so no moving at the moment.

[Athy]

Hi All,

 

New here, just registerd. I'm new to boating only having moved onto my boat in June this year. I love it. A word of warning to you ice breakers, the boat behind me in the moorings i'm in, went ice breaking and punched a hole into the bow of his boat and it cost him an emergency lift and welding work. Consideration must also be made to other boaters as your pushing ice into the side of their boats and if their fiberglass considerable damage can be caused. Please have fun in this cold spell though, I'm game for a laugh any time.

 

FOX.

Welcome, Fox. Is your boat 'Foxhunter' the one which used to be in the Fox's hire fleet in March?

[dor]

Well, for the first time in about 10 years we haven't gone out on Christmas day. Usually we go out late morning, have toasted bacon & mushroom sandwiches for lunch, then back home later for the traditional blowout. This year, there is 4cm of ice on the canal and I've just blacked it. Can't even get to it easily as it is on the offside with access by dingy so reluctantly we are having our bacon at home.

[Derek R.]

Valid comment from Fox. Many a boat has been damaged through thin sheet ice slicing into wood or glass fibre hull sides. And steel is not exempt either. Tycho was rebuilt in 1942 to tackle ice with overplating of the bow plates to below water line to half inch thick, and considerably heavy steelwork within, not to mention the ram on the front which is five feet long and two inches thick solid steel. During its working lifetime it has smashed through several inches of ice. Despite the thickness, the scars are there to see.

 

Even thin ice of a quarter inch thickness can do damage. We punched a hole in Yarmouth's plating at a weak point, and didn't know until the bilge pump kept cutting in every twenty minutes during the night. Nothing like a bilge pump cutting in during the small hours to wake you up sharpish! I plugged it with a nut, bolt and two washers and that did until we had major steel work done a couple of years later.

 

Several wooden boats around the Cowley area had ice planks suspended along the water line for just this reason. You have to be very careful when ice breaking, don't do it just for the crack, if you don't damage someone else's boat (and you might not know if they are not in) you'll damage your own even if it's only blacking. It'll look like chrome plating along the water line for a while, but not for long.

 

And so what if you can't leave the mooring - what better than to get the stove lit, get the kettle on and just enjoy being there! Leave just because you can't move?? Not likely! Take a walk, fetch a few sticks, do something different.

 

[Doorman]

We came down to Tamworth to collect our new boat on the 17th of December, hoping to be up at Penkridge, Staffs, by Christmas Eve.

 

As I type this email, stuck in about 30mm of ice in Glascote Basin, we haven't moved anywhere!

We just accepted the situation as it was, helped by the fact that The Anchor pub is just a short walk

along the towpath.

 

As long as we've got plenty of wood & coal, tea bags & water, and most importantly, beer tokens,

we'll be fine!

 

Currently monitoring the ten day weather forecast waiting for the big thaw. So, if anyone out there has some in depth weather information, I'd appreciate the kowledge, even if it's bad news! At least I can apply for a taxi cab job until the spring .

 

So, it's been Turkey in Tamworth for us two old codgers, mustn't grumble

 

Mike & Crew

[stickleback]

The ice was melting yesterday and is now melting fast at Gayton.Thankfully! Lovely sunny morning.

 

Stickleback

[jelunga]

I am hoping to move our new boat from Crick southwards to Cosgrove. Anybody any news on the GU in that area?

 

THanks.

[alan_fincher]

I am hoping to move our new boat from Crick southwards to Cosgrove. Anybody any news on the GU in that area?

 

THanks.

A bit further down, (Beds/Bucks/Herts borders), we were out for a short trip today.

 

It's mostly clear of ice now, except around lock-gates and bridge holes where we found some unbroken patches, but less than 1cm thick.

 

As the Chiltern Hills took a lot of the bad weather in this area, I'm assuming that most bits of the nearby Southern GU will now be just about clear.

 

Standing up on some bits of tow-path is still a challenge though!

[terryvanman]

Hello

I too am worried about my boat that's moored up at Willow tree Marina on the GU Paddington arm at Hayes.

I'm in USA for a family Christmas,,[would sooner be snuggled up in my boat] so If anyone reads this and has some info on conditions in and around willow tree can you please let me know.

 

thank you thank you

 

terry

Edited December 27, 2009 by terryvanman

[matty40s]

Crick to Cosgrove, you have a very short window of semi thaw if you want to do it this week, Leicester line is usually frozen solid as no-one moves much when it's frozen (no working boats on that stretch). The lomg range forecast indicates a return to frozen and snow by wednesday.You also have Buckby flight shut from 8th feb to March.

[eightpot]

Hello

I too am worried about my boat that's moored up at Willow tree Marina on the GU Paddington arm at Hayes.

I'm in USA for a family Christmas,,[would sooner be snuggled up in my boat] so If anyone reads this and has some info on conditions in and around willow tree can you please let me know.

 

thank you thank you

 

terry

 

 

It was fine when I walked past it this morning. It has been cold on the run up to the 25th, the marina was iced over from xmas eve, but it's turned to more mild weather and the ice has all but melted. Which is good because I've had enough of the Chilblains on my toes. Damned poor circulation!

[terryvanman]

It was fine when I walked past it this morning. It has been cold on the run up to the 25th, the marina was iced over from xmas eve, but it's turned to more mild weather and the ice has all but melted. Which is good because I've had enough of the Chilblains on my toes. Damned poor circulation!

 

 

thank you kind sir, I am in Arizona where its 60 degrees at the moment in the daytime and down to freezing at night,,,don't know weather to wear a swim suit or a fur coat ha ha ha ha.....

thanks again

 

terry...not so worried now