Has this cold spell put anyone off living aboard?

[Kate and James]

We're moored about half a mile from where we can safely park the car. Last night at about 9pm I was pushing a wheelbarrow full of shopping along the frozen snowey towpath when the bloody wheel fell off........for maybe a millisecond or two I might just have missed the ability to park on th drive outside the house like I used too !!!!!!

 

 

We've been collecting our shopping in my plastic washing basket with a rope tied to it, great fun! We've had pleanty of people struggling saying that they should have done that! Oh, and Connor's loving being dragged along in it!!

[wrigglefingers]

The impending coal drought in Brum is becoming a bit tiresome.

 

I went to our usual supplier yesterday but what smokeless they had they just about refused to sell me as it was rubbish and they're sending it back. The away boat only has a couple of bags left until, hopefully tuesday, and although there's talk of a delivery one van is iced in so I'm not hopeful of that, and the other is rnowned for being very difficult to pin down.

 

Fair to say Sherborne have a big pile of taybrite but I don't like taybrite. It may well fall to beggars and choosers soon though.

 

Hello Smelly,

 

Seals in Bridgnorth had quite a bit of smokeless when I called in on Thursday, I could get a couple of bags and bring them over if you're in need.

 

Jill

[bigcol]

This is the first winter on the boat for us, but saying that we have electric, central heating and a morso stove.

 

We loving it on the boat, were nice and warm,

 

the post on this thread re coal has got me thinking, we use homefire coat nuts, and noticed since the freeze the nuts are deterioating and going to powder in the bag. Is this what happens then when the bags are left outside. Is it the coal is frozen, or is it a bad batch??

 

 

using logs now, as the coals seems to be no good

 

still we are loving it, and kids just come arround and the boat is warmer than their house.

also our bills will be so much lower

 

Col

[Smelly]

Hello Smelly,

 

Seals in Bridgnorth had quite a bit of smokeless when I called in on Thursday, I could get a couple of bags and bring them over if you're in need.

 

Jill

 

That's very generous, thank you. Away's delivery in the week will hopefully make it in time, if not you might find we're taking you up on that...

 

As an aside, Away Group are volunteering to ferry diesel to people if you're stuck in the Brum area and running low.

[Mandy]

I chose to leave Marina living last month and came down to Fradley, so my first time without shore power. Yes, I've run out of water, filling up with poo and am rationing my diesal, but I love it! Lovely fellow iced in boaters, GREAT pub (Mucky duck) and lots of peace and quiet thanks to non gritted roads. Would I go back to land living? Not on your nelly. Would I go back to the marina? Same answer!

[nb Innisfree]

This is the first winter on the boat for us, but saying that we have electric, central heating and a morso stove.

 

We loving it on the boat, were nice and warm,

 

the post on this thread re coal has got me thinking, we use homefire coat nuts, and noticed since the freeze the nuts are deterioating and going to powder in the bag. Is this what happens then when the bags are left outside. Is it the coal is frozen, or is it a bad batch??

 

using logs now, as the coals seems to be no good

 

still we are loving it, and kids just come arround and the boat is warmer than their house.

also our bills will be so much lower

 

Col

 

We have the same thing with Excel, I reckon it's caused by water in wet fuel expanding as it freezes and breaking nuts down.

[n.b.Goldie]

We have the same thing with Excel, I reckon it's caused by water in wet fuel expanding as it freezes and breaking nuts down.

'Breaking nuts down'?.............................hmmmmm.............ooooer no missus..............

[Gunna Do]

mm.. hot water.. that would be nice. I am hoping my new immersion heater will arrive tomorrow! I am on the best mooring in the area with more electric than I can shake a bit stick at and nothing to plug in - apart from this when it arrives... woo hoo. I will be clean (er)

 

You are not going to fit this yourself, are you. I've read your column!

Should we all take cover?

[Lady Muck]

Just heard from a friend that her mum (aged 75) has had enough and is moving back to land. I think shes been aboard for several years now, but the cold snap has done it for her.

 

Our water pipes onboard have not frozen at all, but some of our neighbours have had these pipes freeze too!

[Chris Pink]

The impending coal drought in Brum

 

Gosh.

 

That is a statement many would not expect to hear anytime in the last 250 years.

[NB Alnwick]

Its at times like this when we appreciate the clean heat from our Anthracite! Nevertheless, we only have about ten days supply at the current rate of useage - we seem to be burning a lot more with Jane disabled and onboard all day. No worries though, Dusty will be on his way with more shiny nuts as soon as he can break out of the ice . . .

[trogstig]

Not at all put off living aboard so far (5 years in). Cosy with the Morso stove, etc etc.

 

However: washing up is piling up in the sink - - seems such a waste of liquid freshwater.

 

Remaining gas = 1 + a bit left of three x 13 Kg bottles

Remaining diesel = full, less 3 inches

Remaining coal (Homefire) = 3 x 25 kg sacks (to think how they mocked when I bought 10 x 25 kg at the start of winter...)

Remaining freshwater = not a lot - but rationed, and not out yet.

 

Most notable con of being frozen in = being at a height disadvantage to hungry swans (rather than the usual tapping on the hull, whilst standing on the ice the b#gg#rs have got used to hammering their snouts on my windows . I still won't feed them - indeed, HMQE2 may be about to lose this collective of swans (?) into a boater's stew, should they push their luck much further...)

 

Stig / James

[nb Innisfree]

Its at times like this when we appreciate the clean heat from our Anthracite! Nevertheless, we only have about ten days supply at the current rate of useage - we seem to be burning a lot more with Jane disabled and onboard all day. No worries though, Dusty will be on his way with more shiny nuts as soon as he can break out of the ice . . .

 

Knacker lacquer?

[ditchcrawler]

Not at all put off living aboard so far (5 years in). Cosy with the Morso stove, etc etc.

 

However: washing up is piling up in the sink - - seems such a waste of liquid freshwater.

 

Remaining gas = 1 + a bit left of three x 13 Kg bottles

Remaining diesel = full, less 3 inches

Remaining coal (Homefire) = 3 x 25 kg sacks (to think how they mocked when I bought 10 x 25 kg at the start of winter...)

Remaining freshwater = not a lot - but rationed, and not out yet.

 

Most notable con of being frozen in = being at a height disadvantage to hungry swans (rather than the usual tapping on the hull, whilst standing on the ice the b#gg#rs have got used to hammering their snouts on my windows . I still won't feed them - indeed, HMQE2 may be about to lose this collective of swans (?) into a boater's stew, should they push their luck much further...)

 

Stig / James

Well if they are good enough for the Lord Mayor

[nicmalone]

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.

[Smelly]

the community spirit is something long lost in the bricks and mortar world.

 

[casper ghost]

, the community spirit is something long lost in the bricks and mortar world.

 

What about the log-cabin world

[Orca]

As this is my favourite time of year; all a proper British Winter does is amplify my desire to liveaboard. It is so enchanting being on a boat when the weather comes in 'harsh', I absolutely adore it! The sense of isolation builds the spirits and enhances the character if you ask me; being in a house is just so, well, predictable and mundane! My Windy Smithy stove has more than proved it's worth......long live the cold snap!!!

Edited January 11, 2010 by Orca

[Smelly]

What about the log-cabin world

 

Log cabin's aren't very buoyant... Kind of does away with the community spirit when you're fishing the residents out of the cut all the time

 

Seriously are people in log cabins as cheery as the majority of boaters?

[loner]

We are living on our boat in Florida. It isn't as cold as the UK but it was very record setting cold for us. It was 17 degrees last night. Ice on windows and dock. Very slippery. We aren't really prepared for the cold. All we have is a small electric heater. The boat isn't tightly closed either. First snow since 1977.

 

We wouldn't give up the boat life. Our intention in March of 2009 was to take a trip then return to land. We like the floating life too much to leave. Hot or cold.

Edited January 11, 2010 by loner

[nicmalone]

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!

Edited January 13, 2010 by Liam
Image removed due to authorisation

[Naughty Cal]

I was just wondering if the exceptional cold spell, and some of the hardships described here on the forum over the past couple weeks, have put off any prospective live-aboards -- or indeed made any existing live-aboards think twice.

 

Nope its just making us look forward to the day when we can sell the bricks and mortar and move aboard a suitable vessel. In the meantime we love winter boating on Cal.

[Dekazer]

This is why we won't give a watery life easily, the community spirit is something long lost in the bricks and mortar world.

 

Just to stick up for them, one of our stone dwelling neighbours popped round the other day to say that her outdoor water tap was not frozen, and if we could find a long enough hose we were welcome to fill up from her supply. That's good neighbourliness in my book.

 

I wonder if the close proximity of boaters has had a positive impact on our land lubbing neighbours. Maybe I should start another thread...

[kendo]

I wish we were stranded 120 miles away from the house instead of 120 miles from the boat.

same. 350.

[alan_fincher]

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!

 

[iMAGE_TAG] http://idisk.mac.com/nicmalone//Pictures/Ice_bound.jpg {/IMAGE_TAG]

 

The presence of an IMG tag in this post, trying to display a file called Ice_Bound.jpg from //idisk.mac.com/nicmalone//Pictures

 

is causing an authentiaction required message to pop up if I try and view the thread.

 

Seems a password is required in some way.

 

I don't see the image.

 

Could you please investigate and correct - thanks!

Edited January 13, 2010 by alan_fincher