Living on board through winter !

[DeanS]

If I had a car I would certainly be wanting to deliver some stuff to you MarkHez. Why not let the forum know where you are, and you might be surprised at the response. We all hate to see a boater in despair, and we all know the rule of paying it forward. Tomorrow it could be one of us.

[Naughty Cal]

Ladders should always be lashed in place anyway, for safety when climbing up or down.

 

To be fair they usually are. However i had moved them to get access to scrape the trim tabs and then had not tied them back on again when I went back aboard for breakfast

[She25]

 

If in a marina, put a small 60 Watt heater inside your engine bay to keep it from freezing up in there. Doesn't use much elec.

 

I ordered one of these yesterday. More to minimise condensation during the very cold weather in the engine room.

http://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk/coopers-of-stortford-45w-room-heater-with-cover-prodst08528i/

[MarkHez]

I made a genset with a honda lawnmower engine Engine for £30 from a local farm and a 75amp alternator for £10 from a breakers, much more useful to me than a 240v genny.

 

Thanks for all the offers of help, but I'm sure I'll be fine now I've got a way of getting domestic batteries charged. I can get supplies and things no problem (got a motorbike so can carry 20l water cans), and now I have the genny set up I have lighting (and a paraffin lamp). Boatman is a wood burning stove, I'm waiting for a phone call any day now saying it is ready!

 

Engine is a Perkins 4 cylinder diesel, it looks to me as though the diesel pump has failed, not an easy or cheap job with the engine bay layout how it is!

 

[DeanS]

I made a genset with a honda lawnmower engine Engine for £30 from a local farm and a 75amp alternator for £10 from a breakers, much more useful to me than a 240v genny.

 

Thanks for all the offers of help, but I'm sure I'll be fine now I've got a way of getting domestic batteries charged. I can get supplies and things no problem (got a motorbike so can carry 20l water cans), and now I have the genny set up I have lighting (and a paraffin lamp). Boatman is a wood burning stove, I'm waiting for a phone call any day now saying it is ready!

 

Engine is a Perkins 4 cylinder diesel, it looks to me as though the diesel pump has failed, not an easy or cheap job with the engine bay layout how it is!

 

 

You definately seem to be a "survival expert"...nice genset )

[MarkHez]

When I said no way of getting to water points, I meant to fill the boat tanks up in one go, 20l cans are alright for drinking water and I just use canal and stream water for the toilet.

[Bettie Boo]

When I said no way of getting to water points, I meant to fill the boat tanks up in one go, 20l cans are alright for drinking water and I just use canal and stream water for the toilet.

 

So glad to hear it's not quite as bad as it first sounded, but in the meantime do let us know if there is anything anyone can do to assist; though as Dean has said, it sounds like your quite a McGiver in your own wright

[Pykebird]

Luckily I have the option of a 1 or 2 dog night situation, depending on how cold it gets! Just need to work out a way of sneaking out to use the loo and not loosing my space! Try moving 30-50 kilos of hairy dog when its snoring.

[blackrose]

-4c in my bedroom the other day!

F*ck that for a laugh!

[Starcoaster]

Consider using film to insulate your windows with another layer in the winter if they are apt to be draughty- you can buy a special product, or just tape up clingfilm!

 

If the areas where you step onto and off your boat are going to be slippery in bad weather and are not already treated with some kind of non-slip paint, you're probably not going to find this out until its too late, and you need to take your life in your hands getting on and off. For a couple of quid, you can buy adhesive grit-topped roles of tape that stick well enough to metal and wood to last at least a couple of winters, and that you can stick in strips on areas prone to becoming lethal to make entry and exit safer. Nb, this stuff may potentially bring paint off with it when/if you remove it.

 

If you have to use slippery surfaces such as pontoons or concreted areas in order to get to and from your boat and no one else but you is liable to de-ice these, a giant bag of grit cat litter (ie, not wood or sawdust!) can be used to help to make them non-slippery, and without risking antifreezing agents getting rinsed into the canal.

 

Related to the above point, if you do actually have a cat that uses a litter tray, stock up on cat litter in advance of the big freeze! Not only is it one of the most inconvenient and yet often overlooked things to run out of in a freeze, but due to all the non cat owners buying it up to use to grit paths, it can end up being in short supply!

 

If you are the servant of a cat that does not usually use a litter tray and goes outside, bear in mind that snow, ice and horrific weather, conditions getting on and off the boat (such as if your area is prone to flooding and severe changes in water height) can make said cat either reluctant or physically unable to get in and out to drop the kids off at the pool. Invest in an emergency litter tray and cat litter for this reason.

 

Take care that pets such as cats and dogs do not view ice on the canal as the green light to walk on it in pursuit of ducks etc. This can easily end in drowning. Nip it in the bud early on if your pet looks apt to try their luck. Even if the ice is thick enough to hold them this time, it may not be in future, and they will still assume it is safe to walk on due to prior experience.

[rgreg]

Consider using film to insulate your windows with another layer in the winter if they are apt to be draughty- you can buy a special product, or just tape up clingfilm!

 

 

Very good advice indeed. One of the best £10 we spent was on insulating film for the windows; we now have no condensation on the windows and the improvement in temperature is significant.

 

[jollymoggy]

Well we moved onboard just as the winter was starting, now its really here and its been interesting to say the least. At the start our diesel stove worked great but after a while it kept getting blocked, so i've replaced it with a wood burner. I now go for a daily walk with a shopping basket collecting old wood, no problem keeping it alight even when the wood is quite damp. I find just getting it going first with dry wood then you can add any damp wood to the top. Overall I haven't really found winter that bad so far, the noise and rocking took a bit of getting used too; worrying i might sink

[StarUKKiwi]

Blimey. We dont carry that much food onboard.

The wonders of Tupperware and we cook mostly from scratch, so I have a pantry of dried goods, stacked in Tupperware

[MarkHez]

F*ck that for a laugh!

The joys of fibreglass boats with no heating

[Jim Batty]

Inexpensive Firelighters from Wilkinsons: http://www.wilko.com/fireside-accessories/wilko-firelighters-x-14/invt/5574440

 

Discovered these this year and they are good. 14-pack for 50p. Two of them will set a fire alight, three is a nice luxury when you want to make sure the thing lights. If you are expert with kindling and coal placement on top, you can use one!

[Sea Dog]

The joys of fibreglass boats with no heating

 

I once fitted a solid fuel stove in a canoe when I was winter fishing, but the damn thing melted it's way through the boat's bottom and I sank in ice cold water.

 

My own fault really. My Missus did say "you can't have your kayak and heat it*

[blackrose]

I think one or two posts on this thread demonstrate quite well that it's actually in summer when the quality of your life aboard in winter will be determined.

 

If you need to fit a new stove for example, the time to install it is in summer. You don't wait until winter to do the things that will make your life more bearable, because by then it's often too late.

[blackrose]

 

I once fitted a solid fuel stove in a canoe when I was winter fishing, but the damn thing melted it's way through the boat's bottom and I sank in ice cold water.

 

My own fault really. My Missus did say "you can't have your kayak and heat it*

 

I think you'd better get your coat...

[Chagall]

The joys of fibreglass boats with no heating

Im on the Lancaster if you need anything I can help with

[Sabcat]

I think one or two posts on this thread demonstrate quite well that it's actually in summer when the quality of your life aboard in winter will be determined.

 

If you need to fit a new stove for example, the time to install it is in summer. You don't wait until winter to do the things that will make your life more bearable, because by then it's often too late.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1DgihKHVI

[Tom Richmond]

I took my stove out in September, aware that I was cutting it pretty fine! Had it back in (having replaced floor beneath) by mid Oct, just in time for the first evening that dropped below 10deg. Couldn't imagine not having it now... It has only been out once since November and that was while I was away over Christmas and New Year!

 

Regarding firelighters, while I do keep some for emergencies, I regard it as somewhat of a challenge to try not to use them. Three balls of newspaper, a healthy handful of kindling, and slowly feed larger bits of wood on. I usually try and burn through a few logs before I load up with coal. I like to think that this practice means I will be able to cope if I ever find myself without firelighters in an emergency...

 

If you have a solid fuel stove going all the time, use it to cook on (and in). I currently have a brace of potatoes wrapped in foil inside mine, and only yesterday finished off a rolling stew pot which fed me for several days, with a selection of different ingredients added each time it got low. Top magic ingredients for a slow cooking stew: port, chorizo and whole garlic cloves.

 

I have always followed Bizzards advice above about the hose, to push the water through before storing it, even in summer. It takes a little effort, but has several advantages. The hose has no water inside, so is nice and light. There is nothing to freeze in bad weather. No water inside means less to go manky and mouldy if left for a while (particularly if you leave it on the roof in the sun as I do), though I still make sure to rinse it through thoroughly before sticking it in my tank. But best of all, if you have no water in the hose, there is no risk of spraying yourself with the loose end while you unravel! The risk does return of course when you attach it to a tap...

[BlueStringPudding]

Save on your battery usage by storing meat/dairy in a sealed container outside so you don't need to run the fridge

 

If you leave the boat for any length of time, turn off the water and open all taps and the shower to reduce risk of pipes freezing and splitting

 

Collect sticks for kindling whenever it's dry out, because the one day the fire won't light will be the one day you run out of kindling and it's raining outside

 

Make sure your header tank is topped up with diluted antifreeze and that any radiators are bled to keep your heating working when you need it and to avoid anything freezing or an airlock in your heating system damaging pipework/joints

 

Keep a kettle on the multifuel stove so you can fill a hot water bottle at bedtime without needing to use the cooker

 

Empty your ashpan regularly, and sweep the flue more frequently than you think you need to

 

On days when it's very windy outside, your fire might burn hotter than usual. Keep an eye on it and turn down the vent a bit more than usual, especially if it's unsupervised

Edited January 16, 2015 by BlueStringPudding

[blackrose]

I don't think you need to open all the taps, just a couple to release the pressure in the system. You'll get the same amount of water out of the system whether you open 2 or 6 taps. I normally open 1 cold and 1 hot. Also if you isolate the water tank you must turn the pump off too.

[BlueStringPudding]

Good point about the pump - mine is always off as default out of habit. But most people's system's won't be.

 

I always open all my taps - except this Christmas I forgot, and the whole bally lot froze up

Edited January 16, 2015 by BlueStringPudding

[DeanS]

Collect sticks for kindling whenever it's dry out, because the one day the fire won't light will be the one day you run out of kindling and it's raining outside

 

That is so terribly true..lol