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CC'íng during winter months....crazy?


soenghei

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As precursor to buying my own craft, I'm considering 6-months narrowboat rental for CC'ing the network this winter.

And I have found a few companies who offer long term rentals over winter.


But the majority of replies to my inquiries are along the lines of ... "don't" due to C&RT stoppages, risks of icing in, take a winter mooring instead, etc...


But I'm sure plenty of people do keep going all year...any views/advice for those who do?

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Hi

 

Winter is by FAR the best time to boat. There are far less boaters and gongoozlers blocking the system. Planning is the essence to avoid planned stoppages and ensure you can get to a waterpoint whatever happens. Keep your eye on the weather especialy for long spells of very cold when the boat can get solidly iced in and that can be a problem if you havnt planned for it.

We bought our first boat blind in november of our first year and lived cruising our first winter on the aire and calder.

It was fab.

Go for it.

 

Tim

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As precursor to buying my own craft, I'm considering 6-months narrowboat rental for CC'ing the network this winter.

And I have found a few companies who offer long term rentals over winter.

 

But the majority of replies to my inquiries are along the lines of ... "don't" due to C&RT stoppages, risks of icing in, take a winter mooring instead, etc...

 

But I'm sure plenty of people do keep going all year...any views/advice for those who do?

 

We love cruising in the winter. It's quiet and everything takes on a different character. Stoppages may be your biggest issue so check this web page and plan well ahead. Have fun.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/winter/

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As precursor to buying my own craft, I'm considering 6-months narrowboat rental for CC'ing the network this winter.
And I have found a few companies who offer long term rentals over winter.
But the majority of replies to my inquiries are along the lines of ... "don't" due to C&RT stoppages, risks of icing in, take a winter mooring instead, etc...
But I'm sure plenty of people do keep going all year...any views/advice for those who do?

 

 

I don't think you can complain if a hire company refuses you during winter. But if you can hire one long term to CC during the winter go for it, but with careful forward planning on above mentioned limitations.

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We don't CC, but we do winter cruise for maybe a couple of months at a time. Actually, I think it might just be my favourite time. We've been frozen in for 10 days, and we've had to change plans to avoid a further bout of it when were heading north, but in a well insulated boat with 2 sources of heat, we've had no other issues weather based issues with winter cruising.

 

This winter we failed to achieve it as we couldn't find a way around the stoppage maze which, in my experience, seems to be getting get worse lately. For example, in the main stoppage season of Dec to Mar, for 2013 Tardebigge was closed but there was an open weekend in mid Feb which allowed passage either side of 2 x 6 week closures. Same again in 2014. However, last year the open weekend was dropped and there wasn't one on the proposals for this winter either, so the popular Worcester and Birmingham canal was impassable for approx 3 months and looks like it will be again.

 

It seems to me that, where there's routes A & B to somewhere, rather than one being closed leaving the other route open, they now think little of closing both at the same time. There are many more experienced winter cruisers than me though, and they may say twas ever thus!

 

However, if you're content just to be out and can find an area which allows enough movement for your enjoyment and well-being, there's no reason not to get yourself there for the winter. I think it's pretty much down to what journey you're trying to achieve.

 

I hope it works out well for you. :)

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All of the above. Have a really careful look at the planned stoppage list but be aware that unplanned stoppages can get sneaked in later. As well as water, pumpout/elsan, don't forget coal & gas. If you don't have a car you need to be on a stretch with some sort of boatyard/marina that'll sell you heavy stuff like that off the dockside. If you're stuck by stoppages or thick ice, so is the fuel-boat.

Ice-breaking is fun, but be aware that the 2mm thick stuff that you set off "tinkling" through, can become over an inch thick half a mile down the cut. Thick ice makes steering awkward.

Be considerate to other winter CCs, don't overhog the easy spots, and be prepared to take your turn on the muddy towpath moorings. Have wellies.

Enjoy the glorious cruising on a sunny, crisp winter's day.

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it's fine, as others have said stoppages are a problem, but thats just planning. Icing hasn't been a problem for the 2 years I've done.

And again as others have said, it's lovely in the winter when most are back in their marinas, there's no faffing trying to get a decent spot near a car park or pub as all the spots are free!

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it's fine, as others have said stoppages are a problem, but thats just planning. Icing hasn't been a problem for the 2 years I've done.

And again as others have said, it's lovely in the winter when most are back in their marinas, there's no faffing trying to get a decent spot near a car park or pub as all the spots are free!

 

Not down here on the K&A they're not. They're all reserved for CRT winter moorings!

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As others have said, if i had a choice i would take a summer mooring and CC in the winter!

What area are you wanting to spend the winter?[/

 

Agree 100% .....autumn, winter,and spring fantastic...summer; batten down the hatches or head for the quiet spots...no im not saying where they are!!

  • Greenie 1
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Not down here on the K&A they're not. They're all reserved for CRT winter moorings!

Sounds rubbish given the price of a winter mooring last year. After my initial winter trip from Ely I haven't moved around much. I was referring to the always reasonably busy GU near Milton Keynes, much quieter in the winter making trolleying 100kg of water from the van to the boat much easier!

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As precursor to buying my own craft, I'm considering 6-months narrowboat rental for CC'ing the network this winter.

And I have found a few companies who offer long term rentals over winter.

 

But the majority of replies to my inquiries are along the lines of ... "don't" due to C&RT stoppages, risks of icing in, take a winter mooring instead, etc...

 

But I'm sure plenty of people do keep going all year...any views/advice for those who do?

 

Kate boats have boats out in winter.
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Agreed with all the above, boating in the winter is fab.

 

All I would add is make sure you hire a boat with a wood/solid fuel burning stove. Some hire bases have them, Norbury for one.

 

Then you will understand why boaters laugh when asked "Does it get cold on those boats in winter?"

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At Theale, Woolhampton, Thatcham, Kintbury & Hungerford, the VMs were 50% Winter Mooring. Not all spaces were taken all the time.

 

 

Beg to differ. All the VMs at Kintbury were winter moorings. And most if not all at Hungerford. I was there, negotiating the mud, and reading all the WM licences in the boat windows!

I'd have loved to have had WM on the K&A but the full length WMs were all sold out. EVERYWHERE.

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Differ as much as you like, I was there too & read all the towpath signs. At Kintbury, for example, the winter moorings started west of the workboat space. Between the water point and the workboat was normal VM. Some boats, (locals know who they were), may have been taking the wosname.

  • Greenie 1
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Differ as much as you like, I was there too & read all the towpath signs. At Kintbury, for example, the winter moorings started west of the workboat space. Between the water point and the workboat was normal VM. Some boats, (locals know who they were), may have been taking the wosname.

 

 

Actually, come to think about it you're right. There is another poster here who stayed on the first space past the water point for 15 days and got a shirty email from CRT.

 

This couldn't have happened if ALL the space at Kintbury was WM. My apologies!

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