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Ice on GU/Oxford?


Tigerr

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Don't see why anyone who doesn't want to should have to move their boats in the severe part of the winter, any chance of freezing up, or of slipping off icy lock gates should be a genuine safely risk for older or more vunerable

people. Those who can't manage should be given free winter moorings.

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but CRT have published that you shouldnt move in ice and rightly so too.

Out of interest, what did they say about it and where? Not a great fan of ice breaking but have certainly done it with fairly thin ice. Did you mean "shouldn't move" or "shouldn't have to move"?

Edited by nicknorman
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I haven't seen anything in writing from CRT saying that boats "shouldn't move" on a frozen canal.

 

The question of whether you "shouldn't have to move" is addressed in the guidelines for boats without a home mooring in the section which interprets "14 days or such longer period as is reasonable in the circumstances", where "impassable ice" is given as one example of such a "reasonable circumstance".

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Out of interest, what did they say about it and where? Not a great fan of ice breaking but have certainly done it with fairly thin ice. Did you mean "shouldn't move" or "shouldn't have to move"?

Ice breaking

Don’t cruise if the ice is thick. It’s hard work for your engine and may damage the hull of your craft and others. And of course, never be tempted to walk on the canal when it’s frozen.

have a look here

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/navigating-the-waterways-boating/boat-handling/winter-cruising

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Ice breaking

Don’t cruise if the ice is thick. It’s hard work for your engine and may damage the hull of your craft and others. And of course, never be tempted to walk on the canal when it’s frozen.

have a look here

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/navigating-the-waterways-boating/boat-handling/winter-cruising

 

That doesn't mean don't cruise in ice at all though does it?

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We were surprised yesterday to see how thick the ice now is on the Berkhamsted stretch of the GU.

 

So I'm not surprised today to see an announcement from Phil on coal boat Hyperion that they are stuck at Rickmansworth, having decided it is not currently practical to try and meet their delivery schedule.

 

If the coal boat has now temporarily given up, I suggest most others will have already done so!

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Won't be for long. Its getting milder today and into the weekend.

 

Dunno!

 

If you had believed the forecasts early this weekend it should have cleared where we have the boats in the Weedon area of the GU (Northamptonshire). Boats were moving for a while, albeit noisily.

 

However despite what the forecasts had said only a day or so previously we then had one of the Coldest nights I have witnessed, and it was well frozen over again by the next day.

 

To my relief, I thought we were going to have to move a boat up to the Northern Oxford this week. I'm glad plans changed, because I would certainly have cried off.

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but CRT have published that you shouldnt move in ice and rightly so too.

 

No they do not say that, what they actually say is that you should not cruise cruise if the ice is thick. What they do not suggest is how thick the ice should be before you remain stationary.

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any chance of ... slipping off icy lock gates should be a genuine safely risk for older or more vunerable people.

 

I don't see that this sort of thing is anything less than a "genuine safety risk" even for young, fit people. I mean, yes, the risk of serious injury from minor slips/falls is more-or-less negligible for young, fit people, but a fall into an icy canal, or a working lock, is a serious business for anyone.

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Dunno!

 

If you had believed the forecasts early this weekend it should have cleared where we have the boats in the Weedon area of the GU (Northamptonshire). Boats were moving for a while, albeit noisily.

 

 

Boats like yours (and ours) don't know any other way!

 

(I'm pleased to say).

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No they do not say that, what they actually say is that you should not cruise cruise if the ice is thick. What they do not suggest is how thick the ice should be before you remain stationary.

I've no doubt the NBTA is trying to establish an infringement of human rights if it's more than 1mm thick.

 

Frozen over in Loughborough for the first time this morning !!

Edited by matty40s
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I've no doubt the NBTA is trying to establish an infringement of human rights if it's more than 1mm thick.

 

Frozen over in Loughborough for the first time this morning !!

 

 

I'd have thought given the risk of falling into a lock and drowning is always present whatever the weather, the NBTA should be campaigning for all movement of boats to be banned permanently.

  • Greenie 1
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We are at Dutton. Cold, bloomin' cold. Took the dogs for a wonder, round the bend there's ice, very thin ice. Nah! Not moving today.

 

Got back to boat, tucking into porridge and lo and behold, a boat passes us. All to their own I say. We don't 'need' to move,so won't.

 

Water may be an issue in a day or two though.

 

Martyn

Edited by Nightwatch
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