The big freeze

Published: Wednesday, 08 December 2010

RESIDENT boaters and continuous cruisers will need little reminding that we are in a big freeze, as the waterways are well frozen.

Reports from the entire network are of boats frozen-in, and boaters struggling to get even essential supplies as the towpaths, and in many cases, nearby roads are impassible.

Frozen taps

Water is the most reported problem—lack of it, with those who usually move their boats to water points unable to do so, and those residents in marinas faced with frozen taps.  The problem at marinas is that the services of power and water are both fed under the jetties, and the water pipes are frozen.

Our contributors are telling of their experiences, with one, Jim Cracken, stuck on the Trent & Mersey Canal without water as the nearby water point is frozen, pleased that a local has taken pity on him and allowing Jim to fill his containers, though it means a trudge through the ice and snow for about half a mile.

Tripping out

With many resident marina boaters resorting to electric fan heaters and the like to keep their boats warm, in many cases the extra demand is proving too much for for the supply, resulting in the power tripping out due to overload.  Ian Gittins, one of our regular contributors complained:

"Though our stove is quite sufficient in a normal situation, at about 10 degrees below freezing it is not too good, so we have purchased a electric heater as a back-up, but it seems others in the marina have too, and the supply is not enough, so it keeps going off. Nothing can be done about it."

Cannot move

The great problem of course with ice is that boats cannot move, with another of our regular contributors, Helen Spinkwater, telling us:

"I'm stuck out in the wilds of the Shroppie miles from anywhere, and supplies are dwindling, and can only hope the canal thaws enough for me to get to Brewood before too long."

All over the country boaters are iced-in, with the picture showing Mackbar, at Gloucester, whose owner Graham spends most of his summers at sea, John Chard tells us, but buys a licence to winter here every year.

He was a narrowboater until a few years ago, and comes onto the Gloucester & Sharpness to winter, but wasn't expecting to be iced-in.

We wonder about those who took notice of of idyllic scenes of waterway living portrait on Waterworld, and took the plunge, think about it now?