Crunchy boating!

[No Regrets]

Today was interesting, as I turned No Regrets into an Icebreaker!

Now surprisingly to all you nasty Broom and Stevens owners (You know who you are, especially the latter...) the little Birchwood's hull is made from pretty stern stuff, and was unfazed from all the Ice.

And there WAS Ice /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Geting out of the Marina was fun, the little vessels steering being quite badly affected by the Ice, which was around half an inch thick, but once on the River, it was sublime!

We went out for an hour with the new owners as a kind of handover session really, and managed to impress him with an immaculate berthing manouevre involving a hundred foot reverse through the Icefield into a very restricted corner berth (Fluke! Fluke!)

Highlight of the day was our first trip aboard Nephthys, our new Broom-to-be, which plundered through the Ice a in a slightly more stately fashion, until Brian the current owner handed over the upper helm and I unleashed the vicious power of the Perkins 4.108 upon the residents of Bray-upon-Thames.

Things will never be the same.... /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

The Broom was really nice. Almost silent, a pathetic doddle to helm and with a great view from our first proper Flybridge ('proper' as in we weren't sitting on the rook steering with my feet, that is...)

Even the Dog didn't fancy his chances on the Ice!

So that was our last cruise upon No Regrets, and the end of another boating chapter for us too.

The next one starts February /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[sidney]

Wish I had a camera today. Penton was also iced over and went on to red around mid-day. Debated whether to crunch the ice, but thought about it............ and decided to head home! Pity as the sun shone and having ventured out yesterday on a far chillier day could have done with a spot of sailing. Still only a few months to the spring! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[peterlondon]

Looking at the weather forecast we are due for several days where the overnight temp is forecast to drop to -5 or even -7 in the Thames Valley.

Lets hope those engine room heaters keep on working.

 

[Athene V30]

Crunching the ice - won't you end up with loads of fine scratches at the waterline? Then over the summer this will be a nice place for nature to catch on and discolour the topsides.

 

[byron]

If you look carefully in the first photograph you will see me there, I am even waving at you. Hawaiian shirt, Bermuda shorts and flip flops.

Can't see me? look again, look at te plane in the sky, I am at the 1st window in first class.

 

[bradtarga34]

our marina was frozen over as well, what a weird sound the boat makes as it creeps along breaking it. Our friends on two rebels had a good idea of standing at the bow and using one of the ball fenders as a demolition ball to break the ice!

 

[Gavi]

[ QUOTE ]
our marina was frozen over as well, what a weird sound the boat makes as it creeps along breaking it. Our friends on two rebels had a good idea of standing at the bow and using one of the ball fenders as a demolition ball to break the ice!

[/ QUOTE ]

A trick learnt on grass? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[teddington_lock]

-6 at Tedders last night , the lock cut from the bridge to the gates is frozen. It's not really melting in the daytime either .

The side by the barge lock is probably an inch thick , launch lock side is thinner because of boats breaking it up ( admittedly not many ) .

The barge lock itself started freezing last night , probably half an inch thick by dawn.

I tried to break the ice in the cut by pulling the sluices at about 4am last night , in theory the water level drop should break it . It made the most incredible noise , you could hear the ice shattering travelling away from the lock , a very strange sound indeed. Frozen again by dawn though !

Watching ducks skittering about on the ice is amusing ...

 

[apollo]

Or you could give the boat a little welly and let the waves overtake you...... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Hopefully nobody from EA listening - a mate told me that of course wouldnt do it myself you understand..!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Gavi]

A friend went skiffing this morning (mad). Apparently they decided to "icebreak" up to Old Windsor Lock. Good idea, but then... they couldn't get the blades in the water to get out /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[bradtarga34]

a picture of our marina this morning, I was going to walk down to the boat and have a quick check, but with smooth soled work shoes thought better of it... [image]

[/image]

 

[thamesS23]

I assume that bray marina is probably the same, ie frozen solid. If that is the case, is there any danger to the boat that could be caused by being surrounded by ice?
I have the heaters installed in the engine bay and cabin, so not worried about that, more concerned incase I should be aware of any other dangers, ie damage to outside surface

 

[Brayman]

Most danger comes from other boaters moving their boats which then makes the ice move and, as has been mentioned above, some damage/scratches to your hull may be experienced.
My marina bans all movement of boats in these conditios.