First winter aboard...

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nathanlee

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... and I'm really being dished a baptism of ice.

I picked up the evening standard on the way home after catching a glimpse of '-10 forecast'

Turns out I'm not to worry though as central London will only see -6. :|

I've order myself a weather station today just so I know how much I'm suffering /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

What's it like where you are?.. and please, if you're in the tropics, don't reply /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Pastie Country Lovely down here. At least + !. Dont know what everyone's complaining about. If ya cant take it ya shouldn't of joined /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
We have had snow/ice on deck since new-years eve and more is forecast tomorrow. It is a proper winter this year and we are burning a lot of expensive diesel to keep it at bay. On the bright side we have started planning for the summer sail and whenever I look across to Venice I can’t help smiling at how beautiful it is.
 
I sleep aboard my Pageant every weekend up in Harlepool, so I can empathise with you. I've been leaving a fan heater on low all night just to keep myself warm enough to fall asleep.

But last weekend I used my new sleeping bag, and for the first time I was as snug as a bug in a rug. Straight to sleep, warm as toast, fan heater not required. I was so comfy I slept for 10 hours solid.

So my advice would be, if you don't already have a good sleeping bag, forget the weather station /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
That's the reason I got a boat! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ok, I'm not in venice and I'm relying on the shore power to keep my important bits around 37 degrees, but that's not the point. I'm on a slow journey without a chunk of equity to back me up. It'll take a while and the suffering is on occasion annoying, but the benefits far outweigh the hardship. Annoyingly I don't remember that some days. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Still, I've got the eber being delivered this week so hopefully by the end of Jan I'll have it fitted and be self sustaining, or heating, at least.

Anyway, I'm going off on a rant. I'm warm in here, it's silly cold out there. The pontoon is making weird noises when the boat hits it, I'm listening to my favorite podcast, I have a nip of wine, and just had a good feed. Brilliant.

That said.

BRING ON THE SUMMER!
 
hi nathan

yes you are getting a baptism of fire, the temps are slowly getting lower , the gauge in the van said -3 just a minute ago!

On monday I washed my headsil down after sailing over new year and hoisted it to dry, half hour later i was shaking the ice out of it !

but my friend it could be worse !

You could be going jet skiing tommorow like me ! -5 forecast add to that a wind chill of god knows what at 60 knots, and YES I AM being paid ! and NO it is nt enough !
 
Slowly is the word. It took us a couple of years to move from plan to living aboard and then three more aboard in the UK before we got away. Education and work commitments (and the pull of Venice) mean we will remain here two years more before we get off for some longer-term sailing. But we intend to enjoy almost every minute of those years and some more.

Best wishes
 
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On monday I washed my headsil down after sailing over new year and hoisted it to dry, half hour later i was shaking the ice out of it !

[/ QUOTE ]

A well-known method of drying things in polar regions /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I'm 10 miles upriver from you and it's freezing. I've temporarily boarded up any remaining holes in the hull but still big gaps where the wheelhouse hasn't been built yet. All work outside on hold until the weekend or later coz it's too cold and I just stay in bed or round the fire doing some paid work. I try to get up at 5am to stoke up the fire but I'm already 3/4 of my way through the years coal stocks and need to do some work on the boat to get some more offcuts to burn.

Apart from that, life is great! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Arrrr Nathan lad, I reckon Oi've got 20 years on ye, since I spent my firrrrst fuckin awful winter aboard in the UK-1984 to be exact and I distinctly remember 2 sounds, firstly that of the ice cracking as the tide descended in Chichester harbour nightly, secondly the new-to-me- sound of SILENCE as I shook the kettle in the morning---yup, frozen solid, INSIDE the boat ! Not good.
Pot bellied stove here we come!
The thing to keep in mind, apart from all those financial savings and a bank account with an actual pulse,and just like a first 12 hour shift on a building site (or as I would guess, realtime software overhauls in your profession?), is that once you have 'done' it you know you can do it if necessary! If push comes to shxt. 99% of the Uk wouldna,couldna,......
How sad is this... Mine own second boat (and the one that I look back on most happily) was a Mk 2 Corribee and it didn't leak, drip, disintegrate, or sink on me,nor swallow outrageous and unjustifiable sums in maintenance. In fact it took me safely,enlighteningly(?) and above all enjoyably to the USA, basically because as I sat in my crappy old car in a Force 10 looking at the boat with the windscreen wipers and heaters strugling mightily, I could honestly see no reason why not to attempt the crossing in that vessel. BUT PLEASE NOTE. It had 100mm portholes and not those picture 'windows'..
I am distinctly envious of an Eber -wot next, Corr, power showers??
 
Brilliant /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Bloody luxury. It's been minus 7 every night for a fortnight here.

The wife can hardly crack the ice off her bike to go shopping for us.

Anyhow, the boat's warm inside. Outside we make our own amusement by organizing duck races on the frozen marina, bread used as hockey pucks. Can't upload the video; still, it couldn't be less entertaining than 3 Pratts on a Boat.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Arrrr Nathan lad

[/ QUOTE ]

haha. Thanks. That was a good post.

By Eber has just arrived by the way. It looks ok, but I've got to go and spend another £100 on accessories to fit the bloody thing now. Still, I do enjoy these little projects.

Power shower eh? Well, if I get one of those eber water heaters I could perhaps make a cockpit shower.

The question is, where on earth can I fit the sky TV dome?

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Last year we wintered in Chalon-sur-Saone, mid France and weathered temperatures down to -9 for over a month. far too cold so this year moved now to south West France, where until last week we were in sunshine at 15 degrees. However, last night reached the lowest at 2 degrees, cold but sunny. Day time now only managing 5 degrees. Still far too cold and like Mike_bryon burning far more expensive diesel than we ever imagined we would. But hey, it is sunny and have missed the snow most other parts of France have had.
 
We are on the canal Rhone du Sete, and yes I take back all I said yesterday about it being Warm! Lunch-time and it is snowing hard and temperature showing -2!! Even the dog has refused to go out.....brrr....
 
A little bird told me that that you were up at your Mums tucking into turkey roast and snuggling under a warm duvet /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
The boat was all boarded up when I popped around for a NY Noggin /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
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