Weather!

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Anwen

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Around 20cm of snow on the ground here in Miskin, and no chance of getting to the boat in Swansea just to check on things. So much for leaving the boat in the water to try and get out a bit during the winter months...

I'm actually a bit worried, as I left the boat last time without setting the frost protection heater up, and so all of the water system is likely to be frozen. The last time this happened, all was OK except for the head on the cockpit shower cracking. Has anyone ever had their calorifier freeze?
 
I was down Swansea marina on Tuesday and was surprised to see that the water was frozen in most of Phase 2.

We were caught out with water freezing in our previous boat back in the spring. We had been staying onboard for a weekend at the beginning of March and I didnt drain the calorifier at the end of the weekend. We had a couple of frost heaters located by the engine and one by the fresh water tank but the marina power had tripped when everything froze during that week. Luckily I had left the galley mixer tap open so I imagine that the water froze out of the tap.

No damage was done to the calorifier but there was some water in the bilge below it so I imagine as the water froze at the top of the calorifier the water at the bottom was forced out of the pressure relief.

Ian
 
Last week I was surprised to discover that whilst my bilge water had not frozen the exterior water pipes on the engine were frozen solid (within Cardiff Bay - so fresh water). Desperate to discover what damage had been done I set about stripping the most accessable parts of the engine (raw water cooled Yanmar 3GM30), 4 hours later I was satisfied that the internal waterways were not fully frozen, just a few crystals. So I thawed out the external pipes and started the engine up, it would appear no damage was done. After an hour or so chugging about to check it out, I ran some antifreeze though it, so hopefully I'll have no further problems until I use it again.
 
Weather

DeepJoy said:
Around 20cm of snow on the ground here in Miskin, and no chance of getting to the boat in Swansea just to check on things. So much for leaving the boat in the water to try and get out a bit during the winter months...

I'm actually a bit worried, as I left the boat last time without setting the frost protection heater up, and so all of the water system is likely to be frozen. The last time this happened, all was OK except for the head on the cockpit shower cracking. Has anyone ever had their calorifier freeze?
Click to expand...

I hope to get down Sunday (19.12.10) Jon. I usually pop down at least once a week. I will have a quick look over from the outside - in fact I always look as I walk past. I will let you know.
Fair winds,
Lancelot
 
Water system has been frozen on my Princess for the last three weeks despite tube heaters in various strategic places all over the boat. Calorifier heater is still on to stop that freezing. Think it might be just the water pump. Lets hope eh. Boat is sitting in Portishead, it was all still frozen when I left it earlier in the week (including the marina itself, salt water).
Friends of mine on a boat on the G&S, first year year they have ever had their water frozen.
Thinks it been a cold one this year!!! Going to the boat in a couple of days to survey any damage.
 
Who ordered the fresh snow in Cardiff today? Luckily it hasn't settled too much, just a dusting on the cars to scrape off tomorrow morning for the return to the 9-5 ball and chain . . . best set the alarm clock 5 minutes earlier!
 
....and just in time to cause chaos at the airports. Unfortunately I work in another country during the week and the last few weeks have been a living hell. Can't wait for the new boating season and better weather to arrive.....
 
Thanks for the update Csail. No guessing which day I will be trying to return to the UK. :-(. It's snowing heavily in Norway currently but it doesnt bother them, nothing grinds to a halt
 
Looks like we got lucky, and certainly in Miskin, it was heavy rain rather than snow.

I finally made it to the boat just after New Year, and all was OK. The water system had defrosted, the engine was OK (ran for an hour without problem) and the only damage was the cockpit shower head which had split open when it froze. Another few quid to Penguin Engineering at the Boat Show, and all should be well. Phew!
 
Weather wasn't too good today, got the impression I was the only boat in the channel when I ran works survey catamaran from Penarth to Avonmouth this morning! :D
 
Rafiki is parked at Tewkesbury. The marina has just thawed, was frozen for a record 42 days. 4 boats sank due to frost damage, sea cocks, engine heat exchangers etc. not good!!
 
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