Three views of snow through the Galley window in narrowboat Silverdale.
rp – peace and narrowboats
Pontoon In Snow
In Came the Snow 2021 and it left the pontoon as hard as iron and water like a stone…
With the Marina frozen, the natural toing and froing of the narrowboats moored therein stopped. Instead of the natural susurration of the hull in water, we were treated to a banging, each time the wind moved the boat.
We had been expecting to be gripped in place but this was not the case. The fenders normally stopped the boat from banging against the pontoon it was moored to. However, the ice stopped the boat getting near. It was a combination of the water underneath the ice, a small gap between boat and ice and the wind. Other boaters commented on the phenomenon.
rp – peace and narrowboats
In Came the Snow 2021
In came the snow and ice in 2021. Is it cold on a narrowboat? Yes, it’s bl**dy freezing when it’s sub-zero temperatures outside, it’s first thing in the morning and the stove’s gone out!
However, once the fire’s lit (third time lucky , fourth time lucky…), the Webasto is fired up and we’ve got thick jumpers on, it’s lovely.
To be fair, we had plenty of warning. So, we had stocked up on coal (smokeless fuel) for the stove and diesel for the Central heating.
I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of snow and cold. “Everything looks so beautiful”, “I love a walk in the cold”, “It’s so invigorating”. I’m more “We’re gonna need more coal and diesel – it’s going to be expensive”, “The towpath will be un-traversable due to the mud”, “When’s it going to warm up?”.
But, for the sake of dispelling my churlishness, here are a few images. They are from the Marina, as in came the snow in 2021
The snow has all gone now, it never hangs around long and some warmer weather is among us.
rp – peace and narrowboats
Rain In-between Two Boats
Braunston – Cold Morning
Braunston – a cold morning. The fog hung in the air and cold seeped into everywhere.
rp – peace and narrowboats
Moving Silverdale – ‘fill her up’
Moving Silverdale – ‘fill her up’.
A visual documentary of our last journey of the year lol! We move to get fuel, out of Whilton Marina, onto The Cut (sort of) and back – a few hundred yards. Perfect day for it tho’ – no wind, no rain and no boaters (The Buckby Flight is closed for repairs). She handled really well, we really enjoyed moving Silverdale.
rp – peace and narrowboats
Autumn on the Marina
An image of Autumn on the marina
rp – peace and narrowboats
Autumn Canal
Autumn Canal – The Grand Union canal between Whilton and Weedon in November 2020.
rp – peace and narrowboats
Autumn into Winter on the Canal
Autumn into Winter – a short walk along the Grand Union Canal on a carpet of leaves as Winter approaches.
rp – peace and Narrowboats
A Misty Marina Morning
A view out across the marina on one of the first misty mornings of Winter, as the sun comes out.
rp – peace and narrowboats