Preparation for the future is essential, and something many of us put off but we can’t. We have been getting ready for winter as the first winter storms chivvy us.
Getting a full-time liveaboard boat winter ready is very different from prepping a house or a car or a boat that sits in a marina.
Already this year I’ve heard about 10 times “It must be so cold on a boat in winter”, but if we get things right and plan ahead, it’s anything but… We are both sitting in t-shirts as I write.
We don’t have central heating, but our trusty Morso Squirrel multifuel stove which is located at the far end of the living area. As it’s our main source of heat we keep it going 24/7 from now until the end of winter. We are already foraging twigs and sticks as we walk the dog in dry spells. That cuts down the need to buy kindling or firelighters for the times we have to relight the fire if we’ve been out for any long period of time.
To keep the stove lit requires fuel, and we burn mainly smokeless Excel, with some foraged wood. Last year as prices were incredibly volatile, we were invested in buying a tonne of bagged Excel up front and were fortunate to have the generous loan of a garage to keep it in until we needed it. We got to summer with 8 of our 50 20kg bags remaining. Those are doing us nicely as we start to move into winter, although it hasn’t been bitterly cold yet despite the four storms that have moved over the UK since September.
We are almost at the end of our fuel, so we’ve ordered some from the coalboat Calisto that supplies the route where we’re currently moored. It should be passing us early next week, and if we’re out for any reason, walking the dog, shopping, Mark will just drop the bags of smokeless Excel ordered on our roof. This really is remarkable service – couldn’t be easier, and the coalboats that plie the waterways supplying coal, diesel in many cases and gas, are a lifeline for boaters.
Not only do we need to think about heating, but insulation (and ventilation too). In terms of insulation things will be a bit different for us this winter. In past years we’ve used secondary double glazing to help keep the heat generated by the stove, in the boat. This year though much of the acrylic sheet secondary glazing snapped and shattered when we were moving it from the main windows and the bathroom – victims of old age and good service. We could replace it for the four windows that are bereft this year, but we are nearly on target with our savings towards new windows, so as they will negate the need for secondary glazing anywhere, we don’t want to waste cash in the short term.
Winter also reduces the amount of solar our roof top panels generate. Maximising generation opportunities along with avoiding dangers in storms does influence how we move and where we moor at this time of year. Wooded areas are out. Dangers of trees falling in high winds and/or creating shade spots are things of which we are very aware.
Storm avoidance is impossible, but minimising impact by thoughtful mooring and not taking routes which are prone to issues can help. This year we had aimed to head for Loughborough which meant mooring on the River Soar, but heavy rains brought by Storm Aiden in October, Storm Babet and hot on her heels Storm Ciaran last month and now Debi topping up the water levels, have changed plans. We are keeping off the rivers, even if we could get onto them, and sticking to the canals for now. Canals are more regulated in terms of water flow and whilst towpaths may well end up as muddy tracks, they tend not to be flooded as moorings on rivers can be, both riverside or in marinas.
Winter is a time for living differently on board as Boatdog is discovering on her first winter afloat. Stews and casseroles cook gently on the stove, potatoes bake in its depths, and we craft and read more, working inside more than outside. Walks are brisk, running is a great way of generating body heat. Like the birds and animals around us, our circadian rhythms mean we sleep more, responding to the hours of dark and light. We enjoy the change of pace, the more measured movement.
It is as the traveller and writer Paul Theroux said, an important time for us all. “Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.” It is a time for us, a time to think, to plan ahead, to hunker down away from the storms but also a time to look after and nuture ourselves, so we’re stocking up on coal and chocolate to cover all eventualities that storm Elin may bring whenever she appears!
Pickingupducks 