Icy dawn

[rgreg]

Icy dawn on the Lancaster this morning

[8 Hairy Feet]

brrr ....it's a wee bit parky this side

too!

 

[Dr Bob]

Bit of ice on the GU near Braunston as well, not as bad as your pic shows though.

[mrsmelly]

Fab weather innitt  Stoves glowing sat ere with my T shirt on. Quite breezy ere in Staffordshire at present but fab weather.

[ditchcrawler]

Same on the Macc but clearing at the edges now in bright sun, the weather station clocked -5.6 last night on the roof

 

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Fab weather innitt  Stoves glowing sat ere with my T shirt on. Quite breezy ere in Staffordshire at present but fab weather.

Bet your glad your not a continuous cruiser any more and not out on the cut like us hobby boaters.

[Dr Bob]

11 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Same on the Macc but clearing at the edges now in bright sun, the weather station clocked -5.6 last night on the roof

 

Bet your glad your not a continuous cruiser any more and not out on the cut like us hobby boaters.

What are you doing out on the roof?

I just stayed inside.

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

What are you doing out on the roof?

I just stayed inside.

I'll rise, the readout is inside 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Passing over the Rochdale summit this morning there was about a half inch layer of ice. 

(The summit, according to the info board, is the highest broad canal at 600ft above sea level.)

 

[dmr]

Its fine on the Weaver (though was a bit chilly outside).

I do wonder if the Weaver contains a bit of salt as its the only river that the dog refuses to drink.

............Dave

[ditchcrawler]

The thickest ice we came through today was about 8mm, a lot was 4mm or less. Again the temperature dropped below freezing after 10 o'clock here at Kidsgrove there was hardly any.

[mross]

One of the amazing quirks of nature is the relationship between water's temperature and its density.  From 100 deg C down to 4 deg C the density rises, but fro 4 deg C to 0  deg C it drops again.  As the canal starts to freeze the coldest water rises.  This is why canals freeze over at the surface and warmer water sinks.  This allows aquatic life to survive!

[dmr]

4 minutes ago, mross said:

One of the amazing quirks of nature is the relationship between water's temperature and its density.  From 100 deg C down to 4 deg C the density rises, but fro 4 deg C to 0  deg C it drops again.  As the canal starts to freeze the coldest water rises.  This is why canals freeze over at the surface and warmer water sinks.  This allows aquatic life to survive!

and as we all evolved from aquatic life its also the reason why we are here.

This, together with stuff like electricity and the wonderful chemistry of carbon does almost suggest that there is a god, but if there is why did he go and let religion happen? 

but more importantly, just started doing the engine/boat service. First job is greasing the propshaft UJs and the plummer block, its so cold I could barely force the grease in.

............Dave

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

And do you see it go 'gloopy' before it freezes. A bit like my vodka from the freezer. 

Edited November 30, 2017 by Goliath
The water not dmrs grease. Just crossed posts

[mross]

3 minutes ago, dmr said:

its so cold I could barely force the grease in.

Warm the grease!

[Mac of Cygnet]

Spent the morning icebreaking between Gurnett and Bollington - some of it was over 1/2" thick in old money.  Ice inside the windows this morning:

[Lily Rose]

Last night was my first on the boat in a month. We moored somewhere east of Napton junction and woke this morning to find the boat surrounded by ice, a first for us apart from when we've been on the boat in the marina during winter.

It had mostly gone by about 11 so we set off towards Braunston in glorious weather, albeit somewhat chilly.

A very pleasant surprise awaited us between bridges 108 and 107.

CRT had been along here sometime during November and cut back the offside vegetation in the stretch just before the bridge 107 winding hole. This stretch has annoyed me greatly on each of the numerous occasions we've been along here over the last 28 months.

Credit where credit is due though. They have done such a good job I quite literally didn't recognise it until we were halfway along and then I noticed the winding hole ahead of me and realised where I was. Only then did I notice the proliferation of very newly sawn branch ends cut right back to the trunks.

Further along I noticed that the moored fatboat undergoing a fitout, and now moored immediately east of bridge 102, has been joined by another, also in the process of being fitted out. Perhaps someone has started a ftout business unencumbered by the expense of premises.

 

[Dr Bob]

21 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

Last night was my first on the boat in a month. We moored somewhere east of Napton junction and woke this morning to find the boat surrounded by ice, a first for us apart from when we've been on the boat in the marina during winter.

It had mostly gone by about 11 so we set off towards Braunston in glorious weather, albeit somewhat chilly.

A very pleasant surprise awaited us between bridges 108 and 107.

CRT had been along here sometime during November and cut back the offside vegetation in the stretch just before the bridge 107 winding hole. This stretch has annoyed me greatly on each of the numerous occasions we've been along here over the last 28 months.

Credit where credit is due though. They have done such a good job I quite literally didn't recognise it until we were halfway along and then I noticed the winding hole ahead of me and realised where I was. Only then did I notice the proliferation of very newly sawn branch ends cut right back to the trunks.

Further along I noticed that the moored fatboat undergoing a fitout, and now moored immediately east of bridge 102, has been joined by another, also in the process of being fitted out. Perhaps someone has started a ftout business unencumbered by the expense of premises.

 

Hi Sean, we must have passed you this pm as we were heading out of Braunston back to Napton. Yes that foliage looks a lot better now, just a shame they didnt cut down the tree on the bend just before the previous bridge.

The 2 fat boats by bridge 102 are new since last week - they were not there last week - but the two that were moored nearby (that were facing the other way) last week and the few weeks before have gone. Four boats moored (all in the process of being fitted out) near bridge 102 seems a bit of a coincidence.

[matty40s]

1/2 inch of ice at Yelvertoft this morning, a slush puppy on the GU at Stowe Hill although the marina has a covering.

[cuthound]

Coventry Canal at Tamworth has remained lightly frozen all day. Not a single boat has passed today, most unusual.

[rgreg]

3 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Spent the morning icebreaking between Gurnett and Bollington - some of it was over 1/2" thick in old money.  Ice inside the windows this morning:

Is that an ice Buddha in the window?!

[nbfiresprite]

Snowing here in the fens

 

[cereal tiller]

41 minutes ago, rgreg said:

Is that an ice Buddha in the window?!

More to the point ,how much is that Ice Buddha in the Window? the one with the waggly tail.

Edited November 30, 2017 by cereal tiller

[Lily Rose]

4 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

Hi Sean, we must have passed you this pm as we were heading out of Braunston back to Napton. Yes that foliage looks a lot better now, just a shame they didnt cut down the tree on the bend just before the previous bridge.

The 2 fat boats by bridge 102 are new since last week - they were not there last week - but the two that were moored nearby (that were facing the other way) last week and the few weeks before have gone. Four boats moored (all in the process of being fitted out) near bridge 102 seems a bit of a coincidence.

Hi Andy,

We didn't bother going into Braunston as we're only out for two nights and wanted to spend both out out in the sticks so we turned at Wolfhamcote and are now back near bridge 108.

We have to be back in the marina tomorrow afternoon but will probably go back after a trip down to the winding hole before the Folly to make the most of what is forecast to be another lovely day.

I didn't realise there had been 4 fatboats. The one with the wheel is the one I saw about 7 weeks ago and then about 3 weeks later when we returned. Either that or its  sister ship. Four boats being fitted out near the same bridge sounds even more like a business!

 

[Dr Bob]

2 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

Hi Andy,

We didn't bother going into Braunston as we're only out for two nights and wanted to spend both out out in the sticks so we turned at Wolfhamcote and are now back near bridge 108.

We have to be back in the marina tomorrow afternoon but will probably go back after a trip down to the winding hole before the Folly to make the most of what is forecast to be another lovely day.

I didn't realise there had been 4 fatboats. The one with the wheel is the one I saw about 7 weeks ago and then about 3 weeks later when we returned. Either that or its  sister ship. Four boats being fitted out near the same bridge sounds even more like a business!

 

Ah, we didn't pass you then. We are parked ( yes parked.....) west of bridge 102 so must have come out of Braunston after you went past. The grey fat boat today has different windows to the one there last week. The 'primer' coloured one may be the same as last weeeks but is now facing north east whereas last weeks one was pointing southwest and I think the one RayT photo'd after being lifted in at Braunston a few weeks back. 

A good day cruising today, if a bit cold, as I have never done any ice breaking before. Also caught Ryan on the fuel boat so stocked up on a few different types of coal...as per another thread. 

[Lily Rose]

9 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

Ah, we didn't pass you then. We are parked ( yes parked.....) west of bridge 102 so must have come out of Braunston after you went past. The grey fat boat today has different windows to the one there last week. The 'primer' coloured one may be the same as last weeeks but is now facing north east whereas last weeks one was pointing southwest and I think the one RayT photo'd after being lifted in at Braunston a few weeks back. 

A good day cruising today, if a bit cold, as I have never done any ice breaking before. Also caught Ryan on the fuel boat so stocked up on a few different types of coal...as per another thread. 

You might pass us this morning then as we are unlikely to move until between 10.30 and 11.

I was lucky to catch Ryan as well as I had started my last bag of Supertherm and thought I'd better but another in the marina before going home on Sunday. I've now got 3 unopened bags thanks to Ryan. My theory that I never see a coal boat when I need one is looking a bit dodgy after the last couple of times of seeing Ryan just when I was hoping to.