Winterising

As our third winter with Patience floats into view we've made sure she is prepared for the cold. Out with the water in the tank (revealing a few rust spots we'll be best touching up before the spring), out with the waste tank (pumped out at Ely) and in with the roof gear such as the poles.

Ironically two days after our winterising there was the sunniest and warmest day for a long time, so instead of taking her out I set to with the sander and paint brush and smartened up the area around the top of the starboard side and the roof rail. With harsh sunlight it was difficult to tell how it looked but I'm hoping it's an improvement.
In addition to the rust spots in the tank the sides will need smartening up. The fridge is a bit erratic when lighting and John has ordered a replacement water pump, then I think we can really batten down the hatches for a few months.
You might read the Engineer's Report from last year for a summary of what John has done to keep the engine up to scratch for its winter hibernation.
Patience has acquired a new neighbour in the form of a self-built cruiser, Queen Bea. She does rather loom over Patience but we think in a fight Patience's metal might just win out over Bea's laminated wood. Anyway, it won't come to that if we check the moorings frequently.
Next year we'll consider moving further afield though for how long we need yet to decide. We've thought of exploring the Middle Level or The Nene now that we've seen what the Ouse and its tributaries have to offer but we've become quite accustomed to The Lazy Otter.
See also the later post on Winterising and anti-freeze

Well Winterised

Today, in the midst of the coldest sustained winter for 30 years, we thought we'd better check that the winterising was working.
Nothing worse than finding your boat wallowing under water like this one by the riverside in Cambridge this week (picture left, video clip here)
or with water spouting from a once-frozen pipe.
Of course old sea salt Alan had done everything necessary - draining the water tank, the loo, the fresh water jerrycan, switching batteries off and battening down the hatches.
Nevertheless, it was useful to browse the switches and knobs to check which ones had to be turned on again. And we started the engine (first time!) to warm her up, as well as to recharge the batteries, left her running for a while and set the wood stove going to heat its associated radiators and dry out the inevitable damp. All is well and Patience relaxed quietly as the warmth reached her chilled metal sides.

Outside, the picture was very different, with a bright low sun and a firmly frozen river everywhere except near the bridge. I also chanced upon these pics of a narrow boat as ice breaker.

So we retired to the Lazy Otter to consider our options and plan our next moves over a pint of Rocking Rudolph Seasonal Ale (Greene King, 4.5%).

The main project is to decide on the best way to create two more berths. I had looked at the current double bed in the aft section and noticed it was made up of chunky cushions. Closer study this time reveals it is in fact two fixed bench seats convertible into a double bed with the option of a table between, "pullman" style.

This adds another variation for us, as we could now choose to have any combination of tables and beds fore and aft. By building two bench seats forward with an optional table, we have maximum choice for eating, sitting, and sleeping up to 4 people.

Only time will tell the most popular combo for us, but it will be worth providing the options.

So enthused are we, and so happy that winterising has worked, that when the ice has melted we may take Patience out for an overnight trip very soon, perhaps down to Cambridge, and test our mastery of locks.

If we take a jerrycan of water, a few basic supplies and avoid using the loos we won't even have to de-winterise her.

What fun!