Ice bound at Hopwood

Captains Log



Canal Date 13th December 2010
Travels still not possible
Current Location Still at Hopwood (Just north of Lapland)

Weather is getting warmer now, all the ice & snow has lifted from the tow path and fields. This has now turned the tow path into a rather muddy track.

The canal is showing signs of thawing but the ice remains far too thick to contemplate movement without suffering some damage.

The weather forecast is for the slow thaw to continue for the next two days then returning to hard frost again – and for some time.

We have to move soon. The poo tank is very close to being full. We are getting low on fresh water.

As we are busy on Wednesday and the canal is still frozen today, it looks like we will have to make a dash to Kings Norton on Tuesday. I do hope that the ice will be thin enough by then. I do not want to remove all the blacking along the water line or have chunks of ice knocking lumps off the prop!

This leaves me with a few questions, I am not sure if they require an answer.

1. Would it help it I put a kettle of hot water or a pint of antifreeze in the canal?

2. Should I send Pam to walk ahead to test the ice thickness? If she falls through, then the ice is thin enough to travel on.

3. Should I move the boat to the Canary Islands?

4. Should we stay here and drink pub beer and eat pub food and use pub loos?