Amazing what one goes through just to get water!

This morning we realised that our water situation was getting a bit desperate. The water tank gauge was lower then we thought. I had a mountain of washing to do and yes I could have gone to the shower block and washed the unmentionables there, but what about the rest of it? Looking at the weather forecast this morning the prediction was for a possible temperature difference of between -4 and -15 overnight. This could last for the rest of the week and so we made the decision to try to move to the water tap that was about 40 feet away and on the opposite bank. It had been so tantalising close but just to far for the hose to reach so we had no choice but to try and move the boat nearer. That's when the fun started. Ian reversed her back a tad and then put the power on to see how she would react to the ice. At first she broke through okay but then came to a grinding halt. Ian tried the manoeuvre again and it worked a second time. Slowly we edged toward the tap until again she stopped. This time putting her into reverse didn't do a thing. She was stuck fast!!!! After trying to rock her, pull her and push her we finally had to give up and have another think. Ian then said there was nothing for it but to walk along the gunwale with the pole and try and break her free. This worried me greatly. The last thing I wanted to do was try and get Ian out if he fell in so heart in mouth I watched in trepidation as he walked along the gunwale bashing the ice as he went. It worked a treat and Ian didn't fall in, thank goodness. There had been just one area of thick ice holding the boat fast so once he had got rid of that, the boat was once again free. Finally we made it opposite the tap. Now all we had to do was get the hose from the tap, across the ice and onto the boat. A long piece of rope thrown over the canal did the job. I attached the hose to it and Ian pulled it back. At last we got to fill up the tank. Needless to say we haven't bothered to move the boat back to our original mooring. We are free of the winding hole so are not stopping any one if they want to try and wind round ( Impossible at the moment but stranger things have happened) So all in all a good 2 hours of our time, this afternoon, was taken up just trying to get some water. Still I had wondered what I was going to blog about today. Now I know!





Trying to break through at the front



 

Careful Ian!! You can see why the boat was held fast. The ice was nearly 3" thick.




We had travelled  about 3/4 of the distance . Just a bit more to go!





Getting ready to throw the rope. One end he attached to the water tap.




Watering up at last!