Monday, February 02, 2009

Derwent6 on test (our worst winter for 13 years)




Wow our first snow, but it was a bit disappointing really...We thought we would get about six inches, but all we got was about half a inch (or so they say 6mm), still Derwent6 looked very pretty. We have certainly had the worst conditions to test Derwent6 to the full, as we have had the coldest winter for 13 years and now the worst snow conditions for 18 years...Blimey! We thought we weren't frozen in so could move if we wanted too, but how wrong we were when we looked around the corner. We love it here with our good satellite signal and our 3G. It feels so quiet, as it does when it snows, but when you're in the middle of nowhere it seems dead. Lovely!



We have been learning how Derwent6 will cope with its batteries, off shoreline for three weeks now, (it's called boat management) and we have been pleasantly surprised. We have been running most things at night and have only had to run the engine for a hour late in the afternoons. We love the bed the most, with the shower a close second. The fire is just fantastic with wood or coal, and makes Derwent6 well snug at night. Another good move was to have a big radiator in the bedroom, as this warms up very quickly and takes the chill off the boat in the morning. Another good move was the brass porthole liners, as they clean very easy and we don't get much condensation through the double glazed port holes. What would we change?....not a lot really, but I would suggest double glazed windows in the cratch possibly. Yes, we still have a few teething problems to sort out, but Derwent6 is fantastic and just how we we wanted her to be...Well done Fernwood and a big thank you!

With the snow still falling we decided to go for walk in it, so headed towards Watford locks and carried on down to the Watford gap services. There is a small gap in the trees and with a hop over the fence it takes you into the services..
We thought we would go and have a Wimpy for a change and picked up a few bits and pieces from W.H.Smiths....We could not believe the speed of the traffic travelling down the M1, reminding us that we don't miss any of that.

It was nice to get back home and watch the snow from the portholes.....Put another log on the fire Al !!!!!!!!!!!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Been following your blog for a while now. Just wanted to say I am so envious of you, it seems you are having such a great time even in all this snow! We don't own a narrowboat ourselves but have the use of our friends one which is moored at Fenny Compton nb Hobbes. Totally inspired to eventually live on one. Fed up of the rat race but got to push another 5 years work wise(and to offload the teenager!) Keep blogging it helps me through my day.
Debbie

Bottle said...

Hi

Just to let you know we are still following the blog.
Pleased to hear the Derwent6 'works', as Oakfield will be similar
Ken and Julia are in China but the boys (Rob and Chris)are working on Oakfield.
We may be on the water in May, I expect it will be June.:-)

Ann/Kev said...

Hi Del & Al,
Glad to see you are still enjoying yourselves, I think it will be a lot longer then we thought before we are liveaboards (house sale/credit crunch etc)Envy you
Kev & Ann (4Evermoore)

Del and Al said...

Hi Debbie
Thank you for your lovely comments. We know what you mean about the rat race... We felt we were on a constant roundabout and needed to get off! Make sure you go for it, it's the best thing we ever did.

Del and Al said...

Hi Keith & Ann
That's good news about your completion date. As you know Rob and Chris worked on Derwent6 and did a great job. It won't be long (time flies)

Del and Al said...

Hi Kev & Ann
We really feel for you, we were lucky. Don't worry your time will come...

Halfie said...

Hear hear! Great blogging, and good illustrative pictures as well. It's the ones of the gap to The Gap, and of the services themselves, which really help to tell the story (they're the sort of pictures I wish I'd taken when writing up my cruise days).

Del and Al said...

Thanks Halfie, enjoying your blog as well..