Re: Mooring in UK canal marina
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:17 pm
Hi Chris
I can sympathise with your thinking about a marina + trailer. I have a little experience of this problem with Frances Ann, not least beacause her US built trailer is 1ft wider than the maximum width of our garage. Basically I need a smaller trailer if the boat is to stay at home, but that is my very latest thinking.
Initially, she went up to Coniston to have the mechanicals finished, travelling with the cabin folded down and a cover over everything. The big trailer tows well and, with everything stowed flat, there was little windage so the motorway section was fine. Of course I was scared stiff on the narrow road bits with the big trailer, but have struck lucky with no trucks coming the opposite way for every tow so far.
The plan was to keep her in Coniston for the short period while the mechanicals were sorted, then bring her home when the work was done. As ever the best laid plans tend to collapse and she was moored in the open for some months. Besides accumulating rain water, the other issue was weed growth. Having not expected a long immersion, she was not coated with anti-fouling. Later we rented a boat house which was nice, but it did have some draw backs. Being open it picked up the stormy weather if the wind was in the right direction. The boat house also had some families of swallows as well as being a Mecca for spiders and presumably flies. Thus fly blows, bird droppings and spiders webs got everywhere. The lake level was also pretty variable so sometimes one could simply step off the walkway in the boathouse into the boat, but on others it felt as if abseiling kit was required.
Coniston is a super lake and a wonderful place to steam, but getting there from home was probably 2 1/2 to 3 hrs drive. So, whilst we will go back and steam on the lake, it will not do as a 'home' for the boat. It currently lives on the drive so that I can get on with the restoration. The Coniston algae would not wash off, but needed Scotchbrite and scouring cream plus plenty of muscle. The resulting finish was not good and the boat valuer recommended she be painted with two pack to bring the finish back to standard. That was finally finished last week. She will need to be shifted back onto the building trolley in the garage next so that she does not suffer frost damage over the cold part of the winter. There are also mechanical changes I need to make so that will be best done in the garage.
So my advice would be to go for a nice small trailer that you can back into your garage. Keeping the boat at a marina sounds a good idea too if the price is right and the distance convenient. Gudmund's suggestion of a conopy is simple to implement and will dismantle easily. Some boats, such as Chantilly, have rigid canopies that can be lowered to form a cover over the cockpit thus doing away with the need for a cover in the summer. If you are thinking about a conopy, do also think about the issue of stability. Frances Ann is a Rose hull which is well known for its tenderness so I doubt if I could get away with one as well as the cabin. By comarison, Frolic 21s are broad and very stable and can easily cope.
Regards
Pete
I can sympathise with your thinking about a marina + trailer. I have a little experience of this problem with Frances Ann, not least beacause her US built trailer is 1ft wider than the maximum width of our garage. Basically I need a smaller trailer if the boat is to stay at home, but that is my very latest thinking.
Initially, she went up to Coniston to have the mechanicals finished, travelling with the cabin folded down and a cover over everything. The big trailer tows well and, with everything stowed flat, there was little windage so the motorway section was fine. Of course I was scared stiff on the narrow road bits with the big trailer, but have struck lucky with no trucks coming the opposite way for every tow so far.
The plan was to keep her in Coniston for the short period while the mechanicals were sorted, then bring her home when the work was done. As ever the best laid plans tend to collapse and she was moored in the open for some months. Besides accumulating rain water, the other issue was weed growth. Having not expected a long immersion, she was not coated with anti-fouling. Later we rented a boat house which was nice, but it did have some draw backs. Being open it picked up the stormy weather if the wind was in the right direction. The boat house also had some families of swallows as well as being a Mecca for spiders and presumably flies. Thus fly blows, bird droppings and spiders webs got everywhere. The lake level was also pretty variable so sometimes one could simply step off the walkway in the boathouse into the boat, but on others it felt as if abseiling kit was required.
Coniston is a super lake and a wonderful place to steam, but getting there from home was probably 2 1/2 to 3 hrs drive. So, whilst we will go back and steam on the lake, it will not do as a 'home' for the boat. It currently lives on the drive so that I can get on with the restoration. The Coniston algae would not wash off, but needed Scotchbrite and scouring cream plus plenty of muscle. The resulting finish was not good and the boat valuer recommended she be painted with two pack to bring the finish back to standard. That was finally finished last week. She will need to be shifted back onto the building trolley in the garage next so that she does not suffer frost damage over the cold part of the winter. There are also mechanical changes I need to make so that will be best done in the garage.
So my advice would be to go for a nice small trailer that you can back into your garage. Keeping the boat at a marina sounds a good idea too if the price is right and the distance convenient. Gudmund's suggestion of a conopy is simple to implement and will dismantle easily. Some boats, such as Chantilly, have rigid canopies that can be lowered to form a cover over the cockpit thus doing away with the need for a cover in the summer. If you are thinking about a conopy, do also think about the issue of stability. Frances Ann is a Rose hull which is well known for its tenderness so I doubt if I could get away with one as well as the cabin. By comarison, Frolic 21s are broad and very stable and can easily cope.
Regards
Pete