One problem with the rivers

THERE is just one problem with spending winter mooring on rivers, they flood, writes Helen Cripps.

So the suggestion by your contributor T. Lang, to avoid all the canal closures and moor on such as the Trent and the Soar has a major fault, any prolonged rainfall and they are quickly in flood.

Being stuck

The Soar comes up very quickly, as any long-time reader of narrowboatworld will have gathered, as the entire city of Leicester drains into the river, with Victor reporting being stuck, I believe last year, when it came up overnight. And as to the Trent, that is fed by the Derwent that itself drains off the Pennines, right back above Glossop, and so dramatically floods, with boats reported as being swept from their moorings.

Personally I would not contemplate mooring for winter on those rivers, it is just not safe, which can quickly be realised when cruising the rivers and seeing the very long poles at moorings that allow the boats to rise with the floods.

Do what most do and cruise between a couple of towns on a canal for winter, always making sure there are facilities on the pound.