We’re back from our annual “winter escape” — six glorious months in South Africa. We know how lucky we are to swap the UK’s long, cold, soggy winter for Cape Town sunshine, beaches, Don Pedros (a popular South African alcoholic milkshake) and proper summer living. Even better, we still have family and long-time friends there, so it’s not just an escape — it’s a reset. And thanks to remote working, we can just about pretend this is all perfectly normal behaviour!!
Of course, leaving the boat behind for half a year in unpredictable British winter weather is never completely stress-free. Our strategy is simple: do absolutely everything we can… and then cross our fingers.
Preparing the boat for winter is not a quick job. It’s a full three-day operation. If it can be moved, it gets vacuum-packed. Curtains come down, cushion covers come off, mattress covers disappear, and every bit of linen and clothing gets washed and dried. Even the books aren’t spared — they go into vacuum bags too. Moisture traps are tucked into lockers everywhere, and we leave the dehumidifier ready to run once a week for a few hours. By the end of it, the boat looks like she’s preparing for a very organised expedition to the moon.
She’s stored safely on the hard under a full canvas cover, and for the past two years we’ve trusted Reading Marine Services to take care of her while we’re away. They lift her out, winterise everything properly (including treating the water tanks, checking batteries and running the dehumidifier), and then reverse the whole process before we return — putting her back in the water, replacing the drinking water, and making sure the engine and generator are ready to go. It’s a huge reassurance while we’re thousands of miles away enjoying sunshine.
So when we get back, our job is simply to unpack the vacuum bags, rediscover the many moisture traps I somehow miss every year (they continue appearing for weeks), and settle back into boat life again.
I always find the winterising process long and slightly tedious, and I’m often tempted to skip the trickier jobs — especially taking down the curtains. But every time we return and hear just how wet and damp the UK winter has been, I’m very glad we made the effort. Once again: no mould, dry wood, and a fresh-smelling boat waiting patiently for us.
Now we’re ready for summer on the river again — and we can’t wait …..