Having been moored on the Shropshire Union Canal in Nantwich for Christmas, we were planning to continue our journey and head for Chester. However, the canal breach at Whitchurch altered our plans.
One of the side effects was insufficient water coming off the Llangollen Canal. This in turn meant that water levels at the locks on the way to Chester were low. Until water levels improved, the CRT (Canal and River Trust) had to temporarily close this section of the canal.
Bad Weather
The weather forecast was showing the probability of snow and sub-zero temperatures over the next several days.
With this in mind, we decided to move to the Middlewich branch and moor near Venetian Marina to sit things out. From a previous visit, we knew that we would be ideally placed to get any available sunlight. The hope was that we could use the solar panels to charge the batteries and reduce the amount of time we would need to run the engine. As we have a 1200-watt lithium power bank and a 200-watt portable solar panel, this would give us even more power storage.
We made sure we had a full water tank, diesel tank and plenty of coal. We were well stocked with food and knew that if stocks ran low, we could get a Tesco food delivery to the marina.
We had been in a similar position last winter when we were frozen in on the Ashby Canal for nine days. Forward planning is a requirement when living on a boat, and even more so in Winter.
The majority of boaters retreat to a marina in Winter and either stay there, or return to their homes. Along with a few other hardy souls, we cruise throughout the year. We enjoy this time of year, as it’s quiet and easy to find moorings. There is something special about coming in from the cold, and warming up in front of the stove with a hot chocolate or a bowl of soup. Muddy towpaths and bad weather is the price we are happy to pay.
Settling In
We arrived at our mooring spot on the 31st of December and settled in. We have never been bothered with the forced jollity of New Year’s Eve, so we didn’t miss the celebrations that night. Being in a remote location, we didn’t even get woken up by the inevitable fireworks at midnight.
By now, the temperatures were below zero at night, but with sun in the daytime, we didn’t need to run the engine to charge the batteries.
By Sunday the 3rd, the canal was completely frozen, and any sunlight wasn’t enough to melt the ice. We also had snow, and it was at its heaviest when we had to walk to the marina to meet the Tesco delivery driver.
Despite the conditions we were getting out and doing plenty of walking. On New Year’s Day, I started my 2026 bird list. My target is to see at least 100 birds in the year. I had fallen short in 2025 with a total of 91.
The canal remained frozen, and we got into a rhythm of living with it. It wasn’t until the 9th, that I finally had to run the engine. By now there were patches of water, but not enough to set us free.
The Big Thaw
On Sunday the 11th it started to rain, and became much milder. For the first time, boats were on the move and breaking up the ice. By mid-afternoon, it was almost all gone, and we decided to make our escape.
Our plan was to call in at the chandlery and get diesel and coal. They close on Monday and Tuesday, so it was now or wait until Wednesday. We were not low, but as there is only one other place between here and Ellesmere Port, we wanted to play safe and top up our supplies. We managed to get diesel, but they had sold out of coal. From there we went up the lock and moored up for the night.
I managed to get in touch with Sven on the Chamberlain coal boat. He was heading from Nantwich to the Llangollen Canal in the morning to stock up. A plan was formed. We would divert and meet him before he turned on to the Llangollen Canal.
Our cunning plan worked, and we now had another 2 weeks of coal. We were all stocked up and ready to head to Chester and Ellesmere Port.