Winter moorings

Like many other boaters we just recently had an e-mail regarding winter moorings for continuous cruisers. For readers not familiar with C/cruisers, it is by definition a boat that is always on the move; not stopping longer than 14 days in one place. Nb Valerie comes within this group.

In the past seven years I and now we have never taken a winter mooring, preferring to move through quiet canals and enjoy the winter scenery.
There three types of winter mooring permits: general towpath, selected visitor moorings, and central London sites with length of stay ranging from 1-5 months.

1.  The selected moorings out of London would be £8/9 per meter per month. Nb Valerie is 17.6m so approx. £140-158 per month.
2.  The London sites vary between £10/16 p.m.p.m so Nb Valerie would be £176-£281 per month plus you have to breast up (moor alongside) another boat.
3.  Last option is the general towpath permit that enables you to moor all over the system with some exceptions, both the above being two of them. This would cost between £5/8 per meter per month.
So just as an example for Nb Valerie the cost of a 3 month permit for each option is;
1. £422           2. £686               3. £343

Now mooring up over winter is not for us but I can understand why some that do. We prefer the freedom continuous cruising gives us to roam. Some folk like to be close to say shops or a transport link to a town or village and perhaps be near services.
If we had to curtail our cruising over winter then my choice would be the general towpath option No. 3.
With all the options I think most boats need to move for services, water, rubbish, and sanitation  so one won`t be stationery for the whole time.
With option 3. you could stay in one area, say near family, but still move short distances and stay past the usual 14 day limits then turn back to where you moored  previously. During these movements you could--with careful planning--pass services and shops or at least transport options to them. You also have the choice of not being moored in a long line of boats.  All options mean being on the water in winter and with a nice fire you can be warm in any location.

Anyway overall I think the Canal and River Trust have made a good effort to accommodate boaters wishing to moor over winter.
Our situation at the moment means we are forced by my health issues, to stay in one  area. C.aR.T. are aware and are allowing this. Perhaps in the future they might ask us take a permit mooring; only time will tell. For now everything is just bridges, some to cross or pass under, but all of them can only be done one at a time.
Speaking of my health, the pre op check up Wednesday went well with Blood test and ECG. A chat with the Enhanced Recovery Nurse told me they will want me up the day after the surgery. Try and stop me was my reply. The Pharmacist wanted to know of anything other than food that was going into my mouth with instructions of what to stop pre op. She also gave me the bowel prep to take on the eve of surgery. A few other checks on breathing and allergies ended the two hour session. All that remains is a chat with the Stoma nurse who was not available and another blood test within 10 days of surgery. All systems are go.
This from Jaq: Les' blood sat rate (saturation rate of oxygen carried in the bloodstream) went up from 60% in August before we began any alternative treatments, to 99% this week. This is due to taking Chlorella--a blue/green algae. This is a tremendous improvement for which we are both thankful. As I think I've mentioned previously, Cancer likes a very low oxygen environment. I didn't know about Chlorella when I was going through cancer treatment. I had to walk two miles a day doing deep breathing exercises the entire time in order to improve my blood sat rate from 43% to 99% over three months time. Gotta' go--it's time to make the next juice.