318. An unruly boat in a tiny canal... what could go wrong?!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ย. 2023
- My journey from Ashwood Marina down to Stourport continues in "Twiggy", the 20-foot long Microplus 600 cabin cruiser I just bought, and I might just be getting the hang of the steering. Maybe.
See Part 1 at • 317. I bought another ...
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Theme music: "Vespers" by Topher Mohr and Alex Alena, from the TH-cam music library
#narrowboat #canal #cruisingthecut #rivers #offgrid #liveaboard
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I've missed seeing these green and pleasant canals; and of course David's commentary.
It’s the breakfast description that always gets me. I’m awaiting the cheese sandwich with bated breath.
Agreed. Good to have you back where it started.
Putting the cruising back into Cruising the Cut!
Same here. his comentary is fantastic. i missed his travels
there's something so zen about dave's content
Errrrr ... wait, this does actually appear to be TH-cam itself. Blimey. Hello TH-cam; thank you.
@@CruisingTheCut TH-cam has become sentient, that can't be good 😉
@@CruisingTheCut and familiar enough to call you Dave!
It knows your every move 👀
I am so glad you are back on a boat. You make the best videos. Love your sense of humor.
Thanks so much!
Your subscribers are going to have so much fun joining you not only on your journeys on “the cut”, but also seeing you carry out the “improvements” to Twiggy. Looking forward to all future episodes. 👏👏👍😀
A lot of improvements needed, it transpires
@@CruisingTheCut You know you can do it David. It’s no more than your campervan, but on water. Good luck and film all you can. 👏👏👍😀
Bring out another thousand @@CruisingTheCut
@@CruisingTheCut As I'm sure you know, a boat is just a hole in the water into which you throw money, the larger the hole the more money!😁
They will make for interesting videos, though. As long as they don't strain the budget.@@CruisingTheCut
Just home from a crappy day and I find this little beauty to relax and brighten my day. Thank you, Dave...
Glad you enjoyed it
@@CruisingTheCut I did as well! A little struggle makes for a better day. In my opinion!
Agreed, but the secret is to get just enough struggle and not too much!@@Del-Lebo
You Sir are the BEST. You got me “hooked” on viewing narrow boats vlogs, during the pandemic. I viewed ALL your vlogs and was very disappointed when you sold your “home”. I viewed all your vlogs since the sale. BUT THER IS none better when it comes a relaxing cruise through the cut.
That boat looks like so much fun. Glad to see you got a smaller boat.
I love this little boat. A new adventure and always a great opportunity to learn something different.
A kayak is hard to sleep in. At least with a canoe you can sleep under it. I am glad you got another boat to travel the canals in.
Nothing like a challenge to keep the juices flowing. Your new boat has done what all boats do, which is present their owner with one project after another. Glad to see you back on the water.
Ah yes, one project after another, Let's see "B.O.A.T." Break Out Another Thousand.
If you're bored with nothing to do get a boat.@@peterolsen3797
What a beautiful journey this was: plenty of birdsong, ducks and a Heron!!!! Glad you arrived safely.
Yes so glad you did not sink in that big lock. Dave used to live in a yellow submarine.
mY BLOOD PRESSURE .......VANISHED....OHHH JUST LOVELY dAVID XX n
Ah, that brings back so many happy memories of another life when I bought a 20ft craft, almost identical to this one. I replaced Two outboard motors, one complete steering system…which had to be fettled as it steered the wrong way… and completely stripped and rebuilt the interior. There was no charging system on the vessel, but a couple of decent lanterns an a galley full of spare batteries saw me through. As with your vessel, it was extremely unruly but after the installation of many window counterweights in the hull, I had a reasonable (if somewhat cramped) little hobby craft. Many hours ensued stopping at canal-side pubs and restaurants and mooring at night in secluded stretches of canal. I would heartily recommend this lifestyle to anyone, I really would. Thanks for this uplifting video, it made my day.
Wonderful! 😀😀
Man, I’ve missed cruising with you so much, really happy to see you back on the water. Whilst I do enjoy other narrowboaters channels, none of them give me such a relaxing sense of “being there” as your content and commentary does. Thank you!
I'm extremely happy to see you with a new boat, well done!
I remember a quote from the late Phil Bolger, one of my favourite naval architects: "The best boat for anyone, is the smallest, most simple boat that does everything they want it to."
A wise man, Bolger. Not afraid to try new ideas either,.
Interesting comments about the use of fenders. When we started boating in the mid 60s, narrowboats did not have fenders, but timber and fibreglass cruisers did. They were essential to protect the lighter craft from damage and were permanently down. Fenders didn't really start appearing on narrowboats until the early 80s and were provided primarily for comfort when moored against piled or hard edges (still useless on the Shroppie shelf). They are lifted to stop a boat jamming in a lock. As for indicators on a BMW, spare a thought for the poor soul on the production line who fits them knowing they will never be used - complete lack of job satisfaction!
What is a "shroppie shelf"?
Along much of the Shropshire Union Canal where the bank has a concrete edge, there is a projection below the waterline which is below the reach of fenders. This is known as the Shroppie shelf.
My understanding is the side of the canal isn’t vertical but either slopes down or there is a shallow section so you can’t moor conveniently against the armco.
I was taught that you put your fenders down when they'll be needed, ie when you're alongside something or in a confined space. The rest of the time you have them up as if another boat is going to hit you the chances are it won't be where the fender happens to be.
A few well places bags of sand / ballast, underneath the flooring /seating should give you a much more manageable boat.. You need to get some draft, especially near the bow, for your motor to "steer" off.
Good to see that you got the hang of the boat on the second day. Your boat does look like it's been well maintained by its previous owners - there's not many of this type in such good condition these days. I hope you are going to take advantage of its trailability to visit the unconnected waterways you weren't able to visit by narrowboat.
Thank. ON close inspection it's actually got a lot that needs sorting, sadly (the tour video, coming soon, will show) but that just means lots of interesting DIY projects for me!
Second this, I don't know if you got a trailer with the boat but if you did your van will tow it easily which opens up all sorts of different options.
@@CruisingTheCut oh looking forward to your twitching and tweaking, and those great 'fast forward' mickey mouse ramblings 😂😂😂
@@CruisingTheCut From the great work you've done on the van, along with very informative videos, I'm guessing that showing the projects for Twiggy may inspire others to look at some of the older boats for some renovations.
@@joline2730😂😂😂
On the positive side, your repair video can be quite funny and very entertaining. That will push you past a whopping 250k subscribers. I'm glad to have you back on the cut!
Ummm.... videos. Definitely plural. It's going to need a LOT of work...
the boat and the quiet canals are great
I am so happy to see you owning a boat again. I know that Twiggy needs some love, but those projects will just allow you to make her yours and put your personal stamp on her. You went past some absolutely stunning spots and I love seeing the cottages.❤
I had forgotten how relaxing your cruising vlogs are with the beautiful scenery and your matter-of-fact commentary. I’m very glad you have your own boat again and have resumed cruising the canals of Britain. Thank you for sharing!
The more I see your Banana Mobile (Twiggy) the more I want to buy one! She is lovely and thank you for taking us along for your journey x
David, your commentary as captain of a canal boat has been missed. I really enjoy these instructive 'tours.'
You'll need to put some power trim tabs on the transom to stabilize the ride, really handy when towing water skiers through the canal...😊 Seriously, make sure to get your bottom hull sealed/expoxied, you don't want a soggy bottomed fiberglass hull
Thanks for the tip!
Happy to hear you are enjoying the new boat. See you next time.
Thanks 👍
Nice to see you back on the water again, In your own boat.👍
Thanks 👍
Whether by narrowboat or cabin cruiser the views are just as good.
True!
A cheerful little boat indeed!
Good to see you back on the water. My suggestions are 1) get the engine and control cables serviced, a blocked jet is possibly the cause of difficulty with slow running. If that doesn't work you may need a different propellor. Also, add a rudder blade behind the prop, will improve steering!
Agree engine control cables.👍
What a truly beautiful canal. Scenery delightful. So good to be cruising again with you. Thank you.
We LOVE Twiggy, know you’ll fine tune it to perfection and are glad to see your return to the water, Admiral Johns! Now we look forwards to a Twiggy (possibly available in “Twiggy yellow”?) T shirt!
David, I can't wait to watch all the DIY jobs you'll have to do in depth, I find them and the commentary hilarious!
A cool morning we had here today in northern Florida, so as I waited for the sun to warm us up a bit I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with you on the canal. Terrific size boat, I think.
Great to see you back on water. We are sympathetic, as started life many moons ago with an adorable Norman 23 , which never let us down and we had her on and off till 2019, BUT sold her in 2016 and bought our first narrowboat. She was unreliable, costly and although beautiful inside, she had engine issues and we also had a fire onboard in electrical wiring. Wew sold her and shortly our dear little Norman came back on market and we bought her back. Sterring all over the place, but so handy to turn, moor up etc, there are pros and cons for both boats, but i miss her every day. Have fun and your little boat is very pretty.
Can't wait for part 3!
Part 3 will be the tour
That looks lovely! Imagine, autumnal colours while I have two feet of snow...
Where you, may I ask ? Here Eastern Canada, snow coming and going
Here in Norway, the Never-Use-Your-Indicators-Even-If-Your-Very-Existance-Depended-Upon-It- rule, used to apply to all drivers of black examples of either the BMW 5- series or the Audi A6. They have now long since switched those out with a Tesla Model S. With Ludicrous Mode (a very important bragging point, apparently...). And, before you ask: Yes, the preferred colour is still black.
Used to have a switch on the floor for bright and dem lights I got pulled over the other night for bright lights on and I don’t ever drive at night so I told the chap my car doesn’t have a switch he looked confused and ask is it broke or what and I told no it doesn’t have 1 and told him to look for his self
@@randywilson6869 My father once had a car with the dim switch on the floor. It was back in the sixties, before I was born. No European or Japanese car during the last half century has had them on the floor, to put it that way...
Jeff here, from the US, I apologize, as I am late commenting, but I just love your videos!!! Thank you! Cheers, Sir!
Thank you so much!
Glad you're back on the water. 😊
A really nice stretch of canal. Its a great walk from Kinver to Stourport. (Good pubs along the way too). Got me thinking its time to do that again when the weather gets better.
It's a shame we're given only one life to live. If we had multiple lives I would use up one of my allotments living on, and cruising the canals of the England. I wonder why the UK doesn't have you heading up the public-relations/tourist department! Thank you for all these videos, and it's great to see you back on the water....
It is nice to see views again, and enjoy your commentary. 😁 Thank you.
All is right in the world .... David Johns is back on the canal network! :) I'm excited for you, and I look forward to seeing how you tweak out the boat going forward.
Your narrative voice talent can make even a bland breakfast interesting ;D I'm amazed you don't have a BBC commission for a documentary or something like it yet!
Like her model namesake: Twiggy is a stunner.
Absolutely Beautiful Scenery - I do Love Canal and River Walking. A Future Boat has always been on my Bucket List.
I hope Twiggy doesn't get to be too much trouble, David. I'm starting to take on more projects myself, on a 'bit at a time' basis. Things get too much for me awfully easily, and I don't want that to happen with the things I enjoy. The hard part is remembering that many things aren't urgent, they can wait.
Fabulous, it’s so great to have these trips again. Your style is so relaxing and humorous. Thank you
It looks like interesting times are in the offing and I couldn’t be more thrilled for you! Once again by your handy work I find myself in the thrall of the incredible English countryside, absolutely captivating. Even though you mentioned you’re feeling overwhelmed I have full confidence that it’s just a temporary state and you’ll soon make Twiggy another beloved character in the storybook of your travels.
My Father and I just purchased a “home built” off-road camper-trailer in need of tweaking & personalization, so we feel a certain kinship with you! We have felt moments of being overwhelmed as well. However the more we dig into the project the more we see what an amazing canvas we have to make our own little dream come to life. By Van or Boat I always appreciate you sharing your adventures and taking the time to show us a bit of that world most wonderful. Much love and respect!
From my small experience of the UK it is ALWAYS a pleasure when the weather is sunny.
For a tiny boat with limited facilities dehydrated meals might be a good option. I make my own for wilderness camping, it's a very easy process; cook up a big pot of food, spread it out on dehydrator trays to dry overnight, then bag up individual servings in resealable plastic bags in the morning. 'Cooking' the meals in the field is also easy; add the dried food and some water to a pot, bring it to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. The dehydrated food is shelf stable and very compact.
It has more space inside than a van and people cook proper meals in those. Plenty of space for tinned food that will not look like slop after reheating, or even fresh food once he gets a bit more organised. Could easily have a small fridge in there.
Cruising The Cut out cruising again and I couldn’t be happier. Love your ever so slightly occasional snarkiness. You’re a gem David, thanks for bringing us along.
Don't get despondent with your 'project' boat. It's not what's wrong with it, it's all about what works. She looks fabulous!
So nice to see you back on the water I love watching your videos I love the commentary you have a very calming voice and your knowledge of the history of where you are I find brilliant.
David, you have no idea the joy and happiness of seeing you back on the water. I have missed Cruising The Cut so very much. Please don't leave us again. Your friend in Wyoming USA .... Richard
I never left. I have been producing canal videos continuously since I sold my boat, including cruising ones.
@@CruisingTheCut Yes I know and watched some of them it just was the same ... so welcome back in "your own boat" .. Stay safe.
Having watched your Narrowboat videos it looked like you were absolutely tearing down the canal in Twiggy! It's wonderful to see you back on the cut and enjoying yourself.
If not for the pesky distance problem you could do a collaboration project with Dangar Marine. Stu knows a think or two about rehabbing old boats.
I always misread that as "Danger"!
Ahh..that morning face. Welcome back!
Don’t know if it’s the same with outboards but I’ve driven a fair few river cruisers & when steering, you have to kind of find the rudder, if that makes sense. You get a feel for how many & the kind of steering inputs you need in order to pilot it smoothly, otherwise you end up ‘crabbing’ down the river (canal in your case) constantly twirling the wheel. You’ll get used to it, I’m sure.
Add a few sand bags under floor if you can, that will help your steering
Very enjoyable video. Beautiful scenery and pleasant narrator. Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much!
Outboards down turn properly at idle. They do better with a little bit of throttle. You can also get a forward controller that has one stick for throttle and one forward/reverse. You can also pitch the prop up/down to match revs at the speed you want to make it easier keep the correct speed you need at higher revs so the controller matches better.
Also you can start the outboard with a battery drill. You need a socket that’s the size of the flywheel bolt, an adapter and a battery drill. Drill a hole above the flywheel nut to let the socket through and turn the motor over that way.
Your observations of BMW and van drivers are universal.
What a beautiful day! I used to live in Kidderminster in the early 1970s - I taught at a boys' grammar school. Some years later my wife and I and our children cruised through Kidderminster as we did the Stourport Ring. We moored in Kidderminster to do some shopping and I did the classicc towpath splits (one foot on the boat and one on the towpath) much to the kids' amusement and my wife's concern that I might get Weil's disease. I remained healthy, thank goodness!
So glad you are back and taking us along your adventures with Twiggy ❤
I lived aboard a 25' motorsailor for 10 years. It was my first live-aboard and I was so distracted by the pleasures of living on the water that I hardly noticed the drawbacks. From watching all your narrowboat videos, I know you have an affinity for canal life. I'm happy for you to be back on the water.
It is a wonderful feeling getting through a tunnel without bumping at all, isn't it? I used to hire 65-70' narrowboats, but then bought a 32' GRP (Creighton) and took a few hours boating to get used to the steering. I loved your description as "like steering a hovercraft" - spot on!
So good to have you back on the water🙏🇦🇺👍
Good morning from Hawaii
Morning!
@@CruisingTheCut ORD here..😁😁😁😁
“I’m wondering if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew here.” - Every boat owner since the beginning of time.
How are you not a comedian? The dry humor is gut busting funny! 😂
All boats are a series of projects but like how to eat an elephant, one bite at a time. Cheers! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Very true!
What a calm and green journey. The colors are wonderful.
I've often heard the saying, the best thing about owning is the first day you have it and the day you get rid of it
It seems everyone now has a Narrowboat and does a TH-cam and other Vlogs
You were the Original person that started this genre !
Haha thanks. Actually I was second, after Dan of "Sort of Interesting"
Beautiful & expertly filmed. Thanks!
Many thanks!
Despite the difficulties you looked very cheerful. Obviously you are in your comfort zone. Well done. 👍
I am so glad that you took down that gigantic flag. Now, things will get better. Good to see you back on the water, again, with your own craft. You will enjoy it!
David, as you are finding out, fiberglass boats are light and prone to be easily pushed by light winds. The planing style semi V hull also tends to wander at slow speeds. One possible solution would be 2 small outboards spread as far apart as they can on the transom and use throttles and F/R to steer. With electric outboards, you could electrify and not worry about pulling the starter cord ever again!
The scenery is ridiculously beautiful on the canal. I can totally see why you'd get another boat. 💕
Hi there 👋🏻👋🏻. Another super informative video showcasing the beauty of the canal and surrounding area. You are a natural storyteller and I am looking forward to your next day’s adventure aboard Twiggy. Take care, stay safe and well. Judy🇨🇦
Thanks for sharing David, great video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Roll the canopy up saves crease in sceens
That scenery!! Simply sublime. How blessed you are to live there ❤❤❤ Thank you for sharing with us
Love your videos. So calming.
Beautiful scenery! Thank you! 😊
I've missed your canal vlogs, David. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are an excellent videographer, narrator and editor. I get so much enjoyment from your vlogs. Thank you.
Good to see you back out again and I do like blue herons😊
good to see you back on the water. one thing i would try to upgrade is to turn it into a key or push button start. to get away from the dreaded draw line
it sounds like she might be a bit small in the tiller.
You can't get an outboard small enough for a boat this size on canals with an electric start. Fortunately it's not necessary as a properly set up 4 stroke 6 should start from cold first or second pull and when warm barely need pulled over. There are a number of small engine videos out there showing how to set up the idle jet.
Nice to see you back in your natural habitat on the water.
Good to see you back where you belong. Very much enjoyed. Banksia Beach Australia
Amazing scenery a wonderful cruise, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it
Most enjoyable David, so good to see you out and about on the canal system. I look forward to your future videos as they are always so top notch. P.S. I'm thinking if it were me, I'd make a list of all the improvements you want to make on the boat and prioritize them by most-wanted accomplished and perhaps, most-easily done, so you could see visual motivating progress with the quick and easy, along with satisfying improvements with the larger more lengthy tasks.
Haha yes, I have a list!
Great to go cruising with you again, David--thanks!
Love your new boat! I have missed your canal trips and all the travelogue of the surrounding areas. I eagerly await the updates/repairs to the new boat and your continued journey. 🌈
More to come!
The interior of your very yellow cruiser could do with your fit-out skills,
especially in the galley department!
It will, eventually
dont fold the canopy, roll it!
It doesn't really roll because of the sides and taking them on and off is a massive hassle
You had a beautiful morning to go on day 2 of your trip. I do so love seeing the English countryside, it's so pretty. Thanks for letting us tag along. Till next time, cheers.
How lovely to see you back on the water! Twiggyy is rather cute! X