283. Life as a London liveaboard narrowboater
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 พ.ย. 2022
- London's canals and rivers are becoming ever more crowded with boaters as people flock to the capital's waterways, drawn by the lure of a seemingly idyllic and possibly cheaper lifestyle. But is the dream for real or is reality not quite as rosy? I went down to the big smoke to find out.
Follow Riikka on her Instagrams
/ riikka.and.the.boat
/ riikka.hyvonen
/ bowie.thesiberianhusky
For my fuel boat video, see • 209. A day in the life...
On the topic of continuous cruiser rules, see my older video • A quick chat on the is...
If you have enjoyed the video, a tip can be left via
www.ko-fi.com/davidjohns
or / cruisingthecut
Get your Cruising the Cut mugs, t-shirts and other merch here: cruisingthecut.myspreadshop.c...
Info
Q&A: www.CruisingTheCut.co.uk/f-a-q/
Filming Gear: www.CruisingTheCut.co.uk/gear/
Contact Me
Twitter: / cruisingthecut
Instagram: / cruisingthecut
Facebook: / cruisingthecut
Web: www.CruisingTheCut.co.uk
Theme music: "Vespers" by Topher Mohr and Alex Alena, from the TH-cam music library
#narrowboat #canal #cruisingthecut #rivers #offgrid #liveaboard
![[TH]FFWS SEA Spring 2024 Knockout Stage - Day 10](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4QaEryUGWQw/mqdefault.jpg)
Brilliant David 👏👏👏 And well done Riikka. Having started out as a continuous cruiser in London this brought back memories! Yes at times it can feel unsafe/hard to find a mooring/you have to queue/double moor. But as a community London’s waterways are entirely unique, everyone seems to look out for one another. And for those of us that aren’t retired it’s the only place in the country where you can be with others of a similar age/lifestyle.
Thank you, Robbie 👍
I miss Londons Boating community, it is amazingly supportive, I made so many friends. It’s a bit different where we’re ccing now in Yorkshire!
Land lovers don't want to pay the taxes that keep the waterways open. The only real solution is steep taxation on all boaters to 1. keep the infrastructure maintained and 2. separate the homeless from the real boat enthusiasts
@@abpob6052Quite a bad attitude there, Way back in the late 60s early 70s we had a council run bus service, All this cost effective nonsense didn't exist, Paid for by the people to use but very cheap fares similar to the NHS, You ask if people "want to pay" THEY PAY, And everyone can use the facility with some policing obviously, People on the river pay the same council tax as a one bedroom flat and bring the mooring down and limit the number of boats on the canal, So those "land lover's" you despise pay a small percentage in the upkeep or clear of to Shoeburyness where everything is cheaper and access to the Thames at Shoebury Common unfortunately you have to pay i believe just for the day,Jetski paradise
OMG Pink flamingos, a singing husky and CRT wars 🐾 Just how much more exciting can a winter's evening be 😂 Brillant end picture!! Great stuff as always Thanks
Thank you!
I didn't see a gin and tonic in either of your hands in that parting glimpse, David, for shame! Thanks for yet another gem of a post! Cheers.
Meh.. Alcohol is the Devil's taint sweat anyway.
The situation there also means it's practically impossible for visitors to go to London because all the moorings are taken up with live-aboards. It would be great to take a boat to London again but it's just too much hassle.
How strange that my lifelong ambition in life was to be an artist and spend my evenings sipping champagne on an inflatable pink flamingo.
Sadly they're still but dreams...
Another great vlog!
that is hands down the most calm voiced version of " and tried to hump my leg" I have ever heard :) so funny David. great video.
Did you not see those calves in that Flamingo shot? Can you blame the poor fella? :D
@@x--.It would have been worthwhile adding the clip of ol' mate fully clothed uncomfortably getting on and off that giant nipple.
a lot of those boats look abandoned...maybe the crt needs to start doing checks to see which ones can be pulled out and scrapped to clear up some space..
Another deep investigative report by a seasoned investigative reporter! I quite enjoy the new direction of David’s videos. This one because he tells about a different view of narrowboat life and pink flamingos. Keep up the great work! I enjoy the van videos too. Many thanks David!! 🇨🇦
This certainly shows another (not pleasant) side of the boating life. I can't imagine having to do this every two weeks. Bless them all.
Skidrow knows no limits
I liked this video as it spotlighted the lives of two narrow boaters with the good and bad side of this lifestyle. Well done David.
A heron that didn't fly away and David on a pink flamingo, you are spoiling us sir!
There is a famous, rather fat Heron on the Tottenham stretch of this canal, where part of this was filmed, that will eat tinned fish straight out of your hand. I didn't believe it possible, as Herons are so wary, until I saw a lady feeding it sardines straight into its beak.
CRT need to enforce their own rules in London and indeed everwhere. If they craned out all the unlicensed and overstayers the canal network would not be spiralling down to the watery squat that it is currently......
Doesn't strike me as a lifestyle with a lot of freedom, despite what the nice lady says. Move every 2 weeks, search for a mooring spot on top of someone else, queue hours for water/sanitary facilities, be afraid to leave your boat for any period of time due to crime. It might have been more free/open 20 years ago, but not anymore.
Just love your style of journalism. A mixture of well presented facts and humour.
Thank you
I do love this new direction that your channel has taken. I also loved just slowly chugging along the UK scenery.
Where's the video of you climbing on and off that flamingo?
🤣🤣
David on a pink flamingo. Now that is not something we see every day
I bet Lorna is jealous ;0)
Love that picture at the end 😃
Having her park that dog outside my bedroom window for any length of time would be a nightmare, assuming you slept at all. The whole river as seen here looks a bit like a very long low rent overcrowded caravan park. It would just wear you down into clinical depression sooner or later.
He stopped as soon as we were moored
The dog was probably saying "lets get moving"
Given David's reassurance that he stopped, I'd be more bothered by the flamingo. I get subconsciously bothered by things that look like they're looking at me. I would at least try to get used to it though.
Loved the postcard shot of you at the end.... I bet video of you getting on & off is hilarious....
Looks like a floating skid row.
It reminded me of the boat/ campsite scene in Smiley’s People.
Rikka`s is an inspiration and very brave to be doing boating on her own. Some of those boats need pulling out of the water and scrapped. Its like skidrow of the boating world!!
Good stuff David,as always. And that dog isn't fat,he's just a little husky.
Love the video- I have always wondered what it would really be like to live on a narrowboat in London and this vlog gives ample insight. Quite a lot more difficult than I would have thought.
What a lovely person with her beautiful dog and thanks to her for sharing a little of her experience with us.
What a pity there are so many negative comments here, and some rather hurtful imo comments about her dog. Totally unnecessary and rude.
I enjoy all your videos and the lovely people and their animals you introduce us to. Many thanks King David!
Thank you 😊
The most reasonable and positive comment here.
Thanks for another great video and an interesting life aboard.
Chuckling at the idea of waking up to a giant pink flamingo looking in at the window
the next day!
What a wonderful people you meet! Here in the Netherlands people confuse Boats with cheap living as well, and indeed they suffer! No maintenance for two years means a huge loss in value and 4 years to catch up. I have seen several new neighbors go very miserable with a debt for the boat and not being able to cope in winter with no place to go.
Couldn't cope with the constant stress of finding a mooring spot. That's totally contrary to the laid back and free ethos of boating!! Well put together and interesting video, I was unaware so many lived aboard in the capital!
Yeah, I think I'd have to find a private mooring at least once or twice a year. Maybe go in with a few other boaters and try to get a lower annual rate. Having a break of "find a new spot" would be tiring.
Really enjoyed the video. When I was young I could live close to people, but now that I am approaching retirement age I want a few hundred yards between me & any other humans except my wife. London canals are way too crowded for me.
I love how she states that she can go wherever, whenever! ..........right after spending ages looking for a spot where she is actually allowed to moor.
Apart from a few exceptions that looked really nice, it looked to me that the majority of boats looked tatty at best or downright shabby. The long, long line of boats looked like a floating slum town.
Agreed... Looked like the best improvement for those boats would be to just sink them...
If you can’t find the funds to rent, buy, or pay for a permanent mooring, you most likely won’t have the money to paint your boat or have a professional paint your boat either.
That picture on the flamingo is great! So funny! Thank you for sharing!
This was really very interesting and most professionally produced. Well done.
I notice there is no footage of you getting on or off the flamingo David 🤣🤣
Damned fine work sir. Damned fine journalism. An excellent slice of British canal life. Bravo.
Nice one Dave that wud stress me out all them boats I luv dogs but bloody hell that dog never stops Cheers Dave 🙂🦆🎤✌️
He stopped as soon as we moored
Very enjoyable video and great to see the real boating life & challenges of that area. Riikka comes across as real lovely & has a zest for life...that dog though, i'd be chucking it in the cut the amount of whining it does😀 🐕
He stopped as soon as we moored
Lived in London on the canals 20 years ago. It was a lot quieter, but at the time there were very few resources and very many sketchy places, specifically in the East, around King's Cross and Paddington. And yes, huskies are all full of drama. 😁 Great dogs though.
Ok, the snark level here is wonderful. Love it! You had me at "... and tried to hump my leg," and I stayed for the delightful rest. Really interesting.
Nice to see you still managed to get in the obligatory shot of a Heron !
Of course!
Well that was an eye opener, I cannot wait for our boat but I would definitely pass if I had to live on it in London, that would send me batty 👍👍
It is so odd how much I cherish your channel, since I am from such a different place. Your film direction is so pure and smooth. Very satisfying! :)))🌍
Thank you
Fantastic documentary work David. Great job representing the viewpoints of both the boaters and the CRT in this rather controversial topic.
The most talkative dog breed in the world, love 'em - couldn't have one, I'd go mad.
Cacti! I'd have cacti instead.
And this is on the River Lea...try that again a couple of miles south through the Hertford Union Canal (Ducketts Cut) and onto the Regents Canal through London. Moored up three abreast. Moored on water points. Moored on Lock approaches. It's an absolute nightmare. I took my boat through there in the early 2000's and it was amazing. Plenty of places to short stop and enjoy London. Went through there this summer (2022) and it was horrendous. Damaged Lock gates, flooded locks, drunk and abusive people, sunken boats, filth and rubbish everywhere. CRT? nowhere to be found.
Another great video David - cheers ! 😎
Like many other commenters, this constant searching for fresh moorings would slowly drive me mad ! 😱 But each to their own I guess.
Thanks 👍
Dang, you sure looks comfy on the flamingo David, lol
Thanks for the boat tour, London canals seems very crowded, better with green landscape and peaceful settings.
Cheers from Texas
What a lovely lady. And a very insightful look at some of the struggles of boaters in that area. Well done.
This is fascinating and it is great to see a really well-made video that takes a balanced view. It is certainly a challenging lifestyle and some determination is needed. The high rents in London are at the root of many of the problems, overcrowding in particular. It’s temporary though. There will come a point where all the boats will have to have electric propulsion and it will be interesting to see what happens then.
I lived on a narrowboat in England for one year in 2001 to 2002. It was idyllic then. No double mooring in London. Little vandalism. We traveled the whole country. It was also only 600 £ for a license for one year! Too many people moved into narrowboats as housing and it ruined everything. I'm happy I did it back then. Also, almost all the boats were beautiful, well kept and works of art. I sadly agree with the comments that they mostly look awful now.
Try the US as in NO !! I followed one a few years back few on the water then Cheap ..ALOHA
Im from America, and most of our canals got filled in. I think its great the UK still has their canal system. Our canal systems were never too connected... sometimes to the rivers. I think it would be cool to live on a long boat.
Can't forget the Erie canal in NY.
Nice one David. Yet another very interesting vlog. Yes Londons waterways have always been hectic, even years ago. I am sure with the cost of living going up, there will be another influx of new continuous boaters looking for a cheaper option to live on a boat. Think I will stick to less urban areas. Just don't like crowds.
Congratulations London, you have created floating slums.
interesting view of city boat life. Best wishes to the continuous cruisers of London
It's always about "safety" when your freedoms are taken. I love the cut!
I would imagine that urban London boaters are very different to the vast majority of canal users, peace and quiet in the countryside or the gritty life of the big city I know which I would choose. Love your videos keep them coming.
An interesting video David, as always. You hear a lot of stories about boat life in London, a lot of which is very negative. You give an honest and unbiased account, well done.
Interesting to have a look at another style of life on the canals, or, in this case, river. There are more challenges than life on the canals in more rural settings, but still has advantages over living in a flat. I don't envy their fight with the CRT for mooring rights/space, but wish them well! Excellent work as always, entertaining, and well shot. Also, thanks to Riikka and Bowie for letting us have a glimpse into their lives.
These videos you've been making since giving up your own boat have been brilliant; it's really interesting to see all the special interest stories about the canals and the different locations. I still say the CRT should give you a proper job and let you be a contributor to their media outreach.
I don't think the pink flamingo is you, though ... maybe an inflatable mini-version of the Ark Royal perhaps? =)
Glad you like them!
I often ride my bike along the Lea and love passing the narrow boat community and occasionally stopping for a friendly chat x
hang on, we moored up on a residential with our club boat right where the background location was in the intro. AND I'VE SEEN THAT FLAMINGO!
Leaving for my first trip to the UK (London) in 3 days. I can’t wait to see the canals and all of the boats.
Hope you enjoy it!
Agree with her, having a barking cat sized dog is pointless security these days. A wolf like Husky is no joke, they are deadly when provoked.
Stonebridge Lock, that brings pack memories. I was walking my dog near there (Doberman) in the mid 1970s. The water in the lock was completely covered in algae and the dog thought it was grass and went to run on it. I pulled him out and he was a bit shaking but he didn't do it again 😀
I live fairly close to Stonebridge lock, and would highly recommend the Waterside cafe located adjacent to it, which I frequent on a regular basis for a burger, whilst strolling through Tottenham marshes.
I love how dramatic her dog is ❤️
Interesting lifestyles. The congestion is quite a contrast to continuous cruising the canals. I expected more people, but grossly underestimated the numbers in my head.
Your quite the adventurer riding that flamingo. Glad you weren't bucked off😂
Thank you David for such an interesting and enlightening video. It is a great insight into the less glamorous world of live aboards, especially in London. I hope you will continue to make more videos showing this side of canal life. 👏👏👍😀
Lack of moorings, two week limit- sounds like musical chairs, only without the fun. Good luck CC.
That life looks hella comfy, waking up rainy morning pulled up next to a cafe have a cup of coffee listening to the sounds of the urban river. 😌
You looked mighty fine on that Pink Flamingo. U need one. (Haha) Thank you for the video - hard life boating around London it seems. No boating here anymore - 1 to 3 inches of snow today. Ice on the ponds a bit even. No more boating on the old mighty Mississippi River till next spring for us. Plus the river is at very low levels. Take care
It seems that narrowboaters cruising all over creation are a cross section of the general population, whilst the London continuous cruisers are more of the bohemian/traveler type.
This is a far cry from the romance of canal and river lift as projected on Griff Jones 'rivers' series. Great production David, thank you.
Cheers
It's no fun either if you want to visit London as a boater.
Go on Dave!
Having visited London a few times, I'm not at all surprised the mooring spots are as crowded as the rest of the city. Living there is an amazing challenge unless you are royalty or extremely wealthy. Knightsbridge is lovely. And, by the way, David, you look smashing while atop a huge pink flamingo!
Very interesting, and full of relaxing visuals. Great video!
I am pleasantly surprised, to say the least, by the beautiful canal/nature surrounding central London. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing this! 😊👍
Fascinating , David, thank you once again for a different view of boating life. I can see it would not appeal to everybody and I think the uncertainty of finding moorings must be anxiety creating. What is the rule on double mooring - can you only do it if the boat closest to the bank agrees?
There are no official rules just etiquette; if someone objects then it's likely to be an unpleasant stop if you try anyway so just move on and try another.
Helsingistä Englantiin viisi vuotta sitten muuttaneena suomalaisena olen tosi iloinen siitä, että satuin törmäämään tähän "Riikan" videoon. Kiitti paljon, Riikka, ja kaikki videon tekijät. :-)
I came very close to buying a small narrowboat for work in London. As my job requires me to move about it would have been perfect being a continuous cruiser and I was often working 5-10 mins from a canal but then we lost a load of London contracts it made less sense so got a van instead.
Well, you ARE getting around, aren't you David. Very informative. More to this than I imagined. Certainly broadened my concept of what Narrowboat living entailed. I can see the River and Canal Authorities having problems coping with waste disposal and management of moorings. Can't you just see it : the CRT becoming the HOA of Britain.....Goodbye Pink Flamingo.
Fabulous film!
That was quite neat.. such a different perspective of narrowboat life.. would love to see more of such, with interesting folk such in this edition.
Thank you again David for a great video.
Fantastic photo to finish! Another great video, thank you David.
Thank you both for all the serious good information...glad you hit the pub !! : )
That is just horrible. There is something peaceful about being on the canals even in some of the more built up areas, but that just looks like a nightmare.
Ha! I was wondering that could there be any Finns cruising around the canals. Once again proven that we Finns are everywhere.😃
Great video. Love this channel. This was close to home as I spent my first 4 years (at the end of the 1950's) living in a caravan by Pickett's Lock on the Lea Navigation. Father was a civil engineer building Deephams water treatment plant on Pickett's Lock Lane. Very fond early memories and nice to see the canal being used. Keep these videos coming they're very professional - not surprising given your background!!!
Wonderful video! Thank you for your efforts.
Clearly no one in the comments watched the effing video before chelping about the dog. She said it's quiet but doesn't like the boat moving!!
So she says. Wonder what neighboring boaters say?
Chelp chelp chelp. Clearly a dog only it’s mother would love 😁
Every husky I have met has had the same tendency to whine. It is just how they communicate, like it or not. Dogs are going to be dogs.
😂😂😂What do people honestly expect??? Its a husky. The songs of its people must be sung lest they are forgotten!😂😂😂
i agree the countryside and rural canal settings are the best . they are less crowded and the scenery is much better
Thanks again David for another fascinating video, alas it shows again how our bureaucracy's cannot comprehend the changes that need to be made for regular folks to survive. Keep up the good work and I now understand why your host's K-9 companion was so vocal..................
Good to see you again, David.
I must say David, you really did suit that pink flamingo at the end there. How about getting one for the campervan, but preferably on wheels because we wouldn't want to see it being dragged along the road.
You can tell how much the dog loves it by his near constant whining.
He’s not whining- huskies are known for being very vocal.
your videos have made me want to lead this lifestyle! so interesting. i will probably never be able to, but it’s nice to live vicariously through your videos. so thank you for documenting these people and their lifestyles!
Lovely video, David. Great photo of you relaxing on the pink flamingo.
People need to wind their necks in, too used to living in a comfy, underfloor heated little apartment. Growth doesn't come from an easy life but one where you think on your feet, reject convention and make your own way. Just because it's hard it doesn't mean it's inferior - quite the opposite. Bravo Riikka for making your own path.