Through Necessity - Narrowboat Marina Life S3 Ep41
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 เม.ย. 2024
- Maximising Life sometimes means we have to understand what is required to be done in order to make life better for the longer term. Here is my story of my reason why I've moved my Narrowboat into a Marina - at least for the short term.
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Another great vlog Chris. I can just imagine the 999 phone call to the police. ‘There's a really dodgy-looking guy in a hoodie walking through the marina, and he looks piss-ed.’ 😂
I do think it's just normal to slop out each morning but it's the really dodgy looking guy that concerns me! Thanks Henry. Back this weekend.
Just had our first narrowboat experience, a week in Scotland. The weather was better than expected. We did this as we intend buying and retiring on one. Not an easy life but think we will get along fine. Your videos are great
as you suggest buddy
there's no one size fits all
for a life spent aboard a boaty (& the how's)
just as all our experiences & reasons for
hopping aboard will vary
it's a multi faceted here & now
but despite the challenges & there are them (broken bodies akin) & wouldn't life be a bit dull without (some of) them the freedoms to be realised are in my experience win all's over the alternatives...
again its a personal choice when appraising the alternatives & the temptations to adjust & change given our personal circumstances, 'dreams & desires'...
Yours are clearly evolving as your path may now change ?
& to that it's all a celebration to behold - good luck & onwards !!
Thanks Lloyd. I'll bell you over the weekend. I'm back Friday night.
Great vlog again Chris. Must admit Clickbaiting does get me too. Works for the press and I do fall for such headlines thinking the worse then feel ‘tricked’ as to how irrelevant the click bait was. Health wise bits you mentioned are a key player for me hence waiting for treatment to end later this year. Hope the jobs going well Chris and every best wish. You made me laugh with your walk of shame lol. Brilliant.
Shower shoes: I always use them in public showers. Great vlog, Chris.
I think that's the way forward. I have some but forgot I did. Thanks for the comment.
lol, I know the feeling we use the electricity as if we were living off grid at the end of a farmers field which we did for 5 years on the River Nene. The mind set didn’t change for us with our new boat in a Marina. 👍🏼
To be honest Nick, I just think I'm a scrooge as I just don't use it. Charging the phone and laptop and the daily use of the fridge and freezer is about as exciting as my life gets. Maybe, it'll change if I need a permanent mooring
Best of luck Chris at work?...great vlog as always....👍👍
Thanks Kevin
Hi Chris the timing of this vlog is so strange as I have also been planning for my future ie what if when I get older and my health gets to the point where I can no longer manage living on a boat any more so I have been planning considerably for that what if , also I can understand some people work and have kids going to school etc so marina life makes perfect sense but for me I absolutely love being out on the cut it feels like the best home and it would take something drastic for me to have to go into a marina again
all the very best for your overseas spell...Jim
Thanks Jim.
You have totaly done the right thing chris ..im so glad i got off ..like you i appreciate the nature and the beatiful scenery ..which a lot off boat people dont ..it can be such a mierable life .life is for living chris ..fair play to you ..big respect for chris 😊
Thanks Lynn. I'm not going to sell the boat...It is still my home but the future may change for a while. I'll explain all soon.
Hey chris its good to do different things ..it makes you feel alive ..im looking farward to you showing us all what your up too
Chris, I miss your blogs. I miss your honesty and your personality. I hope your current situation is to your liking. Please, if the mood strikes you, give us an update on what you’re up to. Best wishes, Tom.
Hi Tom. I'm not selling the boat and the vlogging will continue, just not in the same country all the time. Lots to discuss and thanks as always for your support.
And someone else feels the same as us about "clickbait vlogs" the over dramatic headlines and then out of a 20 minute vlog 30 seconds about the headline, 😢😮😢
Having had a private linear mooring, a marina mooring and now CCing after 15 years of private owning I agree with your sentiments, there is a reason behind everyone's decision, the pricing surcharge IMO is creating a them and us of boaters and will become a deeper divide, but CRT don't care about that.
Stay safe and hopefully catch up on your return to blighty!!!
Thanks Tony. I'll be in touch when I return. I'll text you as I need some gen about Marinas. Need to do some homework.
You're right: some channels are so much about disasters that they get tiresome to watch. Quite a number of long-term vloggers have sold their boats and disappeared. Most are pretty balanced in their approach to this, but others tell tales of woe that I suppose are intended to shut down their channel.
Change is inevitable, and being able to adjust is a big part of mental health.
I definitely get the part about looking after one's self. Trying to stay as active as I can is a challenge. Knees wear out and muscles atrophy, but I am determined to get into good enough shape to be able to travel comfortably. The trick, I think, is balance. Do whatever you need to do to look after both the present and the future. If it means a couple of weeks off, it is what it is. Hopefully, what is about to happen will be a positive adventure.
Really interesting vlog, Chris. Thank you.
Thank you Malcolm
Hey Chris,i know you brylcream boys like your comforts and smelling nice for each other lol,have a good one.
Anyone can do it rough James. It takes intelligence to make life easy......'don't live on a boat then', I hear you say.
@@chrismears-inslowtime intelligence yes,as long as you learn from your mistakes,which i suppose goes hand in hand
Yeah sharing bathrooms is no fun when other people have "different standards", best invest in a can of cif spray and assume it wont have been done before you get there. Higher personal standards might rub off if others arrive to find it as spotless as you will leave it. Not sure if the tubers are putting people off, the thing thats put me off was the gargantuan cost and they dont hire to single handed. Hope the knees are holding up, that long paper round that you did as a youngster was quite a shift.
Dear Chris ..all I can say is that you are one hundred percent right.. with your look on life.
People are responsible for their own lives..and the decisions they make.
Unfortunately there are a few who would like to run your life..and will disagree with everything and anything you decide to do with your life.
Personally I am a bit long in the tooth to listen to other people..who make suggestions on how I should change my life..
It's interesting to watch their faces after being told to go forth and multiply.??? Even at the ripe old age of seventy five I still will not put up with Thier bull crap...
Live your life as you see fit. Is all the advice this old man can give you .Chris.. and forget about the negative comments..
Over the years I have always followed the advice from a very wise man .. this being always be positive with the decisions you make for yourself.. it's your life to lead.
And should not concern others.. for they have no goals to achieve in their own lives. Anyway Chris keep yourself safe and well mate.
Thanks Wayne. Thanks for the support too. There is only one person who can sort stuff out when it goes wrong. Me. If I can mitigate by taking on a bit of hard work with good pay, then I can achieve what I need in half the time. I just need to make sureI have all the right eggs in the basket to make it as easy as I can should I get a more permanent position. Find out next week.
Good morning. Nice early vlog . Great way to start the day.
Thanks Andrew.
Thanks once again for sharing your thoughts, having a balance in life is so important. I am having some Heart issues at present, and am having to rethink how my wife and i manage the future. You have taken care of your family and now is the time to plan your future, learning from your time on the canal
Thank you Chris for the update. It’s always a pleasure to see what you’ve been up to. So looking forward to seeing what you’ll be getting into next. Take care😎
Thank you Val.
I can't say that I've watched much that is negative about living on the canals on TH-cam. I love watching The Narrowboat Pirate, a middle-aged woman traveling the canals alone. There are a lot of narrowboaters out there who totally neglect blacking, engine servicing, do crappy DIY, and then wonder why things go wrong, but that isn't the fault of narrowboat living in general. I have to say that much as I enjoy your videos, I haven't ever felt you were totally sold into the narrowboat life. Maybe military life has trained you into preparing for every possibility, and life on a narrowboat is not very predictable. I hope the best for you, wherever life takes you - be it some little house somewhere or back on the canals. I enjoy your videos and since your subscriber numbers keep creeping up there, others must also. I trust this new opportunity will be all you wish it to be. With all best wishes, Jane
Hi Jane. I think a lot of the dramas I see on the Tube, I and all those I talk to, don't appear to have. It's not the narrowboat life that was ever the issue. It was the lifestyle of being alone. I want to share my life with someone. Having Colin to knock about with is great. When I was travelling with Lloyd and Dan last year, life was enjoyable. I can cope with the boat but not the loneliness and the long winters are hard. I will explain more on vid over the coming weeks. Thanks for the support.
@@chrismears-inslowtime I can understand the living alone, especially through winter, part. What to do about it is something different. It would be wonderful for you to meet someone that would love living on a narrowboat. I have no advice for you there. 🙂 I enjoy your videos and hope you can find some compromise that allows you to continue. Hope the new job is going well and wish only the best for you.
Thanks again for a great vlog, yes grab every opportunity for sure. I have stayed on a very big marina and loved the community spirit and boater friendship. Ps my house is up for sale and hopefully move to narrowboats lifestyle.
Nice 1 Chris, I’ve got my “if and when”, head on at the moment ref making vids etc again after many years of making them, I thought I would settle first with my time table on the cut before editing etc would “bully try” to write a time table for me because it does not give a damn whether your in a house, a boat or van it always wants your time. Have a good week mate…
I'm a hirer, looking to buy. I agree with you about the click-bait-y vlogs, a bit on the silly side & once you've 'been had' by it once the rest become laughable. I wonder if the new Channel 4 'Narrow Escapes' programme will be less sensational & make more people want to get on the water?!?! I wish you well & I hope you continue to enjoy what you're doing! Claire x
I'll have a look at that program when I get back to the UK. Thanks Claire
Chris is a wild man 😊
Back in the day perhaps but going to the Middle East on a hunch may be considered as a wild side of life. I just hope it'll work out as the benefits outweigh the non-benefits.......
Health, two words. Water aerobics. As for the change ,everyone needs a holiday. Enjoy see you when your back.❤
Thanks Russell.
You have given it a good go Chris!!! Welcome to marina life matey.
CCing hasn't finished yet though Glenn. I need to get the job first on a more permanent basis. I'll find out next week. I trust life is treating you both kindly.
@@chrismears-inslowtime Hi Chris. I was diagnosed with polymialga last October so have been struggling a bit... but can't complain too much. Still miles better than working!!!!!!
Great vlog Chris as ever. It was good to get a non biased view on marina and canal life. I think a mix of the two sounds good. We are seriously looking at moving from spain onto a narrowboat in the very near future, both in our 60s. If you have a look on the tube at Dr. Shawn Baker, an ex military like you. He lives on the carnivore diet, which is not only good for your health but certainly gets rid of all those aches and pains. Seriously, it's worth a look. We have been fed rubbish for years as a so-called healthy diet. Enjoy your working trip.
Thanks Raymond. Have a serious think about this life. I'd love it more if I had someone to share the life and experience with. I'll check out the diet.
Fair play Chris, you need to take the opportunities in life when they appear, so good luck to you. Having just recently retired, slightly early 😊, we seriously looked at a narrow boat as a possible retirement option, at least for a few years, and when age and health dictated otherwise, move back to our house. No way😮. The costs involved would have left us broke and instead we chose a secondhand micro campervan for "Day vanning" and short trips away which we really enjoy. Post Covid leisure costs are ridiculous and soon only those in privileged circumstances will be able partake. I hope your trip is very successful and proves to be very rewarding 😊
Thank you. I don't blame you getting a van. Narrowboats are coming down in price and there will be many who will have to accept a normal price. I know my boat was costed pre covid and I didn't get stung but it was on the pricey side. Hopefully it'll last. I'm prepared to take the hit but I don't plan on selling it for a while....if ever. I wonder if the CRT have actually gamed the consequences of their licence strategy? Their rhetoric has changed on Instagram but I feel it's just words. That means they are perhaps not being true to themselves nor the boating community. Interesting times.
Missing you on here. Hope all is going well. 🙃
Great vlog young fella...........We have had a really bad 2024. Started with scary earthquaches - really bad and health scares,,,,,,,,,,,We have missed a lot of your videos Glad to see the standard hasn't dropped......likely we will watch a few this evening,,,,,,,,,Cheers Chris
I thought of you both when that earthquake happened. Thanks for the comment and support Ian but what is really important is that you look after yourself. Take care.
Chris, another very interesting vlog, you're always worth listening to, always talk common sense. Good luck with your couple of months away & look forward to your further boating vlogs. I've followed you from day 1 when you were sitting outside Graham Reeves, in fact I visited his workshop & your boat was loaded on the truck ready for TheFitout Pontoon.
Thanks Michael. I'm back this weekend and hopefully there will be sufficient time to put a vid together. I'll let you all know what the future holds. I'm not selling the boat though.
Sounds like you be giving ago,good on you 👍🏴 enjoy your time away and hopefully it goes smoothly for you 👍👍👍👍👍👍🍀🏴
Thanks Thomas. I've been working hard that's for sure. Long hours and I've not really had chance to look around the country yet. This weekend is my last so I'm hoping to go out at least one of those days.
An enjoyable watch listen as I made dinner for myself and granddaughter. A very rare meal of roast beef and veg. At least that's what cooking.
Looking forward, is a very good idea. As I approach 70. I am readying my house for sale and a planned move to do that down sizing in a couple of years. What and where you say? Maybe a smaller place, an apartment, or .... maybe a bigger campervan with a room annex, at each of my son's homes! We'll see. All the best.
Chris, I loved this Vlog so much it has made me chuckle, I don't think I could live in a marina, some things like water and electric would be great, but having people so close I wouldn't like. Enjoy your new adventure can't wait to watch. Take care. Janet
Very interesting take! I have the opposite viewpoint! I've never set foot on a canal boat - I've no doubt that i would enjoy it as a holiday - but living in one? I can't think of anything worse! Crushing claustrophobia and overwhelming loneliness. Oh my goodness me no! Take care 👍
Needs must. I like the benefits of marina life and the cruising. Living in a small space is a challenge which does take time to get used to. I like having space which is why the marina shower is a good thing. Maybe, if all works out in the Middle East, I'll be able to have a house and boat?
Good luck with the new job Chris. Seems you are comfortable with Mariner life. Stay safe.
Thanks Keith. I do accept marina life has a means to an end and has benefits, but I do prefer towpath life. Particularly when sharing it with others.
Go for it Chris and best of luck. See you when you get back 👍
Thanks Bill.
Hey bud
Love the way u say how it is,,, true thoughts and words,,, good on u,,,
Hope all is going well,
Rich
👍
Thanks Rich. I'm back this weekend with more truths to tell.
Exciting times, Chris. Very sad to hear that boatyards are having a hard time. Good luck, following with great interest. Martin
Thanks Martin. I'll bell you over the coming week. I'm back on Friday night so it'll be next week.
Interesting points there Chris / as I have said before / life is what you make it… there are going to be good points and bad points in all things through life..
Marina life I get it… especially if your unwell, struggling with life out on the cut as everything is on hand and easier for people to get to you in an emergency.
As for CRT I worry it’s going to become a case of if you don’t use it, you loose it… again that happens everyday, everywhere to everyone.
Watching you over the last few years, we as a family living in a house, have adopted a lot of your approach to conserving energy and resources / to say my bills have more that halved!!! In a world where prices have risen is a complete shock and something I think we can all address. There is only a finite amount / and when it’s gone it’s gone 💁🏼
Thanks Jon and it's nice to hear that you have taken on some of my lifestyle. I will continue to do so if I ever move back to a house. The plan would be to keep the boat but, saving money of bills has got to be a no-brainer. Does that include wearing the same clothes for a week?
Another great vlog - interesting as so many people are very polarised about marina verses continuous cruising, yours is a balanced view I felt.
Hoping to finally get back out of our marina after a retinal detachment left me with effectively one eye, so have to try and adapt to losing binocular vision - lesson is to make the most of every day as things can change so quickly!
Hi Richard. That eye op sounded nasty. I hope you're on the mend. Marina life is certainly different and it does have it's benefits. There is nothing like towpath life. I do prefer it but.......needs must. I'll explain more over the coming weeks.
Great video again, Chris. I love the mix of some videos showing the journey along the canal and others where you share your thoughts, opinions and insights on life and "stuff". Thank you.
On the comment that some people make regrading "why didn't you plan ahead".... Well, life's not like that. Who plans ahead for a serious illness? I didn't. I certaily didn't start out my married life planning ahead for the divorce which came some years afterwards. There are always those things which I call the "curveballs of life". They happen. And when they do, you better be strong enough to stand up and face them.
Sorry for the rant. Hope your extended working trip is a huge success. Cya next time, sir.
That's real life Alan. I share your thoughts and pain. Starting again at 50 and plan to find a home which I could get to most places in the UK for ease of seeing the children. Only to find they are moving down the South West. No canals.
The showers are over equipped for you I.e. Hairdryer 😂
Yep. If only I could make better use of them Peter
Chris you have a perfectly good nice shower you don’t need to use the marina and i could not stand being closed in by by a boat either side of me
We have a lovely shower on our boat. I couldn’t bear sharing facilities with other people.
Yes I have a nice shower but it's also nice having bit of room to move about. I like the change. I get the point of feeling enclosed but needs must....
Chris, I looked at a narrow boat holiday, but the thing that put me off were the rules and caveats around hiring the thing. I can understand the hire company may want to cover their proverbials and put it in the small print to protect themselves. But several pages of small print when you actually read the terms an conditions sounds like they can charge you for almost anything. I'm sure the reputable hire companies don't withhold deposits willy-nilly, but I couldn't be arsed with all the rules. I wanted a relaxing holiday, not be on edge all the time wondering if I'll have to pay more on top of the exorbitant hire charge. No wonder people are turned off and to be honest there are more relaxing and less stressful options for less money. And when money is a factor like it is now, you can understand that narrowboat holidays may start to see a bit of a decline.
If that is your experience, I don't blame you. It is a game of risk for the hire companies and perhaps they ought to determine what is acceptable wear and tare. It is hard to damage a boat though. Trust me, I've tried.....not deliberately. I think they are too expensive...full stop.
"The dream" for me is to have a residential mooring on the canal itself with a decent plot of land so I can have a few nice veggie grow beds and a greenhouse, a shed or two for car tinkering and hopefully water and power, power mostly only for the winter. I think that's a nice in-between. You get your own piece of the world, but you're still technically living on the cut. I have no idea how much that would actually cost though!
As for the TH-cam negativity. Well, they say drama sells. Yourself and Country House Gent are the only two boaters I watch now because I got sick of the 1) The same old drama. Pretty much exactly what you said. 2) The complete opposite; everything's perfect and nothing ever goes wrong... Bollocks. You and the gent are the only two that I've seen that just show it as it is. Ups and down. Sunny days and rainy days. Deep thoughtful topics like boredom, loneliness and mental health, but the bike rides, cruising, cooking and ranting and moaning. You both have very similar video styles and I just find them perfectly balanced.
Glad to see you taking the piss. Cheers
Nice one Greg.
😂. Enjoyed that. Remember when we were that filthy after each assault course, that we unravelled the fire hose to “pre-shower” outside the accom’? Let me know via other means ref’ how you are getting on mate. 💪
Thanks Andy. Life is ok out here. We'll have a chat when I get back. I'll know more about the way forward by then. Currently being thrashed. Hope you're both enjoying it.
@@chrismears-inslowtime nice one buddy. Don’t try and work it all out in just a few days. The penny will always drop once you have some decent 360. (Or even 180!).
Get stuck in my friend, interested to hear your thoughts. 💪
Feedback on narrowboat holiday - I looked and it was comparable to a family holiday in Spain. so UK ditch for a week or Spain main coast.
As always love to you and Max and how your opportunity is going well
Agreed. Spain every time. Cheaper, more relaxing and the weather is better. No point in having a passport otherwise. Max is going on holiday this year somewhere nice and warm as he's now off his meds. Great news. Thank you.
you have done a lot of miles mate so well done to you ...but how will i know what day it is with out your vlog haaaaa....
I'm loosing the track of time in the Middle East with the weekends being on Friday and Saturday. I'm back next week. A long month.
Thanks
Thanks as always Ian. You're a real gent.
Ah, yes, a Naval Shower, I don't miss it. Let the water run, just step back and soap up. 4 years in the Navy, Sea Bees, Viet Nam Veteran.
Good man Bob. I respect what you have done. Hard life in that war....
You can rent a postcode from companies like Boatmail, which is the firm we have used for a few years, they scan my post and email it to me or forward it to wherever I want it sent. I agree about the click-baiters on the Tube, very annoying. Keep smiling.
I'll check out Boatmail. Thank you.
Good perspective as usual. Yes too much click bait on disasters not good. We're all becoming too dependent on drama and god there's enough of it around! Cheers
There is enough drama going on in both the Middle East and in east europe that if either is not contained could bring a whole host of problems that the general public wished we had supported the right side earlier. Thanks David
What is the lead time on the hoodies please? xx
Oh additional : don't forget if your boat is in a marina and moored next to other boats for long periods of time then your hull will start catching rust off the other boats hulls which was starting to happen to my boat when I bought her though I can't remember the technical name for it I'm sure someone on here will know 😊
Ah Yes. I don't know what it's called either but I do have a galvanic isolater which is supposed to mitigate that a little bit. Thanks Nathan.
@@chrismears-inslowtime I need to get one of them on my boat , well being a former hire boat I need to get everything on my boat 😆😆😆
Because you are disciplined that’s why
Thanks Joy.
I wonder how all those CC get around no postcode. I imagine not everyone has the use of a family member or friends postcode.
Totally agree Gary. Mortgaging the good will of others. I need to either livi in a marina or buy a house giving me options. There's the opportunity. Let's hope it works.
hmm, I wouldn't like boats both sides, very claustrophobic. Would have to go out a lot. I think a private mooring somewhere where you could have a garden would be perfect, but I guess they are very hard to come by. If you have water and electric on tap, why do you need to use the shower full of hair, just curious. Looking forward to hearing more of your adventures 🙂
Yes, I wondered that!
Sometimes it's nice to have a bit of room and spread out when showering. I can cope with it. As for the boats either side of me, I've only been there a week. But it might end up being, when needs must.
where are the extra videos you made for when you were away…😢😢😢😭you didn’t upload them? xx
I think we've seen them.
@@annclark5082 nope, the last one was Chris saying he was going away
£400pm ? I pay £156 and no council tax. There’s no showers or toilet block but we have everything else. I think that without a contract It would be about £220pm. My boat is45ft.
Thanks Matt. I'll find out soon enough but my life is in flux at the moment with too many variables to make a plan which is a little frustrating.
You started with a really interesting discussion on where's my backup, but didn't conclude it...or were you saying that marina life IS that backup?
Hi Ben. The back up is earning money to give me options of buying a house somewhere. Don't need a big one just enough. But then I don't know if I get a full time contract so it's about doing the best I can. If it all works out, in 5 years, I could buy a house outright.
Not sure of the benefit of using the facilities when you have a lovely shower on board.
I get it Susan but it's nice to have a bit of room.
Please come back, you can share my postcode 🥰
That's very kind Joy. I will continue to vlog and I will discuss some postcode issues in the next vlog. I just might not always be in the UK but I'm not selling the boat.
Chris what if it doesn’t go wrong, what if it’s perfect for someone…
Great. But it's about personal risk and my body is breaking so I must do something about it. This life is perfect for many and I like it but.....Thanks for the comment David
Get yourself off abroad chris and spend some time talking to people instead of a camera as i don't think too much time on your own talking to yourself is good for your mental health. Stay well