039 - Napton to Braunston, First Snow on the Canal and Braunston chats
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ธ.ค. 2017
- Snowed in and iced in in Branunston. If you are going to get stuck anywhere you would be hard pushed to find a better place.
With little cruising to film we decide to follow up on our Thrupp Chats video and discuss some of the comments and expand on them and just chat generally about random CRT and canal stuff that popped into our heads! We would love to hear your thoughts too so please comment below.
Thrupp Chats Video
• 034 - THRUPP CHATS - ...
Music:
Josh Woodward - Dizzy Spells Instramental
Josh Woodward - She Dreams in Blue Instramental
Licensed under an attribution only licence.
Blog: http//www.minimallist.co.uk
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So insightful, especially considering how new you were to the canaling experience when you made this.
Speaking only for myself. I've seen the canal from the vantage point of half a dozen TH-camrs. After awhile it all starts to blend together and I find myself fast forwarding through the video. It's fireside talks like this one that give me an insight into the minds and lives lives of the people who chose this life that I really enjoy.
+szatuchny The interesting thing is how very different every one of those minds is! Yeah, I can imagine the actual canal part sort of blends together, without the biting cold and occasional slap in the face from a willow branch, but we're glad we don't bore everyone silly with these talkie bits! M
Great vlog... you both speak a lot of sense. Beautiful scenery, nature at its wintery best.
+David Keating It is gorgeous, though slipping all the time does wear thin! M
Wow loved this presentation. Thank you so much for sharing. George's dreams were cute. Gloria 🐂
Thanks! They’re always pretty cute! M
Very interesting discussion.
I remember walking around the marina there at braunston back in September, looks so much more beautiful with all the snow! Can't wait to get back on the cut again myself! Roll on may!!!
+Matt Stubbington Beautiful, extremely beautiful... and damned slippy!! M
Michael and Jo: you make the weather outside (Snow) more bearable with your level headed discussion of the Pandora's box of change required. Thanks for making your selves available as a channel to get people moving on the difficult subject of Change
I work for a charity, we made a decision to gather better data on our work about two years ago, which we had not previously. Gathering that data and using it smartly and ethically has changed how we work for the better and improved results for our core purpose significantly. Most of the core IT was free as well. Hardware was a cost and a few key pieces of data management software were also costed. We are not a big charity, so the gains for a bigger organisation would be well worth it. Snow and dogs, magic combination.
As an IT professional who specializes in database design, I immediately started working the issues you described. Self contained solar powered transponder issued with your license would be be low cost and very efficient in tracking waterway usage while providing helpful tools for the boating community.
Well, as a boater.... I agree and support your ideas....
As someone considering living on a boat in the future, this was very insightful regarding the CRT rules. I’m years away from being able to do this, but taking in as much as possible now. George’s snoring duly noted!
We watched endless boattube videos before we bought out boat! Jo
Gorgeous scenery! I love the twin bridges at Braunston...even more beautiful with snow. Apparently you wore George out with your morning walk....what a cutie George is! Yes, lots of ideas and scenarios to weigh when thinking about life on the canal...interesting discussion.
Love the George thought balloons! 😆
+marilyn s Jo has accurately evoked his thought process! M
+Luann Crownover He's never exactly worn out, he's just re-coiling the spring! M
Very interesting points raised. Loved how George slept with his head on the desk and the snowy video at the end was lovely 👌🏼👌🏼
+Dulcie Barnes Glad you liked it! A bit talky, we know, but we wanted to get people to participate in the process if at all possible! M
My brother is a long haul trucker. His truck has a system called Freepass. It identifies his truck, for tolls and weight stations. It is short ranged radio to a local sensor. The canals could use a similar system. It could also unify the canals several licensing systems, just as it does for toll systems in the States. Another interesting video from dear friends.
Yeah, there’s a few potential systems like that, using LoRA or Bluetooth Low Energy... problem is getting everyone to agree with it and buy the sensors in sufficient quantities to get the price down to reasonable. M
I am not a boater and it does not seem I will become one soon.
However, I found your thoughts very interesting! So much of this is applicable on many other aspects of life, so this is really about taking in ideas - and now processing them to integrate them into my own view on … situations in life.
Also: What you said about the black sheep that found a community made me understand myself better and why I like watching canalboat channels on youtube.(and also some other stuff I watch)
Glad you found our ramblings to be at all helpful! M
Glad you guys are doing okay and no more slips and falls. I had my biggest slip up so far back on Nov 2nd, I was admitted into the hospital for an emergency 3-way by-pass, I'm good now, because of complications, I was in for 34 days, and all I had in there was a basic laptop with really crappy Wifi. But I home a week ago and had to re-program my computer, so I back in commenting world. Looking forward to more videos in the new year.
+Charles Damery Oh wow! Well, glad you're back in fighting form! Hope things stay in good order!! More videos coming! M
+bren106 Here's hoping they manifest any day now, and are not as silly as that poor fellow in Justice League! M
The canals are missing out on two key resources with surround them. It seems they do not actively draw on the local residents nor are boaters encouraged to improve their canals . My town has a Herring run through it. We have an annual cleanup day for that stream. It removes junk and trims the banks before the spring run. Public Works disposes of the trash and cuttings from local collection points. We are proud of our cleanup. This pride could cover much of the canal system
Boater could get credits for work done on the canals. Trimming banks, light trash removal, and other support work could be done by boaters, or or boater groups. Marinas Hire-boat firms or associations could improve their local conditions Even reporting problem areas could help. Boaters could get credits for extra Mooring time, or license benefits for canal improvement activities. I hope this helps somebody.
There are lots of local canal cleanup drives, actually. Several of the cities (like Coventry) have programs like that, and other places have “adopt a canal” like schemes. The problem is that while the CRT manages it all there’s still love council involvement and many of them just have other priorities. I do like the idea of getting more boaters involved in cleanups though! M
nothing that applies to my life but gosh darn it you two are so fun to watch ... thanks for making the movies , Merry Christmas
+Chip Wood This one was a pretty specialized video! We hope the bloopers helped! M
Michael & Jo: Excellent discussion. you are far more down to earth, I agree with Michael if there was a means to track each and every boat through the system so the "System" could be better managed to use available resources to manage the system as a whole
An excellent chat and so interesting the different points you make and you take on the advances that could be made by adopting more technology solutions - especially the bit about variable time according to demand at moorings, I filled in the survey a few weeks back! Good luck in Braunston - do visit the Butchers Shop and yes we love the Admiral Nelson .
+Arnie Brewer Glad you've filled yours in! Glad it was interesting and not just the two of use nattering on! M
Now you are into it. As noted we are beached for now but hopeful that maybe September will see us get our 2020 cruise under our belts. Failing that we'll catch that up next year and then come back over and do the Warwickshire Ring starting in Napton over 4 weeks with some side trips into Coventry and up the Ashby so thanks for the preview!!
You’ll love all of those. The Ashby remains one of our true highlight canals, so enjoy that one! M
Love this vlog it’s one of the best you’ve done merry Christmas happy boating from Clive Julie and Bobbi the dog
+Jules Cook Thanks and Merry Christmas right back! M
It is a very complex issue, and I am sure most of the 57,000 boats would rather keep the government out of the Canal Life. However that being said there has to be a concerted user involvement for change or it will be imposed and then they will have no say in the matter.
Except of the Marinas and the few working boats the rest are considered amateurs or non professional boat owner/operators. It is to everyones advantage if the boaters devise a means to regulate/support/manage the entire entity that serves the whole community without Government engagement. With COVID-19 now gripping the country the Government is far to busy with the crisis so it is an ideal time for the boating community to become active and find the best way to move the community as a whole in the right direction, the community is growing and this is both good and bad.
Your conversation was an great look at different points of views, but for me seeing the dog sleep and dream of a ball and then a duck just cracked me up, thank you for the vlog.
+adrianuwant3 He's always the scene stealer! M
We need people like you involved in the decision making process. Someone who can see all sides of the argument and can steer a way to equitable, well thought out and forward thinking policies.
+John Joseph It's far too early for me to announce my bid for Prime Minister!! M
+John Joseph It's far too early for me to announce my bid for Prime Minister!! M
Opacity - you taught me a new word. Thank you.
You’re welcome! M
The English have the unique ability of arguing/discussing a tempest in a teapot. My daughter in London now fits right in. ha ha George's staffing agency I is still waiting for an update on his Staff upgrade.
Great video and very interesting chat. To me the system isn’t perfect, needs improving but works reasonably well all considered . Tagged licences to cut down on bridge hoppers and look after the canals better, simple eh. Take care, keep warm you 3 and seasons greetings👍
+Dan on the cut I'd just like to take away pressure on a part of the system that should be an afterthought, when the priorities should be the safety and enjoyment of the environment we're all sharing! Seasons greetings to you too! M
George..... : - ) so funny he looks so bored......Very interesting to listen to, thank you Michael and Jo.xx
+Sarah Martella He wasn't bored, he was cogitating on ducks, balls, and biscuits! M
George is absolutely precious.
+john leggett We're thinking of giving him is own channel. Balls N' Poop, A Springer's Tale! M
That could be a netflix production to rival the crown
LOVED YOUR DISCUSSION IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND WHAT YOU SAID WAS READABLE TO BOATERS HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND WHAT YOU DOING BE LUCKY HAVE A NICE DAY
+Kevin Roberts Thank you very much for watching, and Happy Christmas as well! M
OK
the CRT is not a police force, however with all the sunken boats on the Canals, this has to be managed, cleared up by some authorized body, If a person has allowed the boat to sink and has collected insurance, the remains have to be removed. One it is a navigation hazard, it detracts from the purpose of the Canal system.
The Boat Safety Scheme, or BSS, is a public safety initiative owned equally by the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency
The BSS though applies only to boats that are actually afloat, and parts of it apply only to boats actually lived on. UK laws on property are both ancient and complex, and since the CRT isn’t an actual governmental body it really can have no such authority (and probably shouldn’t, for the same reason we wouldn’t want most charities being able to take people’s property without courts getting involved)… luckily there really aren’t so many boats down that navigation is actually hindered, and there is a mechanism that comes into play when a boat does become a hazard, but all do have to involve the courts here, until the government decides to take back control of boating as it did in the days when British Waterways was part of British Transport… don’t see that happening though. M
M - BAAAAAAAAAA! ... Might have to cut that bit!
J - Wicked little smile and gently shakes head.
Best moment in the video...
I have only been watching the Vlogs on narrowboaters for a year now and only in this past few days noticed the Red and White on the stern of the boats. It takes longer for some us more senior people to recognize change. hmmmm
I first came to the canals from the USA in 2014. It was on a hire boat for a week. I was stunned by the community and decided to do my best to buy a boat and join the community. I just did it. I bought a 58 foot two bedroom narrowboat and am now having it brought up to standards for living aboard. We will vlog as the narrowboat Salmon Helen. I'm Sam and Helen will be with me. We are 73 and 72 years old. We'll find you when we come there next April.
+1samdodge Well we can't wait to meet you along the Way! Or the Basingstoke! Or the Oxford! A wonderful choice, and you won't regret it... though do learn to keep the fire working earlier than we did!! M
I'm afraid once big brother gets involved that's the beginning of the end, covert surveillance is not what we should be heading towards ,
I agree that licence and safety certs insurance ect should run in tandem, and yes it's a lifestyle choice what size of boat you buy, but should not be weaponised against someone's choice to buy a bigger boat , love your channel BTW
Changing to area isn't weaponization, and is more accurately de-weaponization. Proportional is proportional for everyone; right now someone who buys more living space by doubling their length pays considerably more than someone who got the same area by doubling their width. Both could afford to choose a bigger boat, but currently you've weaponized against a bigger boat in one dimension while subsidizing and incentivizing a bigger boat in the other. That's the essence of unfair, as neither the boats nor the canals are one-dimensional, but right now a 30 foot boat that goes from bank to bank would have the same license price as one that still leaves room to pass.
As for Big Brother; he's already involved, in the form of humans walking along taking notes and peering in windows. I should think it's less biased and less intrusive to have some sensors in fixed places scanning QR codes or reading off a number from some sort of transponder. But, if it's a slippery slope, then I think it's one that we're already well down in England. M
A boat permanently in a marina is the equivalent of a static caravan on-site (and often bricks!) so used as a retreat from normal life. They should be able to have a status like SORN for cars (Statutory Off Road notification, that would prevent them from leaving the marina when afloat.
+Roy Gardiner I'd be fine with that, if it could be shown that they didn't leave the marina. It's a little different than with cars (I'm not sure exactly how it's done here, but in most states in the US if you're on a similar thing called a Planned Non-Operation you don't have a license plate, and heading out on the road will get you stopped and fined (or jailed) right quick. There's no similar enforcement process on the canals, so you'd either need to have that, or you'd need some system by which boats were automatically recognized as being on or off the navigations. But I do think there's a legitimate point in not having a full license fee for boats that are always off the navigation and don't have the legal right to go on it without purchasing a license. M
Interesting to hear your views on the subject of boat tracking. I have an opposing viewpoint, but like with any debate this is the norm.
It is... I see mainly benefits to things like resource utilization and a better understanding of traffic flow and the actual problems vs the perceived ones, but that's mainly because I have a history of bringing automation into things and teaching companies that their entire worldview about what they knew they knew was wrong... but I do see the counterpoint and the risks of who watches the watchmen. This is where I've come to after a lot of inner debate, and I think it's well founded, but I want to know what I'm missing. M
Hi both,
Absolutely love watching the journey you embarked upon.
I've only just started watching this amazing journey you embarked upon. Absolutely love watching. Wondering if your opinion/perspective has changed now you have been everywhere along the miles and miles you have done?
Such an interesting discussion. You might not have mentioned this (intentionally) but the majority of the revenue comes from tourism hiring boats in peak season, so this tracking system just would not even apply. With the amount of bridges (literally thousands), locks and other passing areas the money it would cost to a. put that kind of infrastructure in and b, maintain it, let alone the upkeep of the canals themselves, just look at north or the midlands in suburban areas. Waste, used needles, shopping trolleys, where the canal system is falling back into disrepair.
Hasn't this whole argument mainly came about unfortunately because of people living on boats in and around the London area, but who have jobs in a fixed location, and therefore cannot move their boats (essentially their homes) constantly navigating, but feel forced into this option of avoiding council taxes etc because of austerity. austerity. austerity.
Unless other monetary taxes are enforced. GPS possibly it just seems difficult to see where the money is going to come from. Like you said it's a charitable heritage organisation.
Toilet talk matters 💦🤓
Thanks for watching. And commenting! My main argument for having a tracking system isn’t enforcement at all, it’s planning. A side benefit is it would eliminate the silly arguments over the very small number of people that exceed 14 day limits, but if all boats were tracked around the system the data on what to repair when and how often would be invaluable. It would also make stoppage planning much more sensible, whereas now it’s really just guesswork. M
Liked the video of your trip up the canal, I see you are heading toward the tunnel, that looks like it might be warmish inside anyway.
The more I think about the canal system and the people on it the more it feels more like a homeowners association (HOA) than a roadway system. It feels that way because with a roadway system you could easily pull off the road and onto your property and park then remove registration and insurance from your car and leave it there. On the canal even if you have a place to pull your boat off onto your own property it is still under CRT control as long as where your boat is parked is connected to the canal system.
Here are the huge differences, on the road you can paint your car however you want and keep it in whatever state of repair you want to especially if you live in a state without vehicle inspection. In an HOA they can tell you what colors and how often to paint your house, they can even tell you how your car can look and where you can park it along with its state if repair. Also it is not that easy to get out of an HOA and you definitely can not leave with your home.
HOA's tend to charge fees and assessments in two ways. Fees for the general welfare of all like grounds maintenance, and general roadwork like sweeping and plowing, park upkeep, streetlights are based on a unit area of land billing system. Sort of like you pay 100 monetary units per unit area per year. Fees for projects that do not recur every year are charged per household. These are things like Clubhouse repairs, Mail Station replacement, Paving, and equipment replacement. These would be billed as a separate line and be something like 63 money units per household (If you own 6 houses you pay for each).
As for the boat tracking, there are CCTV cameras everywhere in the UK to the point where they are fixtures of daily life. Adding cameras to the canals to read registration tags would not be as intrusive as you people think, it might just fall to the CRT telling boats where there registration tag must be placed on the vessel. As for the technology, police cars in the US are out there right now equipped with camera systems that can read and run a marker plate of a car going 60 MPH. That is an off the shelf system that reads number plates and checks them against a database automatically, yes they will have to pay for the system, but they will get that money back in not having to waste resources dealing with boats that moved but were not reported and fines to people that are not continuous cruising when they say they are. At the end of the day proof of continuous cruising will involve the CRT knowing when you were at a given location, no mater how big brother it sounds the only way to prove movement is to show something was at two different points at two different times so they are going to have to know where your boat was and when. That location information will need to be third party verified so that it is reliable, it is too easy to fake photos and their time stamps.
+Ted Gallucci The problem with the HOA comparison is that no one can run for the board just because they have a boat. And in most of the world you're not allowed to drive your car off your private property and on to the communal roads if it isn't mechanically safe, you're only allowed to use it on your private land. But there are no (or very few) private waters; except on very rare circumstances your boat effectively cannot float on private water that's physically connected to the canal system, so it's like you're trying to have a rusty old death trap parked or in use on the same highways as everyone else. The only problem with the road model is that people tend to think of parking spots as private property ... but what if there were no (or very few) private parking spaces, and only rest areas where you were required to move on after 24 hours. The canals are a lot more like interstates than they are like cul-de-sacs in a gated subdivision with an HOA.
As for the number readers, that would work if there were number plates on boats. There aren't unfortunately, though there is a wee little bit of paper that just has to be visible somewhere on the boat. It's often upside down, stained with tea, or behind a doily. M
+Ted Gallucci Also we turned around before that tunnel, we're still planning on looping up past Rugby way first. M
Hah! could watch George all day! bounding over the bridge was an outstanding shot.
+dcm7777777 Thanks! He's loving it! M
enjoy the weather Okie, We in Texas went from 80's to 20's one day to the next. Lol
+dcm7777777 I'm only an Okie by birth, I'm used to Venice Beach, where we go from Perfect Bikini Weather to Perfect Bikini Weather day in and day out, 365! M
Lol I grew up in hawthorne with the beach boys. yep that old.
+dcm7777777 Yeah, that does date you a bit. ;-) M
"Whew! Wet dog smell." George snoring was good. We also have IPass and EasyPass trackers here in the states on our toll roads. Little box afixed to the inside of our windshield which get us half-cost tolls and we can just pass though the sensors. They track us moving around the system. No cash tolls to deal with. The toll authorities do take photos of the vehicles and match them up to charge those passed a toll without paying. As you pointed out, the technology exists.
+Greg Gobleman Yep, it's does definitely exist ... those little boxes pay for themselves in fines levied and manual enforcement not required, as well as in shaping the traffic model ... they wouldn't really be cost effective for the canals (too few vehicles, too large an area, almost none of it within easy range of a power grid, nevermind cell signal, and the vast majority of it doesn't involve regular commuters) but there's definitely ways of doing it, and any of them would be less prone to failure than the current one, which is way too haphazard to be effective. It's not a cash cow, though, unlike those boxes and the whole mechanism of the traffic court system in any major US city, but it could be some cheap enough to be cost effective plus being valuable insight! Thanks for watching us hammering away though! M
One of the standard definitions for vessel class is displacement. This is an easier means to define rather than length or width.
Narrowboats have a limited width for the sake of many of the locks and a restricted draught because no-one ever wanted to dig a canal deeper than it had to be, so length becomes a useful measure, especially as it also has a bearing on using locks. It's just one of several ways narrowboats are a bit out of the norm for boats.
You both brought a lot of interesting thoughts to the table. It's hard to really pick out the most important ones but I'll give it a go based on my usual mastery of life grade problem solving.
I'd suggest fitting Georges ball (just the one) with some sort of localised GPS tracking device. Whilst your at it tag George with the same thing, just stick to his collar to keep him at his happiest...
For the kids, to stop them drinking neat cordial, I make up a bottle of correctly diluted solution in advance.
Don't eat the yellow snow.
I think I've covered the main issues in this video...
+Matt Allen I love these points and utterly second the one about the yellow snow. It tastes terrible, and rarely of lemons at all!!! M
How much of a gag could you have with a bottle of Jif (probably as Jo about that one M) and the right timing if it snows again!
There's a lot to be said about mad dogs and Americans out in the Winter's snow...
If the technology is there to capture license plates of speeding cars surely the registration of a slowly moving canal boat can also be recorded. I guess it's more a matter of motivation than need.
The CRT (or its predecessor) is no stranger to controversy -- how many were "forced" off the water when the need for constant cruisers to keep moving was seriously enforced?
As for registration (or licencing if you will), here in Australia some of the States have a tier for so-called Primary Producers (Farmers, miners and the like) whose vehicles never, or rarely, leave the property. They pay substantially less, if any, road tax for those vehicles. If they need to move them on the roads for some reason then a short term registration can be purchased.
Love watching the Vlogs. Keep up the great work.
+Neil Blenkiron The thing cars have in common is nice machine readable license plates, all moving in roughly the same direction ... because of the historical approach to looking at little bits of paper in windows -- often obscured by doilies, spider webs, frost, etc ... the boats out there today are a far cry from that consistent. And I do agree that there should be some serious thought put into a much reduced license for those who never or rarely venture out, I'm just not sure how you'd do that before putting in the technological solution to know when they went off and on the actual canal.
As for those moved off when enforcement happens; well, I tend to have the same sympathy I do for those who get caught in a tax audit after 20 years of not filing properly... the fact that rules aren't well enforced doesn't justify choosing to break them, and when the day comes that they decide to enforce them the people with the real right to complain are the ones you've been suffering their neighbors' cheating the whole time. That's not to say I don't sympathize with the disruption, but just not with the expectation that you could or should never have to pay the piper. Glad you enjoy the vids, even the chatty ones! M
Great vlog, wonder if CRT would take time to view it as it may help with their surveys. Have you had time to complete your review of your change to lithium batteries?
+Mark White Not quite, we are planning on doing a few more technical follow ups very soon. The problem is we've been wanting to gather more experience (and footage) over the winter when its most important, and that's happening in real time! But soon, we promise! M
Nice keep the good work up
+Brian Boczko Thanks! M
George snoring makes this video the best!
It’s so cute isn’t it!
The CRT as a charity started getting grants in 2012 from the Environment Ministry that are to run for 15 yr. which is their largest source of income. The second ranking source of income is license fees and mooring fees. It gets £1 million from a lottery each year and income from an endowment. That's it. From that they have to maintain over 2500 miles of canals and rivers plus 5 museums. In 2019 its income was £210 million or about £84000 per mile to do everything. When you consider the cost of a single 7 ft x 10 ft gate I suspect with the cost of construction in the UK that amount doesn't go as far as one would think. The cost of 1 km of two lane road in Canada is now estimated at $4 million CDN or about £2.4 million.
They also get a sizable portion of their income from land rentals, if I remember their Poe chart correctly. But yeah they’ve got a lot to do and not a lot to do it with, though they also don’t have to meet the kind of engineering or usage standards required of a highway, thankfully. M
Lovely village. I prefer the Plough Inn. I think they have skittles just like the Admiral Nelson.
+Narrowboat Ursula This skittles thing is fascinating! M
I agree that their is improvements to be made, but I think the cart could improve the payment system for the pump out system and maybe take it from paper from to contactless card payment system.
I imagine the problem with contactless is the requirement for a network connection, but it would be nicer than those paper cards! M
@@MinimalList I think you have a valid point in terms of cpmectivoyy in rural areas, but maybe that's where a landline comes in his for their payment machine system maybe.
A landline would work, but I’m not even sure that’s reliably available at all the different locations. The mag strip chits are annoying, but they do have some advantages for this pretty specific use case. M
I worked for a company using RFID for tracking. This was 20years ago and the company still uses the tech. RFID tag in the license which you display anyway I take it. Readers at every Junction, Lock or Bridge to track movement. Simple but who would pay for it, still has the Big Brother aspect but passive as far as the boat is concerned.
Desmond's Donders - A Motorhome goes Wild Start it as a system open to volunteer boaters who want there travel validated in the trust to start with. Even in they pay for the transponder the trust can put the rest of the cost as improvement expense and budget it in for the use of funds to keep non profit status
+Desmond's Donders - A Motorhome goes Wild No RFID in the license itself, it's just a self-printed piece of paper, usually. The main problem with RFID in general in this case is we are cruising around in a 57' Faraday Cage... but one stuck on the outside of the boat could work nicely! M
Agree on the cage but we used them mounted in holes in drilling pipes in the North Sea, so one stuck to the outside should work. I suppose it all comes down to the CRT need to enforce and the licensees willingness to play by the rules. Jealous of the cage would make my radio ham life easier in the MH :-)
+Desmond's Donders - A Motorhome goes Wild It has its advantages, but it's one heck of a pain for WiFi signals!! As for the tech solution, I think they just need a workable example and an ability to see a serious financial incentive in the form of reduced costs and improved goodwill. And a prototype wouldn't hurt! M
That's the quietest i have seen George ever! and so still
The mooring suggestion is interesting. It would be interesting to understand the technology linked to Transport for London’s Cycle-hire scheme and how they manage the docking stations for customers. There are also parking management systems in some boroughs. It may be that this technology could be adapted to fit your suggestion. I’m sure there are many other examples of similar initiatives around the world, That’s the interesting thing about technology and why it’s becoming cheaper, a lot of the work has been done by others. Thanks for another interesting video. I don’t agree with all your comments but there are no right answers only personal opinions and that’s what makes life interesting. Loved the snow. Thanks.
+Sylvia Page Those are both interesting solutions to similar problems. They're a bit different, in that the parking management system primarily needs to track whether a fixed number of spots are occupied or not, which is basically a counting problem, while the bicycles -- unlike the boats -- have fixed stations they must return to, plus radio telemetry units to communicate back to the provider. There are a number of potential solutions, the problem is the ones most amenable to use on boats are also the priciest to implement (the AIS system used on commercial vessels is technically ideal, but also quite expensive and a satellite is needed to track them all)... but where there's a will there's a way! Glad you're interested in the discussion, I don't expect anyone to agree with us on all points! M
I listened to your conversation all the way through, and found it very informative .However i was distracted by the George who after 4 mins was dropping off, and finally snoring,. And to top it Michael nearly went into Brian Blessed mode.
But you both put your opinions forward well and presented some good possible solutions to "policing" the problems on the inland waterways.
+darran newman Michael spends much of his life in Brian Blessed mode... at least that bit in Flash Gordon!
I mean, seriously, their battle cry was "Die!!!".
M
More George snoring videos please. Oh, and you guys were okay too. :)
+Just Me We are trying to figure out the SnoreCam ... we have a feeling he might well be our path to financial security! M
Good info.George is a legend he's well funny top dog.nice one
+Lee Davies He is a great pooch, if a naughty one! M
You technology freaks! lol ... Don't you think your missing the point, the beauty of the canals is it's simplicity they remind us of the old days when things were a lot simpler and friendlier.
To me the canal system allows me to get away from the fast pace and technology of the modern world. I believe modern technology has buggered the idea of community in towns and cities.
Your mobile phone tracks everywhere you go, what your interests are, what your buying. It's called "data mining" All they'd need to do is create an app for boat owners and that would give them all the information they require.
+Steven Newell I wouldn't say it's the technology that's taken away the sense of community, so much as the news we read with it. To me there's an opportunity to use technology to remove one problem that seems to be a far greater concern than it, by rights, should be... I want boaters to be able to get on with boating and not have to worry about licensing and ensuring they're sitting still on a specific day of the week to ensure their cruising pattern is accurately recorded and they're not penalized at renewal time, which we saw a lot of people fretting about quite a bit on the K&A. They're getting hit with six month provisional licenses that are basically £200 more expensive over the year because the non-technological system currently in place is simply missing them most of the time. That seems to me like a wedge in the community that need not exist, and I'd like to see it fixed. It just so happens I know some of the technology ways of doing that! M
There definitely are two sides to the "chipping" of the boats, first of them naturally that "big brother"-thing, you could get traced and that by the wrong people. The other side, the positive side has two stages, first of all if CRT managed to keep the system closed to all others they could use it for statistics- both follow up on contiuus cruisers that they really move and the other one a correct number of the number of boats that actually has used a specific lock and from there build the need of service. The third would be if Canalmail or what the name of that firm that could help boaters with delivery of mail would be allowed to trace boats who have a package from Amazon or so on the way they could send it on to a shop where you´ll pass next week.
George is the star. What a sweet dog. I’m so glad he got a loving family.
He is the best!
George was adorable in the snow 😍
+London Boat Girl He's a terror and a nightmare, but yeah he's pretty cute in the snow! ;-) M
Poor George has the patience of a saint. Ha. Thanks Guys.
+Ken Lennon He does indeed... Saint Bernard, possibly, but a saint nonetheless. M
George is a real goof. Head down on the table and knocks out. Funny.
+kmurray96 That's my pooch! M
Bottom line narrow or wide regardless of size you pay based by displacement on the size of your craft and that also determine what you pay for canals you may use .
That’s exactly the problem with pricing based on length alone... m
How to send George to sleep! 😊
+Rob Duncumb All we have to do is give him somewhere to lay his chin, and no ball to distract him! M
I haven't got anything to say about the C&RT consultations, and I'm not concerned with whatever their outcome will be as I'm in FRance. I liked this video anyway, mainly because it was the three of you with George being very calm and happy to sit there with you and finally laying his head down when he'd heard enough and probably thought (rightly) that he didn't mis much if he would have a little snooze.
He does like his snoozes! M
Another bit to consider is we are in a marina for winter on a river and our marina does own the river and a part of the river so we do not have to pay 12 months licence if we only intend to move for 6 months of the year. Canal marinas do not own the water ! Its not a one case fits all interesting though.
+Vivienne Brooks No, there's no real one size fits all, unless and until there's one overall system. Not sure where you are, but at least as I understand it the C&RT doesn't currently administer any waters where that situation exists. There are of course privately administered arms and rivers that lie off the C&RT waterways (as well as the Wey and EA waters), but these don't involve C&RT Licensing at all. I've not looked very hard, but I don't think there's a marina on C&RT waterways that actually owns the water rights. M
Minimal List were in Newbury boat co and we have been told we do not need to licence! Other moors pay either six or nine months, we have paid 12 months but are reconsidering 9 months next year!
+Vivienne Brooks Interesting, I wonder if Newbury has some different arrangement. I know there's quite a mishmash of different companies who've been around for different amounts of time and may have different arrangements and policies. Personally I think it makes sense to be allowed to only take a license for the time you're actually out consuming navigational space on the waterways, but I do see why they'd prefer and incentivize buying longer term licenses, because of the problems policing and administering the shorter "on demand" licensees. Hmm. Good to know though, thank you. M
Minimal List i. Told Emmas parents actually dug out the marina so its been there a long time, we first bought 12 months and it was only later a owner that had been there over 20 years told us we did not need to licence in the marina. Cant wait to get out in 2018 wit( the dogs for 6 months. Enjoy christmas on your boat.
+Vivienne Brooks They must have been grandfathered in. That's another fascinating part of the whole system, how many things are relics of a hundred years or more of changing times and changing legal frameworks ... must be a fortune in lawyer's fees that the CRT to pay! M
Is there any chance you could post the link to the survey please?
+mattlad 69 Unfortunately the link to fill out the survey is personalized and works just once, but this is the overview of the current consultations: canalrivertrust.org.uk/national-consultations
Cheers
George the dog is so sweet.
+christopher peterson He's less sweet in person, but he's a great pooch! M
We still have our house but we are retired and cruise about 6 months of the year. So we pay for a marina berth but the boat is there only half the time. Nonetheless we pay a full year's fee and don't complain because, as you say, that's our choice. Similarly we pay a full year's licence but again, that is the result of choices which we have made
On the issue of tracker technology - clearly you are right on the facts and I am with you about 70%. The other 30% of me is absolutely against you (despite the fact that you are clearly correct) because of the "big brother" aspect of the thing. I am quite conflicted on this point!!
Great videos by the way.
+Frank Murphy Believe me, the potential Big Brother aspects worry me as well. My main worry wouldn't be the positional information gathered -- that could easily be limited to a random 64bit number and a series of plots of points passed and the times they were captured -- the bigger issues would be when and of someone thought to tie that into fee collection or other enforcement actions. The thing is that you're already subject to that Big Brother aspect, and as is it's actually much more prone to bias and false negative inferences (showing you as being a bad boater when you aren't, but just happened to only be moving when the walkers weren't walking), so moving the data gathering to an automatic version that shows you as a rules-compliant boater instead of a manual one that falsely casts you as a rule breaker isn't a slippery slope. But I share the concern with the data being de-anonymized, though I do think there's ways to avoid that. M
Snoring George is the best.
He really is!
Like your talking points, However I feel you skirted the issue of people moved to canal to reside to avoid higher cost of living. As for tracking system something, like what used in the US tracks trucks for taxation thanks it was interesting
This is an older video and I don’t remember all the points we made, but we certainly weren’t trying to skirt people who move on for lower costs. The thing is one of those slightly lower, but nevertheless mandatory, costs is maintaining a license and that means keeping the boat maintained and either in a paid-up mooring or, alternately, engaged in “bona fide navigation” as the authority chooses to understand that. Those costs are part of the reason it’s very problematic for someone to move aboard thinking the real costs are significantly lower than land life... but they aren’t, unless you’re trying to skirt the rules, which will bring you in conflict with the authority in a rather vicious cycle, but one somewhat of your own choosing. M
@@MinimalList My apologies i didn't look at the date.. interesting point thank you for videos. I see a lot similarity between your narrow boat living and my 5th wheel thing I do for work, however,when I am done with work I return to the farm in Kentucky
A wide beam uses a smaller portion of the canal but because of the width of the canal the canal has higher maintenance costs? The number of people on the canal determine the cost of services: potable water costs in London or Leeds should be about the same? If I park my car on my driveway and never move it, or even only have it towed (here in New Jersey, USA) I don't need to have it registered. I don't want big brother following my motion, but my iPhone is much more of a problem in that respect.
I hope you come to a reasonable solution. Wish I was there. The closest I'll get is RV'ing (caravaning). Thank you for letting me live in quaint England vicariously. PS: My wife has been across the big pond and loves England so I'm sure I'll visit y'all some time!
The portable water and other services are not, by a long shot, the true cost of the canals, nor are they the significant resource the fee allows you to access... the fee is for navigation space on the canal system as a whole, and that is, in essence, a question of area alone, hence why consuming a larger amount of area should incur a higher fee. It'd be the same with cars if no one had a driveway and everyone were parked on the freeway.
It's a weird debate, but in the end there are sensible compromises that can be made. It'll just take time.
Thanks for commenting on this one. M
George snoring is a highlight of this episode!! Even a rfid reader that’s given to licensed boaters and a reader mounted under a bridge conected to a network. In the USA this is a system type used by truck drivers called Prepass. Not only does it slow the states to register trucks into the state and with accompanying equipment to know all the stats involved But also has all the legal info included in the data base! The Canal and river trust needs to start automation reading of movement in the rural area to start with. This will allow for more human patrols in congested areas where people are more likely to cheat and get away with not following the rules!! The trust also needs to be able to start removing abandoned and sinking boats legally in the canal system!!
+James Jetty I think any technological solution would be an improvement, and rolling it in over the rural areas first is a great idea, especially as that's where you're most likely to be missed by the current system. A successful trial would reduce concerns with the privacy concerns, hopefully, as well. I'm not sure they should have police powers, and I'm not a fan of government seizures of private property, but there should be a more expedited process for some of the obvious safety violations! M
Minimal List if a boat is visibly a safety isssue where it has sunk and is no longer floating. But I agree still needs a magistrate to approve removal
+James Jetty Yes, real navigational and environmental hazards should be an expedited process, I just don't want to see the administrators of the canals actually having police powers. M
Interesting video. I was thinking everyone needs water so why not track them that way, that surly would be the easiest way using a contact card or similar.
+Colin Stobbart Something like a swipe card requires hardware that's expensive, fairly easy to vandalize, and also requires a source of power. But you're right the waterpoints are a good collection point, as practically speaking everyone needs to stop at them eventually. M
Your dog seems much more excited about the snow than the owners.
+320ifq lucas Well, to be fair, he's got a better coat! M
It wouldn't actually be that difficult u would just need a device that can amit a gps signel and a receiver to track the boats
True... the hard part’s getting those sort of decides on all the boats. That’s why there’s a desire to do it more passively and without anything costly to place on people’s property. M
Life is pretty good as a conservative ☺️👍
Why not develop a GPS based system where every boat has to have a box that sends information to a database so you can see who's continuously cruising and who's not?
+Critical Role Highlights Something like that would work well, though an active transmitter would usually need some form of electrical power (probably solar) and a battery backup, as well as being waterproof (they can't reliably transmit from inside still boats, as that blocks both GPS and wireless transmission). That all makes it inherently more expensive and less robust than say a large number of RFID tags and a relatively small number of readers, plus you've got to convince people to mount them. But it wouldn't be hard to add other features or do upgrades, so there advantages to the idea as well. M
The boats are licensed, right? If yes, are there numbers displayed on the bow/stern of the boat? If yes, then why not incorporate the RFID tag within the numbers?
Seems like an obvious solution doesn’t it. Jo
@@MinimalList I think a number of boats / boaters could run GPS systems. It isn't for everybody, but the way to handle it is to offer all people who install GPS transponders at their own request, some degree of regime variation as the reward - flexible mooring durations, (as an example why can't you moor up Friday night, saturday night and sunday night [only 48 hours] if there is no obvious demand?), or licence discounts on limited mileage users / weekenders etc. If you offer an upside which people see as being in their interest, then they will come on board with the technology themselves - just don't penalise for *not* wanting to use it.
Yeah, the upside of an opt-in approach makes some sense... the biggest problem from the CRT’s perspective is how to make it actually cost effective. You can assume that anyone who does opt in was already not costing them anything substantial on enforcement, and anyone that does not opt in you still need to police the old fashion way. So the minority that drives the expenses of enforcement would still drive it, while everyone else would expect some form of discount based on not being a - relatively rare false positive. The best I can figure it only really makes sense if there is no opt-out and all boats must have a transponder to get a license, because then almost the entire enforcement process can be automated, eliminating the costs of the intensely manual process currently in place. M
The Crt is a charity, so any revenue should be spent on the system, the more people that wriggle out of contributing towards the upkeep, the more the others will have to pay. If boat owners have an issue with paying for 52 weeks license and for 48 weeks it's tied up in a marina perhaps a a boat share scheme is the way to go.
+320ifq lucas I see some benefit in an offline/online system, where you might choose a much reduced yearly fee and then pay a higher per day charge for the days you're actually out of the marina, as I think that would probably not reduce the actual revenue of the C&RT very much but would go a long way to fixing a perceived imbalance for those who are, primarily, marina-dwellers. The problem is I don't know how that doesn't end up costing the charity more (and therefore harming other priorities) unless it's automated. M
It’s a really interesting point because I think regardless of the system the challenge is the people and how you get them to embrace change and a need to move forward. You both described it beautifully in your “it’s not like it was 30 years ago” comment. After I responded to your video I read a message on a FB group that I follow regarding the distance travelled by CCers. A system like you mention could potentially resolve this but then some would feel like they were being watched too closely. It’s a challenge but I appreciate the fact you are happy to bring this topic to your viewers for discussion. ALSO! I have a mini version of your boat and we’ve decided to change our swirly cupboard door nobs for brass ones. I noticed tonight you have brass nobs and I’m sure you originally had the same nobs as me. Am I right? And if yes, where did you get your nobs and what size are they. This is a serious question but I’ve had a glass of wine and this seems like a bit of a strange subject now!
+Sylvia Page Sadly I'll have to answer that last -- hilarious -- bit with we inherited the knobs from the last owner, and have no idea when or if they were replaced. Wish I had a better answer for you, but no clue whatever who the source could be. And yes, the problem really is getting people who have no incentive to change to accept the inevitability of it. This is a basic problem of human psychology; Jo and I have had to get very good at change (you can't meet in a wee little village in Vietnam half way round the planet from your respective homes without embracing change), but even with that background and knowing how much better the future can be if you're not afraid of it, we still are constantly beset by the desire for stability, no matter how toxic we both know it can be. The canals are relics of a revolution; they're symbols of rapid change and technological evolution, evolution that left a LOT of people by the wayside ... but they don't FEEL like they're supposed to keep changing, and us along with them. M
You are so right. They were the work of visionaries, the world wide web of their time and now everyone gravitates to them to experience the simpler life a bygone era. You understand that. You should work for the C&RT but not in technology, in communications. Shame about the nobs I was sure I'd seen my nobs on your boat, it must be another boat tuber possibly 'it's a narrowboat thing' I'll have to check. Great videos. Thanks.
+Sylvia Page It might be us, I have barely looked at the knobs... we bought the boat and I was all like "do the knobs work?" and Jo was like "yep, very knobby" and we haven't given them a second thought, though I'm sure that's an oversight.
I don't want to work FOR the C&RT, btw ... but I do feel we should all work WITH them. They do have a messaging problem, and because they're the authority they get hackles up easily without -- probably -- meaning to, but ultimately I think they very sincerely want to turn this fascinating relic of yesteryear's information superhighway into an environment enjoyable to all (or at least most), they're just hampered by an inability to get that sincerity across without sounding paternal. But I do wish more people realized that these things were truly revolutionary, and like all revolutions they hurt a lot of people while helping a lot of others. M
I'm Switch & Route IT and if as you say it's your area of expertise, what are you waiting for do man make it happen. It start by looking at whats using other areas of transport such as vehicle tracking.
Oh there's plenty of solutions out there that could be brought into it, just have to figure out one that could potentially pay for itself and also not cause a violent uprising among some of the more, um, emphatic of CRT license holders. I've actually talked to the CRT about such an app through channels, and it seems they've already got some ideas, so we'll see if that ever pans outs. M
As an outsider, it seems to me that the Layered License' itself is the problem, it brings up privilege arguments that should not really be there. It is probably too late to do this now, but a single flat rate license, as like the BBC, would take away the arguments based of boat type or size and the lifestyles arguments.
If that can not be done now, I think it would be easy (relatively) to do the electronc systems, as a tracker simmilar to ship trackers. Then they do not require any action on the part of the boaters themselves. I suspect that they could never give access to such a database though, because it would tell the wrong sort of people where the empty winter boats are moored outside of a secured marina.
Anyway, Mike and Jo, I've enjoyed watching your vlogs, even though I do feel like a nosey parker (it's ok, I feel like that with all the vlogs I watch), so I'd like to wish you a happy christmas, have as good a day as you can muster and I'll see you at the other end of it. As for myself I will be bruised and battered by then, the kids like to use me for boxing and wrestling practice and I must say them 2 year olds hold nothing back.
+Rob M I still think the arguments for a fee based on size make sense for vessels because of the resource (mooring and navigation space) that's in limited supply. The value of the boat isn't what's being taxed (there are plenty of old, junker wide beams and long boats, as well as fully decked out sparkling new 30' boats with all the conveniences of home), nor is the lifestyle you choose to live within it, just the space you consume that someone else also needs, when that space is a public resource. It's an interesting topic though. Thank you and Merry Christmas as well to you and yours! M and J
Phone App, with GPS tracking option!
Clean the snow off the solar panels (y) ;-)
+Nick - G We have done! Several times! M
4:00 I can not remember the last time I heard church bells. I think they are banned in Canada now
+Fred Fish They're quite common here, especially on Sundays. I do wish some of them would learn to keep a better melody though! A few weeks back I heard one apparently playing "God Save the Glockenspiel, With Bits from We Will Rock You", which I don't think is in the usual hymnals. M
A Grandfather Clause for Early, Registration Adopters which is Passive, Unique, Identifiable, Standard Size, Format & Location. at a Reduced Cost to the Owner of Record at the time of the commencement of any new system.
Where the hell are all the BBQs? I haven’t seen one narrow boat with a mounted Grill! Do they just cook with kettles out there?
Quite a few people have them... not big grills, usually, more like camping ones or hibachi. They're much more common in the summer though, at this time of year you usually see them stowed away somewhere. M
How expensive to own a home by comparison to a boat? everything is going to cost!!!
A home is considerably more expensive, but mainly due to scale (greater surface area to maintain, more volume to heat, more materials involved, and so on) and also (depending on where you live) property taxes... if the home was the same size the property taxes alone probably wouldn’t overcome the engine-related costs or the wear-and-tear depreciation. M
the marina i live in dosenot require you to have a liciene plus another one in burton on trent called shobnil marina is licience free. some marina's and privat arms get away with it but if you enter the river in my case or go onto the main canal a licience is needed and falls under the normal rules. i think its old rules when the marinas were opened i think there are more across the canal system in the same position.
+Michael Seddon The place we started at worked similarly, but was not on a CRT waterway. And I'm sure there's a lot of grandfathered rules for older marinas. Personally I do think there's something to be said for either a discount or no license for anyone who is "offline", though without establishing the sort of automated tracking I've been mentioning for movement I'm not sure how you'd police that. It's definitely an interesting problem! M
Minimal List it is that it will be interesting to see the outcome and if it doesn’t go crt way will they ignore people’s views and do what they want in the end. A lot of people think crts become a bit of a ogre and very heavy handed in some of there dealings. M
+Michael Seddon It's true that's how they're perceived, though sometimes I wonder why. There seem to be a few specific people and groups who appear to basically hate them and can't seem to find anything good in what they do, but I can't quite see where the level of distrust or dislike has been justified. I've heard scuttlebutters tell me that it's run entirely by non-boaters, but then I've met people (volunteers and staff) who are lifelong boaters, and the disconnect just seems surprising. Now I do see a certain group of boaters that are trying to be both a continuous cruiser and also stay within about a 10 mile radius of their work year round, and they seem to be up in arms about the C&RT... but they also seem to be stretching the definition of cruising well past its breaking point. Maybe that's a perspective I haven't heard enough from though, which might be why I don't quite see the justification for their anger. M
Minimal List some of it will be because they have the power they are dammed if they do and dammed if they don’t you can be sure someone’s feathers will be ruffled along the way.
+Michael Seddon True, and there does seem to be an undercurrent of anti-authoritarianism that runs through the boating community, going back probably to the first dugout canoe. M
Hello from West Monroe, la. I know I'm late to this conversation but it was interesting to hear and to get a snapshot of what life is like on the canals. I've been following several channels and had no idea of the political side of canal life. I have a point to make and a question. First I am very leary of big brother because most people whom I, in my 65 years, have witnessed who seek to be top dog are vultures. Eliminate them and their constituents and a society can really prosper. So good luck with that. My question is, what about hikers, bikers, fishermen and any others who use the towpath or water their cows and sheep from the canal do they or should they pay a fee of any kind?
Well hello! The argument for the fee, really, is for taking up navigation space on the canals and contributing to the upkeep of the locks and other facilities that only the boats enjoy... it’s like licensing cars on the road; they’re the ones doing the lion’s share of the wear and tear on the communal facilities. There are some fees that come into the CRT from angling clubs, rowing clubs, etc that have leases on specific sections of the path, though I doubt there are for farms if they’re on the privately owned side of the canal. Overall the system is pretty fair, though it does need a rethink every so often. M
A wide beam doesn't use any more water than any other boat!, wide locks narrow locks! It's the same, if they fit, the same amount of water is used regardless to whether or not it's a wide beam or a narrow boat using it!
Well yes, and then again no. A lock cycled with no boats in it will use more water than a lock with boats inside, due to displacement... the two narrowboats will displace less than the single widebeam, though the difference is minimal ... but most importantly two narrowboats is two families moved through on a cycle vs one, hence to move ten families through a wide lock takes ten lock cycles with widebeams va five with narrowboats, hence roughly twice as much water lost in the process. M
@@MinimalList I rarely see the locks being shared in many vlogs, I've seen you guys go through huge locks alone as many others do, it's not always practical to travel with others as you well know, otherwise you would be advocating that a narrow boat must stop and not proceed at any lock until another boat comes to share! Regardless of how long that is! While sound in theory not very practical in real life I'm sure, especially midweek in winter if you need water or shopping!
I hear that during the 'Working-boat Days', at the height of the industrial revolution, when goods were being transported on a grand scale and canals were the equivalent of modern era motorways, there were a lot of frayed tempers and aggressive competition within the canal community!; So I guess in the immediate aftermath things quietened down and the community changed to one of a deeper comradery, and an exchange of pleasantries were more the norm; Unfortunately with more city folk nowadays hiring pleasure craft they bring with them a more abrupt and less empathetic attitude to the scheme of things?! I say that not as a slight, but it is what it is - the rat race does indeed affect one's personality. I guess change is all a part of living, its a very fluid situation and it ebbs and flows as all things do.
+JustBanter Indeed, canal rage was a thing, and often talked about on the 11 o'clock whale-oil-lamp-lit discussion! It was a busy system (actually many systems) and tempers got frayed all the time. Now, I wouldn't say the city folk on the canals are any less (or more) pleasant than the country folk, but I do think as more people warm to the idea of a cold life there is an inevitable competition for space and resources. But that's a good problem to have to a point; more people wanting to enjoy the canals means more money and effort able to be applied to maintaining them... but that also means they get more expensive individually, and that they become more diverse, with all the benefits and problems that brings. It's going to be a busy system again, but that's better than a derelict one, right? And yes, change is one of the only constant things in the Universe... even the speed of light changes, to keep up with the expanding Universe, it just so happens that it must change in such a way that it stays apparently the same to someone inside that Universe! Change is unending, but once you accept that it's magnificent as well. M
I guess congestion turns us all into a different species?! for better or worse lol :)
but I agree, the monetary influx has helped rejuvenation - better than letting dereliction to creep-in
+JustBanter Exactly. I'd rather they be used and have to deal with some of the issues that brings up then have 2000 miles of garbage pit and nowhere I want to live. :-) M
if you don't want to move or pay for a licence then you should not get a taxfree part on fuel, which may be much more than a fee.
Pretty sure the argument for the lower tax hasn’t got anything to do with how much you love... you’re supposed to pay full tax rate on any fuel used to move the boat, the lower rate is for fuel you use to heat water and generate electricity. Though I’ll admit I’ve never fully gotten the logic there. M
Like your show. I thought I would put in my two cents on Technolegy. Technology always promises great things, but it always hinders people instantly--especially in poorer areas. Over here in the USA, the government and businesses push a paperless society, but in poor areas Phone and Internet services are slow and often fail. A person in Seattle can load a complex program online in minutes, but out here in the country you may have to take 24 or more hours for the same programs. Often the program no longer works because the internet is so slow the program and some computers fail. Higher speed internet has to be slowed down so the frequency doesn't break down. Although, the paperless business saves companies from having to pay people to do the jobs. Many internet companies lose thousands from our family because the internet fails.
Over here, tech is huge, but it only seems to exist when big companies or Government want to use it; however, when things happen maybe police can't use the tech because they claim that such tech is not available, doesn't exist, or can't be used.
New tech usually goes self-serving before it is used in the service to humanity.
To be fair to the tech itself I would point out that your slower / broken internet in rural areas is a failing of government and “free” economics as practiced in America more than it is anything having to do with the technology. Your ISPs SUCK and your current FCC chair is entirely, and ridiculously, in their pocket. M
@@MinimalList I shouldn't really complain too much that Tech fails to rapidly enter our poorer county in Washington State. Sometimes new tech is faulty or dangerous. The rich cities got the first 5G towers that had birds by the dozens dying and dropping from the sky. Who knows what it does to people. The problem is being fixed before we, in the poor area, are exposed to it.
have a keypad at strategic locks that you have to enter your license number into. No enforcement, but people that choose to track progress get lower fees. better yet, a phone app and QR codes at each lock.
He keypad would be prohibitively expensive (keypad needs to connect to server somehow, now you've got to cover networking out to those locks) for a passive entry system. QR codes you scan would be prohibitively hackable (you can scan a photograph of a QR code). And discounts for either would simultaneously incentivize gaming them while also reducing the budget to pay for them. M
@@MinimalList the keypad could be simple hardware in a secure box the a crt employee goes to once a month to change a SD card to collect the data. It could be done with a single board computer. Through QR codes could be gamed, but it's going to look strange when a 4mph boat makes it through an entire canal in 15 minutes.
The SD card system gets a whole lots more complicated than you'd think -- reconciling logs from a bunch of systems with clocks that can't coordinate is surprisingly hard -- but it's the cost effectiveness that's the real problem. The CRT would incur a real cost for deploying and maintaining something like this, and the offset to that cost is what? A mildly reduced overhead for enforcement -- most people who would bother keying in are precisely not the people the enforcement costs go to -- plus a likely significant drop in revenues due to the discount incentive equals an overall net loss. It's a lot of complexity to deal with a problem that isn't very obviously large. And because it'd be voluntary capture there wouldn't be the advantages of reliable traffic data... you'd effectively only know about the movements of non problem boats. Personally I think automated and ubiquitous capture would be the way to go, but mainly because I'm almost certain that having an accurate picture of boat movements would take the focus off enforcement entirely and put it on services and infrastructure, both of which are considerably more important. M
Well that's a well thought out answer to my somewhat flippant suggestion. Thank you from a Canadian viewer for awesome videos, and thanks for blowing my idea right out of the water...
To coordinate the clocks use a 5 pound GPS board to set the time every day.
Poor George you were boring him with politics it made me laugh when he started to snore twice😀🎅
+Terence Turcotte He actually did a lot more snoring than that, that's just what made the cut!! We try not to bore him too often! M
I realy like the length argument here. It's all about the locks, isn't it? So a 50x7x2ft boat should be teh top licence, as it can go everywhere.
But serious, the same good point you made on width of a boat can be made on length. Or not. After all, all boats use the same amount of water in a lock and alike are other resources like fresh water, dumpsters or facilities at service points are not depending on boat size. Many of the services provided are either equally used and needed by all boats (like dredging and plant management) or, if at all, dependant on the number of peaople livng on a boat. A family of four uses more fresh water and so on than a solo boater.
So why not a flat fee for all boats?
It would be interesting to see if a statistic for size of boats wouldn't come up anyway with a distribution with a major peak arround 60 ft. So, why wasting time and other (CRT & boater) resources on fiddling with minor variation?
A flat fee incentivizes a bigger boat and unfairly burdens the smallest... plus a bigger boat takes up more of the navigation area, which reduces the usable area for everyone else in the same region; it's the tragedy of the commons problem, what you want to do is make everyone pay roughly the same cost per unit of the key resource, with some modification at the extreme ends to disincentivize high consumption and incentivize low. The main question is what's the key resource? I'm still arguing it's space, because the rest either a) are not a significant part of the common costs, or b) can already be apportioned equally to every boat. M
Interesting. Yes, if the technology exists to chip your cat, one would think accurately tracking something as large as a narrowboat wouldn't be that difficult to figure out.
+marilyn s True, although it's a damn sight harder to inject the boat! ;-) M
Why is there always a club hammer sitting on your side cupboard in all of your inside videos??????? Is it your go to fixer?????
Vampires. Canal vampires.
Nah, it's for mooring pins. It's the future replacement for one that's in bad shape but hasn't actually died yet. M
That’s not a club hammer, it’s a Birmingham screwdriver.