My wife and i are on the very first step of our narrowboat journey, (saving a hefty deposit). As such, you'd be right to imagine that we are wading through a great number of you tube narrowboat channels. After doing this for sometime we agree that yours has to be the best.. previous journalism clearly shining through. A perfect mix of accurate information mixed with the perfect amount of humour with a side dose of veautiful scenary to keep us going until we step onto our very own ribbon of steel. Where is this comment going?? Nowhere... its just a simple thankyou for answering dilemmas we didnt know existed. Keep up the great vlogs. Very greatful.
David utterly brilliant thank you. The scenery and photography out standing. Happy to see you were in control of the sleeping bag! Hope to find Jasmin has her cable sorted and the Ladies with the bath room refit, Anna and Kath. Cheers there David.
Superb video, as all your productions appear to be! So relaxing, informative and envy inducing! I have to tell you that jointly, along with one or two other narrow boat vloggers, you are responsible for a chunk of our funds probably being directed to a narrow boat broker one of these fine days - just as soon as my wife joins me in retirement and we can get out (in leisure capacity) and explore some of these wonderful, (if hidden to the 'man in the street'), spectacular places. Thank you!
Another wonderful vlog! Glad you survived the nasty sleeping bag. Good grief! I love your scenery and place names. As a tongue-tied American, I would struggle with the pronunciations. It took me 5 decades and a wonderful trip to your country before I could say Tintagel!
If anyone is interested, you can see what the aqueduct (at 3:12) looks like from the road below, here it is: www.google.com/maps/@52.6942218,-2.1891397,3a,75y,257.39h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWRJ6TLhD4LMOAUe6-23QtQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&authuser=0
And the road is the A5 a.k.a Watling Street - an ancient Roman road which runs from Dover through central London (Londinium) to Wroxeter in north Wales.
Well knock me down with a feather (sleeping bag), Autherley junction - I'm looking at it right now and about to head up the Shroppie (once another boat gets through the lock that is) . . .
Your getting more chilled by the day CTC and great vid as ever. I now work for a boat yard and you'd be amazed the stuff that gets wrapped around props. I now wear an old glove as much of it is fishing tackle with rusty sharp hooks, ouch!!!!
Wolverhampton is a city mush! And it's a metropolitan borough nothing to do with Birmingham, how dare you 😉 great vlogs a real pleasure to watch. Your professional background shines through 😊
I genuinely didn't realise Wolverhampton had city status, apologies to everyone there. It was correct for me to say it's "on the western outskirts of Birmingham" as this refers merely to its geography and does not say that it is part of Birmingham. Using Birmingham as a reference was for ease of use for my overseas viewers as being somewhere they should be able to locate easily on a map.
great one again Dave. Looking at you and recalling the temperatures here during the weekend, I think you may have sent the summer over to us early this year..
Another lovely video! Only just done that bit but we turned off to Brum. Lots and lots of weed beyond Wolverhampton, so plenty of that weed hatch action! A lot of boats used with cadet training have caged props but never seen one on a Narrowboat.
I love fresh solider's eggs. Haven't eaten any duckettes for awhile though. I also drive too fast in my scamper van, need to take a slower lane. As for the amount of bricks there's just enough to complete the bridge!! Brilliant Vids David...
I thoroughly enjoy your vlogs, David. When you were meeting the other boat and couldn't stop because that sleeping bag was stuck, I thought you were going to say something about having an audience watching you from that bench. I would get so flustered, that's what I would have been thinking.
Great little view into your journey, as usual. That sleeping bag made a horrid noise, and could have been SO much harder to remove from above if it'd had someone sleeping in it. :O) I wouldn't worry about the queue for the lock behind you - that crew could have helped you set the lock...or maybe they did off camera.
I migrated to US in 87. Having lived close to the Grand Union canal in Yiewsly Middlesex, I know what you are talking about when you say you like to be out of town for overnight stay's. I'm sure some of your patrons who have never lived in UK might be a little concerned with safety after your comments. I noticed a big difference on returning, all the Camera's everywhere, that do's make one think about why they are needed in built up areas, if you had never lived there. Load of Crooks and Tealeafs, if it is not bolted down it won't be there long. Really enjoy your VLOG's keep them coming.
Where you saw the houses after the boat club, many people tie up there and spend a few nights, I live in that housing estate and I have not heard of anyone there having any issues staying there.
"2:46 thereabouts,, totally breaks my heart to see boats like the one at the side of the building , going to wrack and ruin,,, any boat ,, any where left to simply rot away,, it's heartbreaking, ,,if only we knew the tales they could tell! No boat should end it's days unloved and abandoned!
You've brought many wonderful memories flooding back. The S&W was the very first canal we ever travelled on. My favourite. Your video is smashing - thank you. Fancy catching a sleeping bag. Could have caused a lot of damage I guess.
Phew! (for crisis averted) and Thank Goodness another Cruising the Cut video!! ;-) I was starting to go through withdrawals! Lol! You've created an avid fan!! I look for your videos everyday and if no new ones, I just binge watch older ones. Needless to say perhaps but I thoroughly enjoy and LOVE your videos. I've only subscribed to one other narrow boater vlog. Sorry to admit my infidelity but I love and admire you both. I look for your boat in his videos and his in yours. Not sure why. Anyway, just wanted to say Hi! and thank you for all the entertainment. They set my day. I'll be looking forward to the next!! Cheers and keep on cruising and vlogging!! ;-)
Was it only 8 days?! My bad. Seemed a bit longer. I told you you've created an avid fan! Lol! Luckily I'm just a fan and not a fatal attraction. No boiling bunnies here (plus I live in the states). You're safe. ;-) I'm kinda bummed you're moored for the summer. Hope you have lots of video stock that you're working on. Will continue to wait for the next installment with baited breath (and a little more patience). Lol! ;-) Thanks David. Really do appreciate what you do.
Moored yes, but with a backlog of my travels from earlier which will see me through another 8 or so vlogs, which is two months-worth or thereabouts :-)
Wonderful to hear! I'll keep an eye out for them. I'm currently building a tiny house on wheels. Moving what I have to a new location to finish building in a few weeks. That's how I found you. You popped up in a string of tiny house videos I was watching. Similar interior sizes I suspect. Wish we had canals here. Think I'd prefer being on the water. And the views!! I envy your journey. Cheers David! ;-)
Magic, you just took me through and along the playground of my youth, from Autherley to the Birmingham turn was where we used to muck about as kids (some 45 years ago).
Thanks for doing what you do Dave!!! I think you have one of the best narrowboat channels out there. I like 'great canal journeys' and 'Robbie Cummings' channel too. Wish we had some waterways like that in Tallahassee Florida.
Wow how thing's have changed!,..so awesome to see these area's of canal as I grew up in the area and during summer school holiday', we used to get a bit of pocket money by helping bargies through the first few lock's of the Brummie cut.I used to live not too far from where you picked up that sleeping bag
Another excellent Vlog, you were luck the sleeping bag around the prop came off easily! The bit where you crossed the A5 over an aqueduct is very familiar to me as I use to visit Shrewsbury about 5 times a year when I lived in Derby. Its a pleasant drive along the A5 and I do remember the white railings in that bridge - it is beautiful around there. Thanks for sharing ....
Great to catch up on your vlogs now I have lots of wifi at my disposal again. Shame about the sleeping bag but at least you got it out quickly. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your journey down this canal as we really enjoyed our trip down there last year 👍
Getting closer to my neck of the woods :D I love the Staffs and Worcs especially the bit that goes through Kidderminster - did my gongoozler good deed and helped a boat through the lock at Bridge 16 last week :D
You've reached our neck of the woods at this stage. Welcome to Wolverhampton! Ah, you seemed to have missed the 21 wonderful locks.....you'd have loved them ;)
Hadn't thought in any detail about the rather significant historic bit - why canals in the first place? Well answered. Ahead of autos, ahead of rail and faster than a galloping, wagon bearing steed, the canal. P.S. 20K subscribers? Wow. Glad I joined up back in the day when you had a mere 13K. Cheerio.
Just last January I hit 10k subs and I was quite pleased then :-) Who knows where it'll end up - how many people worldwide do you think might be interested in canals and narrowboats?!
That's a nice feature on your narrow boat. I'm talking about the hatch where the sleeping bag was. Our engines when something get wrapped around the prop. We have to either get a mask & knife & get into the water & cut it away or get a skiff, pull up the motor & cutting whatever away. I do like yours better. Happy motoring, Chris
I would hate to have to get into - and under - the canal water to get stuff off the prop. And it does happen reasonably regularly too because of all the crap people chuck in the canals, unfortunately.
Hello from Kentucky! I've only been on a boat a handful of times, but I've thoroughly enjoyed your videos. I think you need a good medium sized dog to go with. Jack Russell perhaps. Do you carry spare eye glasses? I don't want to jinx you, but what if they go overboard, the pair you're wearing? Jealous of the views, but not all the locks. 😀 Looking forward to the next installment.
I like dogs and cats but it wouldn't be right to get a pet now as I'm not always around to take care of it (just occasionally I go off and do a day's paid work!) plus they're expensive with food / insurance / flea treatment / vet bills. And I'm too lazy to walk the dog three times a day! Yes, I have spare glasses :-)
Hi , again have you seen the film staring Harry h Corbett and Ronnie barker called the BARGEE? It a real classic all about transporting goods on the old boats. Cheers Mark
Loving this leg of the journey as it's around where I use to commute to work, I remember driving under that bridge on the A5 many a time, was especially bad when it used to flood. Compton is literally 20min down the road from me :)
Another great VLOG. I have enjoyed them so much that I have started watching them over again from the beginning. Nothing here in Texas to compare with your canal system.
David - I enjoy your videos, beautiful scenery, your dry wit! I live in Minnesota near the Mississippi River where we have large rafts of barges (each 175 feet long, rafts of 12 barges plus the tug - 1000 feet total) transporting goods up and down the river. The locks are 600 ft long and can accommodate 9 barges per lift. It is interesting to see their 'one horse ancestors' on the UK canals - a much more human scale. Question - are there enforcement officers or officials on the canal system that make sure you follow rules (e.g. 48 hour mooring rules)?
Yes, official wardens (I think some are volunteers but it's all essentially the same) wearing Canal and River Trust t-shirts come round bearing notebooks and taking boat numbers / dates etc.
A maybe wierd but certanly new thing I have tried during lockdown. Since the narration is so excellent, I put on a vlog, close my eyes, and try to imagine my own pictures to the described scenery. Then I watch it again and compare the two. Can only recommend a try.
Another excellent video, thank you David. I wouldn't mind a £1 for every time I've been under the canal aqueduct on the A5, but never travelled on the canal on that bit. One day maybe.
Fabulous video! It would be terrific to see how you choose a spot, good spots vs bad stops, and how you tie up to a weedy patch like at the end of this video.
Hi,having watch you from the start it's now about time to say a big thank you for all of your amazing vlogs . My house is up for sale and I'm about to embark on buying my first ever narrow boat as a live aboard,as soon as the house is sold .Winter mooring if I sell in time,followed by continues cruising. Thinking 60ft with cruiser stern,might have to get a smaller one for my daughter who's 22 and fresh out of Uni,masters degree in hand but no job as yet .It's always nice to see how you have coped with everything that has been thrown at you ,I'm scared and excited at the same time. Thanks again .
Will do,been looking for a about two years but only on the web,seen my dream boats come and go but have a good idea on price etc. newly blacked,serviced and safety cert,with decent solar would be nice.want to be able to cover all canals .Strange thing is never been on a canal boat narrow or wide beam. I want it to be totally new and a bit scary even though 3 miles an hour isn't fast,an idilic and peaceful life is what i'm looking for,in between my hobbies and activism .
Drifting out of control pulling crud off the propellor without any fuss or drama. It's amazing how quickly people take thing in their stride that would have been a major disaster just over a year ago. I picked up a length of chain link fence once, that was pretty difficult to cut through. Chugtastic vlog
God that was weird. Rewatching these and seeing bits of the Canals around wolverhampton I walked around a few years ago when at Uni is so odd. Lovely. But odd. Not suprised about the sleeping bag though the banks are often covered in homeless camps which seamed to have a clear out every few months and it wouldnt be a suprise to find whole tents just dragged and dropped in the canal. (Not sure by who or why, but it happened.)
No reverse, no forward..that had to give your heart a skipped beat or two, especially with a boat coming from the other way. Crisis averted, thankfully!
The junction towards Brum at 08:06 is Aldersley. Query: what happens to the engine when the propellor gets blocked? Does it just stall (not something diesels are fond of doing) or is there some sort of clutch arrangement to detach the drive?
Good question. There must be some kind of integral clutch I think because the engine has never stalled, it just wrenches itself round and wobbles the boat!
It's a happy day when you can pull the debris straight off the prop... we picked up a plasticky-burlap sac and several feet of rope on a stretch of the Rochdale Canal. Thankfully, the hire boat company had provided a "junior hacksaw"... which we needed!
baby swans are cygnets; geese are goslings. I am FASCINATED by the entire personal travel part of this, but the engineering behind this is even more fascinating. like you said it was all about industry. I have a few questions: What is maximum height/wirdth/depth for these canals and what is maximum tonnage a boat could carry? ((through a lock) can you elaborate of these aspects possibly in future shows? and elaborate on the points that supply the system water? like the dams and such? will you ever film a complete canal system series of videos? can you add (and define) more british slang? like a british slang segment? thanks for all the little details like where the fuel is and where the water is. and all the names for the turns and bridges. I support this 100%.
I hope to be doing a video about the water supply very soon. I won't do a slang video though, this channel is specifically about canals and narrowboats. There are probably other TH-cam channels that cover British slang.
Several places including Willow Wren Training and the lovely folk at Bickerstaffe Boats. Note you don't require any formal training to hire a boat but you'll get 30 mins or so !!
You raise an interesting question in this one, how do other boaters know you are in trouble ? If is was a windy day it would possible for the wind to turn your boat into their path or drip into their party on a narrow section. And you really have to wonder the mentality of people, clothing, a sleeping bag AnnaMarie Kath a bed sheet, either you three are rubbish magnets or there is a lot of things thrown in the canal. My suspicions lead me to think of alcohol related incidents and rather than clean it they make it some else’s problem.
Patiently awaited.....thoroughly enjoyed....feeling better already.. eagerly awaiting my next 'fix'....Thanks a million.
More soon
What a great way to start my day, a brand new "CruisingTheCut" Vlog. thank you.
LOL "The love child of a narrowboat and a wartime landing craft" What a great description and spot on. I wanted to give this video two thumbs up.
Don't do that, they'll cancel out :-) :-) !!
My wife and i are on the very first step of our narrowboat journey, (saving a hefty deposit). As such, you'd be right to imagine that we are wading through a great number of you tube narrowboat channels. After doing this for sometime we agree that yours has to be the best.. previous journalism clearly shining through. A perfect mix of accurate information mixed with the perfect amount of humour with a side dose of veautiful scenary to keep us going until we step onto our very own ribbon of steel. Where is this comment going?? Nowhere... its just a simple thankyou for answering dilemmas we didnt know existed.
Keep up the great vlogs.
Very greatful.
Thank you very much! Good luck in your quest to get a boat :-)
Always a blast traveling with you,David.Thank you,Sir.🇬🇧👍🇺🇸
David utterly brilliant thank you. The scenery and photography out standing. Happy to see you were in control of the sleeping bag! Hope to find Jasmin has her cable sorted and the Ladies with the bath room refit, Anna and Kath. Cheers there David.
great video and plenty of natur.Very good
What a perfect storyteller about common daily situations.
Thank you
Nice video David. Well done on your handling of the sleeping bag. Command the situation. Don't let the situation command you.
:-)
Superb video, as all your productions appear to be! So relaxing, informative and envy inducing! I have to tell you that jointly, along with one or two other narrow boat vloggers, you are responsible for a chunk of our funds probably being directed to a narrow boat broker one of these fine days - just as soon as my wife joins me in retirement and we can get out (in leisure capacity) and explore some of these wonderful, (if hidden to the 'man in the street'), spectacular places. Thank you!
Doesn't beat the bra and dress you caught in vlog 45 lol. Had me chuckling for quite a while that one.
Thankfully no one in the sleeping bag lol, it always happens at the wrong time something like that, nice vlog thank you.
A Wizard video as always.
Thumbs up! Exciting and relaxing. You've done it again, David, thank you! Best TV on the Interweb : ) Dave & Maggie, Vermont, US
:-)
Thank you for another wonderful video. From Australia born in Devon.
Just in time for a tea break- many thanks!
Another wonderful vlog! Glad you survived the nasty sleeping bag. Good grief!
I love your scenery and place names. As a tongue-tied American, I would struggle with the pronunciations. It took me 5 decades and a wonderful trip to your country before I could say Tintagel!
If anyone is interested, you can see what the aqueduct (at 3:12) looks like from the road below, here it is: www.google.com/maps/@52.6942218,-2.1891397,3a,75y,257.39h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWRJ6TLhD4LMOAUe6-23QtQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&authuser=0
Thanks. That's the sort of thing I'd do.
Genius.
And the road is the A5 a.k.a Watling Street - an ancient Roman road which runs from Dover through central London (Londinium) to Wroxeter in north Wales.
King of amusing , interesting and picturesque videos. A gracious thank you 😊
Well knock me down with a feather (sleeping bag), Autherley junction - I'm looking at it right now and about to head up the Shroppie (once another boat gets through the lock that is) . . .
Another superb video!
Your getting more chilled by the day CTC and great vid as ever. I now work for a boat yard and you'd be amazed the stuff that gets wrapped around props. I now wear an old glove as much of it is fishing tackle with rusty sharp hooks, ouch!!!!
I always forget the glove but that's a very very good point!
Wolverhampton is a city mush! And it's a metropolitan borough nothing to do with Birmingham, how dare you 😉 great vlogs a real pleasure to watch. Your professional background shines through 😊
I genuinely didn't realise Wolverhampton had city status, apologies to everyone there. It was correct for me to say it's "on the western outskirts of Birmingham" as this refers merely to its geography and does not say that it is part of Birmingham. Using Birmingham as a reference was for ease of use for my overseas viewers as being somewhere they should be able to locate easily on a map.
A wonderful video, as always!
A wonderful series of superbly produced Vlogs, thank you so much. I'm now up to date and greatly looking forward to later next week on the cut.
Thank you. Glad you like them :-)
I really enjoy your comments on all the birds, and they are very pretty.
Looking forward to seeing the areas in and around Stourport (my old stomping ground!). Excellent vlog as always!
great one again Dave. Looking at you and recalling the temperatures here during the weekend, I think you may have sent the summer over to us early this year..
You were lucky on that one. Have a great week.
Another lovely video! Only just done that bit but we turned off to Brum. Lots and lots of weed beyond Wolverhampton, so plenty of that weed hatch action! A lot of boats used with cadet training have caged props but never seen one on a Narrowboat.
I love fresh solider's eggs. Haven't eaten any duckettes for awhile though. I also drive too fast in my scamper van, need to take a slower lane. As for the amount of bricks there's just enough to complete the bridge!! Brilliant Vids David...
:-)
Nice vid, good to keep log entries of the weird and wonderful detritus hauled out of the weed hatch.
I think by and large I'd rather forget them!! :-)
Love your Blog,s,,you have a very comforting voice and Accent,,,Thanks!!
Thank you
Great Vlog, thanks again
3:50 Wait...is that....a narrowboat with a windscreen wiper?! 😮
I thoroughly enjoy your vlogs, David. When you were meeting the other boat and couldn't stop because that sleeping bag was stuck, I thought you were going to say something about having an audience watching you from that bench. I would get so flustered, that's what I would have been thinking.
Those two were very lovely and sympathetic in fact, so it was fine!
And, I imagine you have the experience now to be calm and collected. I think you are so good at what you do.
Thank you.
Brilliant
Great little view into your journey, as usual. That sleeping bag made a horrid noise, and could have been SO much harder to remove from above if it'd had someone sleeping in it. :O) I wouldn't worry about the queue for the lock behind you - that crew could have helped you set the lock...or maybe they did off camera.
Oh, they did and they were lovely. They didn't pressure me at all, it's just I feel pressured, it's all in my own head.
As usual, very nice video.
Watching your videos is very comforting.
I migrated to US in 87. Having lived close to the Grand Union canal in Yiewsly Middlesex, I know what you are talking about when you say you like to be out of town for overnight stay's.
I'm sure some of your patrons who have never lived in UK might be a little concerned with safety after your comments. I noticed a big difference on returning, all the Camera's everywhere, that do's make one think about why they are needed in built up areas, if you had never lived there. Load of Crooks and Tealeafs, if it is not bolted down it won't be there long.
Really enjoy your VLOG's keep them coming.
Where you saw the houses after the boat club, many people tie up there and spend a few nights, I live in that housing estate and I have not heard of anyone there having any issues staying there.
"2:46 thereabouts,, totally breaks my heart to see boats like the one at the side of the building , going to wrack and ruin,,, any boat ,, any where left to simply rot away,, it's heartbreaking, ,,if only we knew the tales they could tell! No boat should end it's days unloved and abandoned!
You didn't look very happy at the start. You must not have come up with that fantastic title by then. Beautiful birds in this one
Nice one David :-)
NOTIFICATION SQUADDDD! Love your vids!
Haha, I do apologise for spending your savings!
CruisingTheCut nah, I was starring into a blank wall waiting for a new vid from you.
You've brought many wonderful memories flooding back. The S&W was the very first canal we ever travelled on. My favourite. Your video is smashing - thank you. Fancy catching a sleeping bag. Could have caused a lot of damage I guess.
Phew! (for crisis averted) and Thank Goodness another Cruising the Cut video!! ;-) I was starting to go through withdrawals! Lol! You've created an avid fan!! I look for your videos everyday and if no new ones, I just binge watch older ones. Needless to say perhaps but I thoroughly enjoy and LOVE your videos. I've only subscribed to one other narrow boater vlog. Sorry to admit my infidelity but I love and admire you both. I look for your boat in his videos and his in yours. Not sure why. Anyway, just wanted to say Hi! and thank you for all the entertainment. They set my day. I'll be looking forward to the next!! Cheers and keep on cruising and vlogging!! ;-)
I only just had one up four days ago, how can you possibly be having withdrawals? That's been three videos in the last 8 days!!
Simply not good enough! The crowd called more more more!!!
Was it only 8 days?! My bad. Seemed a bit longer. I told you you've created an avid fan! Lol! Luckily I'm just a fan and not a fatal attraction. No boiling bunnies here (plus I live in the states). You're safe. ;-) I'm kinda bummed you're moored for the summer. Hope you have lots of video stock that you're working on. Will continue to wait for the next installment with baited breath (and a little more patience). Lol! ;-) Thanks David. Really do appreciate what you do.
Moored yes, but with a backlog of my travels from earlier which will see me through another 8 or so vlogs, which is two months-worth or thereabouts :-)
Wonderful to hear! I'll keep an eye out for them. I'm currently building a tiny house on wheels. Moving what I have to a new location to finish building in a few weeks. That's how I found you. You popped up in a string of tiny house videos I was watching. Similar interior sizes I suspect. Wish we had canals here. Think I'd prefer being on the water. And the views!! I envy your journey. Cheers David! ;-)
Magic, you just took me through and along the playground of my youth, from Autherley to the Birmingham turn was where we used to muck about as kids (some 45 years ago).
:-)
Nice one David. Enjoyable as ever, one thing for sure, you will not be short of extra bedding now... Have fun and look forward to the next one.
Yuck!
Thanks for doing what you do Dave!!! I think you have one of the best narrowboat channels out there. I like 'great canal journeys' and 'Robbie Cummings' channel too. Wish we had some waterways like that in Tallahassee Florida.
Cheers! I wouldn't want your alligators in our canals :-)
Great vlog you were very lucky with that sleeping bag could have done a lot of damage
I agree, I was so pleased it just wound off as I pulled.
Wow how thing's have changed!,..so awesome to see these area's of canal as I grew up in the area and during summer school holiday', we used to get a bit of pocket money by helping bargies through the first few lock's of the Brummie cut.I used to live not too far from where you picked up that sleeping bag
I imagine that help was very welcome!
So enjoyable! Thanks so much.
Another excellent Vlog, you were luck the sleeping bag around the prop came off easily! The bit where you crossed the A5 over an aqueduct is very familiar to me as I use to visit Shrewsbury about 5 times a year when I lived in Derby. Its a pleasant drive along the A5 and I do remember the white railings in that bridge - it is beautiful around there. Thanks for sharing ....
It was very lucky!
Great to catch up on your vlogs now I have lots of wifi at my disposal again. Shame about the sleeping bag but at least you got it out quickly. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your journey down this canal as we really enjoyed our trip down there last year 👍
:-)
Getting closer to my neck of the woods :D I love the Staffs and Worcs especially the bit that goes through Kidderminster - did my gongoozler good deed and helped a boat through the lock at Bridge 16 last week :D
Well done you!
Such a well put together film :)
You've reached our neck of the woods at this stage. Welcome to Wolverhampton!
Ah, you seemed to have missed the 21 wonderful locks.....you'd have loved them ;)
Yes, Dovecotes Estate had a brief staring role after the Boat Club.
Hadn't thought in any detail about the rather significant historic bit - why canals in the first place? Well answered. Ahead of autos, ahead of rail and faster than a galloping, wagon bearing steed, the canal.
P.S. 20K subscribers? Wow. Glad I joined up back in the day when you had a mere 13K. Cheerio.
Just last January I hit 10k subs and I was quite pleased then :-) Who knows where it'll end up - how many people worldwide do you think might be interested in canals and narrowboats?!
"[only] the Shadow knows" or, never underestimate the soporific charms of narrow boating tales well told.
That's a nice feature on your narrow boat. I'm talking about the hatch where the sleeping bag was. Our engines when something get wrapped around the prop. We have to either get a mask & knife & get into the water & cut it away or get a skiff, pull up the motor & cutting whatever away. I do like yours better.
Happy motoring, Chris
I would hate to have to get into - and under - the canal water to get stuff off the prop. And it does happen reasonably regularly too because of all the crap people chuck in the canals, unfortunately.
Would you please explain the highway Lettering/Numbering system i.e M6 or A1. Thank you. Very professional videography I must say.
Hello from Kentucky! I've only been on a boat a handful of times, but I've thoroughly enjoyed your videos. I think you need a good medium sized dog to go with. Jack Russell perhaps. Do you carry spare eye glasses? I don't want to jinx you, but what if they go overboard, the pair you're wearing?
Jealous of the views, but not all the locks. 😀 Looking forward to the next installment.
I like dogs and cats but it wouldn't be right to get a pet now as I'm not always around to take care of it (just occasionally I go off and do a day's paid work!) plus they're expensive with food / insurance / flea treatment / vet bills. And I'm too lazy to walk the dog three times a day! Yes, I have spare glasses :-)
Thanks for another interesting and lovely journey.
Cheers
:-)
Hi , again have you seen the film staring Harry h Corbett and Ronnie barker called the BARGEE? It a real classic all about transporting goods on the old boats. Cheers Mark
nice. I want to see this now.
Loving this leg of the journey as it's around where I use to commute to work, I remember driving under that bridge on the A5 many a time, was especially bad when it used to flood. Compton is literally 20min down the road from me :)
Another great VLOG. I have enjoyed them so much that I have started watching them over again from the beginning. Nothing here in Texas to compare with your canal system.
Cheers Rick
The internet of it's time? That is the quote of the series!
A fair one, I think!
enjoy the vlog very much!!
Thank you!
David - I enjoy your videos, beautiful scenery, your dry wit! I live in Minnesota near the Mississippi River where we have large rafts of barges (each 175 feet long, rafts of 12 barges plus the tug - 1000 feet total) transporting goods up and down the river. The locks are 600 ft long and can accommodate 9 barges per lift. It is interesting to see their 'one horse ancestors' on the UK canals - a much more human scale. Question - are there enforcement officers or officials on the canal system that make sure you follow rules (e.g. 48 hour mooring rules)?
Yes, official wardens (I think some are volunteers but it's all essentially the same) wearing Canal and River Trust t-shirts come round bearing notebooks and taking boat numbers / dates etc.
So very relaxing to watch!
A maybe wierd but certanly new thing I have tried during lockdown. Since the narration is so excellent, I put on a vlog, close my eyes, and try to imagine my own pictures to the described scenery. Then I watch it again and compare the two. Can only recommend a try.
Another excellent video, thank you David.
I wouldn't mind a £1 for every time I've been under the canal aqueduct on the A5, but never travelled on the canal on that bit. One day maybe.
Fabulous video! It would be terrific to see how you choose a spot, good spots vs bad stops, and how you tie up to a weedy patch like at the end of this video.
You can't see it but there was metal armco railing to tie to.
Hi,having watch you from the start it's now about time to say a big thank you for all of your amazing vlogs .
My house is up for sale and I'm about to embark on buying my first ever narrow boat as a live aboard,as soon as the house is sold .Winter mooring if I sell in time,followed by continues cruising. Thinking 60ft with cruiser stern,might have to get a smaller one for my daughter who's 22 and fresh out of Uni,masters degree in hand but no job as yet .It's always nice to see how you have coped with everything that has been thrown at you ,I'm scared and excited at the same time. Thanks again .
It's a big move and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Good luck finding a boat, take your time and make sure it's a good 'un! Cheers
Will do,been looking for a about two years but only on the web,seen my dream boats come and go but have a good idea on price etc. newly blacked,serviced and safety cert,with decent solar would be nice.want to be able to cover all canals .Strange thing is never been on a canal boat narrow or wide beam.
I want it to be totally new and a bit scary even though 3 miles an hour isn't fast,an idilic and peaceful life is what i'm looking for,in between my hobbies and activism .
Excellent video again couldn't believe you picked up a sleeping bag Lol just goes to show what people though in the canals ☺👍
Loving the videos. Found the channel a few days back during a drunken wander around TH-cam :)
Thank you. Sounds like a great way to do YT ;-)
Nice Dawncraft after Bridge 15 , it's ours :-) a rare 38 , Great video
Drifting out of control pulling crud off the propellor without any fuss or drama. It's amazing how quickly people take thing in their stride that would have been a major disaster just over a year ago. I picked up a length of chain link fence once, that was pretty difficult to cut through. Chugtastic vlog
Yes indeed, that chain must have been very awkward!
I believe the number of bricks for that bridge was 1 buzillion. Did you try to use your weed hatch to wash that sleeping bag?
This will be a great vlog, I am certain.
And it was.
Haha, thanks!
Great video as always. You should meet up with Jono, another great narrowboat channel.
Ahh, cool 👍
God that was weird. Rewatching these and seeing bits of the Canals around wolverhampton I walked around a few years ago when at Uni is so odd. Lovely. But odd.
Not suprised about the sleeping bag though the banks are often covered in homeless camps which seamed to have a clear out every few months and it wouldnt be a suprise to find whole tents just dragged and dropped in the canal. (Not sure by who or why, but it happened.)
Amazing scenery David . but I just do not know why people have to litter .. especially in the canals.
No, me neither :-(
No reverse, no forward..that had to give your heart a skipped beat or two, especially with a boat coming from the other way. Crisis averted, thankfully!
Thanks for the video. 19k. Moving along nicely.
:-)
OOO! Like a bit of drama!
compton hope you found the chippy david we did it was very good,
I've watched every video up to this point but I don't remember you saying anything about a spare propeller. Have you one?
No. I don't know any narrowboater who carries one. They rarely fall off!
Nice video again. Do you ever see Kingfishers ? We did when on canal holidays in the 70/80s.
Lots of them but trying to film them is another matter entirely ...
Lucky know one was still sleeping in the sleeping bag. Still liking every video
There was when I chucked it in!? I must work on my knots!
The junction towards Brum at 08:06 is Aldersley.
Query: what happens to the engine when the propellor gets blocked? Does it just stall (not something diesels are fond of doing) or is there some sort of clutch arrangement to detach the drive?
Good question. There must be some kind of integral clutch I think because the engine has never stalled, it just wrenches itself round and wobbles the boat!
Dumb question I'm sure, but you guys drive on the left side of the road, why the right side on the canals?
Maritime convention.
Guess there must be no roadway convention......Hard to believe that we Americans wanted to be different than you folks, ha.
I was going to say. That's pretty entertaining.
It's a happy day when you can pull the debris straight off the prop... we picked up a plasticky-burlap sac and several feet of rope on a stretch of the Rochdale Canal. Thankfully, the hire boat company had provided a "junior hacksaw"... which we needed!
baby swans are cygnets; geese are goslings. I am FASCINATED by the entire personal travel part of this, but the engineering behind this is even more fascinating. like you said it was all about industry. I have a few questions: What is maximum height/wirdth/depth for these canals and what is maximum tonnage a boat could carry? ((through a lock) can you elaborate of these aspects possibly in future shows? and elaborate on the points that supply the system water? like the dams and such? will you ever film a complete canal system series of videos? can you add (and define) more british slang? like a british slang segment? thanks for all the little details like where the fuel is and where the water is. and all the names for the turns and bridges. I support this 100%.
I hope to be doing a video about the water supply very soon. I won't do a slang video though, this channel is specifically about canals and narrowboats. There are probably other TH-cam channels that cover British slang.
Beautiful scenery, thank you for these videos. If you wanted to holiday in the UK where could you get training tp pilot a narrowboat?
Several places including Willow Wren Training and the lovely folk at Bickerstaffe Boats. Note you don't require any formal training to hire a boat but you'll get 30 mins or so !!
I am your 20.000 sub. Congrats mate!
Are you really?!! Superb! Thank you! :-)
You raise an interesting question in this one, how do other boaters know you are in trouble ? If is was a windy day it would possible for the wind to turn your boat into their path or drip into their party on a narrow section. And you really have to wonder the mentality of people, clothing, a sleeping bag AnnaMarie Kath a bed sheet, either you three are rubbish magnets or there is a lot of things thrown in the canal. My suspicions lead me to think of alcohol related incidents and rather than clean it they make it some else’s problem.
You have very good diction. Normally, I don't understand Brits too well. God bless you.
Good to hear, thank you :-)
Love your videos
Ta
2:05 "Lovechild of a narrowboat and a wartime landing craft perhaps" I _ship_ it