Enjoying your vlogs, especially as you are a newbie solo boater, it’s a change from watching the pros, because I will be a newbie myself in a few weeks. You’re doing brilliant. It is reassuring that there is so much help at the locks! Love your humour too.
The kids at the lock were great. They were so disappointed when they ran up to the lock and saw me operating it. They were delighted to take over and I was delighted for them to take over. A win-win.
Thanks for the comment. The only history I have of the boat is that she was built in 2007, and I think I am the third owner. I will be making a video about the engine as I am trying to understand how a three-cylinder engine works as a four-stroke!
I always wear a life jacket when doing locks as I’m usually solo and for exactly the same reason as you said. Top tip. When doing tunnels have a large torch as the back with you so you can point it at the wall so you can see how far away you are from the wall. Also should your headlight fail you’ll at least have a light. Also I noticed when you were at Braunston you moored with the centre line. If you do that when another boat passes your boat can’t move forward and backwards and it’ll lerch sideways.
Thanks for the tips. The one on the centre line answers my question about the centre line, so that's good to know. I did have a headtorch on hand for the tunnel (it was in that handy little drawer near the hatch), but I forgot to put it on!
Another interesting video Nick. I see from the comments that you are getting lots of tips and advice. From over here it looks like a very supportive community on the canals. Thanks again for sharing. Cheers.
Following your Journey Nik. I can't wait to leave my winter Marina at Mercia, to experience more of the joys of cruising. It is just so lovely to experience your journey and experiences. The rhythm of your engine is hypnotic. Gorgeous
Lynne, Tyne and wear, a think it's like driving on country roads going slow as their is lots of bends, animals and narrow hairpin bends it looks a great experience. It's freedom.
Thanks for the comment. I drive on a lot of single-track country roads, so I know what you mean. And yes, chugging along is a great feeling of freedom.
Thanks for the comment. I do feel a bit odd wearing a life jacket, as I am the only one! And after a day of cruising, all I can hear as I lay in bed is the engine - surprisingly relaxing.
Ah! My old safety officers would be proud. Years of dealing with safety at work makes me worry about all kinds of things. I can now see hazards everywhere.
Excellent work Nick.Singlehanding isn't particularly difficult just take it slow and easy and you'll win through,swing and lift bridges can sometimes be 'interesting' by yourself but you'll find a method that works for you.good luck
Thanks. So far, no swing bridges when I have been on my own. I have watched some videos on swing bridges and they do seem to be tricky for single handers.
Thanks. That’s where I have heard it. I have watched a lot of his videos. It has been bugging me why the sound was so familiar. The engine in Aslan is a lot older than mine but they do sound similar.
Thanks. Yes, I think it is quite fast on tick-over. I have checked the revs, which are at the recommended level of 400 rpm. I also like the sound of the engine. After a day of cruising, I can still hear it as I fall asleep.
For sharp corners I have been advised that you cant normally get round them in "one" manoeuvre so treat it like a 50p piece, turn, go straight, turn go straight turn go straight till you clear the corner, that way you always end up keeping the prop in the deepest water, some of the wider turns are very shallow on the edges as the silt drops out and you dont want to end up aground, speaking of grounding, use reverse to get out.
@@Nicks-Wanderings yeah the trick is getting the stern out into the middle with plenty of water under it then you can move the front over, the big key is always keeping the back in the middle as that needs as much water under it as you can get or as you have found it gets really hard to keep moving
I think your idle may be set to high, but it could just be that great engine and you probably have a larger prop than most which gives more torque. Check your idle settings to make sure, but im no expert 🙈
Thanks. A couple of other commenters mentioned the idle speed, which I will be looking at. There were a couple of times when I thought my 'slowest' was faster than other boats.
Hi Nick, really enjoying your adventure. Are you planning to live aboard or just use recreationally. I am looking at boats myself now in the Cambridge area and your videos are extremely helpful. Malc.
Thanks for the comment. At the moment, it will be recreational but the long term plan is for it to be almost live aboard with some time off the boat for a couple of months in the winter.
Small point but the Oxford Canal doesn't start at Wigrams. It runs from Coventry to Oxford... you were on it as soon as you turned south from Braunston.
OK, thanks, that is interesting to know. The turning after Braunston takes you on to a canal that still looks and feels like the Grand Union, it is not until the second turn it gets narrow. Excellent. Something else for me to look in to. Thanks.
@@Nicks-Wanderings The Oxford is a "wide" canal, believe it or not, from Braunston until you encounter a narrow lock, although if you are heading north you are meant to book passage for a widebeam. I don't bother with Nicholson maps myself, the Open-CanalMap app is just more convenient and has realtime links to any stoppages.
@@seniorslaphead8336 Thanks for the comment and the tip on Open Canal Map. I hadn't appreciated that the Oxford Canal was wide before the first lock. I had thought I was still on the Grand Union.
Hi Nick Enjoying watching ur Vlogs & ur New channel. Can I kindly ask , how much Narrowboating did you do before this & Buying Grey Wagtail. Did you have the Boat built to your specs or purchased secondhand. I think you said you are going to be a leisure Cruiser, not live aboard so very interested in how you plan to go about it, as being Retired myself & thinking of buying a Boat, after a few Hire Holidays, any insight is always welcomed. As a Leisure cruiser I often wonder regards moving from place to place & then mooring Boat in a new location / Marina & then I guess getting back to where started from & getting Car if for example have travelled some distance over a number of weeks. Colin.
Ah, this is an interesting question. I grew up in a town on the Thames, and as a kid, I was usually by it, in it or on it. I even had two summers working for a rowing boat hire company. As a kid, I canoed, rowed, sailed, and drove motorboats (I was 'trained' up to 27 ft). In my 20s, I almost rented a boat to live on in Oxford and came close to buying a narrowboat (I didn't have the money and couldn't get a loan). I then didn't go near a boat for 25 years. My interest in boats was reawakened during the first COVID lockdown. A couple of years ago, I took an RYA helmsman course (good course, bad student), and I had one short holiday on a narrowboat. These were all designed to 'get it out of my system' but failed. So, I have no real experience on narrowboats. The Grey Wagtail is second hand.
Really nice to follow you, all nicely done 👍 just one question, did you use your centre line to more overnight? I have forgotten why but they told me not to do that. Maybe someone can explain that?
Thanks for the comment. I did use my centre line on one night as I was worried about my poor knotting skills. I would also be interested to hear if there is a reason not to use that line.
Mooring on the centre line gives a greater risk of capsizing if water levels rise or your boat is pulled out away from the bank as the centre line fixed high up on the roof gives greater leverage to pull the boat over onto its side
I could not stand the why, so I google a lite and found this: ” If you moor with a centre line tied tightly you will often find as another boat passes it will heel, sometimes quite alarmingly. This is because of the height of the tie off point used to tie the boat against the bank/towpath and the resulting way the forces are exerted.” A specially when you only use the centre line.
@@Nicks-Wanderings the centre of gravity of your mooring point is too high. Any movement on the canal will be amplified in a tipping motion on the boat and in extreme circumstances could be dangerous. Love your detailed videos by the way and will be watching your wandering with interest. Lovely boat too!
It's funny you should say that because I thought the same. On a couple of occasions, I noticed that in tick-over, I was gaining on boats in front when passing moored boats. I have now taken to slowing a lot earlier and drifting past (if it is very narrow) in neutral.
@@Nicks-Wanderings i would suggest asking fellow boaters on your ventures(old boys are best)to have a look or give suggestions on how to callibrate for a 1.5 - 2mph at tickover....its a beautiful boat and the engine sounds and looks beautiful buddy..also maybe post a video on the issues your having with the boat and im sure the community will oblige..
@@yodamandala Thanks for the comments and the tips. I have already found the boating community here and on the canals incredibly helpful and generous with their time.
The only problem with drifting, in neutral, past moored boats is you do not have any steerage, but I am sure you know this and are prepared. Barry from Essex
Good news, then. I have just received a piece of kit that will allow me to control a camera at the front of the boat (hopefully). I will be testing out the new rig tomorrow.
The reason you are catching up to people is I think your engine is revving a little too fast at idle. There should be more room on the throttle adjustment fitting to slow it down a bit. There should be no need keep shifting into neutral too slow down your speed.
Thanks. Good tip. I will have a look at that. My only concern is that currently, when on tick-over, because it has three cylinder if the revs are much lower, the missing fourth beat will get more pronounced and I will spend more time worrying the engine has cut out! I have a book for the engine and see what they say the idle speed should be.
As a German with no canals and no British sophistication, I love watching those boating videos.
Thanks for the comment. Thanks for watching the videos. It's good to hear you enjoy them.
Where I'm staying in South Africa - Nothing like canals or something similar
@@corsnel594 I'll have to look into this... We have canals in the UK and some European countries. Are there canals anywhere else?
Your joking right? You guys have the Kiel canal🙂
Enjoying your vlogs, especially as you are a newbie solo boater, it’s a change from watching the pros, because I will be a newbie myself in a few weeks. You’re doing brilliant. It is reassuring that there is so much help at the locks! Love your humour too.
Thanks for the comment, and good luck with your new boat.
Good luck 🙏🏻
What lovely well mannered children, there parents must be very proud,😊
The kids at the lock were great. They were so disappointed when they ran up to the lock and saw me operating it. They were delighted to take over and I was delighted for them to take over. A win-win.
I love the day cabin and the engine sounds beautiful, can we have a history of the boat sometime please, great video.
Thanks for the comment. The only history I have of the boat is that she was built in 2007, and I think I am the third owner. I will be making a video about the engine as I am trying to understand how a three-cylinder engine works as a four-stroke!
I love the sound of her engine. What an adventure for you.
Thanks. I also like the engine sound. Very danceable.
I always wear a life jacket when doing locks as I’m usually solo and for exactly the same reason as you said. Top tip. When doing tunnels have a large torch as the back with you so you can point it at the wall so you can see how far away you are from the wall. Also should your headlight fail you’ll at least have a light. Also I noticed when you were at Braunston you moored with the centre line. If you do that when another boat passes your boat can’t move forward and backwards and it’ll lerch sideways.
Thanks for the tips. The one on the centre line answers my question about the centre line, so that's good to know. I did have a headtorch on hand for the tunnel (it was in that handy little drawer near the hatch), but I forgot to put it on!
Another interesting video Nick. I see from the comments that you are getting lots of tips and advice. From over here it looks like a very supportive community on the canals. Thanks again for sharing. Cheers.
Thanks. And yes, I am getting a lot of help and support.
Following your Journey Nik. I can't wait to leave my winter Marina at Mercia, to experience more of the joys of cruising. It is just so lovely to experience your journey and experiences. The rhythm of your engine is hypnotic. Gorgeous
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I find the rhythm of the engine enchanting. It makes me dad dance and I’m not a dancer!
You are a braver man than me, keep up the good work
Thanks, will do!
Lynne, Tyne and wear, a think it's like driving on country roads going slow as their is lots of bends, animals and narrow hairpin bends it looks a great experience. It's freedom.
Thanks for the comment. I drive on a lot of single-track country roads, so I know what you mean. And yes, chugging along is a great feeling of freedom.
When I was a lad the Boatman Pub at Braunston, was called the Rose and Castle.
I prefer 'Rose and Castle' - a much better name.
I love the sound of your engine.
Barry from Essex.
So do I. Relaxing and yet danceable.
I agree with the life jacket…as the comments say, you never know…love the sound of the engine…excellent video…really enjoyable watch….
Thanks for the comment. I do feel a bit odd wearing a life jacket, as I am the only one! And after a day of cruising, all I can hear as I lay in bed is the engine - surprisingly relaxing.
the sound of your boats engine ticking over is so relaxing lol
I know.... and it is surprisingly danceable.
I love the sound of you engin - sounds like and old "LISTER" engine...
It is a Beta Marine JD3, and yes, it is a fantastic sound.
Good on you for wearing your life jacket. You just never know.
Ah! My old safety officers would be proud. Years of dealing with safety at work makes me worry about all kinds of things. I can now see hazards everywhere.
Excellent work Nick.Singlehanding isn't particularly difficult just take it slow and easy and you'll win through,swing and lift bridges can sometimes be 'interesting' by yourself but you'll find a method that works for you.good luck
Thanks. So far, no swing bridges when I have been on my own. I have watched some videos on swing bridges and they do seem to be tricky for single handers.
Lovely sounding engine Nick, sounds like the CountryHouseGent engine.
Thanks. That’s where I have heard it. I have watched a lot of his videos. It has been bugging me why the sound was so familiar. The engine in Aslan is a lot older than mine but they do sound similar.
Your boat seems to move fast compared to the engine speed. It sound really nice too.
Thanks. Yes, I think it is quite fast on tick-over. I have checked the revs, which are at the recommended level of 400 rpm. I also like the sound of the engine. After a day of cruising, I can still hear it as I fall asleep.
For sharp corners I have been advised that you cant normally get round them in "one" manoeuvre so treat it like a 50p piece, turn, go straight, turn go straight turn go straight till you clear the corner, that way you always end up keeping the prop in the deepest water, some of the wider turns are very shallow on the edges as the silt drops out and you dont want to end up aground, speaking of grounding, use reverse to get out.
Thanks for the advice. I’ve had to use reverse a lot on the Oxford Canal. That silt is very sticky and forms a great vacuum under the boat.
@@Nicks-Wanderings yeah the trick is getting the stern out into the middle with plenty of water under it then you can move the front over, the big key is always keeping the back in the middle as that needs as much water under it as you can get or as you have found it gets really hard to keep moving
I think your idle may be set to high, but it could just be that great engine and you probably have a larger prop than most which gives more torque. Check your idle settings to make sure, but im no expert 🙈
Thanks. A couple of other commenters mentioned the idle speed, which I will be looking at. There were a couple of times when I thought my 'slowest' was faster than other boats.
it's a really nice chug chug chug of the engine
I know..... I couldn't believe it the first time I heard it.
I wonder how many times your boat has traveled that part of the canals since it was built
I’ve wondered that. I have found some screw holes that I suspect once had brass canals travelled plaques.
Hi Nick, really enjoying your adventure. Are you planning to live aboard or just use recreationally. I am looking at boats myself now in the Cambridge area and your videos are extremely helpful. Malc.
Thanks for the comment. At the moment, it will be recreational but the long term plan is for it to be almost live aboard with some time off the boat for a couple of months in the winter.
You should get the navigation books, so you will know where you are
I have navigation books.... The problem is that the user of the books needs to remember where he is, where he is going, or where he has been.
Small point but the Oxford Canal doesn't start at Wigrams. It runs from Coventry to Oxford... you were on it as soon as you turned south from Braunston.
OK, thanks, that is interesting to know. The turning after Braunston takes you on to a canal that still looks and feels like the Grand Union, it is not until the second turn it gets narrow. Excellent. Something else for me to look in to. Thanks.
@@Nicks-Wanderings The Oxford is a "wide" canal, believe it or not, from Braunston until you encounter a narrow lock, although if you are heading north you are meant to book passage for a widebeam. I don't bother with Nicholson maps myself, the Open-CanalMap app is just more convenient and has realtime links to any stoppages.
@@seniorslaphead8336 Thanks for the comment and the tip on Open Canal Map. I hadn't appreciated that the Oxford Canal was wide before the first lock. I had thought I was still on the Grand Union.
Awesome
Thanks
Hi Nick
Enjoying watching ur Vlogs & ur New channel. Can I kindly ask , how much Narrowboating did you do before this & Buying Grey Wagtail. Did you have the Boat built to your specs or purchased secondhand. I think you said you are going to be a leisure Cruiser, not live aboard so very interested in how you plan to go about it, as being Retired myself & thinking of buying a Boat, after a few Hire Holidays, any insight is always welcomed. As a Leisure cruiser I often wonder regards moving from place to place & then mooring Boat in a new location / Marina & then I guess getting back to where started from & getting Car if for example have travelled some distance over a number of weeks.
Colin.
Ah, this is an interesting question. I grew up in a town on the Thames, and as a kid, I was usually by it, in it or on it. I even had two summers working for a rowing boat hire company. As a kid, I canoed, rowed, sailed, and drove motorboats (I was 'trained' up to 27 ft). In my 20s, I almost rented a boat to live on in Oxford and came close to buying a narrowboat (I didn't have the money and couldn't get a loan). I then didn't go near a boat for 25 years. My interest in boats was reawakened during the first COVID lockdown. A couple of years ago, I took an RYA helmsman course (good course, bad student), and I had one short holiday on a narrowboat. These were all designed to 'get it out of my system' but failed. So, I have no real experience on narrowboats. The Grey Wagtail is second hand.
@Nicks-Wanderings Thanks Nick for the in depth reply, will be keeping a watch on your channel & vlogs👍
Really nice to follow you, all nicely done 👍 just one question, did you use your centre line to more overnight? I have forgotten why but they told me not to do that. Maybe someone can explain that?
Thanks for the comment. I did use my centre line on one night as I was worried about my poor knotting skills. I would also be interested to hear if there is a reason not to use that line.
Mooring on the centre line gives a greater risk of capsizing if water levels rise or your boat is pulled out away from the bank as the centre line fixed high up on the roof gives greater leverage to pull the boat over onto its side
I could not stand the why, so I google a lite and found this:
” If you moor with a centre line tied tightly you will often find as another boat passes it will heel, sometimes quite alarmingly. This is because of the height of the tie off point used to tie the boat against the bank/towpath and the resulting way the forces are exerted.”
A specially when you only use the centre line.
@@Nicks-Wanderings the centre of gravity of your mooring point is too high. Any movement on the canal will be amplified in a tipping motion on the boat and in extreme circumstances could be dangerous. Love your detailed videos by the way and will be watching your wandering with interest. Lovely boat too!
@@fred-sy3ci Oh, that is excellent, thank you, and it makes so much sense. Good to know. Thanks.
Hi nick, which engine are you running ? It sounded really nice,
It’s a Beta Marine JD3. JD stands for John Deere. It’s a three cylinder (hence the strange beat) tractor engine.
@@Nicks-Wanderingsyes that’s a lovely sounding engine , well done you’ve done very well 👏👏
What are the 3 words under lock names about?
The three words are location markers. For example, ///doubts.unusually.banter when used as w3w.co/doubts.unusually.banter takes you to a certain cafe.
your boat seams a little quick when chugging along....do the wake waves not cause moorers any issues???
It's funny you should say that because I thought the same. On a couple of occasions, I noticed that in tick-over, I was gaining on boats in front when passing moored boats. I have now taken to slowing a lot earlier and drifting past (if it is very narrow) in neutral.
@@Nicks-Wanderings i would suggest asking fellow boaters on your ventures(old boys are best)to have a look or give suggestions on how to callibrate for a 1.5 - 2mph at tickover....its a beautiful boat and the engine sounds and looks beautiful buddy..also maybe post a video on the issues your having with the boat and im sure the community will oblige..
@@yodamandala Thanks for the comments and the tips. I have already found the boating community here and on the canals incredibly helpful and generous with their time.
The only problem with drifting, in neutral, past moored boats is you do not have any steerage, but I am sure you know this and are prepared.
Barry from Essex
@@landbk5015 Yes, that is true, no steering. But, I have my hand on the gear selector and give it occasional bursts.
What engine is in your boat
It is a Beta Marine JD3. It is a three-cylinder tractor engine from John Deere.
You need bow thrusters.
Isn't that cheating? 🤣 There were times on the Oxford Canal when I would have given almost anything for a bow thruster.
I would watch more of your videos if it wasn't just you standing on the back of your boat
Good news, then. I have just received a piece of kit that will allow me to control a camera at the front of the boat (hopefully). I will be testing out the new rig tomorrow.
The reason you are catching up to people is I think your engine is revving a little too fast at idle. There should be more room on the throttle adjustment fitting to slow it down a bit. There should be no need keep shifting into neutral too slow down your speed.
Thanks. Good tip. I will have a look at that. My only concern is that currently, when on tick-over, because it has three cylinder if the revs are much lower, the missing fourth beat will get more pronounced and I will spend more time worrying the engine has cut out! I have a book for the engine and see what they say the idle speed should be.