The canal / narrowboat thread

[Bonefish Blues]

classicaholic said:

Bonefish Blues said:

classicaholic said:

SimonTheSailor said:

MartG said:

Essential maintenance of the waterways is ongoing, staff have to be paid

Exactly. Emergency repairs. Essential repairs. Routine maintenance. Funding for new projects.

When I return to my boat I want the waterways to be as I remembered them/expect them to be. If we withdraw our money then they would struggle.

Lots of the money being spent near us is on the towpath for walkers and cyclists - still good job they pay a license - oh hang on!

I think they are mainly for your horse, aren't they?

Ironically horses are not allowed on the towpath! there is a horse pulled boat that has to get special permissions - apparently not designed for horses anymore!

Seriously? Every day's a school day and all that

[Chrisgr31]

Simpo Two said:

Season ticket holders are getting refunds, according to another thread - but the railways still need maintaining. But the real truth is that the EA cares very little for boaters, they're just an inconvenience to be fobbed off with corporate waffle and mock consultations.

Season tickets are I suspect significantly more money and in any event ticket holders are not getting a pro rota refund. The rail companies are calculating how much they would have spent buying tickets for the period they have travelled, 1 month 12 days or whatever, deducting that from the ticket price, deducting a further £10 admin fee and then returning whats left.

[spitfire-ian]

The season ticket argument doesn’t really work in this case. People who have purchased a season ticket for the railway can’t physically use the service. As far as I’m aware my boat is still floating on CRT’s waters so therefore the licence still needs paying. It’s a bit like having a broken down car on the road, you still need to pay road fund duty if it is sat on the road even if you can’t physically use your car.

[SimonTheSailor]

Bert Cheese said:

I notice Robbie Cumming of YouTube has been given some airtime on BBC4 which is now available on iPlayer at present.
A five part series entitled Canal Boat Diaries initially, quite entertaining though obviously rather more polished than his regular YouTube stuff, hopefully more will follow in due course...

Linky: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bks0

I don't know if this is being repeated again or quite how it works on iPlayer - but the first episode is on iPlayer now - do the rest follow every week ?

[MartG]

SimonTheSailor said:

Bert Cheese said:

I notice Robbie Cumming of YouTube has been given some airtime on BBC4 which is now available on iPlayer at present.
A five part series entitled Canal Boat Diaries initially, quite entertaining though obviously rather more polished than his regular YouTube stuff, hopefully more will follow in due course...

Linky: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bks0

I don't know if this is being repeated again or quite how it works on iPlayer - but the first episode is on iPlayer now - do the rest follow every week ?

It is being repeated on BBC4 at present

[SimonTheSailor]

Oh ok, I guess it gets added to iPlayer soon after.

[Dinlowgoon]

Canal boat diaries - completely captivating. This series passed me by last time. A kind of ‘warts and all’ view without leaving the armchair (some even better with the drone footage).
I’ve got a feeling this itch won’t go away and I’ll need to try a year at it. (For starters ?)

[SimonTheSailor]

Many YouTube channels to watch !!
Some more professional than others !!
One very well presented one is Cruising The Cut - he's an ex reporter so it's all done very well and informative. Think he's got his series on Amazon now ?
Well Deck Diaries - husband and wife team - jolly couple telling you how it is.
Foxes Afloat - couple of guys that produce informative stuff presented in a funny way.
Sort Of Interesting - young lad does his best at presenting, started living on a narrowboat quite young. Always big smile on his face, you can't beat his enthusiasm !!
The Narrowboat Experience - two ladies show you how they live,work and travel on their boat.
Journey with Jono - another well presented one - he bought and brand new one and built it up as he went along.

That should kill a few weeks !!

[Bonefish Blues]

Foxes are funny, aren't they (assuming I recall correctly & they are the guys who specced the new boat?)

[egor110]

Bonefish Blues said:

Foxes are funny, aren't they (assuming I recall correctly & they are the guys who specced the new boat?)

That's them .

Much inuendo in there vlogs

[egor110]

egor110 said:

Bonefish Blues said:

Foxes are funny, aren't they (assuming I recall correctly & they are the guys who specced the new boat?)

That's them .

Much inuendo in there vlogs

Robbie Cummings is good and there was a ozy couple who used to have a boat ( nutshell ? ) they did good vlogs and great pub/beer reviews .

[Simpo Two]

For anyone who enjoys watching programmes about canal/river boating, my advice is to hire one for a week and do it for real!

[john2443]

I've got a week booked on the cut in June..started off fairly optimistic that it would go ahead but gradually my optimism is fading

7 weeks away, what do you all think? Any chance?

[Bonefish Blues]

Yes

[Simpo Two]

john2443 said:

I've got a week booked on the cut in June..started off fairly optimistic that it would go ahead but gradually my optimism is fading

7 weeks away, what do you all think? Any chance?

I think yes. Mine was mid-May so that's probably defunct, but Hoseasons were being very flexible with re-booking so the back-up plan is autumn.

[john2443]

I hope you're right!

Been looking forward to the trip - East Mids circuit planned, I've done most of it before but some of it not for about 40 years!

[dudleybloke]

The only boat I've seen moving on the cut since this crisis started is a tug pushing an empty barge on its way to Wolverhampton yesterday.

[Simpo Two]

dudleybloke said:

The only boat I've seen moving on the cut since this crisis started is a tug pushing an empty barge on its way to Wolverhampton yesterday.

The EA have banned boating on their waterways. Though how they'd enforce it I'm not sure as they'd have to break their own rule to find out...

When boating is allowed again the river might be like the M25 on a bank holiday!

[john2443]

This just in from the company who looks after my shared ownership narrowboat

"The Government will consider making changes once the 5 conditions are being met and the results look to be making progress in the right direction, so we do hope the opportunity to relax some travel will happen during this month.

It’s thought by some of the marina industry speakers that when the lockdown starts to be lifted, holiday cottages, holiday home and by extension boats, will be one of the first to start to return. This is thought because families can still isolate in these properties, unlike hotels and holiday resorts which rely on staff. This will still allow the social distancing required. This of course is not confirmed but something we are lobbying and hope for. "

[egor110]

john2443 said:

This just in from the company who looks after my shared ownership narrowboat

"The Government will consider making changes once the 5 conditions are being met and the results look to be making progress in the right direction, so we do hope the opportunity to relax some travel will happen during this month.

It’s thought by some of the marina industry speakers that when the lockdown starts to be lifted, holiday cottages, holiday home and by extension boats, will be one of the first to start to return. This is thought because families can still isolate in these properties, unlike hotels and holiday resorts which rely on staff. This will still allow the social distancing required. This of course is not confirmed but something we are lobbying and hope for. "

You can't argue with any of that , plus i just don't think there will be holiday companies set up to fly us abroad for far longer .