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Hello and welcome to the May edition of the newsletter, and an extra hello to all the recent new subscribers!
I realise this intro has begun to turn into a weather summary each month but then, this is the UK so weather is always the top topic of conversation...
And on that note, April saw some fabulous, warm, sunny days which were ideal for canal boating. Despite the inevitable forecast of rain for the first May Bank Holiday weekend, let's hope the sunshine returns during the coming month.
Whether you're boating, angling, walking or going to one of the many upcoming canal events (of which, more below), good times are surely due.
Cheers
David |
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*** News from the canal world. Send press releases (about canal topics!) to newsletter@cruisingthecut.co.uk *** |
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The Deep
A landmark has been reached in the re-construction of Toddbrook Reservoir as safety inspectors have given the go-ahead for it to be refilled.
Toddbrook came perilously close to entire collapse in 2019, which would have resulted in disaster for the town of Whaley Bridge, sitting just below the dam.
A new overflow spillway has now been constructed with all the redundant 1970s concrete panels being removed.
In the coming weeks, water from Todd Brook will start to trickle into the reservoir, eventually supplying the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals again.
See https://tinyurl.com/CtC-ToddbrookUpdate
The Shallows
The Canal & River Trust is dredging the notoriously shallow Ashby Canal again.
The work began last month and will see the charity removing around 4,600 cubic metres of sediment from the bed of the canal over the course of nine weeks.
Various stretches of canal over almost 4 miles will be tackled, between Sutton Wharf Bridge near Sutton Cheney, and Wykin Bridge, near Hinckley. It will cost over £400,000.
A digger will haul out silt from the bottom of the canal, loading it into a hopper barge for removal to nearby agricultural land where it will be spread as fertiliser once it’s dried.
It’s the second phase of dredging on the Ashby after works took place last year between Sutton Cheney and Market Bosworth.
As part of the project the Trust has also cut back overhanging trees, widening the channel available to boaters and improving lines of sight along the canal.
More info at https://tinyurl.com/CtC-AshbyDredging
Don't Fear the Machines
Meanwhile, the CRT is spending three quarters of a milion pounds on a custom-built 'CNC' machine (a type of computer controlled lathe / drill) to increase lock gate production at its West Midlands workshop.
The machine will be the largest of its type in the UK – and the third largest in Europe – to allow for the size and scale of the canal network’s bespoke oak lock gates.
Built by specialist fabricators in Europe, the CNC should be delivered early next year and will replace largely obsolete machinery dating back 60-70 years. It will enable the Trust’s two workshops (at Bradley and Stanley Ferry) to create around 190 lock gate leaves every year, up from around 150 at present.
Full details at https://tinyurl.com/CtC-LockGateCNC
Rubbish
The annual canal clean-up in Milton Keynes has seen enough junk brought up from the bottom of the water to fill two, 16-tonne lorries.
The event sees volunteers taking to the water on a tug boat with hopper barge towed behind, which is filled with the detritis pulled up from the silt.
That included - wait for it - supermarket trolleys, six tyres, four electric hire scooters, three bicycles, an outboard motor, a plastic barrel, a motor bike frame, two folding chairs, traffic cones, a damaged and abandoned dinghy, timber and domestic rubbish!
The junk was taken away for proper disposal.
See https://waterways.org.uk/about-us/news/mk-branch-cleanup-2026
Electrik Avenue
Organisers of the annual "Electrika" narrowboat show have announced details of the exhibitors and talks scheduled for this year's event.
Taking place at Brinklow Marina on 10th & 11th July, the show focuses on electric propulsion for canal boats and the rapidly-changing developments in the field.
Boat builders present will include Ortomarine, Mothership Marine, Finesse, Elton Moss, Bluewater Boats and Aqua Narrowboats.
And equipment vendors such as Vetus, Lynch Motor Company, Leoch UK, Beta Marine, Golden Arrow Marine, Voltsport and Energy Solutions will also be there.
A wide selection of “Show Boats” will be moored alongside the exhibition area with visitors able to book a viewing and chat with the builders. Plus boat owners will be on hand to share real-life experiences of cruising, charging, and living with electric propulsion.
Organised by Ortomarine in partnership with Aquavista, the event is - unusually! - free to attend although tickets must be booked in advance.
See https://electrika.uk |
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My recent videos
The recent glorious weather meant I was able to enjoy two days in the sunshine aboard my narrowboat last week - not actually travelling far but simply bobbing about enjoying a chance to relax afloat.
Naturally, I have made videos of the trip and the first of those should be going online the same day that this newsletter is published, albeit probably later on in the day. The second video will follow in the fullness of (canal) time.
Prior to that, I published a quick trip to the project boat Twiggy, during which I managed to half install a new bilge pump and had a second attempt at filling the holes in the interior cabinets.
And conditions were so nice during April that I also had a one-day cruise from Wigram's Turn to Braunston which resulted in not only the usual cruising video but also the return of a 'bonus' real-time bow camera video of the trip, for those who enjoy a bit of canal ASMR.
Finally, though it's unrelated to boating, I am also going to give a shameless plug to a new video on my campervan channel as I attended a new Motorhome and Campervan show a week or so ago, and cobbled together a quick video of the event which may be of interest.
Click the links below to watch the canal vlogs (or go direct to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@CruisingTheCut/videos) and click this link to watch my campervan videos https://www.youtube.com/@Vandemonium |
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What am I up to?
Apart from editing the aforementioned video of my two day 'weekend' (it was actually a Wednesday and Thursday) aboard the narrowboat, I am excited to announce - and I hope I'm not jinxing it by writing this - that I am soon to install the new transom into the project boat.
Yes, I realise the ambition of this claim, given how long I've had the project, but although the two wood sections which make up the transom have been sitting at home over winter, I have now used the April sunshine as my chance to glue them together into one piece, as well as sealing around the edges with resin.
This means I just need another nice day (or two, ideally) to take the now-single chunk of wood back to the boatyard, mix up some thickened resin, and stuff the thing into the boat then slap some fibreglass sheets over the top of it.
I am actually very excited by the prospect of having the back rebuilt, even if it's never going to look as smooth as when it was new (I know my limits!). Once that's done, I can continue with the interior as well as sanding back the hull and repainting.
In terms of narrowboating, I do have an intention to cruise further down the South Oxford canal and should get three videos (plus bonus content) from that but it will depend on the weather and me finding a handful of sequential days when I can do it - for some reason, my calendar in May is full of odd 'things' here and there that I can't easily move or need to get done.
I won't be at the Crick Show this year; I'd vaguely considered attending but a family matter means I won't be around. Perhaps 2027! |
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Canal-themed events this month
Cavalcade Extravaganza
This coming weekend once again sees the huge annual celebration of canals and canal boating in London.
The Inland Waterways Association's Canal Cavalcade is a multi-day (and night) spectacle of narrowboats, parades, stalls and general good-natured jolliness centred around Little Venice.
If you're anywhere nearby from Saturday 2nd through to Monday 4th, then do try to pop along. It's free!
See https://waterways.org.uk/support/ways-to-get-involved/events/iwa-canalway-cavalcade-2026
Big Show
The other major event this month is of course the annual Crick Show, near Rugby. It's the biggest exhibition of new-build narrowboats and equipment vendors as well as a huge social affair for narrowboaters from far and wide.
The event takes place at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire from Friday 22nd May (trade and preview ticket holders only) through to Monday 25th. This one isn't free though (and take your own food and drink because their stalls are eye-wateringly expensive)
See https://crickboatshow.com/
Feeling Festival
As usual through the summer, there are various floating markets and local canal festivals across the country. It's best to have a look at the Roving Canal Traders Association website for all the schedules: https://www.rcta.org.uk/markets-festivals-and-events/#!event-list |
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Into the dusty archive...
Given the disaster that nearly occurred at Toddbrook reservoir almost seven years ago, and the welcome news that the restoration is now reaching its final stages, I think it's right that this month's poke into my video archive should be a piece I made all about the work going on up there.
Filmed in 2023, the video shows the scale of the works and illustrates how very nearly the event became a disaster for the local area.
See https://cruisingthecut.co.uk/2023/08/11/vlog-307-reservoir-vlogs/ |
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After a brief hiatus last month, quite simply because I didn't find any new YouTube channels worth recommending, I am delighted this month to suggest you have a watch of a car channel.
Granted, there are about 10 million YouTube channels about cars and I am guilty of watching several of the "shouty young people do daft things in cheap bangers" variants, though I have rather tired of that format now.
It was therefore a pleasure to discover Scottish Car Clan, which despite its name is not just about cars in Scotland.
It's really about buying and selling decent used vehicles with all the ailments that come with them, presented in a very amiable way by the host, whose name escapes me.
I grant you, this may not be of interest to any overseas readers of this newsletter but if you're in the UK and have any interest in sensible motoring, this is a decent watch.
Have a look at https://www.youtube.com/@ScottishCarClan/videos |
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Final Thoughts
That's about it for this month. Don't forget you can always get in touch with me about the topics in this newsletter just by replying to the email. It's always a pleasure to read such correspondence.
Thanks for reading. Cheerio! |
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