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Hello and welcome to what is - at last! - a damp and soggy newsletter, courtesy of some long-awaited rain!!
As I write this on the afternoon of Saturday 29th August, I have just about dried out from walking along the glorious Malvern hills with friends this morning, in conditions that would have made an undersea diver give up and go home; it was torrential for a while.
That said, it's now a sunny afternoon again with not a grey cloud in sight and I've even heard talk of another scorcher next weekend so maybe the sun isn't done with us yet.
Either way, the canals (and their reservoirs) will have finally had a bit of a top-up which has been so much needed over the last couple of months. I'm sure there'll be more on the way in September too.
Put up your brolly and step into your wellies and here's to a replenishing Autumn!
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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Pure Filth
Every single body of water in England is polluted with toxic chemicals, according to data from the Environment Agency.
Rivers, lakes and estuaries were studied by the EA for a range of pollutants and against a range of standards covering wildlife, water quality and physical habitat.
Only 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status. Most of the pollution is from chemicals which do not break down and so will persist in the environment forever.
The Agency says the waters are not predicted to reach good chemical status until 2063.
See the report on The Guardian website at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/06/all-bodies-of-water-england-polluted-toxic-chemicals
Bone Dry
The Canal & River Trust has published an update on water resources and navigation requirements, as the summer's severe drought continues to cause havoc on the inland waterways.
As of 28th August, there are 46 canal closures and 58 restrictions due to water shortages across the network, and the usual requirement to move your boat every 14 days has been suspended until the end of September.
The Trust is asking boaters to be water conscious when using locks and to understand they will sometimes put in short-notice closures to help water levels recover.
The Trust is urging boaters to stay informed about restrictions by signing up to email notifications from their website at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/notices-and-stoppages
The Big Bang Theory
The Inland Waterways Association and the Cruising Association have together published a guidance note on the safe installation of lithium batteries.
As lithium technology becomes increasingly popular for marine power systems, ensuring safety, reliability, and proper installation standards is crucial for every boater.
The note includes best practices for installation including technical considerations for both inland and offshore vessels; guidelines about thermal management, overcharge protection, and system monitoring; and details of how to ensure a system meets marine safety standards and satisfies insurer requirements.
You can read and download the note at https://electrika.uk/index.php/2026/08/07/iwa-cas-guide-to-safe-lithium-battery-installation-now-published/ |
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My recent videos
Here's a quick recap of the YouTube I've published in the last month, since YT often fails to alert folk to them...
The latest is Part 1 of a two-day trip I did, just up the canal to Braunston and back but in the absolute height of peak boating season. It was a weekend, in August (school summer holidays!) and the sun was shining. So how busy were the canals? Watch to find out. Part 2 will be published next, being my trip back the next day.
Before that was a trip I took with my friend Hannah (and Frida, the chihuahua) on her boat in London. Again the sun was shining, it was baking hot, and I was curious to see the contrast between city boating and countryside travels.
My project boat, Twiggy, was given its final layers of fibreglass on the transom last month, with so much swearing as I did it that the 'bleep' button had to have a lie-down afterwards. But the boat should be watertight now, I hope.
And finally, the first video of August was a technical one from the Electrika show, focusing on whether it's really safe to install big lithium battery setups in boats.
Click the links below to watch the videos (or go direct to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@CruisingTheCut/videos). |
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What am I up to?
Things have been falling apart on the planning front, left right and centre over this past month. The planned collab with another narrowboat YouTuber has been postponed indefinitely, and the visit to a well-known sailing 'Tuber has also gone very quiet (for the second time in a row. Was it something I said?)
However, plans are still afoot for a two-day trip out to a rather nice spot near Braunston just to relax and chill in the countryside, which I will vlog and hopefully cobble some kind of video from.
Then later in the month, a friend of mine from the days when I worked at ITV in Kent could be coming to visit, and I aim to cajole him to be in a video; very long-standing viewers may actually recognise Derek because he appeared in one of my early videos, back in 2016.
Plus I have recently been back to Twiggy and (incredibly) painted two layers of gelcoat plus one of flowcoat onto the transom, making it finally weather sealed, or at least that's the theory. That filming has already been done, so I'll try to turn it into a video soon.
But I have also been a guest aboard an all-electric day boat on the river Thames, which was a gloriously pleasant experience; that one just needs editing and will be published mid-month I think. |
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Canal-themed events this month
Strong like an Ox
The Oxford canal festival returns for 2026 on 19th September, from 11:30am to 8pm.
It's at Aristotle Lane recreation ground
and the adjacent canal moorings, Oxford OX2 6UA.
Entry is free and it promises live music, arts and crafts, a dog show (all dogs welcome!), a storytelling tent, children’s canal Olympics, a cinema, canal walks, boat trips, bouncy castle, face painting, and lots of choice of delicious food, drinks and other local vendors.
See https://www.oxfordcanalheritage.org/oxford-canal-festival
The Shard
Not purely canals but certainly one for anyone interested in classic vehicles, the Shardlow Historic Transport Gathering takes place on the weekend of 12th and 13th September, at the Clock Warehouse (postcode DE72 2GL)
There'll be historic canal boats, steam traction engines and much more.
See https://www.facebook.com/p/Shardlow-Historic-Transport-Gathering-61567784071210/
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
Plus there's a long list of waterways activities throughout September on the CRT website at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/things-to-do/events/canal-events-canal-festivals?start=2026-09-01&end=2026-09-30 |
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Each month in this segment, I highlight a YouTube channel that I think might be worthy of your attention, generally smaller channels that you might not otherwise have stumbled across.
However, this time it's not a small channel at all but I'm highlighting it because of one specific video which (like everything on this channel) is absolutely fascinating.
Jared Owen has over 4 million subscribers (yikes) because of his amazingly detailed animations of how things work or are constructed
Topics have included London's Tower Bridge; the International Space Station; a Krispy Kreme doughnut machine; and Big Ben (or to be accurate, the Elizabeth Tower)
His latest creation is a look at the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland, a huge boat lift which lifts or lowers boats from one level of canal to another.
The lift is an epic piece of engineering and Jared does a superb job of illustrating every aspect of its operation.
Take a look at his video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucyw6GVifCE and also have a look at my link in The Murky Depths (below) for a trip I did to Scotland which shows boats actually using the lift. |
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Final Thoughts
Temptation truly is a terrible thing. I browse Instagram and TikTok when I am bored or looking for a distraction (which is often, as I am really bad for procrastination. You wouldn't believe how long it takes me to write this newsletter, given the breaks I'm constantly having)
I mention this because despite having two boats and a campervan, I cannot stop myself browsing canal boats for sale!! I DO NOT NEED ANOTHER BOAT. Yet there I was this month, thinking "oooh that's a good price" for a 30-year-old narrowboat with a vintage Lister engine in it.
Please send help. Stop me, someone. Please. This is madness.
Regards
David
(I'm not actually going to buy it, I don't have the funds, but the constant browsing is driving me to distraction) |
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