Stories about boats and waterways
A bit of DIY and a product review in this video as I think back to when I was moored over the summer and took the cratch cover off, firstly to kill off the algae growing on it, secondly to clean it, and thirdly to re-waterproof the canvas.
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Here’s a quick overview of the hasty oil and filter change that I did on the boat while waiting at Tewkesbury lock for the lock-keeper to return from lunch (as seen at the end of the last vlog). I’m not claiming this is a “how to” or “tutorial” because it was a bit shambolic but I got the job done and it’s fine, so it might be of use or interest to someone perhaps.
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It’s time for my 2017 Grand Tour to begin! Firstly I had to put in to Hillmorton Wharf for a fix of my leaking fuel pipes on the boat’s Lister Petter LPWS4 engine, then it was off – very gently – to Braunston. This’ll be a bit of an amble for the first few days as I’m scheduled to meet someone at Kilby near Leicester in the middle of the month.
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There is a surprising amount of unused bits of canal across the UK, in varying states of decay. In this vlog I take a look at two separate projects which are digging out and restoring parts of the original route of the North Oxford canal.
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With only a few weeks to go until I set off on my Grand Spring Tour, I’ve decided to go through the boat and check I’ve got everything I think I have. So in this video I’m rummaging around in the port side well deck locker and taking stock of what’s what. I’ll do the starboard side locker in the next vlog!
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I’ve had a few people ask how you get TV while out and about on the canals on a narrowboat so here is my quick guide to watching telly. It’s mostly just like watching TV at home but you have to muck about with the aerial when you move the boat.
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Can a decently-sized solar array provide enough power for day to day living on a narrowboat during the winter? There’ll be sunny days, there’ll be cloudy days, there’ll be rainy days and maybe even snow – but can the panels pull in the power? In this video, I do some sums.
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We’re right into the middle of winter now and unlike last year, this time it’s quite cold with overnight temperatures in the Midlands (where I’m moored) dropping as low as -7C. So although I’ve talked about my stove and the radiator system before, this is a dedicated video on the subject of narrowboat heating including various types of stove, diesel-fired radiators and insulation. Plus – there’s a very special guest apppearance from Mads and Jökull from Sail Life!
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With many thanks to Alan and Wendy for letting me on board, this is another video where I peek into other boaters’ craft – but also, this particular narrowboat has a fairly rare type of engine set up, being a hybrid diesel-electric.
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This is part 2 of my extensive narrow boat tour; in this video I cover the bathroom (“head”), bedroom and then the engine room (the latter to a very detailed degree!)
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