Category: Travels

Vlog 276: Just Good Fens

Posted on August 30, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

This is part 2 (of 3) of my cruise along the Middle Level Navigations on the Cambridgeshire Fens, as I took the narrowboat I’d borrowed from Whittlesey to March. It was windy and the skies were dull.

Vlog 275: Cruising the Canute

Posted on August 23, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

I was lent a narrowboat for a week by two viewers of the channel! Starting in Peterborough, I took the boat off the River Nene and onto the Middle Level Navigations. This is part 1 of 3 of that week-long cruise.

274A Not a vlog: slow TV cruising

Posted on August 3, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

This is an uninterrupted (almost, there are a couple of camcorder battery changes and a re-fuelling stop) video recording from the camera on the bow of a narrowboat as it travelled along the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire from Gayton Junction to Weedon Bec.

Vlog 274: Ethel the Unready

Posted on August 3, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

A long-standing viewer of this channel was kind enough to offer me a day trip on her boat as she came along the Grand Union canal from Gayton to Weedon, so of course I jumped at the chance.

Vlog 272: Going Underground

Posted on July 17, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Opened originally in 1811, the Standedge (pronounced “Stannedge”, apparently) canal tunnel is a legendary boating experience at 5km (3.5m) long and hundreds of feet underground. I was lucky enough to join narrowboaters on a Pennine Cruise organised by the Huddersfield Canal Society as they went through this amazing tunnel.

Vlog 271: Fun and Games

Posted on July 9, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

On Saturday 25th June 2022, around 80 narrowboats took part in a colourful and noisy parade through Birmingham to mark the city hosting this year’s Commonwealth Games. This is my record of that day.

Vlog 267b: Wheel Meet Again

Posted on June 6, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

As part of the 200th anniversary celebrations for the Union Canal in Scotland, running from Edinburgh to Falkirk, two flotillas were organised over two days in May. I joined both, through a bit of logistical effort involving my campervan, and this is the second of my videos of that trip.

Vlog 267a: Pipe Dreams

Posted on May 31, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Throughout 2022, Scottish Canals is holding a series of events to mark the 200th anniversary of the Union Canal which links Edinburgh to Falkirk, and I went along for a two-day flotilla cruise to mark the occasion. This is Part 1 (of 2) of that trip.

Vlog 263: Berthday Cruise

Posted on April 20, 2022February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Here’s the third and final part of the voyage taking my narrowboat to North Kilworth Marina for sale with ABNB boat brokers.

Vlog 242: Wobbly Boating

Posted on June 13, 2021February 24, 2024 by David Johns

On May 29th this year, I was lucky enough to be invited to join Alan, Tina and Richard of NB Wobbly, to travel in convoy across The Wash with Jo, Michael and Lorna on NB Perseverance. This is quite an adventurous crossing for a narrowboat as they’re designed only for the flat calm waters of the canals or small rivers – and The Wash is pretty much open sea.