Category: Video

Posts including videos

Vlog 374: Tide Up

Posted on July 9, 2025October 19, 2025 by David Johns

Back in April, I began the slow process of moving my recently-purchased narrowboat from Burton Waters marina near Lincoln, down to the East Midlands. This video is Step 1 of that journey.

In this final part of our Canal du Midi press trip, organised for us by Le Boat, we move from Roubia up to Trebes where we handed the boat back and went for a day trip to Carcassonne, to look around the historic medieval city.

Vlog 372: L’eau Rider

Posted on June 20, 2025 by David Johns

This is Part 2 of my trip along the Canal du Midi courtesy of Le Boat, travelling from Port Cassafieres to Trebes, near Carcassonne. I was joined by my friend Sally – and in this episode, another, familiar, face too.

Vlog 371: Cruising Le Cut

Posted on June 10, 2025June 11, 2025 by David Johns

Who could resist an offer to try canal boating in the South of France in May? Certainly not me, so with a friend along to help out at the locks, we jetted down to Beziers…

Vlog 370: Stranded

Posted on May 30, 2025May 30, 2025 by David Johns

After a long period where it seemed that all I did was make holes in my fibreglass cabin cruiser, “Twiggy”, I have at least started to repair them.

Vlog 369: Phoenix Knights

Posted on May 20, 2025May 14, 2025 by David Johns

I attended the Inland Waterways Association’s annual restoration conference the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, and heard what delegates and speakers had to say about the state of the canal network in Britain.

Vlog 368: Prop Forward

Posted on May 10, 2025May 10, 2025 by David Johns

Although lots of technical data about narrowboat propellers exists already, it largely relates to the traditional diesel engine. With electrically-propelled canal boats now becoming more commonplace, boat-builder Ortomarine held a practical trials day to see if changing prop made for a better or worse experience when your narrowboat has an electric motor.

Vlog 367: The Daily Grind

Posted on April 30, 2025 by David Johns

In order to fix the holes in the sides of my boat that I made when trying to find out where the transom wood ended, I need to open them out a bit so as to give me a space onto which to stick new fibreglass so that meant buying an angle grinder and making the holes even bigger. Don’t worry, it’s all part of the plan.

A narrowboat moored at Torksey visitor moorings.

Vlog 366: Tork Steer

Posted on April 20, 2025October 19, 2025 by David Johns

For the second cruise on my ‘new’ tiny narrowboat, Gentian, I turned right out of the marina and headed about 7 miles west along the Fossdyke Navigation until I got to Torksey lock where I stopped for the night before heading back. In this video I also reveal the mystery of how to change the lightbulbs!

Vlog 365: Wireloose Technology

Posted on April 10, 2025April 10, 2025 by David Johns

With the weather nearly warm enough to be working at the boatyard on my Microplus 600 cabin cruiser, Twiggy, again, I decided to get a ‘straightforward’ (?!) job out of the way and remove the old and rather odd leisure battery setup. This had for some reason been installed under the sink and comprised three batteries of two different sizes but there was a surprise or two as I took them out.