Category: Vlog

Vlog 247: The L’eaudown

Posted on September 1, 2021February 24, 2024 by David Johns

locks), how do the British canals stay full of water? This video attempts to shed some light.

Vlog 246: Pub of the Week

Posted on August 11, 2021February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Having meant to do a video with Robbie Cumming for many years, we finally got around to it a few weeks ago. I’m always getting requests from overseas viewers to go into the canal pubs but don’t tend to do that alone. Who better to team up with to do so then than Robbie Cumming, whose youTube channel features a regular “Pub of the Week” slot!

Vlog 245: Hire Calling

Posted on July 24, 2021February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Lots of folk ask me about hiring a narrowboat for a holiday so I thought I’d make a video about it. By coincidence, friends and fellow YouTubers Greg & Lou Virgoe, and John & Mandy, had decided to book a week’s hire – their first time on a narrowboat – so I tagged along to document the hiring handover.

Vlog 244: Electric Dreams

Posted on July 13, 2021May 7, 2024 by David Johns

At the end of May 2021, I attended a narrowboat trials day arranged by boat builder Ortomarine. Starting on the River Severn and going up the Droitwich canals, eight boats using a variety of power plants would have their fuel, efficiency and any solar input measured and compared. This video summarises what happened and the results.

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.

Vlog 241: A Night on the Tiles

Posted on May 17, 2021February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Partly because of a leak and partly because I never liked the tiles anyway, I have refurbished my shower cubicle with shower panels, stuck over the old tiles. This is the tale of how I did it.

Vlog 240: Much Ado About Locking

Posted on April 19, 2021February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Whether you’re a solo narrowboater or have plenty of crew aboard, there’s no doubt that at busy and long canal lock flights, a team of helpful volunteer lock-keepers can be a blessing to help you through. I spent a couple of days at Fradley Junction near Lichfield, talking to the volunteers as they prepare for the new boating season, and they explained what they do and why they do it.

Vlog 239: Cratch of the Day

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

Some footage filmed from summer-winter last year that I have now compiled, about the new cratch board and cratch cover I had made.

Vlog 237: Just nod if you can hear me

Posted on December 10, 2020February 24, 2024 by David Johns

I did a video about this very early on when I got the boat but I’ve changed the components since then so here’s the updated version.

Vlog 236: Your Plastic Pal Who’s Fun To Be With

Posted on December 2, 2020February 24, 2024 by David Johns

An alternative to the tradition steel narrowboat, fibreglass (GRP) cruisers are long-established on British canals and rivers. Often cheaper to buy, both new and used, but with drawbacks such as a more fragile construction and less suitability for living aboard, especially in winter, they are a popular choice particularly on rivers. In this video, I speak to a chap who bought a Viking 26 and absolutely loves it.