However, the podcasts were already underway. Also, I dont like handing out my address for obvious reasons. The steerers will wave and say hello when they pass each other, that is when the back of one boat passes the back of the other. The trouble is that with a 50+ foot, 15 tonne boat, you really need to see what its doing as you maneouvre it, rather than have it all happening behind you. Your mileage may vary and that's fine. Or perhaps, it's more like I imagine it is how the ancient swineherds felt when the Greek gods appeared amongst them - like 'Oh, I know you so well' and 'that's really odd, you are real!' Animals encountered include swans, sheep, horses, cats, dogs, ducks, and herons. Why are the canals so disgustingly filthy? We took it slow and easy, Penny reacquainting herself with old haunts that were once so familiar to her. An episode in which David experiences the most glorious week of narrowboating he's had to date as he travels up the River Avon from Tewkesbury to Stratford-Upon-Avon, including a trip down memory lane to his childhood. Am I being too overly familiar? Only in peak summertime are you likely to approach the solar panels maximum output and even then only when the sun is high.In spring and autumn, any solar is very variable and in winter its negligible plus the hours of daylight are much shorter too and the angle of the sun much lower (Its not always possible to angle the panels at the sun and even so, the other factors mean the resulting power will be far less than in summer).On an average 57 foot narrowboat you have space for about 2.3kW of solar. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Will you ever be visiting ?People often ask if Ill be going up a particular canal at any time. just aisles with food on shelves. David Alan Johns (born 15 July 1956) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Lorna (aka London Boat Girl) has done a comprehensive video about it, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79df3e_z6sg. Copyright 20012023 by Daniel B. Clendenin. Plus, how to buy a boat if you can't afford a whole one. He navigates the many tunnels and locks. You just dont see it on my videos. Plus he visits one of the Canal and River Trust's two workshops that manufacture lock gates out of English Oak, largely by hand. Heres my first video blog, describing how I came to be in the market for a narrowboat on which to cruise the UKs canal network and hopefully take life easy for a bit. Please share our website with your friends and family. The boss said, "If I ever understand a word of what you say again, you're fired!" But no boats have them and there are no disposal facilities for grey water, so its not going to change.The abundance of fish and wildlife on the canals suggests it really isnt an issue! Did he go hiking or just sit around and edit videos? Can you fish in the canals and do you eat them?You can fish if you have the appropriate licences local angling groups tend to have the rights to each stretch of canal so talk to them. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. This giant iron structure lifts boats from the Trent & Mersey canal down to the River Weaver below, and vice versa. A weekly webzine for the global church, since 2004. He chucked his job, sold his house, bought an old school, live-aboard fifty-six foot narrow boat, and started chugging along the extensive network of bucolic British canals at two miles an hour. Why are you driving on the right when you drive cars on the left in the UK?Apparently international maritime convention is for driving on the right. David Johns YouTuber and Narrowboat-dweller Welcome to the Airscape, the online home of video producer David Johns. Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2022. Brings my blood pressure down. Londons canals and rivers are becoming ever more crowded with boaters as people flock to the capitals waterways, drawn by the lure of a seemingly idyllic and possibly cheaper lifestyle. No, what I mean by boyishness, is a hint of infectious enthusiasm and fun. I really have very few fixed plans such is the joy of the narrowboating life so Ill tell you now: I dont know! Cruising The Cut is about the historic canals of the UK. Some day boats can get away with it though because they can return to a fixed point to recharge from the mains each night see vlog 168. WebCruising The Cut - LHCRT Progress Report 29th. In order to avoid damage to the rudder, boats would pass port side to port side. As a former boater ( although speed boats and water skiing) I kind of get some of the boating life. Do you pay council tax?Boats on official residential moorings pay council tax as they are classed as residences. We had a very My brain was working with a slipping clutch and I could do nothing about it. He travels slowly and peacefully around Great Britain's historic and still-active canals. Of all the vloggers, I think that is why for so many of us, his news that he was selling his boat to move on land, hit so deeply. Good fortune smiles upon David as he travels up the south Stratford canal, with lock after lock being set his way and help being given by random boaters and passers-by. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. TV Shows TV. There's a strangeness about meeting someone you know through video or film. How do you / Why dont you paint the baseplate of the boat?This is a source of much debate, a bit like what type of boat toilet is best. Enjoyed the scenery and the interesting tidbits of information about life on the canal. WebDavid Johns net worth, income and Youtube channel estimated earnings, David Johns income. If we toast a sandwich in the UK, it is then explicitly referred to as a toasted sandwich or toastie. In his second year of narrowboat ownership, David Johns took it on a more extensive voyage involving five rivers, one Victorian boat lift, many canals and a lot of wildlife! Secondly, without some kind of clutch mechanism, the drill would crunch the paddle gear into the end stop and ultimately this would cause wear on it, which costs the CRT money to repair or maintain. An episode in which David encounters dogs on and even in the canal, spots some new canal-building work in Milton Keynes, and has a small diesel leak. A guide to some of the very many gifts you can buy from narrowboaters, hand-made or designed on their narrowboats on the canals of the UK. Just a relaxing watch and enjoying the beautiful countryside. Its only the ads that pay, I get nothing for views of the videos themselves unless youre a member of YouTube Premium. And the drone batteries dont last that long either so youd be forever changing them.Using a drone to look ahead when single handed would just be way more hassle than its worth since you can either just toot your horn and proceed with caution, or youre really bothered, pull the boat in and run along to see whats coming (which would still be quicker and easier than using a drone)If you had crew aboard who could operate the boat while you do the drone, then it would make more sense but for me its not realistic. A favorite quote: "I wish I could take dog happiness as a drug." When David Came (Cruising the Cut) The Greek myths tell us that there are times when the gods come down from Olympus to walk amongst mortals. How do you make money?I am now a full-time YouTuber; every time someone watches the ads that occasionally play, I get a fraction of a penny. How deep are the canals?Not very; they only needed to be dug deep enough to float a barge full of tonnes of cargo, any deeper was wasted effort. Can you recommend a hire company for us to use? This is the title of a YouTube vlog about living on a narrowboat and cruising the canals in the midlands of England. Besides, the name, provides an important centring connection between the boat and mum, which I felt - and still do feel, functions as a helpful reference point. theres enough space to two to pass albeit carefully. There are the occasional repairs, and in one episode he ads solar panels to his boat. Hoping for a season 5. The weather's sunny, then rainy, then sunny again and the boat gets hung up on a ledge at one point. I can joke about 'cheese sandwiches' (although, we don't), but what can he joke about? In October 2015, David quit his job and went to live on a narrowboat where hes now making YouTube videos. His YouTube channels include: Cruising The Cut (narrowboats): www.youtube.com/CruisingTheCutUK How do you deal with all the mosquitoes on the canals?There really arent that many. Where does the water come from to supply the canals? And so, like so many, we have known David, in a kind of unknowing way, for a long time. There's something retro, hypnotic, and relaxing about all this, which partly explains its popularity. Whats the narrowboat forum you mention sometimes in your videos?The forum I gained most of my info from is canalworld.net. To be clear, the recipe is buttered bread, with ingredients as just described, and thats it.I absolutely loathe mayo or any similar gunge, and I dont like salt, pepper or suchlike either. Here's a vlog of two more days of cruising up the Avon, from Comberton Quay where the last vlog ended, through Pershore and Evesham, and up to Offenham. Why dont you have an electric engine?You do find some hybrid boats on the canal (see vlog 69 I did about just such a craft and also vlog 244 which was all about electric boats vs diesel) and electric running certainly is appealing especially when the boats just sitting in a lock but it seems a bit of an odd system with the massive battery bank and a diesel generator just to gain a bit of electric movement. There are no speed police or radar traps on the canals however; its more the ire of other boaters that you will incur though Im sure if a CRT officer saw you zooming along theyd note your boat registration number (which is required to be clearly visible) and send you a suitable letter. A very special trip on the narrowboat as David reaches the Anderton Boat Lift, an amazing feat of Industrial Revolution engineering, restored some 15 years ago. Her nose snuffling new growth and old stones. I deliberately refer to what I do as 'narrowcasting' - although it pains some podcasters who see the internet as a field ripe for plucking and the avenue to stardom. I watched it upon the recommendation of a friend, and I'm glad that I did. The name must be displayed on the side of the boat as well, but its on the licence so as long as youre showing that youre probably OK.The boat name does not have to be unique. David Johns Page 2 Cruising The Cut Author: David Johns Vlog 277: Without a Paddle September 7, 2022 Travels, Vlog 6 This is the third and final part of my It's fun and quirky, partly because of the extremely simple production techniques, and a good example of the expanding range of genres far beyond movies or TV. Also, due to the shallowness of much of the canal network, any blacking on the baseplate would be quickly scraped off in many areas. Having survived the terror of Harecastle Tunnel, David now has the small matter of Heartbreak Hill, a very long series of canal locks to descend. There are the occasional repairs, and in one episode he ads solar panels to his boat. A couple of years ago there was extensive winter damage on some of the northern canals due to flooding which even raised up boats onto the towpath and left them there once the waters receeded. A boater's term for the canals is a "cut," because long ago they were literally cut out of the land. David does a great job of not talking too much and amzing comments. The drone is required to be in visual range and control at all times, in the UK regulations.If you stop the boat to operate the drone (which would also necessitate bringing it to the side of the canal so as to be out of the way in case of further boats passing) then by the time youve brought the drone back and landed it and set off again, the situation ahead may have changed anyway.Plus there are so many blind corners and twisty bits on most of the canals, youd never get anywhere for always stopping. Most boats go along at 2-3mph, except some hire boats which are typically trying to get around a set cruising ring in a very short time such as a week. It's not unlike full-time RVing, which is what I am currently doing as a solo, but without having to deal with all those locks en-route! Thirdly, its not uncommon to drop a windlass into the canal by accident and it would be a very expensive mistake to do that with a cordless drill! It was a dark period of personal crisis. Rust abounds again as the entire engine is taken out of David's narrowboat so that he can scrape yucky old crud out of the bilge, then treat it and repaint so that it looks half decent again. But is the dream for real or is reality not quite as rosy? More seasons, please! After all, if we are going to be rubbing shoulders with the YouTube, Boat-Vlog, Greats, we might as well go for the full Hollywood experience and style it out. Portable electric trolling motors are often suggested in the comments on my YouTube videos but Ive never seen a narrowboat with one; I think it would be a bit ugly and awkward to have one mounted on the bow plus it could cause an obstruction in the locks (potentially getting caught on the gates etc). When I started, I had always thought I would politely refuse offers that would involve either the Erica or myself appearing on video or print - although, to be absolutely truthful I really thought that there wasn't the remotest possibility of anyone being interested enough in the podcast to offer in the first place! MarySue Foster/5 things that made me happy, National Dog Day and Seeing Nature Up Close, This is Why Ill Never Invest in a Medium Format Camera, Editing Tips for Stunning Black and White Photos, How to Make Twitch EmotesQuick and easy, https://twitter.com/CruisingTheCut?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor. Why dont you have a generator?Dedicated diesel generators (ideally in a silenced enclosure) are great but fantastically expensive many thousands of pounds even for little ones. What does it cost to live aboard a canal boat?There are a huge number of variables which mean there is no simple answer to what does it cost? Please make a cup of tea, get comfortable and take a look at my Vlog 66, Vlog 67 and Vlog 68 plus the more recent Vlog 213, all of which go into the costs in excruciating detail. I dont know of any narrowboats that steer from the front though there are some old, shorter, ones that had a wheelhouse slightly back from the middle. Top channels; Top videos; Most subscribed channels; Most popular channels; Most popular videos; The Highest-Paid YouTubers of 2021; Also, how do you manage to talk coherently in front of a camera? What happens if you overstay on a mooring?The CRT have towpath rangers who patrol and note down boat licence numbers and dates; they will issue an overstay notice requiring you to move if you hang around too long. And you can get diesel stove as well. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. David's epic narrowboat odyssey along the Grand Union canal concludes as he returns to Braunston in surprisingly sunny weather for mid-October. Click here to watch it. Is it cold in winter?No! Are you married? I don't mean that at all derogatively, as if he is immature or, in some way, not fully formed. We had a very similar experience when, on a sunny day in late March, David Johns came to visit us and record an episode for his canal-based vlog Cruising the Cut. I lie in the half-light of dawn, Suspended above the silty jungles Filled with so much life., Erica ready and waiting for David's visit, Banner image for David's Cruising the Cut YouTube channel. Its fairly foolish to do so though, so most people will either try it out with friends whove done it before, pay for narrowboat experience days, or even go on a one or two day RYA Inland Waterways helmsmans course. WebA seemingly naive and devout middle-aged man finds his way in the underground world of supernatural fighter plane films. Consider two, 57-foot-long boats coming from opposite directions. It was a dark period of personal crisis. It's like, as soon as the camera was pointed at me, all rational thought, ability to string a sentence together, even to retain some semblance as a human left me completely. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon. Season Three sees David embarking on some DIY on the boat and getting rather grimy in the process, as well as undertaking a cruise down the wide Grand Union canal, towards - but not quite reaching - London. Helpful See Vlog My tank is 62 gallons (282 litres) and I just tend to refill it when I remember, after a few weeks cruising. The research compass that provides the map and tells you what sort of questions and the vocabulary that you need in order to dig deeper. No, far from it. It felt like we were losing a reassuring presence. Johns calls his 239 videos the "diary of my life afloat. I havent done enough of the canals to be able to happily recommend somewhere; also everyones requirements are different.Plus hirers tend to do one of the standard circular routes so they end up back where theyve started, whereas Ive just dawdled my way on the various canals as Ive seen fit so my experience isnt similar to a hirer.Most hirers want to know about site-seeing places and which pubs to visit and on that front Im a dead loss as well as I just dont go to them. And really, they look just like every other supermarket Ive ever been into (!!) Penny gloomily watched the entire scene with a very long face, appalled at such wanton misuse of her grooming equipment, as she always did at hair cutting time. Its therefore important to use wildlife-friendly washing products so as not to poison the fish, ducks, swans and other canal animals.A lot of people seem to get very irate about the grey water situation and I suppose in an ideal world, if we started again from scratch, wed be likely to use grey water tanks and have to pump them out. The shell (hull) was built by G&J Reeves and the interior fit-out was by Millburn Boats. Very relaxing. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. 2022 Emmy Nominees Action & Adventure Animation Anime Comedy Crime Documentary Drama. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2022. Keeping you company through your night-times, canal-side. For the past three years, he has been living aboard his narrowboat and navigating the extensive British canal He relishes a simple cheese sandwich. So, he quit the rat race. I was also really touched that David felt that there might be enough things to include to sustain a vlog. Trending TV Shows New TV Shows TV Show Roulette On Your Services On Free Services On Netflix On Prime Video On Hulu. Thus at the height of summer, the panels might provide sufficient motive power as it was used but none to recharge the batteries as well.At any other time, youd have to let the panels charge the batteries for longer such that in spring and autumn it could easily take several hours to recharge for an hours worth of movement.Without an additional (conventional) generator therefore, pure solar on a canal narrowboat is only suited for weekend breaks and day boats but not constantly cruising liveaboards. There is no need to be cold on a narrowboat. For single-handed canal boaters, shimmying up and down lock ladders or trying to get through swing bridges can be a huge nuisance. WebCruising the Cut web-series (2019) 1 of 1. So get the kettle on, and settle down. See here for his own website: And his Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/CruisingTheCut?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor. Why not use a drone to look ahead and around corners?Not really feasible as a solo boater. who actually want to pay me money, typically $2 $5 a month to support me in making more Vlogs. David is 50 and used to work as a local TV news reporter for ITV in the south east of England. Why dont you fit a wind turbine?Theyre quite costly, apparently make a lot of vibration noise throughout the boat, and dont generate a huge amount of power. It would not be wise to operate the boat and a drone single-handed, your attention would either be on one or the other and that would not be safe. Evoking the spirit of pirate radio - on a canal. Petrol gennys are much cheaper, a couple of hundred quid, but you have all the issues of storing petrol safely on board (it being extremely flammable of course) and of accessing it since most wharfs and marinas dont sell it so you have to trek along a road to the nearest garage with a canister in hand. Regular viewers will know I have long had an interest in some might say an obsession about very short narrowboats on the British canals. What tipped the balance, apart from the fact that I felt I could trust David, was that I had put together the noswpod website and - after a lot of heart searching had included a couple of photographs of me in it. You can follow David on Twitter and Facebook. Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2022. By Dan Clendenin | by Dan Clendenin | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. On Episode 546 of Trick or Treat Radio we are joined once again by MZ, he mustnt regret his decision to return full time yet. Thiswebsite has ads on it from Google; that also earns a few pounds each month, literally just enough to pay for the website hosting! A boaters term for the canals is a cut, because long ago they were literally cut out of the land. Not very exciting but interesting and enjoyable. Those canals look very narrow, are they one-way?Very, very few bits of the canal network are so narrow that you can only get one boat through. Whos Deborah Johns? When we did, it was his vlog and the Foxes that provided the initial information. He reflects on his former life. Another popular maker is: Galen Leather and their Portable Writers Box and Desk. Plus: can you buy a narrowboat in the UK if you're from overseas? David continues his cruise north along the River Soar, wears a funny hat because it's cold, and turns from the Soar onto the River Trent rather briefly, before joining the Trent & Mersey canal to head east across the UK. 4. The Umbrella Solution Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2022. Firstly, its unlikely a cordless drill would have sufficient power; a lot of the mechanisms can be very stiff indeed hence needing a decent length of handle on the windlass to get the appropriate leverage. They need a really decent (and constant) strong wind to even start generating, let alone creating their rated output. I get buzzed by one or two a year. I have put together a (short) list with links of some of the best known hire firms but this does not constitute a recommendation: click here to see the list, What about a route, can you recommend one for us when hiring?Again, alas no. 18 months ago former ITV Meridian reporter David Johns swapped a life on TV for a life on the water and bought a 56 foot long narrowboat. Do you need a licence to drive a narrowboat?Incredibly and unfortunately no. Besides, I like being anonymous, that most of the people amongst whom I live and work have no idea that I podcast. It was partially the reason why I didn't create a vlog of my own. He reflects on his former life. I went over to see if he needs a hand with his equipment just as he was nimbly vaulting over the sheep-field gate down by the alder carr at the edge of cut, a compact but bulging bag and a folded spider of a tripod under one arm. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. In short, not really worth the effort according to most sources Ive read. He chucked his job, sold his house, bought an old school, live-aboard fifty-six foot "narrow boat," and started chugging along the extensive network of bucolic British canals at two miles an hour. As he reaches the final stage of his 2017 travels, two familiar faces pop up to help with the last strenuous leg down Hatton locks. David Johns Cruising The Cut Author: David Johns Vlog 286: Click and Collect January 7, 2023 Engineering, Other Canal Topics, Vlog 8 For single-handed canal boaters,