Видео

I know - the longer videos are quite a marathon! But I personally prefer making these ones, because they are more realistic in terms of what cruising feels like, and in future years when I'm too knackered to cruise, I'll be able to look back on them as a more detailed record of my travels, compared to the 20 minute vids on the other channel, where I have to cut out most of the footage from each cruise, and just leave in any highlights or fun bits. The long videos are certainly not for everyone, but there are some subscribers who actually prefer to see more of the raw footage, even if its not particularly exciting or fast paced. But this issue does bring to mind my general approach, even on the shorter videos, of leaving too much footage in the video that is not very exciting. But there's no point changing my approach - well at least there is no financial incentive. Back in 2015 when there were hardly any channels, people would watch almost any canal content, and in very large numbers. But now there are scores of YT canal channels (if not hundreds) creating well-produced videos, and its very difficult to gain large numbers of viewers- unless you are young and attractive, and you sell a dream, or a story. There are some I really like and think are very genuine, like Boat Time and Holly the Cafe Boat, but I feel they are the exceptions. And even if you do make a success of selling the narrowboat dream to a larger number of viewers, your life and work probably then revolve around making videos. Which is fine if there is a reward or recompense- but there just isn't these days, what with the large number of channels, and the miserly way that YT operates. So my thinking is that you might as well make the videos exactly the way you want. I just switch on the cameras, and whatever happens, happens. Or not! Dont get me wrong though - if a financial reward ever looks likely, then I will be happy to adapt the other channel to have a wider appeal (this one will always stay as it is). I'm ready to sell out - its just that they don't pay me enough! 🤣

That is such a perceptive comment- I must say that. I hadn't considered that issue before now, but the pace of life on the waterways is so slow that I do have to mentally shift into a faster gear, in order to function as a road user when I go into towns. I become aware again that car drivers are mainly interested in reaching their destination asap - and it can be so congested at times that any other issue is of no interest to them. I suppose one perspective you could take is that I've become more slow-witted since living on a boat and spending so much time in quiet places with little road traffic. But I tend to agree with you - its not such a bad thing if you adjust to a slower pace of movement and less noise. And it must be one of the reasons why I was attracted to this lifestyle in the first place. Its not just about being able to move your house around the country (although that is a big factor) - it is being able to get away from the noise, the rush, and the crowds.

Oh dear, I imagine the other viewers were doing the same then... Well this is all very embarrassing. What you dont realise Leigh, with your perfect memory, is that all I could think about was the two choux buns from M+S sitting in my pannier. With custard filling, dammit. I'm only human. Well, partly pig.

@@the_boating_god 😂😂😂 On a serious note. I think you do really well on your road travels. I have heard other boaters say that it can be very overwhelming around heavy traffic. I can imagine that it could be after living the quiet life on the boats. You handle it well, but then you are the boating God 😉😂. Hope ya enjoyed ya buns. Bet there's cream down ya shirt 🤣🤣

Those custard choux buns were so delicious, OMG. I dont know how they're even legal. I ate them so fast that I think I would have eaten half my shirt if I spilled any of the filling on it. But there's something even worse. Waitrose do something called Keralan chicken, it was so lovely that after I moved away from Northwich I used to lie awake at night sobbing. But yes, you are right that it can be a jarring experience visiting a busy town after 3 or 4 weeks of very quiet life on the water. Big towns like Manchester are where you feel it most. Small to medium towns like Tamworth aren't so bad, except in rush hour. I do enjoy cycling though, so its no problem for me visiting places by bike. Rather than by van, for example 🤣

@@the_boating_god For now anyway 😉

I actually wondered about touring by motorbike, but then I realised that if I fell off I'd break everything and be in hospital for months. I'm so out of shape, the accident scene would look like a lorry had spilled a pallet of lard 🤣

Well you made me smile there Mr C. Perhaps I am becoming a pampered country boater, who doesn't know a traffic jam when he sees one. But I must offer my sincere apologies to any viewers who suffered from involuntary drooling during the video. I'm afraid that spontaneous drooling is one of the risks of watching this channel.

Thanks for your comment, and I appreciate your concern. I think the problem is that I'm lazy and I use the electric motor every time I ride the bike- so I dont build up any level of fitness. And that means as soon as I actually have to do some hard pedalling or effort (as in this case when the motor stopped), I am very quickly panting hard - especially going up a hill. What I think I need to do is to turn off the electric motor for say half of each journey, and do some work myself in order to develop some basic level of fitness. It also doesnt help that the camera is mounted within about 6 to 8 inches of my mouth, so it picks up even the slightest breathing sound I make.

I must thank you Marvel for your kind comment. It is great to know that there are some people out there who enjoy seeing more detail of the cruising, which I can shown in these longer videos.

Do you mean one of those death bats? That's a cracking idea Mr C. I do actually have one of those that sees frequent action during the summer evenings, and I think it would be a great idea to keep it handy on the stern when cruising in the warmer months. If you mean one of those static plug-in types, I'm afraid I'd be pessimistic about their effectiveness. I could lead a mains cable and a socket out of the cabin, but I'd be very worried about rain showers with a live socket on the deck somewhere. Also, I believe that they rely on emitting repellent odours or chemicals, right? In anything more than a 10mph breeze I think the chemicals would be dispersed too quickly, so you would lose the repellent effect. The problem with the horseflies is that they are the stealthiest little bastards I've ever seen (apologies for my bad language - talking about horseflies brings out my inner chimp). They land so lightly on the skin that if you are even slightly distracted you probably wont feel it. I had no idea that a horsefly had landed on me that day until I started editing that bit of footage just a few days ago. And I presume their bite is almost completely painless, because the couple of times I was bitten I have no memory of any sensation. As usual, you have prompted me to consider a better solution. The livestock-grade repellent that I use is probably a bit too dangerous for me to spray so liberally on all my exposed skin, so what I really need is a spray-on product that is very, very effective, but also safe. Time for some google research...

To be honest, if I can help even one person to avoid the expensive mistakes I made, I'll be very happy. Buyers dont dwell on this issue at buying time, but a repair will be needed sooner or later for most ebikes, and within a few years. I really think buyers need to give some thought to where they will take the bike if/when this happens. When a pro bike shop told me they werent insured to repair it, I think they were fobbing me off. But it is worrying. Also, my battery is totally custom to fit the frame, so when it dies, I cant get another one anywhere on the planet. I'll have a real problem to sort out. Nowadays, I'd advise boaters to buy at Halfords- they have branches all over the country, and lots of them are based close to the waterways. Also, maybe avoid unique or custom-made batteries.

Why thank you for such a kind comment, I very much appreciate it! None of us are perfect of course, and certainly not me, but I do appreciate your kind thoughts.

Hi there- I've been living aboard since August of 2020, so a bit more than four years now. It feels like it has flown by, which is very strange!

Why Janet, that is a lovely compliment. If I were not so utterly shameless I would blush! I must say I am impressed with your knowledge of canal construction too. To my shame, I didn;t even realise that the canal arm near to the Plough was actually the start of the old Lichfield canal! It would be fantastic they can complete the restoration - it would be great to see boats coming into the city of Lichfield itself. But I fear the lock rebuilding may slow things down a bit, they are very complex. Its such a lovely area, I will definitely be coming back that way some time- but there are lots more canals to see first! .

Humanity cannot afford for me to become a cult leader.🤣

Why thank you very much Trevor! My original plan envisaged 45 million subscribers after the first 3 months, so I am slightly off track, it must be said But I think the videos don't get watched partly because they actually show you what solo cruising is really like - i.e. long periods where nothing happens! RUclips viewers tend to prefer things with more action in them. But on this channel I want to keep it real, so to speak- so it will never get large viewer numbers. I'm just glad that there are at least a few people out there like yourself, who enjoy watching the videos. I will always carry on making some form of basic videos, mostly for my myself to watch in future years. But I do the extra work that is needed to edit them into a more watchable form thanks to the encouraging comments I get from people like yourself, Leigh, Janet, nazdagg, cinccave, and various others. I would also like to thank my agent, my mother, Hari Krishna... wait a minute, I'm not getting the oscar yet, am I?

It is a lovely place, and yes it was a lovely morning! Many boaters stop cruising in winter, and some leave their boats in marinas through the colder months. But I find that there are some bright winter mornings when, although it is quite cold, it is every bit as as lovely as any summer morning. In fact, maybe even more so because during winter, there is more of a sense of peace on the waterways, after the hectic months of summer. I've said this before, but winter is actually my favourite time to be on the boat. Those longer hours of darkness are not great, that must be said, but the canals in winter can at times be an extraordinarily beautiful place to live.

@@the_boating_god wow! I am looking forward to seeing more of your videos! Thank you ☺️

@@aprilformosa , thank you once again for your very kind words, and just in case you haven't seen it, I have a second channel where I post much shorter 20-minute versions of these videos. So if you prefer that shorter style, it might be worth a quick look: www.youtube.com/@theamateurboater5892

@@the_boating_god Thank you!

Thank you once again Janet for that lovely comment, and I must say it is a really nice little town (or large village?). I will say that this is complete guesswork on my part, based mostly on the amount of relatively newish houses that I see in some areas. ( I saw a lot of newish houses around Fradley, for example). But I do suspect that for over 40 years, there has been a very gradual process whereby new houses are being built in and around some of these previously very rural towns. And families (or perhaps older couples) are moving in, swelling the population with fairly well-off 'professional' folks who can afford these nice new houses. I don't have a good/bad personal viewpoint about the effects of these changes, because I never visited most of these towns until recently. Certainly the passers-by that I spoke to were mostly friendly and polite, so its hard to have a negative view about these things. But as a local person with very long term roots in the area, I can imagine you might have a different perspective.

@@the_boating_god I think it's still a village but you are spot on regarding the swelling population. I like to imagine it's just how it was when I was a kid but that's because I'm old and don't like change :) I have followed the restoration of the Lichfield Canal which is quite fascinating. I believe only bits of it are open so far but it would be very good to see you on that eventually. I try not to have negative views about anything but I just can't warm to what HS2 are doing in the area, although I understand they have funded some of the restoration of the canal. I think I'm right in my understanding that it will cross the A38 with a series of locks at some point, I may be wrong though.

Well I didn't know about the work on the canal - thanks for the info Janet. Hopefully they finish it in the next few years, whilst I'm still on the boat. I would guess that if my health holds out long enough, I'll stay on the boat for the next 5 years, and then I'll have to make a decision: whether to go full time in a big motorhome, or perhaps to split my time between living in a smaller boat and doing extended trips in a smaller campervan. So I don't see myself only living on a canal boat in 6 or 7 years time, because I would like to spend more time being closer to mountains and coastlines, and that's not easy on a boat.

@@the_boating_god Here's wishing you bucket loads of good health but the wisdom to know when to stop boating full time then!

You have a point my dear Hastings. But, my ideal-world transport is a rickshaw being towed by youtube subscribers/slaves. How can something that feels so right be wrong?

@@the_boating_god 🤣

Thanks Mr C - what I can say is that the bike is working, but not through any efforts or intelligence of mine. A clever young friend of my friend near Streethay took a look at it - it was him who found out it was a brake sensor fault on the rear brake. So he disconnected the sensor, and the bike worked again! The sensor doesnt affect the brake itself, it just cuts the motor when you pull the brake lever. Main thing is the sensor in the front brake still works fine- and of course its the front brake you use 90% of the time on a bike. I've got the parts to replace the rear brake lever, including hydraulic brake fluid and various syringes, but I still haven't mustered the courage to attempt the replacement job! Perhaps on one of the dark winter nights that seem to be fast approaching...

Cheers, I'll give the oil a try as a temporary thing. As a long term solution I need a pallet or some plastic mats to keep the coal off the surface, apparently that stops the damage. Once I've got mats that fit well, then I'll touch up the paintwork before I put them up there.

Yeah sorry about all the gratuitous nose action there, quite disgusting 🤣

I can only say thanks very much for such a lovely and supportive comment Janet, and I do genuinely appreciate it. It is very encouraging when people enjoy watching, and offer thanks - and such positive feedback does also make it easier for me to spend the large amount of time and effort that goes into editing these videos. In case you haven't seen it, I should mention that I have another channel where I post much shorter versions of these videos. They are more tailored to people who don't enjoy the longer videos as much, and there are also more videos on that channel. Anyway, thanks once again for your positive feedback and appreciation. In short, I really appreciate your appreciation! 🤣

@@the_boating_god You are very welcome, I think we all need to pass on our appreciation when it is justified! Too much .... er .... well ..... misery and stuff ..... going on in the world at the moment. I've watched your other channel too thank you. I used to love Fradley locks when I was a kid, that's how I found your videos - when searching the area on RUclips. The countryside is still very beautiful around there which is good to see :)

Haha you know what? Now you've said it, I did have a mutlitool, in the black bag under my bike frame! Dammit Mr C, I gotta get some better staff around here. The current bunch cant remember their own damn names. How could I forget that I had a knife at the time, and also forget it when editing the video?! In my defence, the knife on my multi tool looks rubbish. Its tiny and it doesnt look very sharp. I've not yet had a major problem cutting boxes up with my key (except when they use those thin but strong plastic straps). And my key so much quicker to deploy than the multitool. You often give me food for thought Mr C, and now you've got me thinking about whether I need to add a small utility knife to my little bike repair bag. There are strict limits on what size and type of knife is allowed to be carried around, so thats a factor. And the main question, as ever, is this- how often would I need it in daily life, and is there some makeshift fallback option that I have already, in the event that I need a good cutting tool....

Just a heads up Mr C, I met Trev again travelling south last month, and we hung out for a few days. If you look behind his boat (early in his new video), you might see a very disreputable character on the towpath...

Why thank you Janet for that lovely comment, and I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. And I must say I thought Lichfield was a lovely place - when I could get to it!

I would need the metabolism of a lizard if I lived in a van! A slightly bigger snag however, is that when confined in a small living space, I become homicidal, and I must be kept away from sharp implements. Van life could be very hazardous for anyone else in my van.

@@the_boating_god Think of all the new subs for Tonys homicidal travels ha ha. This time next year you could be in Spain filming from the beach :]

@@leighannehastings9169 🤣

@@leighannehastings9169 , can I ask if you happen to see any of this sort of boat on the L+L canal? I love these because the living space is so much nicer than a narrowboat. So eventually I might look at living on one of these. But because these wider boats dont fit into the locks on the narrow canals, you are limited to travelling the L+L, the rivers Ouse, Trent, Thames, etc. But the space. omg, the space... This is the sort of boat I'm thinking about: www.apolloduck.com/boat/horizon-35-for-sale/768966

@@the_boating_god Come on Tony ha ha. You know all you see on LnL round here are tesco trolleys or if you are lucky maybe someone's old deflated dinghy 🤣. That boat looks very nice though. I think your boat looks nicer. Maybe just adjust how you use the space you have already???

Well thank you very much for that kind comment- and yes, I do try to keep it real. These longer videos will be my own record of the time I spent cruising, so I need them to be absolutely real. I have heard of vloggers setting up camera shots and doing half a dozen takes in order to make a single video clip. What I do is just to leave a camera switched on when I go cruising. Whatever happens (or doesnt happen), that is what you get.

Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to comment in a positive way. I don't get many viewers or comments on this channel, so your kind comment is very welcome!

I think you're exactly right Mr C. They couldn't justify the cost of a footbridge because virtually no-one crosses the road there. You hardly ever get boats mooring there either. So its every man for himself (or woman) when crossing that road. I ended up staying in that spot for 2 weeks and I learned not to bother trying to cross the road around rush hour- it was too sketchy even for me. But to be fair, it was my own poor judgement that steered me away from that lovely smooth (and signposted) footpath. I've realised that I have a habit of over-thinking problems, to the point that I choose the wrong option all too often- like not using the designated footpath. These occasional attacks of silliness probably make for better youtube videos, but it also makes my forays more interesting for me- and not always in a good way!

This is a related but very controversial viewpoint of mine- I really don't like the way some dog breeds are 'perfected' to develop characteristics that humans want to see in them. Pugs are an example- they are bred for that cute face, but simply having that face structure means they often suffer from breathing issues and airway obstructions. Rottweilers (which I love) have terrible susceptibility to hind leg joint trouble, partly because of the breeding practices. But I do agree with you Mr C- I absolutely love bigger dogs, and in general they are very friendly and make great companions. There is something almost alien about the bulbous eyes and skulls of chihuahaus, I'm not a fan at all. One smaller dog that I do like is the Jack Russell (partly because it actually looks like a dog)- although almost every one I've met seems to have spent time at the Hannibal Lecter school of social behaviour.

Firstly, thanks very much for your kind comment! It's a complex question about the cycling - there aren't really enough bike paths in the places I've been so far, although it is gradually improving. If more people cycled frequently, I believe that situation would be improved more quickly. Cycling is legal on towpaths, and so pedestrians have to tolerate cyclists, at least legally. I always slow down to fast walking speed when passing pedestrians, so that I can stop if there's a sudden movement or an obstacle. But some cyclists race past people at 20 mph or more, and that does attract negative comment and publicity. I think pedestrians are generally tolerant of cyclists using the pavement if treated respectfully, but there are a few rude exceptions who want to raise their voices in protest. One elderly gentleman in Northwich stepped in front of me to block my way past him along the pavement, even though I was at walking pace, and the nearby road was super busy with car traffic, which I would have obstructed on my bike. In town centres and pedestrian areas I will ride, but very slowly and with great care. Unless its really busy with people, in which case I just get off and push. But all that said, I do wish more people would make short journeys on bikes instead of cars.

​@@the_boating_godYes respect and consideration for each other, whichever mode of getting about you choose, is the key. I agree with you about less cars and more cycles for short journeys. The Netherlands seems to have got the balance right. Space for all so that nobody inconveniences anyone else and everyone gets to their destination safely. I wish the UK would catch up a bit.

Why thank you for the clarification ma'am- it is reassuring to know that my tourism information is down to the usual low standards! But pray tell- is there another butcher in the area, apart from the one I visited in the video (I think it was called Coles)? If I missed a butcher I will be very disappointed... But I did actually visit that chippy near to the cut, and I absolutely agree with you - it was very nice!

Well thank you very much for such a kind comment! I'm not sure which channel really is the worst- they're both pretty grim lol.

I know it is - you talked me into doing the L+L canal ages ago Leigh! But I had to let Dave and Di go on without me this time, because they were basically using me as slave labour to do all the lock work, and I was worried they might finish me off before we got to the L+L. But I'll head north again next year- I'm dying to take the boat through places like Skipton and the Pennine towns.

Thanks Claire, it is very kind of you to say so, and I can confirm there's a lot more where this came from 🤣

🤣

@@the_boating_god email incoming would you mind awfully slowing down, your spilling my G and T

I got stuck and to had to wait for weeks near Streethay, so I'm not that far south of you! I'll get to Hinckley tomorrow or the day after, and spend a few weeks on the Ashby. I travel very slowly to be honest, so I'll probably be at Rugby in mid October, so its time to decide which area to spend the winter. I want to carry on south, but I want to be somewhere that I wont get trapped by lock repairs and closures , I spent last winter on the Macc and it was lovely, and the one before I was on the Llangollen, which was even lovelier! Its time for me to start studying the planned closures list and decide where I should spend the winter...

Yes I remember passing that trailer- it looked very good I must say. I moored on that stretch for a few days too, it was a lovely spot. That's one of the great things about the canals- you pass through so many of these lovely old towns

I can't even begin to imagine that horrible feeling of seeing the bike has been pinched- my heart breaks for you, it really does. One thing I will do after hearing about your terrible incident is to upgrade my padlock. I would counsel caution on the use of handcuffs though. My understanding is that the only people allowed to put someone in handcuffs are the police. Unless the person wants to be handcuffed, of course, but the less said about THAT sort of thing the better. This is a decent upstanding channel, for decent upstanding citizens. We don't get involved in any of that handcuff shenanigans. Well not often 🤣

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear your bike was stolen. Polesworth seems such a nice little town too. May I ask- what kind of lock was on it? I use really heavy 10mm thick steel chain, but the padlock isn't brilliant. Maybe I need to get a better padlock...

Thank you so much for that kind comment Marvel- and there will be plenty of conversation in these longer videos!

That was a horsefly? On 8th October? Are we never safe??? Holy sh*t, I'd given up spraying repellent by then- I was a sitting duck! And people wonder why I hate the horrible little bastards...

Mr Z, whilst I agree wholeheartedly with your wise comments, for the sake of balance I must point that it is also possible I am just a whinging pom!

Ms B, I know you are a kind and humanitarian person, but a teeny part of me is starting to suspect that you enjoy watching me suffer. I want to be wrong Ms B, but I suspect there is a devilish sadist lurking within you.

@@the_boating_god Not at all, I'm only thinking of your welfare, as in my post on part 2 . But seeing, or rather hearing, you struggle with the gloves was very entertaining 🙂

Yes I must admit, I was pretty cheesed off at the time, but it does make me laugh looking at it now!

My dear Ms B, if I may offer my flimsy defence on this matter: this was the first time I had been exposed to serious rain for many months. I am allergic to rain (as well as locks), and I avoid it fastidiously. And so being thrust into this deluge with no recent experience completely caught me out. I failed to use the resources available to me, and great was my suffering. I learned many lessons that day Ms B, and my range of hats may well be expanded to include a trawlerman's rain hat. As you can see, I don't do these things by halves, Ms B. If I need my head to be rainproofed, I'm going to do it properly.

@@the_boating_god I look forward to seeing your new and improved rain gear, if you should be brave enough to face the weather again 🙂

I'm modelling my new wet weather look on a character from Moby Dick 🤣

Thanks for your kind comment Trevor, and yes I will continue posting these mostly unedited longer versions. To be honest I think these will eventually become my own personal record of my cruising, since the short edited versions miss out a fair bit of the cruising. Even the more mundane bits of the cruising are still part of the reality.

Yes, the plan kept adapting as we went, depending on whether it was a single lock or a pair, and where everyone was at. And it got even worse later on when a following boat got in between us! I'm probably making the locks look more tricky than they really are tbh! The principle of locks is very simple, but there are some things you have to watch out for, like avoid the rear cill when going down. One of the things to be careful about is how fast you open the paddles, but with 14 locks to do in 7 hours we kept on opening them a bit too fast, so the water in the locks was moving around more that it would if we'd gone slower. Basically, I can always be relied on to make a drama out of what should be a straightforward days work!

My only problem with net curtains is that they tend to twitch when one tries to have a surreptitious peep at a passing boat or civilian. So a friend told me.

Thank you so much for that supportive comment Debra, it is very much appreciated, and it encourages me to continue posting longer versions of the short videos.

Ms B, I think I have explained before that I have a medical exemption from strenuous physical work. I fear that as this video sequence unfolds, you will see how cruelly my so-called friends mistreated me, and how they took no account of my sensitive artistic nature, or my global celebrity status. But of course, you never hear me complain. Every two minutes 😂

@@the_boating_god 😂

Thanks Marvel, I think its great that some people take an interest in these longer vlogs. They do allow you to see more of the lifestyle, compared to the much shorter edited vlogs which leave a lot out.

Thanks very much for your encouragement Marvel. I'm going to try to make a longer version for all the videos in future, if time permits- so there should be more to come!

Thanks for the tip Debra, and for your lovely comment. I thought the thermo-cup would be more convenient to use, but I think you're right that a plain old flask would do a better job!