In the 80s I spoke to someone who had made the crossing to Dunkirk a few times and who evacuated soldiers. He was hit by a grenade in the leg, he lived in East Born.
Wow! Just wow! Hero boats!! I love the Dunkirk brass plaque. So amazing. I would have dearly loved to be at this show! Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us ❤️
Wonderful video, thank you. I'm so glad many of the Dunkirk little boats are being preserved. What a way to honor the brave men (and women?) who rescued all those men!
I'm new here and don't usually comment on old videos but I just appreciated seeing the Dunkirk boats so much. I'm not a big military history person, but the evacuation at Dunkirk is one of the most epic events in history. What the English people did on that day will continue to ripple through history. It always makes me tear up to think of the courage so many people exhibited to save the lives of over 300,000 allied forces. From start to finish the whole operation was just plain ballsy. Sorry for the course language but that's the best way to say it. To see how small some of those vessels are is really stunning. Thanks.
Nice video! Here’s a little story: Charles Lightoller, surviving second officer from the Titanic, captained a vessel and saved many soldiers at Dunkirk. His boat was attacked but he used a defensive technique he had recently learned from his son to escape a plane attack. Sadly, his son died in the war.
My great-uncle Harry was one of those many thousands of men waiting in the water for rescue to arrive - and his terror was only magnified by the fact that he couldn't swim. Dunkirk was the last he saw of the war, as he was 'invalided out' shortly thereafter, but in truth, his war had just begun. He lived, and lived fairly well, but the family home remained completely unchanged for the next half century, and as the years wore on, so did Uncle Harry's suffering. After he died, my grandparents discovered a handful of real, and still very much live, grenades under his bed - cue a call to the bomb disposal unit and the evacuation of the entire street...but that I think was more a practical joke from a man with an impish sense of humour, he'd have liked that very much!
It was indeed emotional. I found myself in tears at some points. The story of Dunkirk and the bravery of ordinary citizens who went over to bring the boys home so touches me.....
Absolutely wonderful...thank you so much for being a part of this excellent event and for sharing with us. I've read accounts of the Dunkirk rescue. Seeing those boats now rescued and so beautiful is awesome and I'm happy to be able to see them, along with all the other historic boats on display.
I often ponder the question...if history was to repeat itself, would the outcome be the same re all the Little Ships setting off into an unknown fate. Those men that took the small craft off into the night were very brave and courageous souls....but thanks to them, many lives were saved. Makes one feel quite insignificant when you think of what all those people would have endured for hours. Excellent vlog, superb commentary and enjoyable as always. Wonderful to see some of these small craft restored and still in use. Thank you. Cheers.
Fabulous, David - thanks so much. When my wife and I were in England, we took a Thames ferry, and noticed a plaque saying it had been to Dunkirk. Spoke to the captain, and it was his DAD who had made several trips over and back in that boat to rescue the troops. He was (rightly) VERY proud.
David, Henley-Upon-Thames is where George Harrison's "Crackerbox Palace" in Friar Park is located. There will always be a fascination at least with me of narrowboats and narrowboating. That is where I found you and your fantastic stories. Maybe a bucket list item for me if I can just make it to the UK before I "kick the bucket" myself.
This is one of my favorite chapters from World War II history. I literally get teary-eyed whenever I hear about it, read about it, see film representations of it. the greatness of the British people shown through so magnificently!
So very good! Lovely treat on a Sunday afternoon and thank you for the Dunkirk focus. Some of us, well aware of the events surrounding the evacuation, would never otherwise have this chance. Simply splendid.
I am a wooden boater here in New London, CT USA, located at the mouth of our river Thames. There is a lot of work that is performed to make the mahogany glisten as you've shown us in this video. Mine is a 10m 1961 Chris Craft made out of that wood which while beautiful, is truly a labor of love. It's been in our family for 59 yrs. Kudos to all those who have kept those Little Ships afloat. Thanks for the video.
Just crossing the channel in those small boats must have been scary, your countrymen sure stepped up when they were needed, what a great history your country has.
Brilliant record of an extraordinary event, particularly poignant for me as my maternal grandfather took his company's Thames sailing barge to Dunkirk. Sixteen barges went, nine were lost but Grandad made it back safely with a full human cargo. He never spoke about it and declined several requests to tell his story. My mother always said that as he was totally deaf he probably had no idea what was going on around him. Phenomenal generation - the call came and almost everyone responded.
Quite emotional watching the boats of Dunkirk. My father served on a US mine sweeper during D-Day. Thanks be to God that my father survived that ship's sinking. I offer prayers beyond mere words for the countless women and men who fought to protect our freedom. We owe them so very much for their bravery and sacrifice. Let us not never forget their sacrifices.
That is a terrific event! I wonder though how many people today can appreciate the history of those boats and the sacrifices that they made to evacuate the troops from Dunkirk all those years ago.
Well, my Dad appreciated it, he was glad to be picked up from Dunkirk and brought back to Blighty !! Alas he has now passed on, he would have just loved this as he was 20 years in the Royal Navy 👍🤩💕
Well done sir! When I saw the movie made about Dunkirk, I had no idea about the boats that saved so many lives. I teared up a little seeing the real boats and that many still sail. This yank is ver3y grateful that the British people were Allies. Thank you for this video!
Hiya, Great video, thank you. The "Little Boats" brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye as two of my uncles were rescued from the beaches by the 'wooden wonders' as they called them. A third uncle was on a destroyer off the beach. He went ashore on 'D Day' as a radio operator calling the fall of shot for the navel bombardment. Stay safe, Steve...
Thanks David, if the BBC had decided to cover this event with an entire production team, director and camera crew, they could not have done better than your one man effort. It was so well produced and filmed, it felt professional, informative and entertaining. You really did capture the spirit and essence of and wackiness of Henley Regatta.
Such lovely and beautiful little ships! Almost got tears in my eyes from their history! I think the meaning of the small flags is not considered when the ship is "dressed up" for a special occasion. I will put this festival on my "things I want to do next time in England"-list 🚣♀️
As a local to Henley, I love going to this boat rally. It's really well organised, there's a huge amount to see, both on an off the water, with great music, food and of course, tipple. The Dunkirk boats are for me the star attraction, evoking the same feelings as seeing a Spitfire roaring overhead.
Well done on commentating on a great event David. Your videos always have an appealing style of delivery, reminding me a lot of the dry wit we all so enjoyed from the likes of Johnny Morris and Clive James.
David, when you rhetorically asked "Isn't that a magnificent sight?", I thought "When isn't it?". The entire video was chock-a-block with eye candy. Seeing those small Dunkirk Boats brought to mind all those wonderful adjectives you Brits like to name you war ships - Intrepid, Indomitable, Courageous, etc. Thank you so much for taking us along.
Ah the Dunkirk Little Ships what a truly remarkable achievement Just mind-blowing to even think of what they did Such a fabulous sight Great to see all the fun Thank you
Great video. My father was picked up from the beach at Dunkirk but I think by something bigger but maybe he was ferried out by one of these smaller boats. Goodness knows how long he queued in the water waiting for a lift. Then it was 4 years of training before landing by glider just after D-Day near Caen, crossing the Rhine and finally in Norway. Then it was back home to get on with life!
Firstly, thank you for a lovely film on this wonderful regatta!! Once, on my parents boat we went across to France as my uncle had only ever flown over it! If you get my drift ok 😉😬!! We came across a small flotilla of small boats and we were cruising at just 9 knots! Which was double the speed of these little ships! it was the very boats you have just shown that went to Dunkirk! I had heard of them and this had not hit me until we passed them at double the speed! We were not fast at all but the boats were sitting ducks! One other note! My mum was too young at that time to join up and remembers some of the boats getting too some Devon beaches and mum remembered the guys getting off of them and kissing the beaches! Both my parents and Uncle have all passed on! My mum reached the age of 95! R.I.P everyone from that time!
Almost all of those boats were just BEAUTIFUL. Shining, varnished wood, polished metal railings, and so on. I can't imagine the effort to get/keep them looking that nice. Truly a labor of love. I think the "slipper launches" were my favorites. I've no idea how fast they can actually go, but they _looked_ fast, lol. Like sports cars, but for the water. Loved the peek at this history.
I am surprised that the little ships of Dunkirk have been persevered. Fantastic effort to keep history alive. That a large turn out was present is also fantastic. Thank you for sharing this experience. Be well and stay safe.
Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. My late uncle Frank came back from Dunkirk in a little ship. It is so good that these brave little vessels are still with us and so well cared for too. Long may they continue. Twas also great to see a boat from the Black Country, bostin ay it! Many thanks, David in Dudley.
Enjoyed this video very much! Dunkirk is just one of the most amazing stories of heroism ever and how wonderful to be able to view those little boats all restored and beautiful.
Wauwww........this was great. The vintage boats in your country are so totally different as in our (NL) country. I love it to see the British versions, you have a different 'design' of the boats and a different way of organising the event. Thank you soooooooooooooo much David!
Wonderful David as always. You were my introduction to RUclips and to narrowboating. The humor in the title of that first video I watched caught my attention. So glad you are still keeping me entertained.
So many sleek little ships. So much more character and grace than the modern motor yachts produced by the hundreds these days. Thank you David for this lovely video.
Can you imagine sailing across the channel in one of those boats with 1930's technology? No GPS. No lights. Probably no radio. And, possibly under fire? People were certainly full of grit and determination.
There IS a reason they're referred to as the Greatest Generation. Thankfully most of them didn't see the cock up later generations have made of the world.
What a magnificent collection of boats. I was almost tearing up went you were doing the Dunkirk boats, it's fantastic that some of those brave little ships have survived the ravages of time and are looking so well loved. Thanks for sharing this David.
It's nice to see these ships and their tails of heroism preserved, I know each year there are less and less WW2 vets left but were there any Dunkirk survivors in attendance? Would be interesting to get to meet them and hear their stories, need to preserve them before they are sadly lost to time
Lovely. I see the little ships each year as they sail up the river on the same day that the London Anglers Association Thames Angling Championship (which I fish in) takes place. The weather is almost always kind on the day, so it's a wonderful sight.
Days like this are the reason why I'm still firmly of the opinion that the worst day on the water is still better than the best day ashore. Thanks for sharing!
Loved it. I was on the edge of my seat during the section on the Dunkirk boats. I'm glad to see that you and the boat owners are keeping that part of history alive.
Once again, you have captured the spirit of a British festival in a truly British style. Makes me reminisce of the Anglophilic influences of my youth here in the antipodes. Carry on, good sir, carry on.
What a lovely festival! Wonderfully presented. I’ve always loved the story of these brave small boats and their crews, in what was a horrible time for the UK. Beautifully restored, with wonderful histories, even recovered from the Med. Beyond that, in my family, we had wooden ‘run about’ as we called them in the States. This was right at the dawn of when fiberglass was overtaking wooden construction. We used both on the rivers but also in shore, beaching them on low tide bars for picnics, etc. Your video brought back some lovely memories, thank you David.
It's always great to see how many well preserved boats (especially those with a heritage like the Dunkirk boats) there are in the UK. We're not nearly as good at that in my country. Thanks for the video!
Absolutely smashing vlog!! The heroic history of some of those boats should never be forgotten! Awesome job David!!! Well wishes & a hug from sunny Idaho, USA.
WOW, that was the most informative history lesson I have ever had. Thanks for that and a Huge thanks to all of the Soldiers that were at Dunkirk, and for all the boats that rescued them.
This chronicle of living history was a joy, a pleasure to watch and be educated about the magnificent Dunkirk relief effort. I had a lump in my throat thinking of the grit, determination and resourcefulness of those who heeded the call of their nation at such a grave moment. Never say die. Another extraordinary presentation by CTC, the gold standard for documenting this genre of human endeavor. Well done! Cheers.
Very interesting and a joy to watch! Wish I was there to see all the lovely boats in person. You did a fine job on this one David, and what a great day you must have had! It truly is incredible that those little pleasure boats were able to cross the Channel and save so many. I instantly thought of the movie Mrs. Miniver when her husband took his boat out in the middle of the night in a convoy of boats...
I have heard of the "little ships" and some of the stories but really only got a view of a couple...till now...thanks...I love hearing about the little guys that gave it their all and more to save lives! GREAT VIDEO!
Magnificent !! Al grew up on a river in Illinois, USA He worked at a marina just 1 block from his parent's house and has many fond memories of river festivals and parades as well as boating in general. From that little marina there were 168 miles of waterways to explore. Thanks so much for this video !! Love your work, Loni & Al 📷👀❤❗
AWESOME!! The history of those little ships and the crews that manned them in such a honorable mission is absolutely astounding! Thanks David for doing your part in keeping them remembered 👍
Every lasting thank you David. For me, this was your greatest vlog to date. The filming was excellent, as was the subject contents. The variety of boats and ship of all sizes and years of birth were amazing. I particularly enjoyed the Ships of Dunkirk. Their Captains bravery and boating skills were unbelievable to say the least. England owes them much. Stay groovy and stay safe. Keep up the good work.
Another brilliant video - especially for we naval historians. Many of the 250 small ships that were lost at Dunkirk were those who would ferry troops from the shore to the larger ships of the Royal Navy which needed deeper water and maneuvering room , and who would then return to pick up more soldiers near the beach and repeat the cycle. They would return to England with their own rescues when they had just enough fuel for the trip home. This 'pressing' of private ships gives a glimpse into the early maritime military history of Britain when the King's Navy really meant all the nation's ships and crews, not just ships owned by the Crown.
Great video . I’m looking forward to your up coming series of Vlogs, as you build an amphibious Camper Van . You will be quite the star of the next Henley event , as you drive down the slipway into the water .
I like that you put up two vlogs in one day from two different channels. What a great floating piece of history, I love that they have been recommissioned after the hellish undertaking to save so me soldiers. Such an interesting vlog. Your channel is awesome! Thanks David.
Great vlog. My great grandad was a fireman who went over on one of those boats, a fireboat called The Massey Shaw which is now a museum boat moored at canary wharf. Well worth a visit if you are ever down in london!
Henley is truly a lovely spot. Been there twice finally having finished the K & A after 3 yr of trying just about a month ago. The regatta week was on and hence we were required to use the port side of the river as we headed to Windsor. The one thing I found most annoying is there I was at the helm of 69 ft x 12.5 ft of steel weighing 55 Tonnes at perhaps 4 mph and the umpire boats would just pull out in front of the boat without regard for rules of the road (navigation and seamanship). On one occasion a collision was only avoided because I hauled back on the power and into reverse and powered up again. The incident did not take away from the joy of being there. Many of these little ships dot the river and it was nice to see them again. The Slipper boats are so beautiful.
Yes it happens on all rivers , umpire boats are full of their stupid importance , once had a 40 yacht , miss the channel marker and the passenger had to grab it,s tiller a do a 360 to miss us , never even said sorry , I just said ay point on the compass to suit you sir .🙃🤔TWAT .
It was lovely to have you with us David - From Tom & the Aquabelle crew
Thanks again! It was such a good day and such a privilege to be aboard.
loved this video!!!!
I enjoyed every minute onboard this amazing ship. X
In the 80s I spoke to someone who had made the crossing to Dunkirk a few times and who evacuated soldiers.
He was hit by a grenade in the leg, he lived in East Born.
Wow! Just wow! Hero boats!! I love the Dunkirk brass plaque. So amazing. I would have dearly loved to be at this show!
Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us ❤️
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful video, thank you. I'm so glad many of the Dunkirk little boats are being preserved. What a way to honor the brave men (and women?) who rescued all those men!
What a wonderful tribute to the toughness and resolve of the people of England. I hope these boats sail forever on the waters and in our hearts.
I'm new here and don't usually comment on old videos but I just appreciated seeing the Dunkirk boats so much. I'm not a big military history person, but the evacuation at Dunkirk is one of the most epic events in history. What the English people did on that day will continue to ripple through history. It always makes me tear up to think of the courage so many people exhibited to save the lives of over 300,000 allied forces. From start to finish the whole operation was just plain ballsy. Sorry for the course language but that's the best way to say it. To see how small some of those vessels are is really stunning. Thanks.
Nice video! Here’s a little story: Charles Lightoller, surviving second officer from the Titanic, captained a vessel and saved many soldiers at Dunkirk. His boat was attacked but he used a defensive technique he had recently learned from his son to escape a plane attack. Sadly, his son died in the war.
My great-uncle Harry was one of those many thousands of men waiting in the water for rescue to arrive - and his terror was only magnified by the fact that he couldn't swim. Dunkirk was the last he saw of the war, as he was 'invalided out' shortly thereafter, but in truth, his war had just begun. He lived, and lived fairly well, but the family home remained completely unchanged for the next half century, and as the years wore on, so did Uncle Harry's suffering. After he died, my grandparents discovered a handful of real, and still very much live, grenades under his bed - cue a call to the bomb disposal unit and the evacuation of the entire street...but that I think was more a practical joke from a man with an impish sense of humour, he'd have liked that very much!
Oh wow, what a fantastic tale!! Hahaha terrifying, in hindsight.
Brill Daniel,he sounded a right character.
Thank you for a very nice day on the water David.
It was indeed emotional. I found myself in tears at some points. The story of Dunkirk and the bravery of ordinary citizens who went over to bring the boys home so touches me.....
Absolutely wonderful...thank you so much for being a part of this excellent event and for sharing with us. I've read accounts of the Dunkirk rescue. Seeing those boats now rescued and so beautiful is awesome and I'm happy to be able to see them, along with all the other historic boats on display.
We had a word with the rescue services and they agreed to keep a close eye on you for us.
I often ponder the question...if history was to repeat itself, would the outcome be the same re all the Little Ships setting off into an unknown fate. Those men that took the small craft off into the night were very brave and courageous souls....but thanks to them, many lives were saved. Makes one feel quite insignificant when you think of what all those people would have endured for hours.
Excellent vlog, superb commentary and enjoyable as always. Wonderful to see some of these small craft restored and still in use. Thank you. Cheers.
Most of the boats were crewed by the Royal Navy, other than fishing boats, very few were taken by their owners..
Fabulous, David - thanks so much.
When my wife and I were in England, we took a Thames ferry, and noticed a plaque saying it had been to Dunkirk. Spoke to the captain, and it was his DAD who had made several trips over and back in that boat to rescue the troops. He was (rightly) VERY proud.
I applaud every crew that pulls the bumpers up while getting underway.
so amazing how those little boats saved so many lives....true British grit....
David, Henley-Upon-Thames is where George Harrison's "Crackerbox Palace" in Friar Park is located. There will always be a fascination at least with me of narrowboats and narrowboating. That is where I found you and your fantastic stories. Maybe a bucket list item for me if I can just make it to the UK before I "kick the bucket" myself.
I spotted his son in the beer tent while the band played a Harrison song.🍻
This is one of my favorite chapters from World War II history. I literally get teary-eyed whenever I hear about it, read about it, see film representations of it. the greatness of the British people shown through so magnificently!
So neat! Vintage boats are my favorite. As a historical point the evacuation of Dunkirk by the little ships was such an amazing accomplishment.
I LOVE that so many of those Dunkirk boats are still floating! What a way to preserve history!
So very good! Lovely treat on a Sunday afternoon and thank you for the Dunkirk focus. Some of us, well aware of the events surrounding the evacuation, would never otherwise have this chance. Simply splendid.
I am a wooden boater here in New London, CT USA, located at the mouth of our river Thames. There is a lot of work that is performed to make the mahogany glisten as you've shown us in this video. Mine is a 10m 1961 Chris Craft made out of that wood which while beautiful, is truly a labor of love. It's been in our family for 59 yrs. Kudos to all those who have kept those Little Ships afloat. Thanks for the video.
Just crossing the channel in those small boats must have been scary, your countrymen sure stepped up when they were needed, what a great history your country has.
Brilliant record of an extraordinary event, particularly poignant for me as my maternal grandfather took his company's Thames sailing barge to Dunkirk. Sixteen barges went, nine were lost but Grandad made it back safely with a full human cargo. He never spoke about it and declined several requests to tell his story. My mother always said that as he was totally deaf he probably had no idea what was going on around him. Phenomenal generation - the call came and almost everyone responded.
Quite emotional watching the boats of Dunkirk. My father served on a US mine sweeper during D-Day. Thanks be to God that my father survived that ship's sinking. I offer prayers beyond mere words for the countless women and men who fought to protect our freedom. We owe them so very much for their bravery and sacrifice. Let us not never forget their sacrifices.
That is a terrific event! I wonder though how many people today can appreciate the history of those boats and the sacrifices that they made to evacuate the troops from Dunkirk all those years ago.
Well, my Dad appreciated it, he was glad to be picked up from Dunkirk and brought back to Blighty !! Alas he has now passed on, he would have just loved this as he was 20 years in the Royal Navy 👍🤩💕
Well done sir! When I saw the movie made about Dunkirk, I had no idea about the boats that saved so many lives. I teared up a little seeing the real boats and that many still sail. This yank is ver3y grateful that the British people were Allies. Thank you for this video!
Hiya,
Great video, thank you. The "Little Boats" brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye as two of my uncles were rescued from the beaches by the 'wooden wonders' as they called them. A third uncle was on a destroyer off the beach. He went ashore on 'D Day' as a radio operator calling the fall of shot for the navel bombardment. Stay safe, Steve...
Thanks David, if the BBC had decided to cover this event with an entire production team, director and camera crew, they could not have done better than your one man effort. It was so well produced and filmed, it felt professional, informative and entertaining. You really did capture the spirit and essence of and wackiness of Henley Regatta.
Haha thank you
You Brits sure know how to put-on first-class boat shows. Well done Sir David.
Such lovely and beautiful little ships!
Almost got tears in my eyes from their history!
I think the meaning of the small flags is not considered when the ship is "dressed up" for a special occasion.
I will put this festival on my "things I want to do next time in England"-list 🚣♀️
Dunkirk's little ships exemplify the what was the British stiff upper lip and carry-on attitude admired by so many.
As a local to Henley, I love going to this boat rally. It's really well organised, there's a huge amount to see, both on an off the water, with great music, food and of course, tipple. The Dunkirk boats are for me the star attraction, evoking the same feelings as seeing a Spitfire roaring overhead.
It’s important that these ships are preserved. They are an important part of history
Well done on commentating on a great event David. Your videos always have an appealing style of delivery, reminding me a lot of the dry wit we all so enjoyed from the likes of Johnny Morris and Clive James.
Thank you 😊
David, when you rhetorically asked "Isn't that a magnificent sight?", I thought "When isn't it?". The entire video was chock-a-block with eye candy. Seeing those small Dunkirk Boats brought to mind all those wonderful adjectives you Brits like to name you war ships - Intrepid, Indomitable, Courageous, etc. Thank you so much for taking us along.
Thank you for this great video. The Dunkirk crossings have always represented the spirit of the English people I so admire.
The day looks lovely. I love the wooden boats.
It really was
Ah the Dunkirk Little Ships what a truly remarkable achievement Just mind-blowing to even think of what they did Such a fabulous sight Great to see all the fun Thank you
Another great trip to see a boat show in England. Those small boats that went to rescue the wounded are truly national treasures. Well done!
Many pretty boats, and seeing the Dunkirk little ships was quite moving.
Great video. My father was picked up from the beach at Dunkirk but I think by something bigger but maybe he was ferried out by one of these smaller boats. Goodness knows how long he queued in the water waiting for a lift. Then it was 4 years of training before landing by glider just after D-Day near Caen, crossing the Rhine and finally in Norway. Then it was back home to get on with life!
Firstly, thank you for a lovely film on this wonderful regatta!! Once, on my parents boat we went across to France as my uncle had only ever flown over it! If you get my drift ok 😉😬!! We came across a small flotilla of small boats and we were cruising at just 9 knots! Which was double the speed of these little ships! it was the very boats you have just shown that went to Dunkirk! I had heard of them and this had not hit me until we passed them at double the speed! We were not fast at all but the boats were sitting ducks! One other note! My mum was too young at that time to join up and remembers some of the boats getting too some Devon beaches and mum remembered the guys getting off of them and kissing the beaches! Both my parents and Uncle have all passed on! My mum reached the age of 95! R.I.P everyone from that time!
Almost all of those boats were just BEAUTIFUL. Shining, varnished wood, polished metal railings, and so on. I can't imagine the effort to get/keep them looking that nice. Truly a labor of love. I think the "slipper launches" were my favorites. I've no idea how fast they can actually go, but they _looked_ fast, lol. Like sports cars, but for the water. Loved the peek at this history.
I am surprised that the little ships of Dunkirk have been persevered. Fantastic effort to keep history alive. That a large turn out was present is also fantastic. Thank you for sharing this experience. Be well and stay safe.
What a fabulous day. Beautiful boating weather. Thank you for taking us with you
Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. My late uncle Frank came back from Dunkirk in a little ship. It is so good that these brave little vessels are still with us and so well cared for too. Long may they continue.
Twas also great to see a boat from the Black Country, bostin ay it!
Many thanks,
David in Dudley.
I'm rarely this early, always brightens my day to see a new one of your videos! So much of online life is stressful, but this content really calms me.
Enjoyed this video very much! Dunkirk is just one of the most amazing stories of heroism ever and how wonderful to be able to view those little boats all restored and beautiful.
Wauwww........this was great. The vintage boats in your country are so totally different as in our (NL) country. I love it to see the British versions, you have a different 'design' of the boats and a different way of organising the event. Thank you soooooooooooooo much David!
Wonderful David as always. You were my introduction to RUclips and to narrowboating. The humor in the title of that first video I watched caught my attention. So glad you are still keeping me entertained.
Those slippers are absolutely beautiful little boats!!!
So many sleek little ships. So much more character and grace than the modern motor yachts produced by the hundreds these days. Thank you David for this lovely video.
Can you imagine sailing across the channel in one of those boats with 1930's technology? No GPS. No lights. Probably no radio. And, possibly under fire? People were certainly full of grit and determination.
It really is extraordinary, isn’t it?
There IS a reason they're referred to as the Greatest Generation. Thankfully most of them didn't see the cock up later generations have made of the world.
Oh so British, oh so Henley. 👏👏👍😀
David, one of your best videos ever. Period! 👌
What a magnificent collection of boats. I was almost tearing up went you were doing the Dunkirk boats, it's fantastic that some of those brave little ships have survived the ravages of time and are looking so well loved. Thanks for sharing this David.
It's nice to see these ships and their tails of heroism preserved, I know each year there are less and less WW2 vets left but were there any Dunkirk survivors in attendance? Would be interesting to get to meet them and hear their stories, need to preserve them before they are sadly lost to time
Seeing the Dunkirk Little Ships was magnificent! Nearly had me weeping.
Lovely. I see the little ships each year as they sail up the river on the same day that the London Anglers Association Thames Angling Championship (which I fish in) takes place. The weather is almost always kind on the day, so it's a wonderful sight.
Days like this are the reason why I'm still firmly of the opinion that the worst day on the water is still better than the best day ashore. Thanks for sharing!
That was fascinating - thank you - I didn’t realise the small ships were quite so small.
Amazing, eh?!
That was wonderful! Thank you David. I like those beautiful wooden boats that saved so many lives.
What a terrific, varied collection of watercraft! An absolute joy to see.
Thanks David... Cruising The Cut just keeps getting better!
Cheers
Loved it. I was on the edge of my seat during the section on the Dunkirk boats. I'm glad to see that you and the boat owners are keeping that part of history alive.
Tip top episode David!
Once again, you have captured the spirit of a British festival in a truly British style. Makes me reminisce of the Anglophilic influences of my youth here in the antipodes. Carry on, good sir, carry on.
Splendid video Mr.David filmed so so well. Thank you sir.
What a lovely festival! Wonderfully presented. I’ve always loved the story of these brave small boats and their crews, in what was a horrible time for the UK. Beautifully restored, with wonderful histories, even recovered from the Med. Beyond that, in my family, we had wooden ‘run about’ as we called them in the States. This was right at the dawn of when fiberglass was overtaking wooden construction. We used both on the rivers but also in shore, beaching them on low tide bars for picnics, etc. Your video brought back some lovely memories, thank you David.
It's always great to see how many well preserved boats (especially those with a heritage like the Dunkirk boats) there are in the UK. We're not nearly as good at that in my country. Thanks for the video!
Absolutely smashing vlog!! The heroic history of some of those boats should never be forgotten! Awesome job David!!! Well wishes & a hug from sunny Idaho, USA.
WOW, that was the most informative history lesson I have ever had.
Thanks for that and a Huge thanks to all of the Soldiers that were at Dunkirk, and for all the boats that rescued them.
This chronicle of living history was a joy, a pleasure to watch and be educated about the magnificent Dunkirk relief effort. I had a lump in my throat thinking of the grit, determination and resourcefulness of those who heeded the call of their nation at such a grave moment. Never say die. Another extraordinary presentation by CTC, the gold standard for documenting this genre of human endeavor. Well done! Cheers.
Thank you David, for showing us this beautiful parade of beautifully decorated boats. I enjoyed your video.
Very interesting and a joy to watch! Wish I was there to see all the lovely boats in person. You did a fine job on this one David, and what a great day you must have had! It truly is incredible that those little pleasure boats were able to cross the Channel and save so many. I instantly thought of the movie Mrs. Miniver when her husband took his boat out in the middle of the night in a convoy of boats...
Well done David! Looked like tons of fun and so much history too.
The history of these boats is so interesting. Almost as if the boats have a life of their own. Amazing!
I have heard of the "little ships" and some of the stories but really only got a view of a couple...till now...thanks...I love hearing about the little guys that gave it their all and more to save lives! GREAT VIDEO!
Thank you
Magnificent !! Al grew up on a river in Illinois, USA He worked at a marina just 1 block from his parent's house and has many fond memories of river festivals and parades as well as boating in general. From that little marina there were 168 miles of waterways to explore. Thanks so much for this video !! Love your work, Loni & Al 📷👀❤❗
David on the water = best videos on youtube! great job David loved it.
Thank you
✌️👀👍
Superb!! The Sun gave the perfect light. I laughed at the nap, My speciality
Really great David,thank you for taking the time to film this grand event.
AWESOME!! The history of those little ships and the crews that manned them in such a honorable mission is absolutely astounding! Thanks David for doing your part in keeping them remembered 👍
Brilliant video, David. What a beautiful day with so many beautiful boats!
Delightful! Thank you David! God bless you!
Lovely video! Really enjoyed it all but especially the little Dunkirk boats.
Every lasting thank you David. For me, this was your greatest vlog to date. The filming was excellent, as was the subject contents. The variety of boats and ship of all sizes and years of birth were amazing. I particularly enjoyed the Ships of Dunkirk. Their Captains bravery and boating skills were unbelievable to say the least. England owes them much. Stay groovy and stay safe. Keep up the good work.
Another brilliant video - especially for we naval historians. Many of the 250 small ships that were lost at Dunkirk were those who would ferry troops from the shore to the larger ships of the Royal Navy which needed deeper water and maneuvering room , and who would then return to pick up more soldiers near the beach and repeat the cycle. They would return to England with their own rescues when they had just enough fuel for the trip home. This 'pressing' of private ships gives a glimpse into the early maritime military history of Britain when the King's Navy really meant all the nation's ships and crews, not just ships owned by the Crown.
OUTSTANDING show! That should be a bucket list event. At least it’s on my list now.
Great video . I’m looking forward to your up coming series of Vlogs, as you build an amphibious Camper Van . You will be quite the star of the next Henley event , as you drive down the slipway into the water .
😊 Wouldn't that be just the very best!
Well done David, a fabulous and interesting video .. keep up the great work. hope that you are keeping well.
I like that you put up two vlogs in one day from two different channels. What a great floating piece of history, I love that they have been recommissioned after the hellish undertaking to save so me soldiers. Such an interesting vlog. Your channel is awesome! Thanks David.
Well done the saviours of Dunkirk but my goodness what a show of wealth 💕🦆
So what is wrong with that? Looks to me more like passion from people wanting to preserve these old wooden masterpieces. Kust sayin.
Without people’s wealth, where do you think these little ships would be? Any boat takes a lot of time and money.
Great vlog. My great grandad was a fireman who went over on one of those boats, a fireboat called The Massey Shaw which is now a museum boat moored at canary wharf. Well worth a visit if you are ever down in london!
What a treat, thank you.
That was so nice. Thank You
Henley is truly a lovely spot. Been there twice finally having finished the K & A after 3 yr of trying just about a month ago.
The regatta week was on and hence we were required to use the port side of the river as we headed to Windsor. The one thing I found most annoying is there I was at the helm of 69 ft x 12.5 ft of steel weighing 55 Tonnes at perhaps 4 mph and the umpire boats would just pull out in front of the boat without regard for rules of the road (navigation and seamanship). On one occasion a collision was only avoided because I hauled back on the power and into reverse and powered up again. The incident did not take away from the joy of being there. Many of these little ships dot the river and it was nice to see them again. The Slipper boats are so beautiful.
Yes it happens on all rivers , umpire boats are full of their stupid importance , once had a 40 yacht , miss the channel marker and the passenger had to grab it,s tiller a do a 360 to miss us , never even said sorry , I just said ay point on the compass to suit you sir .🙃🤔TWAT .
I am truly enjoying the new videos 😁
Spectacular David! Thank you so much for this wonderful vlog, loved it. Best wishes
Once again David you have provided an excellent video that while entertaining is also informative. Well done sir