Almost didn't watch this, and no idea why RUclips is recommending it to me but gave it a watch as bored af in lockdown and you two are frickin hilarious. Subbed.
We followed a family on a beautiful wide beam last year down the K and A. Interesting to watch. We were all squished in and they were sprawled out like royalty. Nice to watch guys, thanks!
Amazing how many Americans watch British RUclips channels. You guys seem to love our narrow boats and canal system, which is great. Maybe it’s all the history behind the canals that many find fascinating. We take them for granted because their everywhere, but the history behind them is really interesting.
@@matty6848i am also an American I wish I could see them first hand . The canals and the lifestyle seams like an amazing adventure. And your right the history is a huge part but it’s so much more then that .
Just re-watched this one, had completely forgotten about condensation in the fuel tank, we have a fuel leak, which we're waiting to be fixed, so have kept our fuel low on purpose as we don't want it leaking in to the water but guess this could give us more problems! So glad I watched again! ❤️
Miss seeing your videos. Hope this finding you both well and happy. So sweet to hear Eric snoring in the background! I bet Bertie and Ernie are having the best times of their lives.
I laughed so hard over your calendar description that i choked on my tea, decided i have to subscribe, i watch a lot of the channels you mentioned, your my first wide beam channel. Hope you tube let me know a new video is up, used to get updates get nothing now i have no idea why
Was having a sleepless stress morning so popped onto RUclips for a mental break and found this lovely funny video. Thank you so much for the laughs. Subscribed. 👍🏻❤️
Absolutely brilliant vlog! My husband and i are used to living off grid in the wilderness up North Ontario, Canada. We have loved living the life but we are moving back to the UK this year and we would really love to live on a widebeam. We don't mind whereabouts we live in the UK. We want 2 bedrooms for the same reasons as you both. We have 3 gorgeous grown up children ,30, 2 x 23yr Olds. We all miss eachother too much and of course we have a beautiful 2.5yr old grandson so we want to be the base when they can come for the wkend, drop in for the night ect. I know prices will have changed since 3yrs ago but it still offers us a cheaper and a lifestyle that we can move our scenery or our home at any time. Going to have a look at your lovely home now and more up-to-date vlogs . Keep the dry sense of humour going and your dog is gorge 😂
After all that I had to Subscribe, despite the fact that all future vids will only be one of you holding divorce papers reminisscing about friends you use to have. Informative, amusing, enjoyable, and the dog snored through it all.
My wife and I are considering selling up and buying a boat. My wife has a lot of the same concerns you've mentioned - we'd look at being around Cambridge (Great Ouse). You guys have given an great insight - thank you
@@WeirontheMove Thank you for posting this insight into the practicalities of living on a widebeam boat. I am in the early stages of considering selling my house- a 1930 3 bedroom semi, and downsizing to a WB boat. It would enable me to be mortgage free- which would be a huge plus. What are the running costs like for a WB in terms of diesel, and heating the boat? How expensive are they to moor up for an extended period? I've never handled a canal boat previously, how difficult are they to handle? How much would it cost me to black the hull on a WB? Is it correct that it must be blacked every 4-5 years? I would be extremely grateful for your advice and guidance! Thank you! :)
@@liverpoolscottish6430 We did a vlog about the running costs. You should take a helmsman's course on handling a boat. They are excellent. The blacking depends o what product you use. Some are every three years, while others every five to seven years. The price reflects the product, but it is cheaper if you do the blacking yourself. It also depends on where you get it done because it's more expensive down south. You can spend anything from £600 to £2000.
France, get it round Cape Horn, go hard or go home 😂 Thinking of living on the water, I'm a keen angler and hate being indoors so I think I will love it. Thanks for the video 👍
Hi, from New Bern, North Carolina USA. I've been watching a lot of the narrows boat owners here on you tube for quite some time now as I'm planning to build an American version of your wide beam narrows boats of course my biggest problem is finding a place to build my boat from scratch as I live in an apartment complex with a massively large yard however when the complex owners found out what I wanted to do they promptly stipulated in my lease that there would be no boat building taking place on the property. So, for now I watch people like you that own their boats and dream of one day building my boat. Of course once I do find the place to build my boat construction from start to launch will take about 3 months. Using plywood and kevlar for the hull and cabin area of a 15'X80' Dutch midship helm design. once I have built the boat the plan is to launch and sale it around the great loop here in the states covering the Inter coastal waterway (ICW) up the Mississippi river to the great lakes over and down through New York and back out on to the ICW and south to North Carolina. Than spend the rest of my days using the boat as a charter boat for people that want a nice get away place to go to.
Just found your channel....really great fun and lots of useful observations! As an ex Pom living in Australia it’s great to get a taste of canal life from two fun people...subscribed!👍🇦🇺😎
A lovely video. Thank you. Your pooch has obviously heard it all before so took the opportunity to snooze all the way through! Lovely. Thank you again.
I love hearing Eric snoring - I’m watching this in 2023 and my dog is snoring as well - stereo sound puppy snores rule! And watch a great memory this vlog is of Eric
The pantry and the size is great! Love it!!!! And hiding from family doesn't always work but you guys have mastered it. You guys must be great navigators giving the size of the bridges i have seen. Keep us informed! Love ya!
We loved your vlog & agree with everything you said about pro’s & con,s of wide beams, we have now joined the wide beam lovers as we took delivery of our Canterbury yesterday, 27 February, it’s amazing we waited 2 years to get it , look forward to seeing you on the cut guys.
Absolutely do take the boat to France I've been watching a few canal boattubers all threatening to go France but no one's done it yet! Pandemic permitting and with all safety precautions it would be awesome to see you guys in France :)
Thank you for the festive tips. We want to retire, leave the US and travel throughout Europe mostly inland. We are pretty sold on a wide beam, but I wonder about going across the Channel in it. We have a lot to learn, glad we found your site, you two are such fun! ☮️🌞
Oh I know that 90 degree bend well. going north out of Fenny Stratford on GU. We are living on a 60 x 10 and cruise the 15 miles of Grand Union, lock free as often as we can. Currently based in Milton Keynes Marina. Loving your videos BTW.
Hi Kevin, is that the marina by Woughton on the Green? If so, we moored outside when we came through in the late autumn/early winter. Glad you like the videos. Stay safe
@@WeirontheMove Hi guys. Peartree Bridge which is the one you are thinking about! We were complete newbies (never driven a boat in our lives) and sold up.... bought our widebeam and navigated 58 miles and 69 locks from Alperton to Milton Keynes in 8 days. Your videos (55ish to 70 something) take us back to the time we did this in November 2017. We remember so many locks, pubs, cafes etc... absolutely brilliant. I was corresponding with you when you launched your first video as the similarities were uncanny and I completely related to your exploits. I just wish I had the nerve to video myself and make brilliant vlogs like you have done... but we had no video camera and I was absolutely petrified whilst driving the boat and it was cold, frosty, wet and windy... (the best cruising weather). Again, loving your footage, take care and hope to correspond soon. Kevin
The best part of this video was Eric! I thought this was a great and informative video. The one thing you didn't mention that I thought of was that with a widebeam you have issues at tunnels sometimes because obviously someone can't pass you. I watched David's video - your home seems to well laid out and cozy! Thanks for sharing - especially the adorable pictures at the end.
with the current housing prices that seam to be unattractive to so many Brits i think one of the best solutions to the problem of housing in England may be to build a few canals that will allow all the networks (i see there are 3 major seperate networks) to be directly connected to each other with "wide beam" canals. By directly connected i mean they won't have to meander threw several different canals/rivers/streams. This will make buying a narrow boat (traditional or widebeam) far more attractive and make living in England far easier and less expensive. It also could create a far more dynamic economy if done right because by building a system to the latest standard (with 2 way traffic locks) for boats so large it may be feasable to build canal side infrustructure for better harbnours and maybey even a reinterduction to industry/buissness.
@@WeirontheMove I know - thats why they should have never stopped upgrading them. If they built them in the most modern way (like "highspeed rail") goods could be moved far cheaper and with less pollution than rail or road. But that will never happen. Just thoughts from someone who likes the idea of industrial canals as i know they are the best way to transport goods for many reasons.
Now I have tried to watch this video 10 times, but the relaxed snoring in the background makes med fall asleep halfway through. I suppose it probably is a good video so I give it a thumbs up anyway 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Love from Denmark
re tree managment. i was told by a c.r.t worker, that any tree overhanging the cut or within a certain distance of the water can be cut and used as firewood by boaters.
That's a lot of firewood, Nigel. I'm not sure there are enough boaters and boats to sort that problem. Plus, if we started now, we'd be carting unseasoned wood for the next year before we could use it
Tree management I do plenty of that using nb john varley although we are on the DCC part of Chesterfield canal at tapton. Once the canal is restored fully I'm sure CRT will take this end over.
Great video had me chuckling away : ) one thing you din't mention is costs . The CRT now charge you for your licence by length and width , and you will also have a bigger engine . I am in the process of deciding to commission a Canterbury or a Madison , love your boat by the way , it's stunning : ) . I will be a solo boater and I don't have family to cater for , but I do like my space and my freedom , but after watching your video , I think , it's going to be a narrow boat for me : )
We didn't mention the licence because it's been done to death and common knowledge. We wanted to focus on the physical differences mostly. We are glad we've helped you reach a decision. Hopefully, we'll see you out on the cut one day.
😂😂 just found you guys .. love the information and giggles!! How much would you say approx per week or per month it is to run your boat in the winter time. Thanks you 2 and Eric 😊
Nice video. You guys are a hoot! Wow, great boat. What a lifestyle. I only seen these canals on a tv show recently in Australia. Boats that go across water bridges, incredible engineering. Thanks, enjoyed and got a laugh. I'll be watching more for sure! Best wishes
loved you two ! what a fresh breath of river air! I'm a newbie and a girl on me own.....how difficultis it to manage a Widebeam on your own - i e when cruising do people help with locks etc and what woud you recommend one does to get some boat- know how. I want to move about a bit and wondering if, for a first boat, would you recommend a wide beam or a dutch barge. i am not a sissy and not afraid to paddle my own canoe but dont want to take out the nearest narrowboat the first time I go through a lock. whats the ideal size of a widebeam if you want space and manoeuvrability. could you think of doing a programme on pros and cons of different mooring options. ie constant cruise v permanent mooring v leisure mooring. costs and practicalities. that would be great !
Hi Josephine. We know many continuous cruisers that are both female and solo boaters. I think for your first boat you should go with your own preference but size wise, we preferred an 11 x 65 to give us more room in locks and narrow parts of the canal. We have done a costs of living on a boat episode, but the comparisons between the different types of moorings is an interesting idea.
It seems that their boat is perfect for them. Besides the monster hunters would be called out if you had a narrow boat they heard Eric snoring thinking they were being attacked by a dragon! Your boat is amazing! I definitely would want a boat like yours. Thanks
Even on many wide canals modern wide beams are a poor fit, the arched bridges were never designed for boats with upright sides near the gunnels. They would originally be wide boats with low tapered tarps for cargo. A few other cons are they cost more to build, licence and maintain than a narrowboat. I would like the extra space but not at the expense of missing some of the best canals in the country. Different strokes for different folks.
On saltwater boats they actually recommend completely draining the fuel tank once every 2 years. Empty, open the inspection hatch, clean out any muck ( wet-dry shop vacuum )and inspect the tank for any developing problems ( rust ). This is considered basic maintenance for diesel powered salt water boats. ( include sail boats with a diesel inboard engine in that )
@@WeirontheMove yes, the sea air is harder on everything exposed to it. like driving 365 days a year on salted roads as in winter driving hard. It might not be recommended for the canal boats ( wide or narrow ) but the occasional check wouldn't hurt anything. :)
Very cool I live in the USA up in upstate New York but I am fascinated with narrowboats and wide beams . Now I am a boater of many sorts I’ve had jet boats and in boards, I/o , fast boats and camper boats a like . Needless to say I absolutely love the water from boating to also sports but there’s just something about narrow boats and the canals and the lifestyle you guys have I just love it . I was laughing last night I told the wife I said it’s kind of like a cozy live in trailer on the water . She mentioned we have had camper type boats never a yacht but any ways I had to mention they can be very long 40 50 60’ if not more idk and they are so cozy looking . But it is the only type of boat I can truly say I’ve never seen in person or rode in . I wonder could I use one in more wide open waters and large rivers… tho I’d be loosing half the experience if I could .
Hi Michael, you can take them on inland waterways but they have flat bottoms, so aren't great in tidal sections. We are on the Thames at the moment and that can get pretty rough when rising. They are super cosy, especially in winter with the fire lit.
Thanks, Weirs (3). Loved your look at the Pros and Cons of Widebeams. You missed a couple of what might be big Cons to getting a Widebeam. I am told that there is a considerable Cost difference in equivalent levels of fittings and layout. I have also been told that now you have to pay more Licence Fee to C&RT because you don't just pay by the length of your boat, there is a calculation for the width of your boat. Is there a big difference in License Fees? When talking about Pros there is always the Pro of being able to make it over the Channel to the Canals of Europe which are apparently all set up to cater for Widebeams. I have again been told that some Narrowboats have made it across but only under very calm conditions and with an experienced Pilot aboard etc. Have you heard things like that? And Mark, please share why you think Julie shouldn't give you a thump for saying such awful things about her? If I said things like that to my wife I would be asking Eric to move over and sleeping in the doghouse instead of the lovely King-size bed LOL
I've heard that as well. I would like to do the French canals. There is a cost difference but we wanted it to be more lifestyle based. Besides, the CRT license changes are well documented and have been done to death.
@@WeirontheMove In France the licence fee used to be based on the surface, but they changed that a long time ago to just the lenghts. So a narrowboat of the same lenght than your WB has to pay exactly the same rate for it's cruising licence..
We thought Erics nasal vocals were my cell phone buzzing. We just found your channel but will be watching many episodes as you are just as crazy as us.
This was fantastic! We've been researching boat living for a few months, and have learned more in your videos than all the 'wide vs narrow' forum brawlery partaken over said months ...Thank you for taking time to create and disseminate this goodness! Your wide beam evangelism has us leaning overwhelmingly wide. I'm thinking large American flags fore and aft will encourage people to rethink their issuing of unpleasant epitaphs as we pass in the narrow parts?
@@WeirontheMove Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. Very kind ... And, I just want to make sure you know, the stuff about the flag was sarcasm. Due to logistics, it is a hardship to live so far away and try to plan, so your insights are very valuable. Safe travels! 🙏
I don't know about your boat in particular, but a lot of wider barges are sea worthy for short trips. You could probably get to France, and also make the trip up to the Humber to access the Northern network.
I thought my cat was malfunctioning, paused the video & the noise stopped. Thank goodness you said Eric was snoring lol Doing the narrow boat rounds & came across this video.
Thank you for checking out our channel. Poor old Eric is no longer with us, so the videos are a lot quieter, but we still call it snoring dog productions as a tribute to him.
Definitely thumbs up! You two are fabulous together! My wife and i rib one another constantly! Out of good fun of course! Actually, it's our dream to experience a trip on the canals. Probably on a narrowboat rather than wide. If we could, we would consider retiring there, but we are from the US and would need to really study on how to make that happen. Thanks for the great video! We thought it was great! Love the dog!!!!!
Thanks, Tim. You should come here for a canal boat holiday and experience what it's like. Glad you enjoyed the video, and thank you for supporting the channel
There was a video where a couple took their narrow boat across the channel to France. I think their destination was the med. it was a good video. Good luck if you do go. 👍👍👍
@@WeirontheMove I completely understand you can't help that, just honest friendly feed back.. love your channel and watch it closely because I'm looking to make the move to a wide beam asap (hopefully this year). No disrespect to sleeping kitty, needs his rest!
You guys should invest ina DRONE and walkie talkies for moving the boat. One person can drive (run the boat) the other can operate the drone in the front for connection to the drone and being able to see whats up ahead sooner.
Hi love your vlogs. Currently live in a Gosport with my two dogs. Really do want to move onto a boat. Narrowboat I like due to access of whole canal network but realise the rock more. How practical is a Widebeam 9 or 10 foot wide for a single person to operate ie through locks etc. Anything on how a single person would cope would be appreciated. Keep safe. Thankies.
We know several boaters who single-hand a widebeam. And most of them are women. You will see lots of people on the canals in wide beams single-handed. They are heavier, but you soon get the technique
Loved the video and especially the cavalier snoring in the background. I lost my Blenheim cavalier last year and I miss not being able to hear the TV ☺️
Greetings from across the pond. I sometimes can't believe folks live on narrowboats, I'm with you, widebeam is the way to go. You didn't mention if your water tank is stainless, which knowing the quality of Aqualine, I suspect it is. Oh, Mark, stop being such a big tease with all your announcements ! Stay warm..
I doubt I could live on a narrowboat with someone, would be fine by myself...I think..:) Interesting thoughts on the pros and cons. Thank you for the chuckles, always very welcome. Cheers.
Awe what a cute little guy!!! Can’t wait for the calendar bahahahahah 😂😂😂 hope all my extra comments help your video get some love thanks guys take care
BORED HELLS ANGEL FROM KENT JUST COME ACROSS THIS.. DEFINITELY GONNA BE SELLING A COUPLE OF MY HARLEYS & NOW I'M NOW HOOKED ON BUYING A WIDE BEAM.. THANKS.. YOU TWO CRACK ME UP!!!! JOHNNY81
@@WeirontheMove Well guys, the missus as moaned forever about why I have the need for 5 bikes and I canny think of many more excuses tbh.. 🤣 Been looking for quite a while into buying & living the 'boat life' and now we have hit the 50 mark we feel the time is now.. your vlogs have now kicked us up the arse to sort ourselves out!!!! Cheers!!! 🤣
Hi, Dear ones. Sorry I haven't said much, but now I need to. Where did you get the lovely curtains beside Julie? They are driving me crazy, I love them so much!
Julie throw Mark in the canal for the remarks on you smelling after three weeks of not washing. 😉😉 Plus I've not laughed so hard in a long time. Take care and stay safe. Regards Viktoria.
You 2 are great glad we stumbled over you 2 love the the canal boats . I'm curious do you know of any one who has a narrow boat and a wide boat some one who does not need to worry about there bill's and loves the boating life.
Considering the bridges, tunnels, and other navigation challenges, I'm puzzled that all the boats on the canals have not embraced radio communications. It would seem to be the answer especially approaching blind curves and the like to be able to radio other boats of your intentions or be aware of theirs.
Had the resurgence in living on the canals happened during the height of CB prior to cellular phones becoming more practical, affordable, and with smart phones, more versatile you might have seen CBs more prevalent on the canals as well as having CRT employees monitoring certain bandwidths. But in order to make that more practical on the canals I feel like you would need a lot more location markers than what I’ve seen. Barring that and the slow speed these boats are going on ringing the ships bell when making a blind turn is all you really need to do most of the time
Finally I found some information on which canals are navigable for a boat larger than 2m - thank you! Are there any plans to close the gap near Northampton, to make it possible to go from South to North? My boat is 2,70m wide....
I think Eric was Snoring throughout 😴😁 great advice on what you should look for, my friend Denis who a young 90 is buying a wide boat to keep on the river Nene
It looks like the river Medway is a no go zone, I couldn't imagine taking a wide beam there, also it would have to be towed. I can't find any videos on R. Medway via boat.
Really good you English have a canal system.and your allowed to live on it.We don't have many big rivers in Australia and you can't live on them legally.we don't have canal systems either
Hi guys. Love your channel! We've just had an offer accepted for a wide beam barge so now we've got loads of questions to ask like..... Have you had your boat lifted yet? Like you, ours boat is 28000Kg so most marina 20t canes cant be used meaning a lift goes from £360 to around £3000. Q1. Have you come across any marinas which have Hoists in situ capable of lifting >20t? Q2. Ours hasn't been blacked for 3 years so needs it quite urgently. Can copper coat be used on barges? Q3. Did you have yours surveyed, have you blacked it yourselves yet? Q4. Who insures your barge? (Q5) Do you have to have it surveyed before they with insure it? Arg... loads more questions but best wait there for a while! Huge thanx and final question.... France next year?? Would like to see that before we're brave enough to attempt it.🥰
Hi Guys, the Thames and Kennet Marina does widebeam lift outs. It's on the Thames at the entrance to the Kennet and Avon canal. They use a hoist on wheels. You would need to call them to check current prices but it wasn't anywhere near 3k. That figure sounds like it includes transportation too. If so, Tuckey's are one of the best and they did ours, including hiring the crane for the lift back in at the there end. This removes the need to rely on a marina crane, although you do need a marina to get dropped back in. We have had the boat blacked but we didn't do it, although we will the next time. The cheapest way to do it is to use a dry dock rather than a lift out. Don't buy any boat without a survey, even new boats, because faults are always present, plus, you can always use the survey findings to renegotiate on the price. We insure it through Insure4 and they are really competitive. I think that includes 5k contents cover too. You would need to check with the insurer about survey although I would imagine they would need some assurance the boat is water tight and not about to sink. I don't know about copper coat. I know it's popular with sea vessels, but maybe that's because of the salt water and the fact that most sea vessels are fibreglass or wooden, whereas canal boats are steel. We has bitumen blacking but you can use 2-pac, which lasts longer but is more expensive. As for France, we would love to one day, but next year is already planned.
@@WeirontheMove Thank you so much for the advice. I've found a dry dock at Sourport-on-Severn (Sirius Marine Services). Great guy to talk to, Terry, and it's £600-£800 for a week of dry dock which will be more than enough time (I hope!) to black my bottom! Significantly better than a brought in crane for a 28000Kg boat! Terry agreed, Coppercoat isn't generally used in fresh/brackish water. Thanks for the heads up with insurance. I spoke to Lily at Towergate Ins and they only require surveys for steel barges over 30 yrs so I'm good there. I'll ring Insure4 and compare notes 👍🏼 😊
Almost didn't watch this, and no idea why RUclips is recommending it to me but gave it a watch as bored af in lockdown and you two are frickin hilarious. Subbed.
This might be the best comment we've ever had. So proud of it, we pinned it.
My son and I laughed so hard listening to Eric in the background that I need to watch it again for content. Great to hear your laughs too.
Eric is the real star
We followed a family on a beautiful wide beam last year down the K and A. Interesting to watch. We were all squished in and they were sprawled out like royalty. Nice to watch guys, thanks!
Thanks, Barney. We were on the K and A last year too
You guys are hilarious 😂so glad to see people living their best life. Much love from the US.
Thank you so much
Amazing how many Americans watch British RUclips channels. You guys seem to love our narrow boats and canal system, which is great. Maybe it’s all the history behind the canals that many find fascinating. We take them for granted because their everywhere, but the history behind them is really interesting.
@@matty6848i am also an American I wish I could see them first hand . The canals and the lifestyle seams like an amazing adventure. And your right the history is a huge part but it’s so much more then that .
Just re-watched this one, had completely forgotten about condensation in the fuel tank, we have a fuel leak, which we're waiting to be fixed, so have kept our fuel low on purpose as we don't want it leaking in to the water but guess this could give us more problems! So glad I watched again! ❤️
You can always add an additive that guards against diesel bug while the tank is empty. Look in a chandlers or buy it on Amazon
You two are a laugh a minute. Pure joy in a gloomy world. Thank you!
Thank you for the lovely comment
Miss seeing your videos. Hope this finding you both well and happy. So sweet to hear Eric snoring in the background! I bet Bertie and Ernie are having the best times of their lives.
Is that what that awful noise was!
I laughed so hard over your calendar description that i choked on my tea, decided i have to subscribe, i watch a lot of the channels you mentioned, your my first wide beam channel. Hope you tube let me know a new video is up, used to get updates get nothing now i have no idea why
Thanks for subbing! We hope you enjoy all our other vlogs
Was having a sleepless stress morning so popped onto RUclips for a mental break and found this lovely funny video. Thank you so much for the laughs. Subscribed. 👍🏻❤️
Glad you enjoyed the vlog and we helped you relieve some stress
This was such a great video so informative and absolutely too funny for words. I love the snoring in the background 🤣 thanks made my day
You are welcome, Carla. Glad you enjoyed it
First boat was a 60’ Piper Wide, now I’m on a 45 narrow. Love both styles. Yes good and not so good with both. But still loving the life style.
That's the thing, Rowland, it's all about the lifestyle that counts, not what mode of transport you use.
Very entertaining, I’m thinking about getting afloat and if this is what it does to you I can’t wait. Happy cruising.
Glad you enjoyed it, Neil
Absolutely brilliant vlog! My husband and i are used to living off grid in the wilderness up North Ontario, Canada. We have loved living the life but we are moving back to the UK this year and we would really love to live on a widebeam. We don't mind whereabouts we live in the UK. We want 2 bedrooms for the same reasons as you both. We have 3 gorgeous grown up children ,30, 2 x 23yr Olds. We all miss eachother too much and of course we have a beautiful 2.5yr old grandson so we want to be the base when they can come for the wkend, drop in for the night ect. I know prices will have changed since 3yrs ago but it still offers us a cheaper and a lifestyle that we can move our scenery or our home at any time. Going to have a look at your lovely home now and more up-to-date vlogs . Keep the dry sense of humour going and your dog is gorge 😂
Good luck with your floating dream. See you on the cut
An entertaining and informative episode; very welcome on this rather dire winters day.
Thank you and glad you enjoyed it
After all that I had to Subscribe, despite the fact that all future vids will only be one of you holding divorce papers reminisscing about friends you use to have.
Informative, amusing, enjoyable, and the dog snored through it all.
Thank you for subscribing. And for the kind comments
My wife and I are considering selling up and buying a boat. My wife has a lot of the same concerns you've mentioned - we'd look at being around Cambridge (Great Ouse). You guys have given an great insight - thank you
You are welcome, Dave. You should visit Crick Boat show this year
@@WeirontheMove Brilliant advice - thank you
@@WeirontheMove Thank you for posting this insight into the practicalities of living on a widebeam boat. I am in the early stages of considering selling my house- a 1930 3 bedroom semi, and downsizing to a WB boat. It would enable me to be mortgage free- which would be a huge plus. What are the running costs like for a WB in terms of diesel, and heating the boat? How expensive are they to moor up for an extended period? I've never handled a canal boat previously, how difficult are they to handle? How much would it cost me to black the hull on a WB? Is it correct that it must be blacked every 4-5 years? I would be extremely grateful for your advice and guidance! Thank you! :)
@@liverpoolscottish6430 We did a vlog about the running costs. You should take a helmsman's course on handling a boat. They are excellent. The blacking depends o what product you use. Some are every three years, while others every five to seven years. The price reflects the product, but it is cheaper if you do the blacking yourself. It also depends on where you get it done because it's more expensive down south. You can spend anything from £600 to £2000.
France, get it round Cape Horn, go hard or go home 😂
Thinking of living on the water, I'm a keen angler and hate being indoors so I think I will love it.
Thanks for the video 👍
Bo problem, Ty. You are welcome
Hi, from New Bern, North Carolina USA.
I've been watching a lot of the narrows boat owners here on you tube for quite some time now as I'm planning to build an American version of your wide beam narrows boats of course my biggest problem is finding a place to build my boat from scratch as I live in an apartment complex with a massively large yard however when the complex owners found out what I wanted to do they promptly stipulated in my lease that there would be no boat building taking place on the property. So, for now I watch people like you that own their boats and dream of one day building my boat.
Of course once I do find the place to build my boat construction from start to launch will take about 3 months. Using plywood and kevlar for the hull and cabin area of a 15'X80' Dutch midship helm design. once I have built the boat the plan is to launch and sale it around the great loop here in the states covering the Inter coastal waterway (ICW) up the Mississippi river to the great lakes over and down through New York and back out on to the ICW and south to North Carolina. Than spend the rest of my days using the boat as a charter boat for people that want a nice get away place to go to.
Sounds like an interesting plan, Andy. 15 x 80 is a great size. You could even live on her
Just found your channel....really great fun and lots of useful observations! As an ex Pom living in Australia it’s great to get a taste of canal life from two fun people...subscribed!👍🇦🇺😎
Thanks, Stephen. Glad you found us
A lovely video. Thank you. Your pooch has obviously heard it all before so took the opportunity to snooze all the way through! Lovely. Thank you again.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love hearing Eric snoring - I’m watching this in 2023 and my dog is snoring as well - stereo sound puppy snores rule! And watch a great memory this vlog is of Eric
We miss his snoring, but at least we can hear the TV now
The pantry and the size is great! Love it!!!! And hiding from family doesn't always work but you guys have mastered it. You guys must be great navigators giving the size of the bridges i have seen. Keep us informed! Love ya!
Thanks so much!! We will always take you along for the ride, Sharon
We loved your vlog & agree with everything you said about pro’s & con,s of wide beams, we have now joined the wide beam lovers as we took delivery of our Canterbury yesterday, 27 February, it’s amazing we waited 2 years to get it , look forward to seeing you on the cut guys.
Hi Julie, you are lucky. The new Canterbury's are amazing. See you on the cut.
Absolutely do take the boat to France I've been watching a few canal boattubers all threatening to go France but no one's done it yet! Pandemic permitting and with all safety precautions it would be awesome to see you guys in France :)
We'd love too, but it won't be for a while yet and Brexit has scuppered long-stay plans
Really interested in hearing more about this. Why is it so scary and is it a matter of skill? If so, can that skill be learned and practiced?
Thank you for the festive tips. We want to retire, leave the US and travel throughout Europe mostly inland.
We are pretty sold on a wide beam, but I wonder about going across the Channel in it. We have a lot to learn, glad we found your site, you two are such fun! ☮️🌞
Crossing the channel would probably invalidate your insurance unless you got a pilot and had your fuel tank cleaned. Good luck, Maura
Can you use a widebeam on the canals in Europe? I heard it's much more restrictive? New to it, so hopefully I heard wrong?
Eric is precious and our Yorke snores like him. Enjoyed it.
Unfortunately Eric passed away in May, Richard. He is sorely missed
Well done, really shows off your personalies! Hello Eric!
Thank you, Peter
Oh I know that 90 degree bend well. going north out of Fenny Stratford on GU. We are living on a 60 x 10 and cruise the 15 miles of Grand Union, lock free as often as we can. Currently based in Milton Keynes Marina. Loving your videos BTW.
Hi Kevin, is that the marina by Woughton on the Green? If so, we moored outside when we came through in the late autumn/early winter. Glad you like the videos. Stay safe
@@WeirontheMove Hi guys. Peartree Bridge which is the one you are thinking about! We were complete newbies (never driven a boat in our lives) and sold up.... bought our widebeam and navigated 58 miles and 69 locks from Alperton to Milton Keynes in 8 days. Your videos (55ish to 70 something) take us back to the time we did this in November 2017. We remember so many locks, pubs, cafes etc... absolutely brilliant.
I was corresponding with you when you launched your first video as the similarities were uncanny and I completely related to your exploits. I just wish I had the nerve to video myself and make brilliant vlogs like you have done... but we had no video camera and I was absolutely petrified whilst driving the boat and it was cold, frosty, wet and windy... (the best cruising weather).
Again, loving your footage, take care and hope to correspond soon.
Kevin
The best part of this video was Eric! I thought this was a great and informative video. The one thing you didn't mention that I thought of was that with a widebeam you have issues at tunnels sometimes because obviously someone can't pass you. I watched David's video - your home seems to well laid out and cozy! Thanks for sharing - especially the adorable pictures at the end.
Thanks, Justine. We have to book passage trough some, and others are short enough to see to the end. Some operate on a traffic light system too.
with the current housing prices that seam to be unattractive to so many Brits i think one of the best solutions to the problem of housing in England may be to build a few canals that will allow all the networks (i see there are 3 major seperate networks) to be directly connected to each other with "wide beam" canals. By directly connected i mean they won't have to meander threw several different canals/rivers/streams. This will make buying a narrow boat (traditional or widebeam) far more attractive and make living in England far easier and less expensive. It also could create a far more dynamic economy if done right because by building a system to the latest standard (with 2 way traffic locks) for boats so large it may be feasable to build canal side infrustructure for better harbnours and maybey even a reinterduction to industry/buissness.
We're all for building more canals, Cliff, but they are struggling to maintain the ones they already have
@@WeirontheMove I know - thats why they should have never stopped upgrading them. If they built them in the most modern way (like "highspeed rail") goods could be moved far cheaper and with less pollution than rail or road. But that will never happen. Just thoughts from someone who likes the idea of industrial canals as i know they are the best way to transport goods for many reasons.
Now I have tried to watch this video 10 times, but the relaxed snoring in the background makes med fall asleep halfway through. I suppose it probably is a good video so I give it a thumbs up anyway 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Love from Denmark
Excellent comment. Made us laugh out loud
I am a new vlog watcher have really enjoyed your banter and the sound effect (Eric) Wonderful
Good to have you onboard, Tanya
Catching up on older ones but, too funny. When I purchased my motor home, the pull out (automated) bedroom a must, to WALK AROUND THE BED lol
Glad you enjoy the vlogs, Alice
re tree managment. i was told by a c.r.t worker, that any tree overhanging the cut or within a certain distance of the water can be cut and used as firewood by boaters.
That's a lot of firewood, Nigel. I'm not sure there are enough boaters and boats to sort that problem. Plus, if we started now, we'd be carting unseasoned wood for the next year before we could use it
Tree management I do plenty of that using nb john varley although we are on the DCC part of Chesterfield canal at tapton. Once the canal is restored fully I'm sure CRT will take this end over.
Great video had me chuckling away : ) one thing you din't mention is costs . The CRT now charge you for your licence by length and width , and you will also have a bigger engine . I am in the process of deciding to commission a Canterbury or a Madison , love your boat by the way , it's stunning : ) . I will be a solo boater and I don't have family to cater for , but I do like my space and my freedom , but after watching your video , I think , it's going to be a narrow boat for me : )
We didn't mention the licence because it's been done to death and common knowledge. We wanted to focus on the physical differences mostly. We are glad we've helped you reach a decision. Hopefully, we'll see you out on the cut one day.
What a fantastic video a real genuine happy couple Thoroughly enjoyed this video couldn’t stop laughing with you looking forward to the next one
Than you, Andrew. We try our best
😂😂 just found you guys .. love the information and giggles!! How much would you say approx per week or per month it is to run your boat in the winter time. Thanks you 2 and Eric 😊
It's about £30 to £40 per week, Samantha
You two are really funny.. and the information was useful! Thank you and best wishes on your travels.
Thanks so much!
Nice video. You guys are a hoot! Wow, great boat. What a lifestyle. I only seen these canals on a tv show recently in Australia. Boats that go across water bridges, incredible engineering. Thanks, enjoyed and got a laugh. I'll be watching more for sure! Best wishes
Our pleasure! Glad you enjoyed them, Robbie
😊👍
You could get to the north canal system via the Kings Lyn to Boston link, across the Wash!
.
Thanks for the tip!
Map room ' kitchen love it lol
My missis's kitchen doubles as my e bike repair work shop from time to time
I bet she loves that! Thank you for taking the time to make comments, Mike. It's really appreciated
The map and pointer were educational and informative. What we need is an MK to Wellingborough link.
Absolutely!
loved you two ! what a fresh breath of river air! I'm a newbie and a girl on me own.....how difficultis it to manage a Widebeam on your own - i e when cruising do people help with locks etc and what woud you recommend one does to get some boat- know how.
I want to move about a bit and wondering if, for a first boat, would you recommend a wide beam or a dutch barge. i am not a sissy and not afraid to paddle my own canoe but dont want to take out the nearest narrowboat the first time I go through a lock. whats the ideal size of a widebeam if you want space and manoeuvrability.
could you think of doing a programme on pros and cons of different mooring options. ie constant cruise v permanent mooring v leisure mooring. costs and practicalities. that would be great !
Hi Josephine. We know many continuous cruisers that are both female and solo boaters. I think for your first boat you should go with your own preference but size wise, we preferred an 11 x 65 to give us more room in locks and narrow parts of the canal. We have done a costs of living on a boat episode, but the comparisons between the different types of moorings is an interesting idea.
It seems that their boat is perfect for them. Besides the monster hunters would be called out if you had a narrow boat they heard Eric snoring thinking they were being attacked by a dragon! Your boat is amazing! I definitely would want a boat like yours. Thanks
Glad you like it, Sharon.
Even on many wide canals modern wide beams are a poor fit, the arched bridges were never designed for boats with upright sides near the gunnels. They would originally be wide boats with low tapered tarps for cargo. A few other cons are they cost more to build, licence and maintain than a narrowboat. I would like the extra space but not at the expense of missing some of the best canals in the country. Different strokes for different folks.
Hi Phil, like you say, each to their own and all that.
On saltwater boats they actually recommend completely draining the fuel tank once every 2 years. Empty, open the inspection hatch, clean out any muck ( wet-dry shop vacuum )and inspect the tank for any developing problems ( rust ). This is considered basic maintenance for diesel powered salt water boats. ( include sail boats with a diesel inboard engine in that )
I don't think it is necessary on the canals. I suppose saltwater does more damage, Jaqui
@@WeirontheMove yes, the sea air is harder on everything exposed to it. like driving 365 days a year on salted roads as in winter driving hard. It might not be recommended for the canal boats ( wide or narrow ) but the occasional check wouldn't hurt anything. :)
Very helpful looking forward to seeing your calendar
Debbie, no one wants to see that. The world is not ready
Great to watch. Informative and funny. Thanks guys!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love the banter between you two
Hi Mick, who says it's banter...
Thanks for your thoughtful video. I am a believer but my wife is a hard lady to convince. And the snoring dog! So funny.
Thanks, Stewart. She'll come round, I hope
I'm watching this at 3.45am with my headphones on because my husband is snoring and he's driving me crazy. I may as well have stayed in bed 😂
Did the snoring synchronize in a cacophony of noise, like Phil Spector's famous wall of sound?
I think it’s the dog snoring🤣🤣🤣
OMG !
I love my dogs but don’t think I could put up with the snoring 😴 lol
Beautiful video love you guys ❤️
Hi, Tracey, we can barely put up with his snoring. It's a bit like living next to the runway at Heathrow
🤣😂🤣👍🏻🐶❤️
Very cool I live in the USA up in upstate New York but I am fascinated with narrowboats and wide beams . Now I am a boater of many sorts I’ve had jet boats and in boards, I/o , fast boats and camper boats a like . Needless to say I absolutely love the water from boating to also sports but there’s just something about narrow boats and the canals and the lifestyle you guys have I just love it . I was laughing last night I told the wife I said it’s kind of like a cozy live in trailer on the water . She mentioned we have had camper type boats never a yacht but any ways I had to mention they can be very long 40 50 60’ if not more idk and they are so cozy looking . But it is the only type of boat I can truly say I’ve never seen in person or rode in . I wonder could I use one in more wide open waters and large rivers… tho I’d be loosing half the experience if I could .
Hi Michael, you can take them on inland waterways but they have flat bottoms, so aren't great in tidal sections. We are on the Thames at the moment and that can get pretty rough when rising. They are super cosy, especially in winter with the fire lit.
Great couple, will watch some more for the sheer joy. Happy cruising. Ps. Can’t wait for the calendar!
Thanks so much! 😊
Thanks, Weirs (3). Loved your look at the Pros and Cons of Widebeams. You missed a couple of what might be big Cons to getting a Widebeam. I am told that there is a considerable Cost difference in equivalent levels of fittings and layout. I have also been told that now you have to pay more Licence Fee to C&RT because you don't just pay by the length of your boat, there is a calculation for the width of your boat. Is there a big difference in License Fees?
When talking about Pros there is always the Pro of being able to make it over the Channel to the Canals of Europe which are apparently all set up to cater for Widebeams. I have again been told that some Narrowboats have made it across but only under very calm conditions and with an experienced Pilot aboard etc. Have you heard things like that?
And Mark, please share why you think Julie shouldn't give you a thump for saying such awful things about her? If I said things like that to my wife I would be asking Eric to move over and sleeping in the doghouse instead of the lovely King-size bed LOL
I've heard that as well. I would like to do the French canals. There is a cost difference but we wanted it to be more lifestyle based. Besides, the CRT license changes are well documented and have been done to death.
@@WeirontheMove In France the licence fee used to be based on the surface, but they changed that a long time ago to just the lenghts. So a narrowboat of the same lenght than your WB has to pay exactly the same rate for it's cruising licence..
We thought Erics nasal vocals were my cell phone buzzing. We just found your channel but will be watching many episodes as you are just as crazy as us.
Thanks Keith and Linda. We hope you enjoy watching
And I did Keith😂😂
This was fantastic! We've been researching boat living for a few months, and have learned more in your videos than all the 'wide vs narrow' forum brawlery partaken over said months ...Thank you for taking time to create and disseminate this goodness! Your wide beam evangelism has us leaning overwhelmingly wide. I'm thinking large American flags fore and aft will encourage people to rethink their issuing of unpleasant epitaphs as we pass in the narrow parts?
Glad it was helpful! Hopefully we'll see you out on the cut one day. Good luck and if you need to know anything, just ask
@@WeirontheMove Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. Very kind ... And, I just want to make sure you know, the stuff about the flag was sarcasm. Due to logistics, it is a hardship to live so far away and try to plan, so your insights are very valuable.
Safe travels! 🙏
I've had 3 Blenheim Cavalier's. It was nice to see your wee Eric.
We wish he was still with us
@@WeirontheMove I feel the same with my Skye&Prince.
I don't know about your boat in particular, but a lot of wider barges are sea worthy for short trips. You could probably get to France, and also make the trip up to the Humber to access the Northern network.
We have seen vlogs of boats crossing the channel
Love the video....most excellent!
Fair few chuckles....😆😂
Had to like and subscribe, how could I not!
Greetings from a Swede up in Glasgow! 🍻
Awesome! Thank you!
I thought my cat was malfunctioning, paused the video & the noise stopped. Thank goodness you said Eric was snoring lol Doing the narrow boat rounds & came across this video.
Thank you for checking out our channel. Poor old Eric is no longer with us, so the videos are a lot quieter, but we still call it snoring dog productions as a tribute to him.
@@WeirontheMove Aww no, sorry to hear that :(
Definitely thumbs up! You two are fabulous together! My wife and i rib one another constantly! Out of good fun of course! Actually, it's our dream to experience a trip on the canals. Probably on a narrowboat rather than wide. If we could, we would consider retiring there, but we are from the US and would need to really study on how to make that happen. Thanks for the great video! We thought it was great! Love the dog!!!!!
Thanks, Tim. You should come here for a canal boat holiday and experience what it's like. Glad you enjoyed the video, and thank you for supporting the channel
There was a video where a couple took their narrow boat across the channel to France. I think their destination was the med. it was a good video. Good luck if you do go. 👍👍👍
I think I've seen it, Pippa
Great video. Following Mark's comments regarding the use of water I am assumimng the next video will be by Julie 'Solo on a widebeam' !! :-)
She would if she could steer the boat. Luckily, everything I say is utter tripe and she knows it
Sorry guys love the topic and one I've been waiting to see covered actually but that snoring is actually giving me a headache!!
Sorry, Jamie, but he is the snoring dog and sort of a fixture. Trust us, if we could shut him up we would.
@@WeirontheMove I have a cat that snores just like that.
@@WeirontheMove I completely understand you can't help that, just honest friendly feed back.. love your channel and watch it closely because I'm looking to make the move to a wide beam asap (hopefully this year).
No disrespect to sleeping kitty, needs his rest!
*Doggy 🙈
@@RestInValhalla It's fine, Jamie. Good luck with your widebeam dream. See you on the cut
You guys should invest ina DRONE and walkie talkies for moving the boat.
One person can drive (run the boat) the other can operate the drone in the front for connection to the drone and being able to see whats up ahead sooner.
We did consider getting a drone and maybe we still will
Keep it simple. It is what it is. Its best not to over-complicate.
Hi love your vlogs. Currently live in a Gosport with my two dogs. Really do want to move onto a boat. Narrowboat I like due to access of whole canal network but realise the rock more. How practical is a Widebeam 9 or 10 foot wide for a single person to operate ie through locks etc. Anything on how a single person would cope would be appreciated. Keep safe. Thankies.
We know several boaters who single-hand a widebeam. And most of them are women. You will see lots of people on the canals in wide beams single-handed. They are heavier, but you soon get the technique
Loved the video and especially the cavalier snoring in the background. I lost my Blenheim cavalier last year and I miss not being able to hear the TV ☺️
Sorry to hear that, Dave. We lost Eric in May this year
@@WeirontheMove I am sorry to hear that, I had no idea I've just started to follow you. They leave a big hole when they go don't they 😔
Thank you for this video! Excellent advice.
You are so welcome!
Yes,France,fab,I live hear,and just down the Road,ther is the River oust,Redon.xx
Thanks, Keith. We will do it one day
Greetings from across the pond. I sometimes can't believe folks live on narrowboats, I'm with you, widebeam is the way to go. You didn't mention if your water tank is stainless, which knowing the quality of Aqualine, I suspect it is. Oh, Mark, stop being such a big tease with all your announcements ! Stay warm..
It is stainless steel. Nice to read comments from our American friends
I doubt I could live on a narrowboat with someone, would be fine by myself...I think..:) Interesting thoughts on the pros and cons. Thank you for the chuckles, always very welcome.
Cheers.
You are most welcome, Jane
THIS WAS REALLY USEFULL.......Thanks so much , love the snoring pet!
Thank you
Awe what a cute little guy!!! Can’t wait for the calendar bahahahahah 😂😂😂 hope all my extra comments help your video get some love thanks guys take care
We loved reading all your comments, Michael.
HAAA FOR A MINUTE I THOUGHT YOUR ENGINE WAS RUNNING, THE DOG!
I wish. He makes a lot of noise
Very funny ! , well done both of you , I am convinced on a widebeam , just got to get the cash together 👌
Best of luck, Eddie. Glad you like the vlog
Answered a lot of questions thank you. Very interesting.
Your welcome
BORED HELLS ANGEL FROM KENT JUST COME ACROSS THIS.. DEFINITELY GONNA BE SELLING A COUPLE OF MY HARLEYS & NOW I'M NOW HOOKED ON BUYING A WIDE BEAM.. THANKS.. YOU TWO CRACK ME UP!!!!
JOHNNY81
Glad you enjoyed the vlogs, John. You must really like the idea if you want to sell your Harleys
@@WeirontheMove Well guys, the missus as moaned forever about why I have the need for 5 bikes and I canny think of many more excuses tbh.. 🤣
Been looking for quite a while into buying & living the 'boat life' and now we have hit the 50 mark we feel the time is now.. your vlogs have now kicked us up the arse to sort ourselves out!!!! Cheers!!! 🤣
that dog snoring is amazing...
Loud, isn't it
The new Richard & Judy double act! - classic! Rob
I look nothing like Judy Finnegan, but now you come to mention it, Julie does has a passing resembled to Richard Madeley
Mark you're a funny guy! Would love to see your calendar! 🤣🤣
Sorry, Johnny, it sold out
How anything as small as Eric can make a noise like someone hot riveting a boiler is amazing.
HE was noisy, that's for sure
Hi, Dear ones. Sorry I haven't said much, but now I need to. Where did you get the lovely curtains beside Julie? They are driving me crazy, I love them so much!
Hi Kathryn, they came with the boat. We don't know what make or design they are
I think taking the wide beam to France is a fantastic idea!! Do it! love the vlog btw....
Thank you. Maybe we will one day
First time viewer, directed to the you from cruising the cut, loved the video, will be watching more
Welcome aboard! Glad to have you, Robbie.
Fantastic tips! And that snoring 😂 Very funny vid, thank you 💚💜
Glad you enjoyed!
Julie throw Mark in the canal for the remarks on you smelling after three weeks of not washing. 😉😉 Plus I've not laughed so hard in a long time. Take care and stay safe. Regards Viktoria.
Thanks for laughing so hard, Viktoria
You 2 are great glad we stumbled over you 2 love the the canal boats . I'm curious do you know of any one who has a narrow boat and a wide boat some one who does not need to worry about there bill's and loves the boating life.
Not to our knowledge. We know plenty of narrow boaters and widebeame owners but not couples who have both
Considering the bridges, tunnels, and other navigation challenges, I'm puzzled that all the boats on the canals have not embraced radio communications. It would seem to be the answer especially approaching blind curves and the like to be able to radio other boats of your intentions or be aware of theirs.
It's an idea. There's a lot about the canal system that still feels last century. We suppose the boats are going so slow, the risks are low too
Had the resurgence in living on the canals happened during the height of CB prior to cellular phones becoming more practical, affordable, and with smart phones, more versatile you might have seen CBs more prevalent on the canals as well as having CRT employees monitoring certain bandwidths. But in order to make that more practical on the canals I feel like you would need a lot more location markers than what I’ve seen.
Barring that and the slow speed these boats are going on ringing the ships bell when making a blind turn is all you really need to do most of the time
Go for it, France and the continent have some beautiful canals
One day, Steve.
Finally I found some information on which canals are navigable for a boat larger than 2m - thank you! Are there any plans to close the gap near Northampton, to make it possible to go from South to North? My boat is 2,70m wide....
There are several plans afoot but zero chance of them becoming a reality
Very interesting and informative video, especially very humorous, I look forward to 2021 to see the calendar
Thanks, Jean-Louis. You'll get your copy
I think Eric was Snoring throughout 😴😁 great advice on what you should look for, my friend Denis who a young 90 is buying a wide boat to keep on the river Nene
Oh wow! 90! That's some age to start boating, Paul
glad you subtitled the snoring, I was about to scream at the screen answer the phone
He was very loud
Awesome episode, totally enjoyed it 🙌👍
Glad you enjoyed it
It looks like the river Medway is a no go zone, I couldn't imagine taking a wide beam there, also it would have to be towed. I can't find any videos on R. Medway via boat.
We can't get there because we're too big
You are both Gems but Eric is the real star. Hello from a new subscriber!
Hello to you too, John. Welcome aboard
Really good you English have a canal system.and your allowed to live on it.We don't have many big rivers in Australia and you can't live on them legally.we don't have canal systems either
But you do have the highest numbers of deadly insects, which is a bonus
It's spring, there all coming out!
We miss our snoring dog. So this was great. Julie, at least he can still make you laugh.
Julie is always laughing AT me.
Hi guys. Love your channel! We've just had an offer accepted for a wide beam barge so now we've got loads of questions to ask like.....
Have you had your boat lifted yet? Like you, ours boat is 28000Kg so most marina 20t canes cant be used meaning a lift goes from £360 to around £3000. Q1. Have you come across any marinas which have Hoists in situ capable of lifting >20t?
Q2. Ours hasn't been blacked for 3 years so needs it quite urgently. Can copper coat be used on barges?
Q3. Did you have yours surveyed, have you blacked it yourselves yet?
Q4. Who insures your barge? (Q5) Do you have to have it surveyed before they with insure it?
Arg... loads more questions but best wait there for a while! Huge thanx and final question.... France next year?? Would like to see that before we're brave enough to attempt it.🥰
Hi Guys, the Thames and Kennet Marina does widebeam lift outs. It's on the Thames at the entrance to the Kennet and Avon canal. They use a hoist on wheels. You would need to call them to check current prices but it wasn't anywhere near 3k. That figure sounds like it includes transportation too. If so, Tuckey's are one of the best and they did ours, including hiring the crane for the lift back in at the there end. This removes the need to rely on a marina crane, although you do need a marina to get dropped back in. We have had the boat blacked but we didn't do it, although we will the next time. The cheapest way to do it is to use a dry dock rather than a lift out. Don't buy any boat without a survey, even new boats, because faults are always present, plus, you can always use the survey findings to renegotiate on the price. We insure it through Insure4 and they are really competitive. I think that includes 5k contents cover too. You would need to check with the insurer about survey although I would imagine they would need some assurance the boat is water tight and not about to sink. I don't know about copper coat. I know it's popular with sea vessels, but maybe that's because of the salt water and the fact that most sea vessels are fibreglass or wooden, whereas canal boats are steel. We has bitumen blacking but you can use 2-pac, which lasts longer but is more expensive. As for France, we would love to one day, but next year is already planned.
@@WeirontheMove Thank you so much for the advice. I've found a dry dock at Sourport-on-Severn (Sirius Marine Services). Great guy to talk to, Terry, and it's £600-£800 for a week of dry dock which will be more than enough time (I hope!) to black my bottom! Significantly better than a brought in crane for a 28000Kg boat! Terry agreed, Coppercoat isn't generally used in fresh/brackish water. Thanks for the heads up with insurance. I spoke to Lily at Towergate Ins and they only require surveys for steel barges over 30 yrs so I'm good there. I'll ring Insure4 and compare notes 👍🏼 😊
@@aljotock good luck