Відео

Thanks very much for taking the time to comment Ms B! That was on a bank holiday Sunday I think, which I think meant that the nearest CRT staff couldn't have got to me that day. So if we couldn't get the boat off ourselves, I was going to be marooned on that sandbank until the next day. Also, we had the additional motivation of there being a pub at the end of that river section! I''m editing a video covering the second part of that river trip, and after that I'll jump forwards to June I think, and take it from there.

A pub at the end is always good incentive 😊 Look forward to seeing you with your summer hat on soon 🤠

Yes, and my apologies for calling you the 'Three Stooges'. Somehow it just came to mind! 🤣

Ah- so you spotted the little time jump to the Caldon... It's all most regrettable (and you guessed right btw- the Harecastle did not go well at all!). The thing is that I've had a few comments recently that people enjoy watching videos more when the footage is more recent, and my small viewer numbers have been reducing in the last few months. So I've decided to temporarily pause the winter footage, and focus on editing footage from within the last month or so. But about once per month I will go back to the winter footage and create a video, so that all those shenanigans will eventually be published. I'd really rather not jump forwards, but I'm slightly worried that if the viewer numbers carry on falling, youtube will stop offering my videos to people, and the subscriber numbers will also fall. I'd like to maintain a few hundred subscribers if possible, so lets see if this approach helps!

@theamateurboater5892 thanks for reply. Would hate to see your channel go, it is honest and am not constantly being reminded to " buy me a coffee" etc. Poss too many vlogs in one area. I think also if they were all in chronological order rather than skipping back and forth like a timelord it may keep viewers. But thats poss me. Still...if all else fails you can make a career in recruitment...how do you get so many innocent bystanders roped in?

@@normanjones1640 , thanks for that feedback Norman, and yes I think maybe there are sometimes too many videos set in each area. It's because I have so much footage and it's tempting to use as much of it as I can. But maybe the time has come to be a bit more ruthless in cutting out the slower-paced footage. I can still use that sort of footage in the longer form videos, which I'll post on a separate channel.

I hope you wrote that in a cockney accent 🤣

Yes, I see what you mean. '"I'll gun it a bit" is about as sensible as "I'll shoot him a bit". But the whole business was very heroic of course, and I probably deserve some sort of waterways medal of valour. But I was never in danger as such. The ace up my exquisitely tailored sleeve was the CRT itself, who would have (eventually) sent a crew to pull the boat free.

Thanks for your comment- the panniers were made by Ortlieb, and I think they are called Front Roller Classic (made as a front pannier)- although they look similar to the model called Sport Roller. The word 'classic' does appear on the front of the panniers, so the most likely thing is they are the Front Roller Classic model. But as long as the dimensions of both models are the same, either one might fit. Because the brompton rack is so low, a normal pannier drags on the ground too often. And because your heels tend to catch on most panniers, you need smaller panniers such as those designed for a front rack, like my Ortliebs.

@@theamateurboater5892 thank you very much!

@@willg8920 , just another thought- I used an angle grinder to cut out the flat triangle on the top surface at the back end of the rack. That allowed me to push the panniers a few cm further back, so they now sit at the very back of the rack, and that helps to keep my heels from bumping the pannier. Before I cut out that metal triangle, my heels did sometimes bump the front of the pannier. So even these Ortliebs are not a perfect fit. Also, there is almost no tolerance available- for example, the bottom of the pannier is only a couple of inches above the ground, so when you lean the bike over, they do sometimes drag on the ground. Or when you put a heavy item in the bottom, the fabric of the base will sag, and sometimes that is enough for the panniers to touch the ground. To help deal with sagging, I cut a flat piece of plastic that fits in the base of the pannier, and holds it rigid. So there are a number of variables, and there is a risk that even a small pannier will not work well for you personally. E.g. if you have very large feet, you might bump your heels into the panniers more often than I do. Because of these risks, I would strongly recommend trying out any pannier before you are committed to buying it. And be prepared for the possibility that you might need to cut out that metal triangle on the rear rack, to improve the fit of the panniers.

@@theamateurboater5892 quite a debacle! Thank you very much for the info, I’ve been looking at getting some custom bags made by cobag - the bikezac bags in particular. They can also fold up easily when not in use which will be perfect for me.

Well thanks for watching Ms B, and for your kind comment. I did ask on my community page about how best to deal with the 6 month lag in editing videos, and the general feeling seemed to be to carry on with the older footage (but try to catch up)- which is what I'm doing at the moment. But fewer people seem to be watching the videos in recent months, and now I'm wondering if those people are being put off by the footage being 6 months old. The other option was to temporarily drop 3 months of my old footage, and try to go back and edit that later this year. I would then start posting videos from about April of this year. So perhaps check back in a few weeks, and see what the more recent footage looks like.

@@theamateurboater5892 I think that may be the case. It just seems more enjoyable to watch up to date vlogs, but I understand that it must take a lot of time to do all that editing. Do you really want to sleep?! 😅

I'm sorry the older footage is not as interesting as more up to date videos would be, and I can understand your frustration being over 6 months behind the current date. I posted a question about this in my community page, and the general feeling seemed to be that it's better to carry on with the older footage and try to catch up gradually. If start editing some more recent footage, I'll only fall further behind with the older footage- and some of that older footage is quite interesting. But anyway, I must thank you for having taken an interest in the videos, and I hope one day you'll take a peek and see if I've gotten more up to date with the editing.

Absolutely the pub! Ian and Jeannie were intent on following the wassailers through the town to see the rest of the show, but for me there was only one sensible course of action after 40 minutes watching this bizarre medieval performance. And fortunately Dave agreed with me!

Wise words Mr C, and sadly the fortification had to wait until afterwards. When I first saw all those people hopping around in crazy outfits, I did wonder if I'd swallowed some LSD.

Well thanks very much for the warning about local youths. A bit of local knowledge is sometimes invaluable for avoiding hassle in some places. I was lucky, in that I personally never saw any signs of trouble or the local youth gangs during my two stays there. But my friend Dave certainly saw a couple of groups hanging about opposite the facilities, and that decided me not to moor there when there was a free spot! I wonder if it being very cold and windy kept them indoors when I was there? Either way. I hope the kids find something else to entertain them, and leave the boaters in peace.

Well thank you Mr C, you are a gentleman sir. I do fear that you are in a minority (in finding the land-based videos more interesting), but it is a minority interest that I am more than happy to oblige. I might end up creating another second channel to post these less popular videos. But with this kind of encouragement I will certainly carry on posting them either way, and I am genuinely grateful that you would take an interest in them.

Well to be honest Mr C, I did some filming in Marple during the week or two that we were there. But its not very good footage and I wasn't going to post it. But, since I don't yet have a second channel where I can post the land-based videos, and since they are quicker to edit, I will have a go at the Marple footage next, and see if I can knock out a very rough summary video of that. It's a pretty nice town, with a lovely lock flight right next to it, so I'll post the footage I took.

Thank Heavens, there is no part 3! Part 2 finished with all three of us through the lock flight. The next footage I took was about half an hour after part 2 ended - and that was the three of us setting out on that infamously rainy cruise to Macclesfield.

You know what- I think one thing our videos have in common is that we don't stage the videos, or invent a storyline, or act out a part. What I do is show the film of the events as they happened, and what you do is talk about the absolute realities of solo van life, in a way that very few others do. If anyone asked me to recommend a channel that gave you a realistic look at solo van life, it would absolutely be your channel. But on the thorny issue of my toilet, it just so happens that I am currently looking to take on a part time bog-emptier. As a sensitive artistic type of person, it seems wrong that I have to do this awful job, so I am looking for a low-cost staffing solution. If you're aware of any would-be boat labourers who don't mind sleeping on the back deck, do let me know.

Haha, yes - I don't even have the excuse of being drunk! In fairness to Dave, he thought like me that the afternoon would be a little bit showery, at the very worst. If I'd only checked the most recent weather forecast, I would have seen the rain-soaked horror that lay ahead. And I've have told the pair of them to go have a nice swim, but I'm staying put. But when a man is desperate to get hold of beer, he listens to the siren voices of traitorous dogs like Dave. Call me hard line if you will, but what he did that day was a hanging offence, and one of these days he will answer for his crimes.

I have to admit, it was so, so tempting on such a cold, windy, and wet afternoon - and especially after going through those bloody locks twice! And if I'd stayed I would've been much closer to the bins for next days trash run too... And even if the owner of that mooring had turned up later that evening, I could have just apologised and moved on asap. He wouldn't be happy, but ultimately it would have been a minor inconvenience for him. I do think I am overly cautious in lots of cruising and mooring situations, and what with some of the other weird customs I have (like my anti-insect precautions), any newcomer to boating will get a pretty unusual view of boat life from watching my videos!

That's very kind of you to say Claire. I still think I could have given that guy at least a foot more space, and that's my regret really- I wasn't on the ball enough. But listen - if you do indeed follow the teaching of Uncle Amateur (as you claim to), then you will be fine when you finally hit the waves in your boat. Just don't start another narrowboat youtube channel, or I will end you.

@@theamateurboater5892 that cracked me up laughing! I'd love my own UA-cam channel.. just need thermal gloves & a boat. Episode 1 is sorted, it's called 'making everyone on the towpath say hello'! :D Have a lovely day out there!

Hi Shanelle, I have completed the Macclesfield and the Caldon canals since then, and I've moved further south- not far from Fradley junction. I can only apologise for my videos being 6 months behind the current date. I think its partly because I publish a lot of the original cruising footage, so it takes a long time to edit it into something that is even remotely watchable. But if my latest footage is of interest to any viewers, I could maybe publish an occasional video using footage taken in the last few weeks. In fact, I'll aim to publish an up to date video in the next couple of weeks!

@@theamateurboater5892 Hi and thanks for your reply. My partner Norman and follow you. We have a boat,” Beatrix Rose “, not live aboard though. We were down at Fradley last year. Alrewas was lovely and walking distance to the arboretum. At present we are moored at Barbridge, planning on doing the Macclesfield in the next few weeks.

Well I'm really glad that you enjoy these videos Janelle, and thank you very much for saying so - its really encouraging. I fear I may miss you this year, as I'm going to carry on generally south. But if you ever do pass my boat, I do hope you'll stop by for a few beers and a chat.

@@theamateurboater5892 We definitely will and let us know if you are doing any gigs again, enjoyed the singing too! Shanelle and Norman.

Your psychic powers are strong Mr C. I did both of those things! On my return trip I visited the pub with Dave, but on this trip I took option 1, and had a wee dram in front of the fire!

Cheers Andy, I'm not sure the action camera will ever have the low light performance that I need so often, but it sounds like its worth giving it another try!

Thanks for your words of wisdom Mr Harr ier. I feel sure your analysis is correct, and I am indeed clinging to the towpath. A rather more pressing problem is that I am also clinging to my sanity. I am open to any suggestions, apart from counselling sessions with a Jack Russell.

Well thanks very much Mr C for taking the time to compare and feed back about the two different versions. It is very useful information, and if you dont mind I'd be very grateful for your thoughts on the contrast between the two styles in future videos ( I aim to carry on creating two versions of each, since the longer one can then act as my own personal record of the cruising- and doing that means I dont have to keep hold of huge amounts of the raw footage). I expected the 20 minute versions to be far more popular, and I only started creating the longer versions for those few people I thought were interested in seeing more detail of the cruising, more of the scenery etc. But the longer versions have just as many views (if not more), so there you go- what do I know?! And for the public record, I wish it to be known that if canal vloggers do start dying in an epidemic of freak windlass accidents, I never wanted any part of Mr C's devilish plot.

That is the correct answer Mr C, and I cant really explain why I didnt go to the extra bother of just shoving the boat over there. Those winter days are very short and you dont get too much time for retail activities like coal purchasing. I can only think with having maybe 6 bags already, I was a bit too relaxed about it. If I'd had to rely on getting coal at Marple, I would have had a hell of a job transporting it to the boat. I always get coal at the canalside wharf, or a fuel boat if pyhsically possible. I found out the hard way that even hauling coal 200 yards is a major effort!

I can only thank you once again for your always-kind words Mr C, and thanks also for taking the time to watch both versions. And because I put so much effort into this process, it is always interesting and educational for me to get some feedback about how well the editing process worked.

Awww, thank you Claire! Its lovely of you to post such a kind comment. It's great to think that there are a few folks out there who actually take an interest in my random wafflings, and it does genuinely encourages me to carry on doing all the work of editing etc. I am so pleased that I shall appoint you chief among my zombie slaves. I mean subscribers. Obviously.

I know, right? I honestly don't get it. To be fair the DJI camera costs about £250, whereas a mid range phone might be up to say £400, but still. I'm 90% certain the DJI is a fixed-focus lens, so it is optimal focused at say 2ft, but as you move further away it starts to lose sharpness. I've noticed on my phone videos, when I stand in front of the camera it picks me up and focuses accurately (although the background then blurs a bit). When I step out of the camera's view, it refocuses on the trees behind me- so it has an active focus ability, where the DJI is just fixed. But that wasn't the only disappointment. It also picks up almost no images in low light. I went through the famously long Harecastle tunnel a few months back, and as soon as I entered, I could see that the display of the DJI was almost black- so it was recording no visuals. Even a cheap smartphone has better light pick up than that! I grabbed a work light and a torch, and tried to illuminate myself to take some video, but still the camera picked up almost nothing. So it ruined my big chance to take some video in this famous tunnel- a tunnel that I might not see again for a long time. When I moored near sunset in some places and tried to record, it would pick up almost no detail or colour- whereas the smartphone was still recording a decent image. The battery life is nowhere near that of a phone either. My small chest mounted action camera records much better video than the DJ, even though it is also fixed focus- so it may be just this model, not action cameras in general. I've seen Trev take lots of very nice footage on his GoPro, for example. Maybe I should gave gone for a GoPro... But for me it was an expensive and failed experiment, and I can see no reason why I'll repeat it.

Thanks a lot for your very kind comment. I really admire your positive outlook at such a young age, and there is a lot of potential advice I could offer on the subject of buying and moving onto a boat. One place I think think you will get advice is Canal World Discussion Forum- but be prepared as there are a few trolls on there- mostly miserable old men. There are so many factors affecting your decisions. E.g. if you want to make the move sooner, you could consider buying a cheaper but smaller GRP boat and live on that (eg the Viking 32cc model I mentioned). Not as comfortable as a 57ft narrowboat, but it is certainly a travelling lifestyle, and its available for half the price. But tbh there are lots of questions- how urgent the move is, what kind of budget you have, whether you want to saddle yourself with a big loan, whether you can work remotely (from the boat), whether you are handy at DIY and mechanics- the list goes on, and the right answer for you depends on all sorts of factors that are unique to your case. If you can work remotely as you travel and pay off a big loan, maybe a 50-60ft narrowboat is the best option- but be ready for £5k-10k of fixes and upgrades within the first two years (especially if its more than 20 years old), to make it suit you. A chat on the phone or email might be easier than on youtube, so if you think I can be of any help or offer any useful advice let me know.

@@theamateurboater5892 Cheers mate, much appreciated. I don't think it's an immediate plan at the moment but I'm definitely gonna do it at some point, whether it's 5 years or in 30 years. Really enjoying your videos so subscribed and I'll get in touch again when the time comes. And yeah I did actually take a look online at those Vikings after you mentioned them 👍 If ever I see you're in Macc again I'll pop past and say Hi when taking the dog out for a walk. All the best mate 😀

You know what? Confession time- I had to scuttle forwards along the sides of the boat to push myself off of the moored boat, as the wind was pushing me into it during that parking manoeuvre. I normally leave in any mistakes or mishaps, but I was a real hurry to get this video edited down to 20 mins, so I left out the whole 5 minute parking thing. I actually did this flight again the following day to help Di get through, and that time I took my bike. It was so much quicker and easier using the bike up and down that stretch!

In fairness, my phones do get a beating. About twice each week they are exposed to the weather for several hours, and often that is rain and wind, which I think can penetrate the power socket. The samsungs don't claim to be fully waterproof, but surely they are rain proof? Otherwise you wouldn't be able to take them out of your pocket if it was raining. But here's the thing- the front phone camera was until recently a google pixel 6 (now swapped for a pixel 7). That phone has lasted well over 2 years, in all weathers, and it is still going strong- well apart from a couple of hours of blacking out during the heatwave days of last summer. In fact the pixel 6 is has become the rear facing camera, now that I have to use the A54 as an actual phone. And the A54 has started to randomly switch off and restart several times each week. Maybe it wont get worse, but its certainly a worry that its already showing a fault after 1 year. So for me, the pixel phones have been more reliable than samsung, and they have better cameras. I can only assume that Samsung build quality is not what it once was. If the A54 dies I dont know phone I'll get, but I know it wont be another samsung.

Why thank you Mr Whistle- there are few kinds of information more interesting or entertaining than trivia!

Haha yes, I definitely needed more coffee! It was a pretty rotten day, but as long as the rain stays middling (rather than heavy), its not too bad. Luckily things had warmed up after the freeze, and it was probably around 6 degrees, so freezing fingers or feet were not an issue. I think what happens is when you cruise regularly in the winter months, that level of weather becomes more normal - or at least, more bearable. But even us rain-tolerant British have limits. For example, the very next day we got Di up those locks, and then we set off for Macclesfield, and that was a horrible cruise. Not freezing, just wet and miserable. That was the video I posted a while back about cruising to Macclesfield in the rain. So the overall sequence of these videos from last winter will start to fall into place, and hopefully it will become a bit easier to grasp. Once I'm done with last winter, I'll try to renumber them in date order, as I was trying to do previously.

Thanks for taking the time to give feedback Peter, I do appreciate it. And you are absolutely right- people are naturally more interested in what you've been doing recently. It is something I've thought about a fair bit, and although it is a major challenge, I do think I will have to get things up to date somehow- perhaps by just leaving out a 5 month slice of my travels, between say December and May. I fell behind with editing videos last autumn, and by December I decided to abandon 5 months worth of footage to try to catch up. But I've fallen behind again, partly because I went back to last summer's footage, to create some videos from it. The Anderton Boat Lift video was one video from last summer that I felt I had to create, for example. But keeping up to date with editing videos (in the way I do them) is a demanding task, and it leaves very little time to go back and work on older footage. I'm going to pot a question about this on my community page, to try to get more opinions on how people would prefer me to tackle it. I can either carry on editing footage from last December in the hope of catching up, or I can jump ahead to April of this year, and start there. I'll have to give this some thought.

Well might you ask, Mr C... The storage part of it is easy- there is enough room in the cratch to pile up about 6 bags of trash, although you never ever want to do that if can avoid it, as it becomes impossible to get any other objects into or out of that area. The accumulation of it took almost three weeks, and I did a few DIY jobs that generated a couple of bags of rubbish too, so it started getting out of hand. I would have removed it sooner but I was iced in at Congleton for about 5 days. If you keep a car like Dave and Di, you deal with this issue by driving your rubbish to the nearest boater facilities- but if not, you are a bit stuck when you get iced in. I came close to strapping three bags of trash onto my bike trailer and riding up to the Bosley facilities,, but I didnt fancy the ride as parts of the towpath are badly rutted and muddy, so I decided to wait until I got to Bosley by boat.