Hello Michael and Jo! Greetings from the States (rural New York State, to be specific). My name is Dale and I've been following your channel for several months and enjoying it. I love the scenery and the historical tidbits Michael shares of various sites you see or pass. Keep up the great channel and thanks for sharing!
Surviving very well, yes... But then I'm used to it, having lived here all my life. It can actually be quite beautiful at times. I'm about ready for spring to arrive though.
As our Son-In-Law, who is from Manchester, says the Canals seem to have evolved away from the original hub of activity yet retain a fraction of the former life on the canals which is some what of a step back in time and space
Well done,some very smooth bits of editing, Moon over Michael's shoulder as you stop to chat about the day. Music comes to a choral revelation as you exit the tunnel, beautiful timing. Almost as well timed as coming to a rest period just by a quality doughnut shop. Lots of locks needed to pay for that one, naughty, naughty!
The Wednesbury Oak Loop was actually Brindley's original main line, and the shorter route through Coseley Tunnel was one of Telford's improvements 60 years later, along with the new main line through Factory Locks. Oh, and how about a Harry Beck style map for the whole system?!
Recently found your videos and loving them. The style and information 👍 If I’m completely honest I can use your videos to see what the canals look like in my area that I’ve not yet visited. I fish for pike in our canals, Muskie are the American version though ours are much smaller. Keep up the good work guys 👍
Minimal List I watched your other video where a section of canal had drained. I didn’t realise you’d have to start that far back to fill it 👍. Have you ever been along the staffs/Worcester canal from wombourne down the the stewpony junction? It’s a lovely stretch of canal
I'm watching on the 4th of March, and here in New Brunswick, Canada, we're in the middle of a snowmegeddon, they're saying 15 to16 inches, 25-40 cm of snow and ice pellets, no rain this time, so belated HAPPY ANNIVERSAY, and enjoy your beautiful weather.
We were all around there last autumn and got stopped dead at the foot of Farmers Bridge with a nice oily piece of car carpet - buy yourselves a cutting / pulling tool at Crick Show next year - best investment and no wet hands!
Congrats for making it out of Wolverhampton alive! If you ever visit again see if you can take George to West Park. Probably the nicest park in the Midlands. The odd murder aside.
Now I know why the towpath was close earlier this year.The cycling club I ride with had to do a detour on the road coming from Cosley tunnel the Wolverhampton. If you'd had have been able to get to the end of the canal arm. You would have got to the CRT factory where the make the lock gates.
I enjoyed today's cruise. My goodness, I thought that you were going to hit that car that was parked so close to the canal! I hope his brakes hold...LOL. It's a shame there is so much debris in the canal, but glad you got it resolved. Safe cruising!
You can go down the Wednesbury Oak Loop as far as CRT’s Bradley workshops, so a lot further than you went. If it was shut for dredging then there should be a stoppage notice!!!
We could contacted the CRT and they said that ‘vandals’ had moved the boat. I’m gutted we missed it as it is one of the places in the Silver Propeller Challenge.
LOL A Man after my ownself judges everything by what food he finds!! Here in the states it towns I have found real Chicken Fried Steaks in, and of course good Donuts
You 'complained' about the weed impassable branch - however to be fair to CaRT (shock horror !) it is marked on their website map with a dotted line - which to me indicates that it's unusable. It's incredibly expensive to do dredging anywhere end exceedingly so on the BCN where most waters are highly contaminated, so what's the point of clearing it when the length would most likely be clogged up with CMers....
I’m not sure we complained exactly! We had little expectation of being able to cruise down there which is why we walked. We had heard it had been a few years since a boat had explored that stretch. Sorry if it came across as moaning, that’s certainly wasn’t our intention.
I did "put complained" in quotes - couldn't think of a way to start the comment. I don't think you're moaning - it must be very frustrating when you plan a voyage as complex as your whole journey to cover the whole system, to find one / some of you targets to be unusable! There is probably a good local political reason why it's been left in water (if it's not something that drains into it).'We" as boaters just use the system, quite oblivious of the underlying constraints / considerations / other requirements that have kept the canal system open.I hope others that read these posts and watch your videos are grateful for what you two / three are documenting and actually use them to help plan their next trip! There's no resource quite like them..Grateful thanks.HH
Just an idea, what about a piece of diamond plate aluminum to fit the bow of the boat where you break the ice. It would save your blacking.and look cool. Also you might look for some one selling a used wet suit top and glove. You could cut off the sleeve and use it and the glove to clean off your prop during the winter. Thanks for the the great video.
A wetsuit arm would be a good idea. Bit tricky to find one that’ll fit me though. Interesting idea with the aluminum... I was thinking about a motorized flail like those minebreaking tanks on D-Day. M
@@MinimalList I understand about the size thing. As far as the ice goes how about those torpedo's I was talking about. You wouldn't have to put a charge just send it down the canal and when it runs out of power just pick it up and wind the rubber bands again.
Where you stopped for diesel if you continued down there's a road bridge about 30 yards on the right after the bridge is where my nana & grandad lived.
What a stunnig day. Shame you had to go down the weedhatch into that freezing cold smelly canal water. Oh, speaking of which, TOP TIP:- pour a kettle of hot water down the weed hatch. Be careful though to make sure it has gone tepid before sticking your arm in. The warm water will pretty much stay in the confines of the weedhatch for a while. Repeat if it gets cold again.
Possibly, we tried calling a couple companies that offered delivery, but they either couldn’t do such small quantities or weren’t prepared to deliver to a boat, but Cooke does say “any quantity”. If in a pinch we’ll give them a shout! M
Realistically the cruising speed is about 3mph, most of the time. A decent walking pace. On longer lock-less stretches, and especially when there’s some width and depth and you’re not mainly churning mud you can make it up to 4mph, which is the speed limit on the canals. Full bore on a wide and deep water like the Thames you could probably make about 8mph (ignoring current), but the hull’s not at all well designed for speed, so not much beyond that. M
@@MinimalList Thank you! I figured it was walking pace since people pass you on the tow path. LOL! I was not aware there was a speed limit of 4mph. Fortunately you dont stir up much wake being as long and skinny as these boats are. You must also have very low fuel consumption since it doesn't take much to push the hull through the water.
Hi both are you planning to do the wyrley and essington at all? We have bought some shoulder length gloves off amazon for about £5 just the job for the weed hatch.
Wish I’d had a pair of those ... especially on the Wyrley and Essington. The videos are as ever a bit behind us, and soon they’ll be on the W&E, trying to catch up to us! M
Well, the weather I get here in NJ, USA always seems to make it there about a week later so if that is true then the coal will serve you well, They are talking about 6-18 degree F. nights all next week March 4th to the 8th. Getting garbage off a prop is bad enough but rope has to be the worst. Do those drive units have a shear pin in case the rope jams solid to protect the transmission?
I keep expecting the weather to make it over, but somethings going weird out there in the Atlantic. Honestly not sure about a shear pin... I’m hoping we never have to find out. M
Minimal List from experience no they don't. Hit something VERY heavy under water, massive bend in prop and a knackered drive plate. Some have a flexible joint in the prop shaft/gearbox connection.
Depends on how much you cruise and the size of your tank and the split (you have to tell the provider what percentage you want assigned to domestic use, which is taxed at a lower rate, and propulsion use, which is taxed much higher). Typically a 60:40 propulsion:domestic split is normal. We usually fill up around 90-100 liters, which is usually a little more than £100, but price varies a fair amount. Fuel boats are cheaper generally and big marinas tend to be higher. We’ll get about a month and half of heavy cruising out of that, a lot more like three months if we’re not pushing hard. M
You’ll find it’s not too expensive (though of course Brexit could change all of that, who knows)... the key thing is keeping the engine in good running order so it’s burning efficiently. M
It gets a bit complicated, because not all canals are managed by the Canal and River Trust, but for the majority of the connected canal system if you own a boat you need only pay your annual license fee. When you go on to other canals and rivers managed by other authorities there can be additional fees, so it depends on where you roam to. M
That was a real trip down memory lane for me. I originate from this region and it was in about 1979 (I was 13) when I discovered these ribbons of oil, there may still have been some water under the oil, meandering around my homeland. It was then that I started cut walking. Later I found the bus routes that took me out to the Shroppie and the Staffs an Worcs, thus finding nicer canals. The canals might seem a bit mucky to you but they are greatly improved from the time of my experience of them. Thank you very much for that video. Hope you managed to find some Orange chips this time, They are one of the few things that I find it worth going back to the Black Country for.
Yeah I can only imagine how filthy they once were, glad we’re bringing back fond memories. As for orange chips, well we found them, but none that a vegetarian can eat, sadly. We did check everywhere that offered them. M
That was a surprise to me. I had no idea that orange chips had anything non vegetable in their cooking, otherwise I would not have recommended them, sorry.
Luck not improving ,sacrifice more of Georges balls to the canal spirits . Or visit a liquor store to get your own spirits . Diver gloves sounded like a good idea . Hate it when your fingers wont work as their frozen , brain keeps sending messages to work and fingers just ignore them as the pain barrier is breached . Hope things improve all the best from OZ.
Diver’s gloves would be good, if I could still have some feeling through them. It’s really hard to get the last of the remnants around from the point where the shaft enters the boat without a little fingertip sensation. M
@@MinimalList 😃 should have gotten a black country dictionary from their shop in Merry hill (or Merry hell) centre when you were moored near there.....
I tend to kneel down so I can see along the tiller axis, as it makes it a lot easier to keep the boat heading in a straight line. If I’m not kneeling down I’m probably leaning up against the side wall to get myself out of the camera’s path. M
General note - Most important thing is not to be within the arc of the tiller arm when reversing! If a reversing boat hits an obstacle under the water, then it hits the rudder first, and the tiller arm becomes a weapon moving with incredible force - it would pretty much cut you in two, break some ribs, or maybe just throw you off the boat (into its path). Reversing can feel deceptively gentle, but there have been some nasty accidents whilst going backwards!
That’s why I tend to keep the tiller arm right about six inches from the end of my nose... it can swing through its whole arc and leave me feeling lucky! M
Would y'all please turn captions on for your channel? The hearing impaired could then watch your channel! Love all you do watch all the time...keep the chats up!
We do have auto-generated captions turned on. The process of manually fixing them is incredibly time consuming, as the tools on UA-cam for creating them are pretty terrible. But we should take a look at how we could do that better. M
Most entertaining. You need a long rubber glove for tackling the weed hatch. Maybe you should go into the coal business and sell to other boaters - mind you we have had snow in May😳. Michael You will be interested in the Wednesbury rule in English law (uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/6-200-9152?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&firstPage=true&comp=pluk&bhcp=1) Really impresses with Jo’s rendering of the Birmingham loop into Lindon underground style - how many renditions did that take?
You could not have bought a more appropriately named narrowboat - you guys are amazing!
Nicholson needs to hire Jo to do their maps. That is beautiful!!!
Thanks! M
Michael: you are so romantic, Mac & Cheese and Chips. for Valentines Day, You guys are so funny.
Hello Michael and Jo! Greetings from the States (rural New York State, to be specific). My name is Dale and I've been following your channel for several months and enjoying it. I love the scenery and the historical tidbits Michael shares of various sites you see or pass. Keep up the great channel and thanks for sharing!
Well thanks for watching! Hope you’re doing okay under the snow! M
Surviving very well, yes... But then I'm used to it, having lived here all my life. It can actually be quite beautiful at times. I'm about ready for spring to arrive though.
Hopefully spring is just around the corner?
I'm jealous of your adventure. I'm enjoying it vicariously. Have lots of fun for me.
Will do! Are doing! M
As our Son-In-Law, who is from Manchester, says the Canals seem to have evolved away from the original hub of activity yet retain a fraction of the former life on the canals which is some what of a step back in time and space
joe. every body loves your bcn map you should get it printed on post cards and flog them could get so diesel money for yourselves
Heh, we just might do that! M
And by the different colour of the bags we can now see the new coal shipment.
At least he remembered your anniversary xxx be happy
This is true!
Ahh man! That map of the BCL is something. Had to pause it to study it. Bravo
Glad you like it! Send a note with a subject line about the map to nbminimallist@gmail.com and I’m sure Jo will send you a copy! M
Well done,some very smooth bits of editing, Moon over Michael's shoulder as you stop to chat about the day. Music comes to a choral revelation as you exit the tunnel, beautiful timing. Almost as well timed as coming to a rest period just by a quality doughnut shop. Lots of locks needed to pay for that one, naughty, naughty!
It looks like the dog gets a lot of exercise along with Jo. Keep up the great video's
He does! And he still wants more! M
Love your map, you can see the locks at a glance, well done.
Jo did an amazing job! M
Thanks for the fact you get things confused as well. You make us old decrepit codgers feel almost human.
Finally a good George sighting at 13:45! All in all, it looked like a pretty nice day!
I liked the two mic thing - it helped letting me hear both of you more clearly than past videos!
Good! We’re still figuring it out, but glad it’s noticeably better! M
The Wednesbury Oak Loop was actually Brindley's original main line, and the shorter route through Coseley Tunnel was one of Telford's improvements 60 years later, along with the new main line through Factory Locks. Oh, and how about a Harry Beck style map for the whole system?!
She’s been thinking about it, though we’d need to do it in a much more flexible piece of software, Photoshop caused her much agony with that one! M
An interesting trip. No 2 days are ever the same in boating, at least the weather was on your side.
For now! M
Really nice to have all the canaling footage. That's why I've subscribed.
It’s difficult finding the right balance of shots, especially when filming comes secondary to cruising. So glad you enjoyed today’s footage!
Troubles are less troubling when the sun is shining..and another epic reverse...great vlog
A little bit of sunshine can make a big difference! Glad you enjoyed the vlog, thanks for watching. J
Hard to leave a mooring with a REALLY Good donut guy nearby.
It REALLY is! M
Recently found your videos and loving them. The style and information 👍
If I’m completely honest I can use your videos to see what the canals look like in my area that I’ve not yet visited. I fish for pike in our canals, Muskie are the American version though ours are much smaller.
Keep up the good work guys 👍
There is a lot to see in this area! Thanks for following along!
Minimal List I watched your other video where a section of canal had drained. I didn’t realise you’d have to start that far back to fill it 👍. Have you ever been along the staffs/Worcester canal from wombourne down the the stewpony junction? It’s a lovely stretch of canal
We just had go go up to the top of the flight, otherwise we would have emptied another pound filling the one below.
I'm watching on the 4th of March, and here in New Brunswick, Canada, we're in the middle of a snowmegeddon, they're saying 15 to16 inches, 25-40 cm of snow and ice pellets, no rain this time, so belated HAPPY ANNIVERSAY, and enjoy your beautiful weather.
Eek! Well, we are enjoying the weather, and also hoping yours doesn’t make its way over here! Thank you! M
That's a good job on the maps. Looks very similar to railway maps for train simulators
Thanks! Jo’s been working hard on it! M
Happy Anniversary. Wishing you many more. From the glimpse of life you show us, you two have found the secret.
Thanks! I dunno about her, but I’m pretty lucky! M
@@MinimalList Yes you are. You both seem to have a pretty good sense of humor. Key to a long marriage.
We do! M
We were all around there last autumn and got stopped dead at the foot of Farmers Bridge with a nice oily piece of car carpet - buy yourselves a cutting / pulling tool at Crick Show next year - best investment and no wet hands!
Will do! M
Congrats for making it out of Wolverhampton alive! If you ever visit again see if you can take George to West Park. Probably the nicest park in the Midlands. The odd murder aside.
Heard about one of those murders, wasn’t obvious it was a good place to visit. Maybe next time. M
Yeah there was a gruesome killing of a 14 year old girl by a 17 year old. Still a lovely park to visit and i'm sure George will protect you.
I’m sure he would. M
Beautiful scenery, I especially like the way you included the moon .
The moon was particularly cooperative when filming this vlog! Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the kind words!
Lovely empty canals
We didn’t see another moving boat for weeks!
Hi guys
Nice day for cruise shame about rubbish round prop
It was a glorious day. The rubbish only got worse unfortunately... watch this space!
I don't know if you planned it, but at the final talk on a cloudless day.......the Moon in the background was pretty cool!
Not planned, just luck ... nice of the Moon to upstage is though! M
Now I know why the towpath was close earlier this year.The cycling club I ride with had to do a detour on the road coming from Cosley tunnel the Wolverhampton. If you'd had have been able to get to the end of the canal arm. You would have got to the CRT factory where the make the lock gates.
Yes, I was hoping to see the workshop... and also tick off another Silver Propeller Challenge destination! M
I enjoy your vlogs
Thank you, and thank you for taking the time to say! 😊
I enjoyed today's cruise. My goodness, I thought that you were going to hit that car that was parked so close to the canal! I hope his brakes hold...LOL. It's a shame there is so much debris in the canal, but glad you got it resolved. Safe cruising!
Cruising is a lot more pleasant when you’re not always hitting junk and nearly hitting cars! M
Aah the noble art of puggleism 😂😂
Yep. Dangerous, those pugs. M
A pugilist is a professional boxer.
Yep. Or a an organizer of small brachiocephalic dogs into ordered collections! M
Great video 👍🏻
You can go down the Wednesbury Oak Loop as far as CRT’s Bradley workshops, so a lot further than you went. If it was shut for dredging then there should be a stoppage notice!!!
We could contacted the CRT and they said that ‘vandals’ had moved the boat. I’m gutted we missed it as it is one of the places in the Silver Propeller Challenge.
Minimal List how annoying is that!
Very extremely annoying. M
Happy Anniversary for the 16th, We had ours on the 8th :-) Great video as always.
Thank you! Happy Anniversary to you also! Jo
LOL A Man after my ownself judges everything by what food he finds!!
Here in the states it towns I have found real Chicken Fried Steaks in, and of course good Donuts
You 'complained' about the weed impassable branch - however to be fair to CaRT (shock horror !) it is marked on their website map with a dotted line - which to me indicates that it's unusable. It's incredibly expensive to do dredging anywhere end exceedingly so on the BCN where most waters are highly contaminated, so what's the point of clearing it when the length would most likely be clogged up with CMers....
I’m not sure we complained exactly! We had little expectation of being able to cruise down there which is why we walked. We had heard it had been a few years since a boat had explored that stretch. Sorry if it came across as moaning, that’s certainly wasn’t our intention.
I did "put complained" in quotes - couldn't think of a way to start the comment. I don't think you're moaning - it must be very frustrating when you plan a voyage as complex as your whole journey to cover the whole system, to find one / some of you targets to be unusable! There is probably a good local political reason why it's been left in water (if it's not something that drains into it).'We" as boaters just use the system, quite oblivious of the underlying constraints / considerations / other requirements that have kept the canal system open.I hope others that read these posts and watch your videos are grateful for what you two / three are documenting and actually use them to help plan their next trip! There's no resource quite like them..Grateful thanks.HH
Always love your vlog. I always click like immediately, as I don't want to miss any of your outtakes!
Rough turn, no drifting though!???
Thanks for the support!
Just an idea, what about a piece of diamond plate aluminum to fit the bow of the boat where you break the ice. It would save your blacking.and look cool. Also you might look for some one selling a used wet suit top and glove. You could cut off the sleeve and use it and the glove to clean off your prop during the winter. Thanks for the the great video.
A wetsuit arm would be a good idea. Bit tricky to find one that’ll fit me though. Interesting idea with the aluminum... I was thinking about a motorized flail like those minebreaking tanks on D-Day. M
@@MinimalList I understand about the size thing. As far as the ice goes how about those torpedo's I was talking about. You wouldn't have to put a charge just send it down the canal and when it runs out of power just pick it up and wind the rubber bands again.
Torpedos could cause some upset for other boat owners, as the screw went whining past the hull. M
Unbelievable…I’d be a more than a bit hesitant to live on a canal that too many people seem to use as a trash dump!
Its not all that bad!
Where you stopped for diesel if you continued down there's a road bridge about 30 yards on the right after the bridge is where my nana & grandad lived.
Well we should have gone another 30 yards! M
@@MinimalList I use to love taking a trip down to the yard to peer over the top to see what craft they had on chocks.
It’s an interesting place. Though from the looks of some of them they’ve been on chocks since before your nana and grandad were there! M
What a stunnig day. Shame you had to go down the weedhatch into that freezing cold smelly canal water. Oh, speaking of which,
TOP TIP:- pour a kettle of hot water down the weed hatch. Be careful though to make sure it has gone tepid before sticking your arm in. The warm water will pretty much stay in the confines of the weedhatch for a while. Repeat if it gets cold again.
Ooh, good trick!! Thanks!! M
Apparently Pugilism is another word for boxing
About that bump on the head you had a while back. 🤣
Heh. M
Could Cooke fuels have done a delivery?
Possibly, we tried calling a couple companies that offered delivery, but they either couldn’t do such small quantities or weren’t prepared to deliver to a boat, but Cooke does say “any quantity”. If in a pinch we’ll give them a shout! M
@@MinimalList Probably would have charged an arm and a leg, no prices on the website.
Michael. I’m fascinated by how you sit on the back corner of the boat. It looks quite thin (the boat, not your bum) Doesn’t it hurt 🤔 ?
Not really, it’s about an inch and a half wide and surpassingly comfortable. What little padding I’ve got back there must be in the right place. M
It is already spring, it started around 7th Feb.
Came as a bit of a surprise. Looking forward to the summer starting in April, and winter again round June. M
Love your videos! Question, what is your boat speed when cruising, and what is your top speed full throttle? Thanks and keep up the quality videos!
Realistically the cruising speed is about 3mph, most of the time. A decent walking pace. On longer lock-less stretches, and especially when there’s some width and depth and you’re not mainly churning mud you can make it up to 4mph, which is the speed limit on the canals. Full bore on a wide and deep water like the Thames you could probably make about 8mph (ignoring current), but the hull’s not at all well designed for speed, so not much beyond that. M
@@MinimalList Thank you! I figured it was walking pace since people pass you on the tow path. LOL! I was not aware there was a speed limit of 4mph. Fortunately you dont stir up much wake being as long and skinny as these boats are. You must also have very low fuel consumption since it doesn't take much to push the hull through the water.
Hi both are you planning to do the wyrley and essington at all? We have bought some shoulder length gloves off amazon for about £5 just the job for the weed hatch.
Wish I’d had a pair of those ... especially on the Wyrley and Essington. The videos are as ever a bit behind us, and soon they’ll be on the W&E, trying to catch up to us! M
Well, the weather I get here in NJ, USA always seems to make it there about a week later so if that is true then the coal will serve you well, They are talking about 6-18 degree F. nights all next week March 4th to the 8th. Getting garbage off a prop is bad enough but rope has to be the worst. Do those drive units have a shear pin in case the rope jams solid to protect the transmission?
I keep expecting the weather to make it over, but somethings going weird out there in the Atlantic. Honestly not sure about a shear pin... I’m hoping we never have to find out. M
Minimal List from experience no they don't. Hit something VERY heavy under water, massive bend in prop and a knackered drive plate. Some have a flexible joint in the prop shaft/gearbox connection.
Yeah, don’t think ours does. Here’s hoping we never have to find out! M
you 2 are brill together ,,,, how much to fill up with diesel n how long that lasts plz
Depends on how much you cruise and the size of your tank and the split (you have to tell the provider what percentage you want assigned to domestic use, which is taxed at a lower rate, and propulsion use, which is taxed much higher). Typically a 60:40 propulsion:domestic split is normal. We usually fill up around 90-100 liters, which is usually a little more than £100, but price varies a fair amount. Fuel boats are cheaper generally and big marinas tend to be higher. We’ll get about a month and half of heavy cruising out of that, a lot more like three months if we’re not pushing hard. M
thanks im hoping to be joining the cut next year with the missus lol just getting a rough gage of prices
You’ll find it’s not too expensive (though of course Brexit could change all of that, who knows)... the key thing is keeping the engine in good running order so it’s burning efficiently. M
The locks would have been in your favour on the way back up at least.
Thankfully, yes. M
is there a fee for using the canals
It gets a bit complicated, because not all canals are managed by the Canal and River Trust, but for the majority of the connected canal system if you own a boat you need only pay your annual license fee. When you go on to other canals and rivers managed by other authorities there can be additional fees, so it depends on where you roam to. M
What programme did you make the map in - it is really rather fantastic?
Jo used Photoshop, though it would have been easier in Inkscape or Illustrator, though we don’t have the latter. She did a great job! M
That was a real trip down memory lane for me. I originate from this region and it was in about 1979 (I was 13) when I discovered these ribbons of oil, there may still have been some water under the oil, meandering around my homeland. It was then that I started cut walking. Later I found the bus routes that took me out to the Shroppie and the Staffs an Worcs, thus finding nicer canals. The canals might seem a bit mucky to you but they are greatly improved from the time of my experience of them. Thank you very much for that video. Hope you managed to find some Orange chips this time, They are one of the few things that I find it worth going back to the Black Country for.
Yeah I can only imagine how filthy they once were, glad we’re bringing back fond memories. As for orange chips, well we found them, but none that a vegetarian can eat, sadly. We did check everywhere that offered them. M
That was a surprise to me. I had no idea that orange chips had anything non vegetable in their cooking, otherwise I would not have recommended them, sorry.
I think it’s just the fat they are cooked in... we might just have had bad luck at the shops we tried.
Ten year old maps?
Do GPSs work on the canals? 🛰
They do, to an extent. The books, even the old ones, provide a lot more context though. Plus the canal doesn’t change that much over time! M
Luck not improving ,sacrifice more of Georges balls to the canal spirits . Or visit a liquor store to get your own spirits . Diver gloves sounded like a good idea . Hate it when your fingers wont work as their frozen , brain keeps sending messages to work and fingers just ignore them as the pain barrier is breached . Hope things improve all the best from OZ.
Diver’s gloves would be good, if I could still have some feeling through them. It’s really hard to get the last of the remnants around from the point where the shaft enters the boat without a little fingertip sensation. M
Love Michaels grasp of football in Wolverhampton made me laugh. How did you get on with black country accents and dialogue 😃
Barely understood a word. At least as confusing as football teams! M
@@MinimalList 😃 should have gotten a black country dictionary from their shop in Merry hill (or Merry hell) centre when you were moored near there.....
Do you have to step down slightly into the boat when reversing ? i was trying to work it out why you are much lower when you reverse.
I tend to kneel down so I can see along the tiller axis, as it makes it a lot easier to keep the boat heading in a straight line. If I’m not kneeling down I’m probably leaning up against the side wall to get myself out of the camera’s path. M
General note - Most important thing is not to be within the arc of the tiller arm when reversing! If a reversing boat hits an obstacle under the water, then it hits the rudder first, and the tiller arm becomes a weapon moving with incredible force - it would pretty much cut you in two, break some ribs, or maybe just throw you off the boat (into its path). Reversing can feel deceptively gentle, but there have been some nasty accidents whilst going backwards!
That’s why I tend to keep the tiller arm right about six inches from the end of my nose... it can swing through its whole arc and leave me feeling lucky! M
How far back did you have to reverse?
Not that far, maybe about 1/2 a kilometer. The bends were the hard part. M
Perseverance will look really great with 15 bags of coal stacked on the roof.
She’ll wobble about a bit much though. Raises the center of reality a bit. M
Would y'all please turn captions on for your channel? The hearing impaired could then watch your channel! Love all you do watch all the time...keep the chats up!
English auto generated seems to be available under the menu on top right. Struggles with Michael occasionally but otherwise ok.
We do have auto-generated captions turned on. The process of manually fixing them is incredibly time consuming, as the tools on UA-cam for creating them are pretty terrible. But we should take a look at how we could do that better. M
My granny was a chainmaker in wednesbury, built like a brick sh*house she was😊
Tough women, those chainmakers were. M
Better to have too much coal than not enough
Very true! M
Most entertaining. You need a long rubber glove for tackling the weed hatch. Maybe you should go into the coal business and sell to other boaters - mind you we have had snow in May😳. Michael You will be interested in the Wednesbury rule in English law (uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/6-200-9152?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&firstPage=true&comp=pluk&bhcp=1) Really impresses with Jo’s rendering of the Birmingham loop into Lindon underground style - how many renditions did that take?
pugilism rhymes with toothgilism, not pug more huge! Bare knuckle fighting with "rules",
Well I know that, but Jo didn’t! ;-) M
Is Georges favorite classical composer Offenbach? Favorite sport footBALL? And his least favorite cheese shop ua-cam.com/video/Hz1JWzyvv8A/v-deo.html
And don't forget "blessed are the cheese makers"
I dare say George would have shot Mr. Wensleydale a lot earlier. M
shame for all the rubbish and debris in the canal, what is wrong with people?
It was utterly depressing to see all the junk around Walsall... spoiler alert... it gets worse in the next vlog!