The Other Side of Narrowboat Life - Episode 62
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- We have a long difficult day getting our narrowboat out of Birmingham to Wolverhampton with a broken weed hatch.
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• Benjamin Thompson - Lu...
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Great to see a video before covid times ! How things have changed . I never knew a weed hatch could cause so much of a problem.
Thank you again for all your vlogs 😊
Poor Rich,
that was hours of utter stress, no wonder you are washed out.
glad all turned out well.
regards Australia.
This reminds me of when I was about 8 and went on a narrow boat holiday with my family. We went through Birmingham and there were some little shits on a bridge throwing stuff at us as we passed. Great to see things dont change 😂
Hi from Canada! About two weeks ago we found one of your episodes (no. 61) and were immediately hooked. Since then we've been binge-watching every night and 62 Likes later we're finally caught up. We're enthralled. What a marvelous trip you've taken us on! Hi to Jess and Archie.
I have another 30 or so to go - I used to have a life!
you see beautiful flowers, i see beautiful bridges lol.
With all the drama you had, you still had some beautiful scenery to look at. Your dog is so beautiful
Some Cool Graffiti around Birmingham Canals.
Another Great Video. Thanks Guys.
We think so too although there are many who disagree
Keep safe lovely people
I just love the openest and honesty from you guy's...... For sharing your life on the canals, whether it 's good or , sometimes not so good... Thank you x.
Thank you. It is nearly always good, but we have always said we show it as it is.
What a nightmare glad you made it through keep smiling and have a wine and a pint or 3 lol
Hi thanks for sharing with us my friends
Thank you too x
That’s where some of my family live xxxx and Dudley xx
With you guys we see the nitty gritty of life on a boat, and of course your in one of the deepest canals!
we have always tried to show life as it is, without being too moany. This was just one bad day.
So sorry for the rotten day - hopefully it will be a one-off, and you can get your joy back! Here's wishing for smooth cruising for a nice long stretch!
You two have had a rotten day of it, I’m not surprised you were fed-up! Somehow you still manage to smile at the end of it xx
Its OK to vent. Rant even. Let it go, have some wine and sleep till the next day. All looks better in the morning...I am very happy that you had the weed hatch repaired in just 90 minutes...that is fantastic!
It's good to see one of the down sides of narrow boating. It's like a house, constant up keep. Nothing is a bed of rose's all the time. Fran, you look like a ray of sunshine in your orange top and necklace.
Thank you x
I have enjoyed what you call moaning bit of vlog beCause it gives a true picture of narrow boating , absolutely LOVE your channel ,,,, just discovered it yesterday. Living in Wisconsin I have no concept of canal lifestyle. Thank You!
Thank you Barbara and welcome aboard our channel
keep smiling guys i have been boating 36yrs and you will have days like this but you will have more good than bad. buy your self a cheap stick welder and practice on some scrap steel would fix thing like that in 30 mins .all the best
Yep, and there are some really quite small unit's available that won't take much room. BUT! they rely on mains electricity & 24v just won't "cut it".
It would have to be a specific generator run unit, which of course leads to more problems with space.
So unless your into oxy/ acetylene & willing to lump around the bottles,gauges and hoses....
Life's a bitch sometimes
Just one bad day among so many good
I’m home sick today. Come across you two a week or so ago. You have made a few pence with me watching from the beginning. Thank you for all the cultural side trips.
Hi Shannon. Glad you're enjoying xx
We've moored up in the centre Birmingham twice and had no problems. It is worth going to, although we didn't use the Main Line from Wolverhampton.
2 weeks ago we went from Chester to Ellesmere Port by narrowboat and the canal was full of weed. Some boaters had to stop several times to clear the weed hatch. We were lucky, as we only had to use reverse to clear the prop. The CRT Boat Museum is at Ellesmere Port, and we moored up in the top basin and the basin was completely covered in a pond weed. You couldn't see the water.
Despite the problems, we still really enjoyed Brum and would go back again but maybe not on the main line.
Rich and Fran,.. what a day you two had! I really enjoy the experiences you share. Thanks for keeping it real, sometimes things go wrong. It was great that you had the skills to know what to do and not to do. Being careful when it’s called for.
Mark in Colorado xx
Thanks for watching Mark. It is all part of life isn't it. We never expect it all to be sunshine and fluffy ducks. Fortunately no lasting damage was done and we're back in clear waters now
What a pissy day! I'm glad it's long behind you--and hope that dinner, wine and bed were completely restorative.
Sorry to hear of the crappy events. Glad you enjoyed Brum and gave it such a high rating. There's lots of change going on in the city and lots to see. The Shakespeare room was originally in the old Reference Library which was demolished in the '60s. The panelled room was put in storage and then placed in the new Library of Birmingham. Most of the valuable Shakespeare collection is kept in the library vaults.
I think this just proves you are human. Even after a crap day you finish with a grin on your faces.
I live East Yorkshire its lovely
Never seen weed like that before. You could investigate getting a rope/weed cutter fitted. You two are always smiling, keep it up.
Some of those serated cutters, just forward of the prop, are good for weed but not nylon rope and pallet binding straps. But dangerous when pulling stuff off the prop by hand through the hatch. Get a hooked/curved lino/flooring/carpet knife attched to a strong pole to use to cut stuff off the prop by pulling it upwards and keeping your hands dry. Draged a complete sari off the prop in gas street basin one year.
sorry, you had such a tough day. Glad the weed hatch is sorted x x
...and you kept on smiling through most of it. Good on ya'. It's good though to film the yucky parts too. We knew it wasn't all lovely and without mishap, so seeing the other side is good. Thanks for taking us along. Merry Ann from Minnesota
Whew! Can't imagine how exhausted you were. After watching that, I want me dinner, I want me wine, I want me bed-- In fact, I want me dinner and me wine in me bed.
Not often you get problems with the locals you were just unlucky. The original canal wasnt the other one you mention but was 25ft higher between Spon Lane and Smethwick locks which were 6 at each end so you were actually on the 3rd incarnation the new main line or Birmingham Level
Felt very sorry for you both watching that but knowing tomorrow is a new start will keep you going
I am so sorry you had such an experience with your boat. It is a shame that weed is doing so much winding onto the props of boats. It is also a shame that people treat the canal as their personal garbage can. Just like here in the US they toss the garbage on the roadside because they are too cheap to pay for pick up, or they don't want clutter in their cars. It is disgusting. Thank you for sharing this point though. Have a Blessed day.
Unfortunately there are people like this all over the world
Good to see an honest vlog also about narrow boating.. take care Thanks for sharing
Our pleasure!
@@FloatingOurBoat as I'm probably in your age group I find you very relatable & I'm a greenie and nature lover.. 🇳🇿😁
A dropped stitch in boating life's tapestry as Del Boy would say. Scary times with the weed hatch though. Pleased you got sorted okay that's the main thing 👍
Very stressful day for both of you, it is disappointing to see all this plastic that pollutes the channels, the rivers and the oceans, I am happy for you that your boat is repaired
Ah, the joys of the weed hatch. We had a 5 days hire from Napton Junction in 2016 and I was oblivious of weed hatch issues then. 3 weeks ago we hired for a week from Ellesmere. We moored the 1st night by Cole Mere and soon after starting on day 2, there was an awful clanging and banging noise sounding like a broken engine cylinder. I opened the weed hatch as shown at the marina the day before but coud see nothing amiss so we limped back to the marina. The engineer reached deep down and back (towards the prop) and dragged out an entire 300mm x 50mm solid rubber fender, short length of rope and part of a mangled trouser leg! We must have just been in exactly the wrong place to have picked up all that in one go. Fortunately the rest of the week was incident free other than a 350 litre toilet tank indicating "full" after just 3 days. (We suspect neither tank was pumped out after the previous hire).
Fran, you say you haven't been to York. We visited in 2017 - it's a fabulous city to see as a tourist and I think it has good moorings close in.
After watching your early vlogs quite some time ago, the K&A and Bath are now in my sights for a boating holiday.
Hope you enjoy the K&A as much as we did. I am really looking forward to York the Yorkshire hills
Fran x
New to your videos here , from Ohio across the pond love watching 👀you guys and foxes Afloat, no one else can compete....happy motoring to you folks .Tom in ohio
Thank you so much Tom. Welcome aboard!
Hey guys sounds like you need to have a couple of c clamps in your ready box.
On the shopping list
All the best. Keep pootling......
We've been fortunate too, only a couple of minor negatives in our 9 months of cruising, love the frankness of this vlog👍 hope you both enjoyed dinner and a glass of wine before well earned bed.
We were fine. We all know these things can happen and we soon perked up after food, wine and sleep.
Catapulted? Lucky. I traveled, about 14 years ago, in the dark past the Mill and Motorway Bridge (7 min's in) and was shot at by an Air Rifle which hit the boat but not my mate or myself luckily.
Well I guess we all have days like that! Our Motorhome breaks down from time to time but we fix it and move on! It's all part of travel.
No life is trouble free, but at least in boats and vans problems are usually more easily solved
G clamps, c clamps, spreader clamps, quick clamps.... get an array and be prept!👍
Even simple mole grips
On the shopping list
Hi Fran & Rich, just going through your back catalogue of vids and love this one - I like the 'unexpected' things that occur and how you deal with them....! rob
Thank you Rob. The unexpected things are really what make this such a great life. we have spent too many years doing the predictable nine to five bit.
Ive been going back and watching your older vids between following the new ones. Even though i knew you made it i found myself getting really tense as you navigated through all those weeds and plastic trying to make it to the boat yard before your boat sank. i totally don’t blame you for being tired and fed up by the end of the day.
Wine dinner bed. Great to follow your journey. Thanks as always for a fantastic video.
Thank you Sylvia
Well, I was on the edge of my chair with this one! So glad you made it and got the problem fixed and on your way. If you moored up where the grafitti was behind you at the end scene on your video, I hope you and your boat were both OK overnight. Continued SAFE cruising!!
Well done for keeping smiling. I found it very weedy between Dudley and Brum but luckily no rubbish round the prop. I too needed some welding after an encounter between my T stud and a lift bridge on the North Stratford. Thank goodness for helpful boatyards.
it was just one bad day among so many good.
Awww such a shame the day you had there, really frustrating...hope the days after are much better for you both, glad to see you still had your smiles though 💖
We are all back to peace and quiet and smiles now. x
Glad you're safe and all is well and that you had plenty of time to get it sorted.
All was well in the end.
Oh that is a bummer.
Hope you can make it safely .
Used to live in Brum many moons ago.
I prefer to keep the memory's.
The way it used to be.
Stay safe.
I don't think you would recognise it much now.
You should return! It gets better every year!
Thanks for a fascinating episode. Sorry your Wolverhampton greeting was by catapult, glad the lads were put off by the go pro.Im not that surprised, it was always a bit rough along that stretch. Im originally from Aldersley Junction near Tettenhall. Much nicer!! All the best!
Oh poor you - you both looked shattered and fed up at the end. Thanks for a lovely vlog. Not all the canal system is wonderful! :-)
We survived, these things happen and we were all recovered and smiling again after a good nights sleep. I guess in some ways it is better when everything goes wrong at once, then you can get on with having fun the next day. Fran x
Aw that was a tough old time. I recently did the Erewash canal and that was the same, I was so fed up having to clear stuff off the engine it is so frustrating so I do sympathize with you. Hope all is ok now. Thanks guys.
clearing the weed hatch has to be one of the worst jobs, especially when it is so inaccessible as ours is.
Stumbled across this channel. Really good, nice couple and great to watch. Thank you
The first two-thirds of your vlog went rather well and that’s the part I’ve decided to concentrate on. But I can only imagine how frustrating & tiring the final third was for you. I’m glad the hooligans didn’t cause damage or injury. I’ve never been a big fan of cities due to the concentration of numbnuts.
It is the first time we have had any trouble and nobody was hurt, but we are now so glad to be out of town
Hi to the two of you still worth watching even in the weeds you managed to stay positive. so go have a glass of wine, eat dinner. Have a restfull sleep, all will be good in the morning and we will see your usual happy smiles. XX ed 40 south of vegas
we were still smiling at the end, and we did sleep well.
Really enjoyed that. The graf was good to see and the first bit of music, the nu Jazz track was outstanding.
I dont blame you being fedup!keep ur chins up.
Brum looks brilliant cheers you two
Hope all works out and you can get back to enjoying yourself
It did and we are!
Well done folks. There is no pretence with ye guys, it's "life as it happens". 👍🏻
Hi Rich & Fran, sorry to hear you had all those problems that spoilt your visit on BCN
I've had my own share so know how you must have felt.
Good thing is it is quickly forgotten on next days cruise hopefully. Take care xx
Hi Mark. It hasn't spoilt our experience of Brum which was lovely. It's just a shame it is so difficult getting there.
Again. Love the music
Great video guys! Glad you enjoyed Brum ❤️😎👍
Nearest screwfix type shop and a couple of G clamps should hold it.
Tense situation. Really recommend you get some “c” clamps. Probably 4. I can see a number of areas they would come in handy. Including the current one.
Did you not called the police? Years ago we had nearly the same, but now with stones,
the police came quickly, it was just they neaded, if all boaters keep quiet, the blokes have fun.
When the boat is stopped, keys out, open en clean the prop, as you do every morning, the opening is far above the water
and if you are afraid it will open because off that broken Hadge, try to blok it with a plank, maybe make it to fit vertical.
One good think is, your batries are properly charged.
Have fun, thanks for chowing,
Greetings.
That footbridge at 18:31, the way the bricks are arched between the steel beams is interesting.
I worked near J1 of the M5 and would run down to the canal and then along it to the Gas Street Basin and then across to New Street Station, so I recognise most of the landmarks !
Hi Fran and Richard, Even if I had no sound on I could tell something was wrong, ever so often we all get a curly one and that was your day, I felt sad for you both, I watched our word champion All Blacks draw, yes draw with South Africa on the TV. but got over it today (Sunday) Blessings to you both Kaiora John NZ
.
Thank you John, We were fine. Nobody was hurt and the boat was fixed. Just one challenging day in a usually peaceful life.
Good music.
Sorry for your long anxious day but it turned out to be a good vlog. we are buying a boat to live on as soon as the house is sold and we know the niceties of boating but thanks to your vlog we are now aware it is not all roses. Keep vlogging your great to watch. Paul Rena and Bonnie the dog.
Whatever life you lead, there will always be the odd not so good days and this was one, but we still enjoyed most of the cruising, and two days later we were out in beautiful countryside again. Still a wonderful way lo live. Good luck with your boat and new life.
Fran x
Well done you guys :)
oh, dear, after that day you had, you've every right to have a bit of a grumble!
Always remember the words of that old wise man Confused Ass who wrote " A bad day Boating is still better than a good day at work ". That is why my plan of attack on the boat is to always take your time and soak up the good stretches, even if that means spending longer than planned at a stand out mooring or beautiful bit of water to cruise.Happy Cruis'n and give the dogs a pat from us.
That's a good thought to keep in mind Daryl. We have since spent many days at some lovely moorings sitting out baking sun and now torrential rain. But we're happy!
My favorite boat life quote is : "Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk."- Sir Francis Charles Chichester KBE 😄 .Wise words indeed,my missus wonders why l can always remember that type of nonsense but not what she has told me 😄 .Of course you are happy, life is good, we only get to binge watch you as the farm keeps us busy but you can see boat life is treating the both of you well,you both look fantastic and much more relaxed from when you first started life on the water.The dogs will be looking forward to the new walk regime .Happy Cruis'n,give the cheeky mutts a pat from us .
Don't give up. Have a couple of bottles of wine. To get over the hump. Lol
It would take much more than one not so good day to make us give up.
Love to watch your video's ♥ Hope you two have a long and happy life on your boat ♥
Hi guys looks like you having fun with the weed in the canals around Wolverhampton. I thinks its because there's not a lot of boats that travel that way,unlike the T&M and the GU
Hi Ed, we think you are probably right. A chicken and egg situation.
Hence the title “a bridge to far” well done guys
1st time to find your video, really enjoyed
welcome to our channel x
I'm loving your blog first time watching I do watch a few cutting the cut is very good. Hope you both enjoyed your visit threw Birmingham as that's where I'm from. 😊😊
Brilliant guys thanks 😁👍👏👏👏
Hope you both had a good nights kip after that day,soon be able to break your new boots in .i will be up in York in a couple of weeks on a rail discovery holiday.take care god bless , rob xx
Boots are feeling fine and we are ready for Yorkshire walking. Hope you enjoy York.
Great to see you both still smiling after the long drawn out day and glad you got the weed hatch sorted, CRT should get some weed cutting done in the water never mind the towpath, Enjoyed the video as always, looking forward to the next already lol , I think it was Minimalist that said beware of walsall , take care ,ATB Paul
You are quite right Paul.
Hi both.. We thought that the BCN was a bloody disgrace... Made God knows how many trips to the weed hatch.. plastic bags and that awful weed.. didn't see another boat for over a week.. reasons are pretty clear now! CRT seems hell bent on looking after the towpath at the expense of the canals themselves..! We've done it once but never again.. keep smiling and keep the vlogs coming.. Steve and Sue...🍷🍷
It is such hard work isn't it. So glad to be back in open countryside now. Where are you two now?
Thanks for sharing the truth. Parts were lovely & it's clear crt needs to dredge so that part of the canal can effectively be utilized. Can you contact the community nr the bridge where you were catapulted & let them know there was some trouble. They may be able to look out for the young louts. Just an idea. Know you'll feel well rested in the next few days! Blessings!
The canal there definitely needs some attention as I think it stops so many boaters going into Birmingham
on the old line at spone lane i used to skate when frozen during lunch break next door neighbour had a coal yard on same stretch
As usual a lovely relaxing vlog, glorious weather as well! Nice pointing Fran!
So sorry, I posted that after a short time of watching, didn't realise it would pan out as it did..
@@andrewriley1664 That is so funny! That is called counting your chickens before they've hatched I think. Thank you for watching to the end
Fran x
A little late to the party, may I suggest a must for the tool box 'JB Weld' 5 minute epoxy a life safer. It was nice to see you on the B'ham to Wolverhampton cut. Did you notice the old Chance brothers Glass factory as you went by the Sponlane divide. I served my apprenticeship there in the late sixties early seventies. A shame about the Yobs we left the area in 73 for Canada. Great place,but the Yobs with guns have moved in now so we are moving to the east coast. Just got a picture of a Black Bear by our new house. I like bears better than yobs. Stay well, stay safe. Ok, the bears make more of a mess with the outdoor furniture than the otters, but we can live with both. :o)
Wow, bears would scare me, but then again yobs with guns would terrify me. I am feeling a bit precious now as I am worrying about the cows which seem to live on the towpath where we are moored. Thank you for watching.
It was like that 2 years ago it was bad And I know how you feel it is a rough between Birmingham to Wolverhampton when we went though were at lest 10 policeman looking for a man in grey tracksuit
so pushed on got Wolverhampton about 9 that night so tired and the next day the one ponds was empty you did not tell us that tomorrow you have 20 locks keep going love your blogs :)
it is such a shame, as Birmingham was so good. still the 20 locks went well and we had some lovely quiet moorings at the end.
@@FloatingOurBoat That's good to hear we might see you on the waters we are off for 2 weeks so if you see a cream boat not finished called Neil gray is us
not sure which way we are going just getting on the boat and going as far as we can and then turning round and going back
take care
@@louisebastard2091 We'll look out for you.
Omg !! You both have had a right rotten time , they say things happen in threes, one the weedhatch, two the CRT not managing that stretch of canal properly and three the catapult oiks from hell !! Anyway I would un-wind over a bottle of wine !!
Hello from Sun Lakes, Arizona! We just found your channel yesterday and love it! Hubby is from Cleethorpes area and we plan on doing some narrow boating. I absolutely love your music choice at 6:58 mark! I'm going to go back and watch your earlier videos. I haven't watched to the end, and hope your issue is resolved easily and you get back to it!
Hello Susan. Thank you for watching from Sun Lakes... What a lovely sounding place.
Hammer a timber in and dont worry about it..... Graffiti..... Now thats different. Personally id cut off their spraying finger with a blunt junior hacksaw blade then chain them up at their 'art work' and leave then to rot to a skeleton. A bridge near me they spent a year painting it... Within a week some knob has painted their name on it..... Skeleton time
I agree. Minor amputation would be a good start! Keep the 'skeleton stage' for a second or subsequent offence.
Am a recent sub having watched one of your vlogs that appeared in my UA-cam feed (I watch liveaboard vlogs from time to time, because my sis is one :) ) Anyway - what caught my attention was that you hail from Norfolk, or at least that's where you used to live - and I was intrigued to know more. Have now watched up to Ep. 12 and am really loving your down to earth approach, your general happy demeanours and 'can-do' attitudes. Loving also that Fran is very hands-on. So wish you well as you continue on your journeys (literally).
A ''' G;; clamp would get you by as I can see a lip on the hatch lip.
You should have a spare set of g-clamps as this happened to my brother on his boat, but had an extra large g-clamp and it held it all together so we didn't have to creep about.
Poor baby, it will be ok.
The top of the weed hatch is above water level. You wont sink if the lid comes off. But you will get lots of water thrown up.
If the prop is turning, water will be pushed up into the engine bay and the boat kan then sink really quickly. There are plenty of videos around showing boats going down in just minutes
Chin up bro, its gonna get better now you out of the city. Loves ya. xxx