New video! Released early and (partially) ad-free for Patrons during the early access period.
NOTE: This video does contain a sponsored promotion read by me for Holzkern.com; if Patrons wish to skip it, it runs from 3'11" to 5'28". Sorry but these very occasional promos are very valuable for me and the boat licence renewal is due in January!!
Watch the video at 2025-11-17 17:45:01 +0000 UTC View Post
New video! Released early (and ad-free to Patrons during the early access period)
After being called away unexpectedly when I was last working on my fibreglass project cruiser, Twiggy, I was able to return a couple of weeks later to continue shaping the second chunk of wood that will make up the new transom core.
Watch at https://youtu.be/gdeir3oXymE
2025-11-07 18:05:19 +0000 UTC View PostNew video! Released early (and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)
Continuing my journey aboard my narrowboat, this time from Polesworth down to Springwood Haven marina, where it would remain for a further three weeks before I was able to move it again. On the way, I went through the 11-lock Atherstone lock flight, with surprising ease due to help from lockies and fellow boaters.
Watch at https://yout...
2025-10-27 17:16:31 +0000 UTC View PostNew video! (Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early-access period)
Watch at https://youtu.be/zgumqdB4vtk
As part of my ongoing journey bringing narrowboat Gentian down from Lincoln to the Midlands over the summer, I had stopped at Kings Orchard marina in Lichfield. The next step was to take it to Springwood Haven marina near Nuneaton so in this video I begin this leg, getting as far as Polesworth,...
2025-10-17 16:49:01 +0000 UTC View Post
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This was supposed to be a very productive day when I almost finished the new wood core for my fibreglass cruiser's transom, however part-way through I was called away. So this episode documents what small progress I managed to make on that occasion (and yes, the emergency was dealt with OK, thank you)
Hello Patrons, it's been a while since I did a bit of bonus content so here's a link to a little video of my day aboard Gentian yesterday. This is only for Patrons and YouTube Members as extra content, it won't go live to the public.
https://youtu.be/nWoQHP6V64Y
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This is a further continuation of my journey taking narrowboat Gentian from where I bought it down to the Midlands where it will be moored for the foreseeable future. Here I go from Alrewas to Kings Orchard marina, managing to let the boat crash forwards in a turbulent lock through not paying attention.
Start point: https://maps.ap...
New video! (Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period) We return to the journey of narrowboat Gentian in this episode, documenting the trip from Mercia Marina down to the village of Alrewas - and it rained, a lot, on the way.
Start point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rzAyWXtq7JAj4cEn8
End point: https:/...
New video! (Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)
I am publishing another Twiggy DIY episode because it follows straight on from the last one (I will return to narrowboat Gentian in the next video).
In this episode I make a template for the new wood core of my boat's transom and then cut it out of two sheets of marine plywood (and also explain why in the end I went with marine ply). The question is, having made a template that fits beautifully, wi...
2025-09-07 17:08:55 +0000 UTC View Post
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Having not been able to do any restoration work on my cabin cruiser Twiggy for a while, I finally got back to the boatyard to do final preparation before fitting the new transom core. This involved a bit more fibreglass work as well as mixing up thickened resin to seal the join between the top and bottom halves of the hull, which were coming apart.
At the end of the last video, I came to the end of the River Trent at Derwent mouth where it joins the start of the Trent & Mersey canal. In this video, I take the boat onto the canal and up to Mercia marina, where I'd be leaving the boat for a week until I could move it again.
Prior video: https://youtu.be/eDnZ-sj-uOA
Wilderness Beaver video: htt...
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As I live very near to Malvern, and a day ticket for the motorhome show was just £7.50, I took a trip to the Three Counties Showground to browse a huge variety of motorhomes. Come with me, in this video.
Caravan Radio https://www.caravanradio.co.uk
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Having left my narrowboat at Beeston marina for four weeks, I now returned for a weekend to move it onto the canals and stash it at Mercia Marina temporarily (until the next move!) This is part 1 of that move.
Start location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BS9b4SzAsVJrkeMKA
End location: 2025-08-08 20:09:36 +0000 UTC
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New video! I was invited to go along to the Van Life & Celebration event in Newbury at the end of July, and various friends were going to be there so along I went.
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This is day 2 of my weekend spent moving narrowboat Gentian from Newark-on-Trent to Beeston Marina, filmed at the start of May. In this episode, I take the boat from Stoke Lock on the River Trent, onto the Nottingham & Beeston canal to go through Nottingham and then out the other side back onto the river again, to leave the boat safely at Beeston Marina.
Note: It stayed there for three weeks but as this ...
A quick note to mark my ten year anniversary of this channel on YouTube and to say thank you to anyone who has ever watched and enjoyed my videos. Cheers!
2025-07-25 17:10:56 +0000 UTC View Post
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Part 2 of my trip to bring the narrowboat Gentian down from Lincoln to the East Midlands, here I move it from Newark-upon-Trent to Stoke Lock which is not a million miles away from Nottingham. It was a bank holiday weekend (first weekend in May) and there was a lot of traffic on the river, all of which overtook me with ease!
Start point: 2025-07-18 20:35:11 +0000 UTC
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Back in April, I began the slow process of moving my recently-purchased narrowboat from Burton Waters marina near Lincoln, down to the East Midlands. This video is Step 1 of that journey, from BW to Newark-upon-Trent. I grumble a lot in this video. Probably best to not watch if you are prone to grumbling about me grumbling.
Start point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/...
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons apart from the embedded Saily promo - use timestamps below if you wish to skip it)
In this final part of our Canal du Midi press trip, organised for us by Le Boat, we move from Roubia up to Trebes where we handed the boat back and went for a day trip to Carcassonne, to look around the historic medieval city.
Start point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vxRTVcsu2zqX8Ewd6<...
Hello Patrons, I'm about to upload the third and final part of the France trip but am pondering thumbnail images again. Which do you prefer? The video will show up as "373. It's a breeze! High winds while canal boating in France (Canal du Midi Part 3)" and has been titled BON VOYAGE as shown. But do you like: Nightime View, Me Steering or Open Countryside best?
2025-06-27 08:54:22 +0000 UTC View Post
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons except for the embedded promo for Saily which is part of the video itself; see timestamps below if you wish to skip it)
This is Part 2 of my trip along the Canal du Midi courtesy of Le Boat, travelling from Port Cassafieres to Trebes, near Carcassonne. I was joined by my friend Sally - and in this episode, another, familiar, face too. We went up the incredible Fonseranes lock flight and met a lovely dog at a "mini-golf cafe" as well as cruising a...
(Released early and free of YouTube ads for Patrons during the early access period but please note there IS an 'integrated' advertising promo which I can't remove for Patrons as it's part of the video. You can skip it though, for which timestamps are provided below)
I'm very keen to hear what you think of this one!
Who could resist an offer to try canal boating in the South of France in May? Certainly not me, so with a friend along to help out at the locks, we jetted down to Bez...
A little teaser of the upcoming videos from my trip last month to the south of France on a Le Boat canal trip...
2025-06-04 11:51:28 +0000 UTC View Post
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After a long period where it seemed that all I did was make holes in my fibreglass cabin cruiser, "Twiggy", I have at least started to repair them. This time I use sheets of "1708" fibreglass mat soaked in vinylester resin followed by dollops of the same resin mixed with chopped up fibreglass strands, to give a contour to the corner (this will all be sanded and gone over again with more 1708 later)
At the recent IWA/CRT restoration conference, I interviewed the CRT's outgoing CEO Richard Parry for video 369 but while I had him there, I took the opportunity to ask a couple of quick supplemental questions about the future of the CRT.
2025-05-27 10:36:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello Patrons, here's the next video in advance of public viewing (and no ads during the early access period)
2025-05-18 20:23:23 +0000 UTC View Post
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)
Although lots of technical data about narrowboat propellers exists already, it largely relates to the traditional diesel engine. With electrically-propelled canal boats now becoming more commonplace, boat-builder Ortomarine held a practical trials day to see if changing prop made for a better or worse experience when your narrowboat has an electric motor.
Ortomarine:
2025-05-08 16:29:35 +0000 UTC
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A short, Patreon-only bonus video filmed on Saturday evening as I moored on the River Trent, while bringing the boat up stream as part of the move towards the Midlands!
2025-05-05 09:16:51 +0000 UTC View Post
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In order to fix the holes in the sides of my boat that I made when trying to find out where the transom wood ended, I need to open them out a bit so as to give me a space onto which to stick new fibreglass so that meant buying an angle grinder and making the holes even bigger. Don't worry, it's all part of the plan.
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)
For the second cruise on my 'new' tiny narrowboat, Gentian, I turned right out of the marina and headed about 7 miles west along the Fossdyke Navigation until I got to Torksey lock where I stopped for the night before heading back. In this video I also reveal the mystery of how to change the lightbulbs!
Start point: https://maps.app...
2025-04-18 17:26:48 +0000 UTC View Post