I am sure David is used to this and he was the epitome of warm-hearted politeness. It was a dark period of personal crisis. You can follow David on Twitter and Facebook. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. all rolled into one. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. Im 53 and used to work as a local TV news reporter for ITV in the south east of England. Tom Ford. Doing multiple takes of the same thing from different angles. I wanted to avoid being responsible for the cognitive disorientation I encountered as a seven year old when I found out that the dashing Tony Archer from Radio 4's the Archers, looked like my Uncle Bert or that the person who played little Shula Archer was in her 30s! [1], Johns has appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks (four times), 8 Out of 10 Cats, Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, 28 Acts in 28 Minutes and, as an actor, he has appeared on Mud, Time Gentlemen Please, Inspector George Gently, and Harry Hill as God. A narrowboat needs only 1-2kW to move along (once it has begun moving) thus a 20kWh battery pack could sustain 5-10 hours travel (presuming standard lead-acid tech ie 50% drawdown before recharge) and presuming the battery is not used for anything else aboard (though in reality most electric-focused boats use it for domestic purposes as well so the battery and solar system has to support that too)However, solar is not so reliable in the UK. Then he takes us back in time to May 2018, when he went to London for the annual Inland Waterways Association's "Canalway Cavalcade", which is a huge and colourful pageant of narrowboats. At one point I had even thought of using a pseudonym for the Erica. And even if I zoomed in from above it doesnt really tell you anything useful about the place. Unfortunately I cannot as I have never used any of the rental companies myself so I cant in good conscience recommend any. This lovely series is a relaxing travelogue, providing ease and calm distraction The charming David Johns is narrator, captain and solo resident of a British narrowboat. I try to answer the question, To be a writer or to write? Its tough, that. Can you fish in the canals and do you eat them?You can fish if you have the appropriate licences local angling groups tend to have the rights to each stretch of canal so talk to them. I like his personality and sense of humor. Which guide books do you use?I use Nicholsons Guides because some of those were on the boat when I bought it so Im used to them. CruisingTheCut @CruisingTheCut 229K subscribers Merch! And so, like so many, we have known David, in a kind of unknowing way, for a long time. Why do you eat so many cheese sandwiches and whats in them?Because I love cheese I use the strongest cheddar I can get (preferably Pilgrims Choice Extra Mature or Cathedral City et al), with some tomato, maybe some cucumber slices and nothing else. Plus the supermarkets often react badly to people filming in them. Evoking the spirit of pirate radio - on a canal, https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/, Tuesday Morning, 5.30am (The Voyage of Bran). He speeds through a very tight bridge, does some laundry, and comes to a legendary canal junction at Fradley. Ive also heard it said that most people are right-handed thus their right hand is on the tiller so they stand on the left hand side of the boat; therefore when passing another boat coming towards you, both skippers will be on the side thats nearest to the oncoming boat.A recent comment on my vlogs also explained that the steering board on ships of old would be on the right (hence the term starboard for right) and boats would put into port on the left (hence the term port for left hand side). An episode in which David encounters dogs on and even in the canal, spots some new canal-building work in Milton Keynes, and has a small diesel leak. Thirdly, its not uncommon to drop a windlass into the canal by accident and it would be a very expensive mistake to do that with a cordless drill! In which David boldy takes his narrowboat on his first solo cruise - albeit accompanied by a friend on another boat - along the Grand Union canal Leicester arm and up to the end of the Welford arm. There he attempts his first canal lock, single-handed and meets a sad horse. They can advise you of everything and answer any query about good routes for hirers.Just google uk canal boat hire or have a look at places like Black Prince, Kate Boats and so on. YouTube Top Charts. For information about the wooden writers box: Blue Star Crafts.I have the smaller A5 version of the Messenger Wood Box. Her nose snuffling new growth and old stones. David reaches the furthest point of his canal cruise, at the interestingly-named "Cowroast" - be assured, no cows were harmed in the making of this episode. Journey with Jesus is seen in over 200 countries around the world, since 2004. What happens if you overstay on a mooring?The CRT have towpath rangers who patrol and note down boat licence numbers and dates; they will issue an overstay notice requiring you to move if you hang around too long. Although normally prohibited to powered craft, with permission of the Cam Conservators in winter you can take a narrowboat onto the Cambridge Backs where the river Cam flows behind many of the citys historic colleges. David Johns YouTuber and Narrowboat-dweller Welcome to the Airscape, the online home of video producer David Johns. David begins his journey this year by getting a diesel leak fixed in the engine bay and then heads off towards the heart of the canal network - Braunston - before continuing towards the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union Canal. We had a very How do you make money?I am now a full-time YouTuber; every time someone watches the ads that occasionally play, I get a fraction of a penny. Plus I have recently (vlog 139 onwards) taken to adding specific Google Map links to my start and end points for each video. He had in a peculiar way become part of our lives - 'Oh, I think David did a vlog on that! Why dont boaters greet each other when they pass?They DO! The sandwich default is un-heated in any way. I watched it upon the recommendation of a friend, and I'm glad that I did. It's not unlike full-time RVing, which is what I am currently doing as a solo, but without having to deal with all those locks en-route! It is also why it has been such good news that the move does not mean turning his back on the waterways. As he travels, Johns points things out with a wry sense of fun. Portable electric trolling motors are often suggested in the comments on my YouTube videos but Ive never seen a narrowboat with one; I think it would be a bit ugly and awkward to have one mounted on the bow plus it could cause an obstruction in the locks (potentially getting caught on the gates etc). If we toast a sandwich in the UK, it is then explicitly referred to as a toasted sandwich or toastie. Unfortunately theres no charging infrastructure on (most of) the canals so yes youd also need a generator of some sort even if thats just the engine standalone diesel gennys are ridiculously expensive and a massive battery bank which is expensive, weighty and requires maintenance. Can you recommend a hire company for us to use? I was invited to take part in a trip that very few narrowboats are able to enjoy, along the Cambridge Backs. Am I being too overly familiar? By Dan Clendenin | by Dan Clendenin | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. My Drive Across America During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Many, possibly most, have multi-fuel stoves which burn coal or wood and they will keep a boat so toasty youll have the windows open in mid-winter! It could disturb other boaters or I could bang into things, even with the bow light on. A favorite quote: "I wish I could take dog happiness as a drug." Do you need a licence to drive a narrowboat?Incredibly and unfortunately no. It's not just the equipment - all I do is step up my laptop and microphone! No, far from it. It's fun and quirky, partly because of the extremely simple production techniques, and a good example of the expanding range of genres far beyond movies or TV. https://twitter.com/CruisingTheCut?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain. In which David leaves his travelling companions behind and continues solo along the beautiful Trent & Mersey canal. If youve ever felt your canal boat scrape on the bottom of the canal and wish more dredging was done by the Canal & River Trust, heres an explainer of how dredging is done, why its so expensive and why they cant do more of it. The steerers will wave and say hello when they pass each other, that is when the back of one boat passes the back of the other. Get enough views and this will eventually add up. We had watched him before we had even bought a boat. A presence that never took himself seriously, and often let us laugh at his mistakes so that we could avoid them, but who also had a gentle authority that we felt we could trust. Thats exactly what Gill Gregory can do aboard Desiderata so I went to see the system in action. He reflects on his former life. Vlog 279: Honey, I Shrunk the Narrowboat. In the first season, he seemed rushedas he got more experienced, he got more relaxed. Besides, I like being anonymous, that most of the people amongst whom I live and work have no idea that I podcast. Do you pay council tax?Boats on official residential moorings pay council tax as they are classed as residences. See Vlog An episode in which David experiences the most glorious week of narrowboating he's had to date as he travels up the River Avon from Tewkesbury to Stratford-Upon-Avon, including a trip down memory lane to his childhood. The scenery is lovely, there are fields, small towns, some city scenes, church steeples, bridges, obscure side routes, and so much more. When we did, it was his vlog and the Foxes that provided the initial information. Top channels; Top videos; Most subscribed channels; Most popular channels; Most popular videos; The Highest-Paid YouTubers of 2021; Also, I dont like handing out my address for obvious reasons. Why dont you fit a wind turbine?Theyre quite costly, apparently make a lot of vibration noise throughout the boat, and dont generate a huge amount of power. There are no speed police or radar traps on the canals however; its more the ire of other boaters that you will incur though Im sure if a CRT officer saw you zooming along theyd note your boat registration number (which is required to be clearly visible) and send you a suitable letter. Moorhens scuffling and splashing, turning the water and the air around them into liquid diamonds. Its fairly foolish to do so though, so most people will either try it out with friends whove done it before, pay for narrowboat experience days, or even go on a one or two day RYA Inland Waterways helmsmans course. It varies month on month. Keeping you company through your night-times, canal-side. David Johns is a skilled presenter, reporter, video journalist, and narrowboat enthusiast who has a welcoming, down to earth style that kind of grows on you. A boaters term for the canals is a cut, because long ago they were literally cut out of the land. It felt like we were losing a reassuring presence. [3], In 2016, he starred as the title character in the Ken Loach film I, Daniel Blake in a critically acclaimed performance described as "powerful", "a welcome comic touch", and "all the more moving for its restraint". The argument is partly that most rust occurs at the waterline (true) because thats where you get the highest mix of water and oxygen, and partly that the baseplate is (usually) 10mm thick so it can withstand many, many years before its rusted to a point where youd worry about it. There are spooky goings-on along the canal (or are there?) The shell (hull) was built by G&J Reeves and the interior fit-out was by Millburn Boats. see vlog 249 which is an updated version of vlog 66 for 2021, https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/managing-our-water/day-to-day, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79df3e_z6sg, see vlog 69 I did about just such a craft, vlog 244 which was all about electric boats vs diesel. Explaining what is needed and why with sensitivity and clarity; guiding and supporting them, and most of all, knowing when to step back and leave the picture. My brain was working with a slipping clutch and I could do nothing about it. There is no need to be cold on a narrowboat. There are the occasional repairs, and in one episode he ads solar panels to his boat. How fast can you go on the canals?Asking how fast is to miss the point of narrowboating. What tipped the balance, apart from the fact that I felt I could trust David, was that I had put together the noswpod website and - after a lot of heart searching had included a couple of photographs of me in it. In order to avoid damage to the rudder, boats would pass port side to port side. After 13 years of doing this and working in radio, I decided to chuck it all in and buy a narrowboat to cruise around the canals on. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. [2], In 2009, he and Owen O'Neill dramatised Stephen King's Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption for the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. Other boats have diesel or gas-fired radiator central heating systems just like in a house. Four seasons of Cruising the Cut, a video documentary by David Johns, a former ITV television reporter and presenter-turned solo narrowboat traveler, are available to A boater's term for the canals is a "cut," because long ago they were literally cut out of the land. He is best known for his breakthrough role as Daniel Blake in the 2016 Ken Loach film I, Daniel An unheated boat in winter even in Spring or Autumn would be cold but thats precisely why narrowboats have heating installed. Why dont you put maps in your videos?Im not convinced that if I show a map with a location marked it would necessarily help anyone who didnt already know where it was to know where I was. And really, they look just like every other supermarket Ive ever been into (!!) The canals are all about slowing down to a crawl, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature around you and taking a substantial time out from the world outside. In which David needs to take the narrowboat out of the water to de-rust the gas locker at the bow, and has to work out how to stop his chimney from leaking. ContactFor pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on: I would love to hear from you. I watched it upon the recommendation of a friend, and Im glad that I did. Countries United States. A few years back, my third years watched me amazed as I wept as I tried to follow their instructions on how to set up a WhatsApp groupthing. How did the boats of old go through tunnels without a towpath? Will you film a shopping trip for us please?Its likely not something Ill do because if Im going shopping I dont want to lug the camcorder along as well as the bags of food. Please share our website with your friends and family. This isnt a movie or even a television show, its a video blog or, as IMDB puts it, a web series that you can watch on YouTube, Twitter, or Amazon Prime. He relishes a simple cheese sandwich. I was so worried about the interview and convinced that the only useable part if it was that 'I live on a boar', that the next day I emailed over to David a lot of other material so that if he wanted to persist with this desperate endeavour he could use instead of the interview, but that I also could quite well understand if he simply wanted to retain his dignity and walk away from this whole sorry saga. just aisles with food on shelves. WebHeres my first video blog, describing how I came to be in the market for a narrowboat on which to cruise the UKs canal network and hopefully take life easy for a bit. Links from my videos to Amazon with an affiliate code in themmean I get a small commission if someone buys anything (yes, anything, not just the product that was linked to) after going to the site from clicking on my link.I also have a Patreon page for really dedicated viewers yes, there are some! There are the occasional repairs, and in one episode he ads solar panels to his boat. It's the coiled spring of life and energy of someone who has never lost their curiosity and interest in the world around. Rust abounds again as the entire engine is taken out of David's narrowboat so that he can scrape yucky old crud out of the bilge, then treat it and repaint so that it looks half decent again. And the drone batteries dont last that long either so youd be forever changing them.Using a drone to look ahead when single handed would just be way more hassle than its worth since you can either just toot your horn and proceed with caution, or youre really bothered, pull the boat in and run along to see whats coming (which would still be quicker and easier than using a drone)If you had crew aboard who could operate the boat while you do the drone, then it would make more sense but for me its not realistic. Why are you driving on the right when you drive cars on the left in the UK?Apparently international maritime convention is for driving on the right. As for doctors, dentists etc, just stay signed up to your usual one and go in to any local surgery on a visiting basis if you need to; they dont need to know youre on a boat. Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2022. Whats your fuel consumption?Ive never measured it but narrowboats typically drink 1-1.5 ltr/hour. In the spring sunshine of an end of March morning David Johns from Cruising the Cut Vlog came to visit. A terrifying ordeal awaits our hero as he continues north up the Trent & Mersey canal: The "Scarecastle" Tunnel, a very long, dark, damp tunnel which has sagged in the middle over the many decades since it was built, making it very, very low indeed in some parts. A thruster could come in handy for tight spots in some marinas but generally its not a necessary item but a luxury so its not on my must have list. Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2021. Plus he goes past the goose fields of Northamptonshire. I was also really touched that David felt that there might be enough things to include to sustain a vlog. He also meets up with some new friends, also narrowboaters. This is Part 1 of 2 of the journey. Nothing fast paced here and that is fine with us. Then he turns around and starts back but with a diversion for his narrowboat along the delightful Wendover Arm. Where does the water come from to supply the canals? By that point the camera on my boats bow is 50 feet further forward so its missed it. David's epic narrowboat odyssey along the Grand Union canal concludes as he returns to Braunston in surprisingly sunny weather for mid-October. And finally, I opened an online merchandise store selling brandedmugs, hats, t-shirts and suchlike; I really should push this more but I dont want to become one of those channels thats always trying to flog stuff to its viewers. Just a matter of personal preference.You can also use apps or online guides such as canalplan.org.uk (ideal for route planning rather than a map) or opencanalmap which has all the CRT facilities marked etc albeit in a rather tiny font that you cant seem to enlarge. Is it cold in winter?No! A boater's term for the canals is a "cut," because long ago they were literally cut out of the land. Most boats go along at 2-3mph, except some hire boats which are typically trying to get around a set cruising ring in a very short time such as a week. 2022 Emmy Nominees Action & Adventure Animation Anime Comedy Crime Documentary Drama. I should also make clear at this point, that the David you get on Cruising the Cut is exactly the David you get off camera. There are not that many truly sunny days here and no matter what solar proponents say, if its cloudy and overcast, the resulting power is much less than optimal. Why dont you have / fit a bow thruster / trolling motor?Although many (generally newer) narrowboats have bow thrusters, it would be near impossible to fit one onto my boat without some major, and expensive, surgery. Where does the grey water from the sink and shower go?Unlike your sewage, which has to be storedin one form or another until you get to an emptying point, grey water goes straight back into the canal. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Will you ever be visiting
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