Canal Boat Diaries - Robbie Cummings

[dor]

18 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

The lack of lock ladders is a problem, but the big issue is the bridge below the bottom gate, meaning than it's a lot harder to simply pull your boat through with a rope.  When I got to the bottom of the lock, there was a boat ahead already going up, so I made myself look as pitiful as possible and the lovely skipper took the bait and asked one of his crew to hang back and help me.  Then they waited for me in the next lock and we did the rest of the wide locks together, which was lovely.

A broom is useful for the Beeston Iron footbridge, having watched a BW man deal with it.  Swing the rope under the footbridge and catch it with the broom.

[doratheexplorer]

9 minutes ago, dor said:

A broom is useful for the Beeston Iron footbridge, having watched a BW man deal with it.  Swing the rope under the footbridge and catch it with the broom.

Presumably only if you've lost your boathook?

16 hours ago, dave moore said:

I was pleasantly surprised by the Midlands leg from Market Drayton to Stourport, much better than the usual celebrity based stuff. I was disappointed to see the stern line draped around the tiller pin, along with the cluttered cabin top. Sorry.

I've been waiting for the forum pile-on about cruising with fenders down!

[Dave123]

18 hours ago, dave moore said:

I was pleasantly surprised by the Midlands leg from Market Drayton to Stourport, much better than the usual celebrity based stuff. I was disappointed to see the stern line draped around the tiller pin, along with the cluttered cabin top. Sorry.

Try living on a boat that size without keeping anything on the roof! I like his boat, it adds to everything that makes him so genuine rather than celebrities bashing around in a shiny hire boat?

[enigmatic]

On 11/12/2020 at 10:13, dor said:

A broom is useful for the Beeston Iron footbridge, having watched a BW man deal with it.  Swing the rope under the footbridge and catch it with the broom.

I just lay on the footbridge holding the end of the rope in my left arm and waited for the boat moving underneath to pull it taut enough to grab it on the other side with my right. 

 

Probably looked less impressive than broom or boathook tricks, but it was the second lock I ever single handed ?

[ditchcrawler]

15 minutes ago, enigmatic said:

I just lay on the footbridge holding the end of the rope in my left arm and waited for the boat moving underneath to pull it taut enough to grab it on the other side with my right. 

 

Probably looked less impressive than broom or boathook tricks, but it was the second lock I ever single handed ?

Whats wrong swingin the rope under until the end comes up on the other side so you can grab it

[Arthur Marshall]

6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Whats wrong swingin the rope under until the end comes up on the other side so you can grab it

Because you have to be one side of the footbridge swinging, the other side catching, and pulling the boat through at the same time! I just get the boat moving at a reasonable pace and catch the rope with the boathook. It's still a bit acrobatic, especially with wonky knees and a back that saw its best days fifty years ago. I can't recall whether the bridge has a handrail, but that would make it harder.

[Rob-M]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Whats wrong swingin the rope under until the end comes up on the other side so you can grab it

That's what I've done when bow hauling the butty, never catch it though when someone is watching.

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

That's what I've done when bow hauling the butty, never catch it though when someone is watching.

A monkey fist helps

[Pie Eater]

I ended up throwing the centre rope over a bollard and using a step ladder on top of the boat to get out of the lock.

[Nightwatch]

On 10/12/2020 at 15:12, Sea Dog said:

We had "Still open all hours" instead down in the south west. Don't know why - who'd want to sully the great Ronnie Barker's legacy with that tripe?  Anyway, no-one down here would have understood a bloomin' word.

Told brother to watch whatever channel I was watching it on, and he said he didn’t like Still Open All Hours. 

[dor]

Watched a couple on iPlayer yesterday. The production seems to be improved from previous series.  So, so much better than the "celebrity" barging about programmes.  Good mix of boating and the areas he visited.

Probably one of the best programme/vblogs available at the moment.

[colmac]

have often wondered if he has someone with him flying the drone for the airborne shots though I suppose he could fly it himself and use a bit of clever editing.

[davem399]

4 minutes ago, colmac said:

have often wondered if he has someone with him flying the drone for the airborne shots though I suppose he could fly it himself and use a bit of clever editing.

According to the credits, the drone footage is done by somebody else.

[dor]

1 hour ago, colmac said:

have often wondered if he has someone with him flying the drone for the airborne shots though I suppose he could fly it himself and use a bit of clever editing.

Certainly had someone else with him when he went past my mooring on the way to Nantwich.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, colmac said:

have often wondered if he has someone with him flying the drone for the airborne shots though I suppose he could fly it himself and use a bit of clever editing.

If you read the titles there is a drone operator and someone with him while he is traveling

[colmac]

Well that explains it. Enjoyable programme.