Slightly disheartened 🫤

[Paul143]

Hello Everyone , I'm Paul and was looking forward to retiring on a narrow boat when I finish work.

I'm a trad Signwriter by trade and have painted and Signwriten many boats,

My ancestors worked boats on the Leeds Liverpool and many were born aboard and died aboard.

Your horror stories fill me with dread...somebody throw me a crumb ....pls 😔

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, Paul143 said:

somebody throw me a crumb ....pls

 

You should get 10 years on the canals before .............................(insert horror story of your choice) happens.

[Paul143]

Thanks mate 👌

[Arthur Marshall]

14 minutes ago, Paul143 said:

Hello Everyone , I'm Paul and was looking forward to retiring on a narrow boat when I finish work.

I'm a trad Signwriter by trade and have painted and Signwriten many boats,

My ancestors worked boats on the Leeds Liverpool and many were born aboard and died aboard.

Your horror stories fill me with dread...somebody throw me a crumb ....pls 😔

Ninety nine per cent of living on boats is great, and therefore doesn't make a good story. The fun stuff is the dreadful bits, but you usually have to cobble ten years of those together to make a good tale.

Not always, but usually!

 

[Paul143]

Arthur..

God bless you, I was starting to get a wee bit depressed, funding cuts, floods etc.  but your comment makes so much sense.

I really appreciate it, thank you 👌

[Ex Brummie]

Life on boats is no worse than living landbased, and you do always have the option of moving.

[Paul143]

Hi Ex Brummie,

that's a good point tbh..

My current Neighbours are totally mental,

She's been Sectioned 4 times and he's is  a paranormal investigator.. 😁🤣

Don't get me wrong tho, I don't dislike them, or make fun , they are humans just like me.. but, everyone loves a good ghost hunt. It's really fun..

But the thought of just saying...Hey guys I'm off,,,maybe see you next year...

Sounds so wonderful and Cathartic to me.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

14 minutes ago, Paul143 said:

Hi Ex Brummie,

that's a good point tbh..

My current Neighbours are totally mental,

She's been Sectioned 4 times and he's is  a paranormal investigator.. 😁🤣

What are your plans CCing or living in a Marina and what area? I would have thought your sign writing customers would have giving you first hand experience of how things are on the canals.

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Paul143 said:

Your horror stories fill me with dread...somebody throw me a crumb ....pls 

 

As long as you're not wearing rose tinted specs like some people new to the waterways who then become disillusioned, you'll be fine.

[dogless]

Always remember that today will be someone's 'good old days'.

 

Rog

[Paul143]

Hiya boatinglifeup north...

Definitely CC.

I get what your saying,but most of my customers at that time (25 yrs ago) were either newbies or new builds.

I was working hard paying a mortgage and bringing up 3 Sons,,,

So a life on the Cut was not really on my radar at that time.. So didn't ask,,I just painted a boat and moved on to the next one.

4 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

As long as you're not wearing rose tinted specs like some people new to the waterways who then become disillusioned, you'll be fine.

That's luvly..thank you 🙏

[LadyG]

Check out the youtube videos  by Cruising the Cut and Minimal List and Floating out Boat etc, no disasters....

It takes a wee while to learn to deal with everything, just go extra slowly and think everything through.

Even though they don't mean to, other boats put you under pressure, so  best to start off on your own, or helping others through locks, just observing,

One thing I always warn against if someone offers to help me is to get them to operate lock paddles very slowly.

I expect them to signal thumbs up BEFORE they wind the paddle, I am usually checking behind me, so that stops them just opening without signals, also I like to have the boat to one particular side, near the back, no ropes,  (double locks), and some are very large, so sitting near the back when filling is a good idea. Going down, I need to control the boat position to keep clear of the CILL.

HIre boaters may think smashing your boat around a lock is normal. No it is not.

Some random guy may offer to help, ask him if he is a boater!

Edited August 11, 2024 by LadyG

[Paul143]

Thanks you LadyG, that's good advice, and will follow it up on it .🙏

12 minutes ago, dogless said:

Always remember that today will be someone's 'good old days'.

Very True 👌

 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

26 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Check out the youtube videos  by Cruising the Cut and Minimal List and Floating out Boat 

Minimal list. One of the most depressing and moaning couples/Vloggers on the canal.

 Cruising the cut left the canals years ago.

 Floating our Boat seem a bit desperate for stardom.

 Highlights how people can watch YouTube and see the canal through Rose coloured glasses. Life on the Canals is a bit different from YouTube, especially when CCing. There’s no denying it’s getting busier and more congested with people moving on the system to live with visitor and facility moorings getting abused by some.

 

 

 
 

 

Edited August 11, 2024 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Paul143]

Thanks mate, I'll give them a body swerve 👌

I don't really do social media tbh, I don't even have YouTube 🤣. 

It's all adverts and girls with gigantic bums ,,So...No ta 😁

Have you found the CC aspect getting busier then ?

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Minimal list. One of the most depressing and moaning couples/Vloggers on the canal.

 Cruising the cut left the canals years ago.

 Floating our Boat seem a bit desperate for stardom.

 Highlights how people can watch YouTube and see the canal through Rose coloured glasses. Life on the Canals is a bit different from YouTube, especially when CCing. There’s no denying it’s getting busier and more congested with people moving on the system to live.

 

 

 
 

 

Life is what you make it.

If you don't like these  YouTube vloggers why do you watch them?

PS They have all posted vlogs recently, not that that is particularly relevant. They have 140K sibscribers.

I pay £12.99 pcm to watch Youtube without ads. 

 

Edited August 11, 2024 by LadyG

[Paul143]

😬

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

2 minutes ago, LadyG said:

They have all cc and their vlogs are still on their channel.

OP wanted examples without trauma and clickbait. They are my examples. You can just  post some of your own rather than sniping at me.

I’d rather not watch them as I find they’re for non-boaters and don’t really reflect true living on the canals with the current issues.

5 minutes ago, Paul143 said:

Thanks mate, I'll give them a body swerve 👌

I don't really do social media tbh, I don't even have YouTube 🤣. 

It's all adverts and girls with gigantic bums ,,So...No ta 😁

Have you found the CC aspect getting busier then ?

I’m finding that good locations with access to facilities, transport links, shops are getting harder to stop at, as there is a contingent of CCers that tend to overstay and their mentality is they’ll do it, as everyone else is. A lot of this has been discussed on here, it’s not doom or gloom it’s just reality around popular areas and cities I’m afraid.

Edited August 11, 2024 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Paul143]

I get that, and people are people and will try it on.

Which is a pity..

but to me

the thought of being tied up in a mooring, is far worse...It's a boat!...get sailing..ffsk 🤣 

[Lily Rose]

 

Watch Robbie Cumming (who I met yesterday for the first time yesterday in Thrupp) on YouTube and/or watch his tv series called Canal Boat Diaries. Series 4 is still available on BBC iPlayer and series 5 is on one of the commercial catch-up services. He had a film crew with him yesterday doing some filming for the next series. More realistic than your average canal youtuber.

 

Also watch Cruising The Cut. Much more professional than the others, not surprisingly as David John's was a professional TV reporter in the past. He has not "given up the canals". He sold his narrowboat after 5 years in order to buy a house which he needed for personal reasons. He continues to make very interesting canal-based videos and has also now bought a much cheaper GRP canal boat which features in his more recent videos.

 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

13 minutes ago, Paul143 said:

I get that, and people are people and will try it on.

Which is a pity..

but to me

the thought of being tied up in a mooring, is far worse...It's a boat!...get sailing..ffsk 🤣 

Agree, but it’s annoying after 6-10 hours cruising there’s no where to moor for the night as CMers have encamped for weeks or @LadyG has broken down again for the winter 😂😂(better mention the last part was humour, just in case I get more warnings)😂😂

Edited August 11, 2024 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Paul143]

4 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

Watch Robbie Cumming (who I met yesterday for the first time yesterday in Thrupp) on YouTube and/or watch his tv series called Canal Boat Diaries. Series 4 is still available on BBC iPlayer and series 5 is on one of the commercial catch-up services. He had a film crew with him yesterday doing some filming for the next series. More realistic than your average canal youtuber.

 

Also watch Cruising The Cut. Much more professional than the others, not surprisingly as David John's was a professional TV reporter in the past. He has not "given up the canals". He sold his narrowboat after 5 years in order to buy a house which he needed for personal reasons. He continues to make very interesting canal-based videos and has also now bought a much cheaper GRP canal boat which features in his more recent videos.

 

Thank you Lily Rose,, I will definitely give it a look.

The more general knowledge I can find will definitely help 🤗

8 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Agree, but it’s annoying after 6-10 hours cruising there’s no where to moor for the night as CMers have encamped for weeks or @LadyG has broken down again for the winter 😂😂(better mention the last part was humour, just in case I get more warnings)😂😂

🤣🤣🤣

[MtB]

13 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Agree, but it’s annoying after 6-10 hours cruising there’s no where to moor for the night as CMers have encamped for weeks or @LadyG has broken down again for the winter 😂😂(better mention the last part was humour, just in case I get more warnings)😂😂

 

 

The other approach to avoid winter cruising is to study the stoppage list, pick a long one and 'annoyingly' get stuck behind it for the winter. Not that LG would ever do that, obviously!  

[Paul143]

😁 good plan , thank god the gaffers don't read our posts 🤣

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

11 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

The other approach to avoid winter cruising is to study the stoppage list, pick a long one and 'annoyingly' get stuck behind it for the winter. Not that LG would ever do that, obviously!  

Or forget the studying and boat up North, especially on the Rochdale or Huddersfield. The trick is, not to get to your ideal mooring location too early and make it obvious your banking on a stoppage😂

Edited August 11, 2024 by BoatinglifeupNorth