Full Timing - BBC4 Canal Boat Diaries

[DBK]

OK, it's about canals so why is this thread in Motorhome Chat? Because there are a lot of similarities between full timing in a MH and full timing in a boat. On at 7:30 every night this week on BBC4.

And I think he has 300W of solar - but might be more....

 

[Figaro]

Probably got a shed load of batteries as well ............ and a generator......

 

[DBK]

Probably got a shed load of batteries as well ............ and a generator......

He was having a moan this evening about a mooring with overhanging trees shielding the sun from the panels - I know the feeling.

But I suspect running the engine or genny in a marina is frowned upon - just like aires!

 

[Silver-Fox]

Probably got a shed load of batteries as well ............ and a generator......

Nooooooo not a generator ?

 

[Two on Tour]

What a thoroughly enjoyable program. Mind you I also love Timothy West and Prunella Scales, Great Canal Journeys.

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[PeteH]

Quite Fascinating, I have watched the Canal Journeys of Tim West and Pru; Scales before. My youngest Son has a "wide" (Thames Barge), currently on the Avon and Kennet, he and his wife are full time live aboard too. He does I-T work, mostly from the boat using a Mi-Fi system.

 

[DBK]

What a thoroughly enjoyable program. Mind you I also love Timothy West and Prunella Scales, Great Canal Journeys.

Amazing scenery on tonight's episode. Well outside my normal area so I don't know how accessible it is for MHs.

 

[Lenny HB]

Caught the last ½ of it, quite interesting.

My mate has hired a canal boat next March and invited me & the boss along for free, perfect for an FLT.

 

[Madcaravanner]

Caught this too and it's good - as I volunteer on our local canal trip boat loved the way he man hauled into the locks to do them solo
and I did note he did complain about not getting fuel for his generator for when he needed 240v (one clip showed him installing a 4 gang socket under a bench in the boat

 

[westhamman]

I thought it was just public works that overrun. That tunnel should have taken 5 years but took 17 instead.

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[Lenny HB]

(one clip showed him installing a 4 gang socket under a bench in the boat

That was a right bodge he only needed to drill a 10mm hole for the cable & fit a new plug.

 

[Madcaravanner]

That was a right bodge he only needed to drill a 10mm hole for the cable & fit a new plug.

agree he cut a hole for the block with a fancy oscillating saw which would need 240v

 

[Kybod]

I watch a number of narrow boat channels on you tube. One or two are produced by former TV journalists, so are slicker than the usual offering. I agree there is a sort of parallel with motorhomes and I understand they dump their grey waste in the canal.

 

[2657]

Next episode on Monday night passes through the Calder valley along the Rochdale canal and some beautiful scenery.
In the opening credits for this series is shot of Gauxholme viaduct in Todmorden, I used to go fishing with my dad around there when I was a lad in the 50's and 30 years ago I bought him a large portrait of the arches by a local artist, I have it in storage now until we get a house again.

The canal passes through Walsden and if I am not mistaken very close to the residence of barsteward .

A lovely part of the world, what may not be so lovely is the section through Rochdale where I grew up very near to the canal, though it is much better now, it was totally impassable and blocked with all sorts of rubbish then.

 

[Madcaravanner]

I watch a number of narrow boat channels on you tube. One or two are produced by former TV journalists, so are slicker than the usual offering. I agree there is a sort of parallel with motorhomes and I understand they dump their grey waste in the canal.

OLD NBoats do drop their grey waste straight to the water so the use of bio safe detergents is a must (as he said) black waste is pumped out at a marina / moorings on modern narrow boats grey waste is pumped out too

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[lindyloot]

Enjoyed the programme, also enjoyed the Timothy West/ Prunella Scales series and the Timothy Spall one although not a narrow boat)

 

[SpeedyDux]

Sooner or later this had to turn into a loo thread

 

[romany]

Mine the only waste water going into canal is shower and wash hand basin the kitchen sink for washing goes into black waste pump out tank

 

[Blossom]

Just watched the last programme tonight I have really enjoyed it (apart for the toilet emptying bit, we didnt really need to know how bad it was). The scenery was lovely and the pace of life very appealing its a pity that some of the moorings are only 24 or 48 hours. He spoke about other canals he would like to do so If his boat holds up I hope we see another series.

 

[CazPaul]

I didn't like the fact when he said he had to move everything out of the engine room onto his bed each time he needed access, surely should be better design than that
Enjoying it though.

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[Offagain]

OK, it's about canals so why is this thread in Motorhome Chat? Because there are a lot of similarities between full timing in a MH and full timing in a boat.

Without the weight restriction

Mine the only waste water going into canal is shower and wash hand basin the kitchen sink for washing goes into black waste pump out tank

I’m glad that’s changed. When we hired canal boats on the Shannon 15 or so years ago the black waste went straight into the canal. Thinking about it, more recently we’ve hired boats on French canals and they didn’t have holding tanks either ?

 

[Paddywack]

Thanks for the heads up, it's a particularly interesting programme for me as I lived at Alrewas and Stone and worked at Stoke, before buying my second narrowboat in Macclesfield and taking it down the canals to London where I lived on it for seven years.

I'm busy reliving my youth!

 

[Anthea M]

Love the programme very relaxing .
We hired a narrow boat about 25 years ago on the Braunston to Oxford canal but it was a year the canals were quite low in water!
Hard work with some of the locks

Did find some owners very sniffy with hireboats! ?

 

[Paddywack]

Did find some owners very sniffy with hireboats! ?

I resemble that remark!

It's like the PVC, coachbuilt, A class divide - sometimes real but sometimes self imposed by the fear that our "betters" are looking down on us. But normally* when you start talking most folk are alright - both in the motorhome and narrowboat community.


*An exception that proves the rule will be along in a minute.

 

[Anthea M]

I resemble that remark!

It's like the PVC, coachbuilt, A class divide - sometimes real but sometimes self imposed by the fear that our "betters" are looking down on us. But normally* when you start talking most folk are alright - both in the motorhome and narrowboat community.


*An exception that proves the rule will be along in a minute.

Well....
We were shouted at for not shutting a lock properly by the owner bloke but the lock was faulty because the same happened to him next ! Oh how loudly I laughed!!

And we were literally barged out of the way into s bank as an other owner trundled down the middle of the canal and refused to move to the side we had to and got stuck in the bank and I broke the pole!!?

We did enjoy it though!!?

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[Paddywack]

Well....
We were shouted at for not shutting a lock properly by the owner bloke but the lock was faulty because the same happened to him next ! Oh how loudly I laughed!!

And we were literally barged out of the way into s bank as an other owner trundled down the middle of the canal and refused to move to the side we had to and got stuck in the bank and I broke the pole!!?

We did enjoy it though!!?

My second boat was a historic narrowboat with quite a big draught of over three foot two, a lot more than modern built boats. Sometimes when approaching oncoming boats they would think I was being unreasonable for refusing to move over much, most privately owned boats would recognise a historic boats and know that it needs another foot of water, most hire boaters thought I was just being a twat!

 

[Spriddler]

I've had offshore yachts for nearly 30 years and (before I retired) I toyed with buying a narrow boat but I anticipated that retracing my route to get back to base after every trip would be too tedious so I bought a m/h instead. I think that in summer the canals are packed with 'Hooray Henry' hirers and 'Birmingham Navy' types.

(I've enjoyed the Canal Boat Diaries progs but I did find the only Timothy West/Prunella Scales programme that I endured utterly bland and boring).

 

[Madcaravanner]

Just watched the last programme tonight I have really enjoyed it (apart for the toilet emptying bit, we didnt really need to know how bad it was). The scenery was lovely and the pace of life very appealing its a pity that some of the moorings are only 24 or 48 hours. He spoke about other canals he would like to do so If his boat holds up I hope we see another series.

Before I worked the Canals boats I have cruised for years on the Norfolk Broads so on a 2 week cruise a pumpout was often necessary

AND it was nowhere near as bad as that wimp made out, I mean he even wears gloves to use his windlass

 

[Dilbert]

Brilliant series, lovely scenery but I think I'll stick to the van.one of my favourite dog walks is along the canal from Newbury centre to thatcham past all the boats many of which seem full timers.