Repairs must be never ending with so many miles of canal. Nice that you volunteer!

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

That's very kind of you to say so, thank you.

Napton lock in the video was my very first tentative lock in a Narrowboat. Fast forward 2 years.... sold the house etc and now happily living full time aboard a sailaway Narrowboat constant cruising. Towpaths are a very big part of everyday life now, so snippets of how they’re maintained is extremely welcome. Great video Alan! Well done!

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

September Rain Many thanks, quite a lifestyle change for you. I’m glad you found the video interesting. My first lock was at Braunston and will be discussed in a forthcoming video. All the best. Safe and happy boating.

Hooray for volunteers. Good on you Alan.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much Peter.

What a fascinating video to watch Alan. So easy to take the repair work for granted, but it’s not until you watch this that you realise how much work goes in to one, relatively small area of repair. Well done and many thanks....🍷🍷

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

That's very kind of you to say Steve, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It is a time consuming task but it all helps in the long run. All the best

Well done, vital repairs to keep towpath safe, you and the others should be proud of your endeavours. Thanks for your video. Stay safe.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Michael, I' will be publishing a further video on the towpath repairs shortly. Cheers

I’m so proud of you Alan. What a great service you do with volunteering for the CRT. All the very best to you & the other volunteers

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Anthony, your comment is truly appreciated. Have a great day! Best wishes. Alan

Well done Alan, it's a good job there are people like yourself and the other volunteers keeping the waterways in as good condition as possible.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks, your comment is much appreciated. All the best Alan

Hi Alan I bet you really enjoyed helping CRT repair the tow path and making a Good Vlog at the same time Well Done and Thanks.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Ramsey, I'm trying to bring some variety to my videos as best I can, so yes enjoyed making this one very much. Cheers

Total respect to you and the team. Well done.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Roger.

Excellent Video Alan....very informative and quite nice to watch! Thank You Mark

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark, glad you liked it. All the best.

Well done for showing this. Nobody else does.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks, glad you liked it.

Good job Alan a good insight into the work done by the unsung heroes who keep the miles of canals repaired and safe for us to enjoy. I'm off to the Anderson Boat Lift to film the work being done there whilst it's shut. Thanks Alan take care. Alan.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Alan, enjoy your day at the boat lift, I took a scheduled trip down the lift some years back, enjoyed it immensely. Cheers. Keep safe. Alan

@TheBoatingAdventure

4 жыл бұрын

@@MyNarrowboatVenture kzread.info/dash/bejne/c3Wrp9qfoNrKXbw.html

Good job! Thank you for your service.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Richard, your comment is much appreciated.

HiAlan nice to see you doing you volunteering again , well done you ,,,,it is interesting to see how it’s done,thank you ,John 🥵🥵🥃

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Hi John, I'm glad you liked it, I'm doing a bit more tomorrow. Cheers

It's good to see the behind the scenes of the CRT, it would help them if they did more of this type of thing, it is always better to show what you do than just to say and hope that people believe you. It may even help their own profile vis a vis with boaters themselves.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks David, I think you'll find info and short video clips on the CRT website, explaining some of their work. Cheers

Hi Alan thanks for sharing and letting us all know how it works with the repairs on the towpath and out of all the jobs I want your job holding the camera as it looks the cleanest and easiest job all the best and happy and safe boating cheers Barry Sydney Australia 🇦🇺

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Barry. It was an easier day for me but I have since done a bit of graft and more is planned. Take care and keep safe on your travels. Best wishes Alan

Informative video, and like the video.

Nice little documentary on some of the work on the canals. You should do more of these, Alan.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I will if the opportunity arises. If you look back, you will see that I have done videos on repairs at Watford Locks and Foxton Locks.

@Innerspace100

4 жыл бұрын

@@MyNarrowboatVenture Great. Will watch those. Cheers.

Nice one Alan very interesting vid really enjoyed it as always 👍

@MyNarrowboatVenture

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks David, kind of you to say. All th best.

Good job mate and thank you for showing us. Cheers

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Greg, I'm glad you liked it. All the best.

Brilliant stuff. Great work lads.

I am surprised that the CRT does not have a narrow boat that would have all the needed equipment on it, for doing repairs like that. I also volunteer, but I work on bicycle paths and such like. Its a good thing too do, if you use them. So good on ya, and stay warm.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Hi James, it's good to hear you also volunteer. Boats are not always available. We did use a boat early on but it took a while to get to the work site from Napton bottom lock, was much quicker by van. We're hopeful of getting a boat or tug and hopper to deliver some ballast to the site for topping off the towpath. Time will tell. Take care. Cheers

👏👏❤️😁Job well done xxxx

Hi Alan really interesting vlog . Thanks

always the worker you are Alan

Excellent work Alan and very well documented thank you.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Russtafa B Many thanks, I’m glad you liked it. Cheers

Going back to coal for home heating, when bulk coal was unavailable, our coal came in hessian bags. These are called burlap bags in the northern and western US. Where I am from in the south, they are called "Croker Sacks." I didn't know any other name for them until I was around 10 years old! Very interesting to see how the towpath is repaired. I really enjoy your mix of subjects, Alan.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Zach, I'm trying to bring some variety to my videos, as I'm not cruising at the moment. It's interesting how the same item has different names in different parts but I suppose that's not uncommon. All the best Alan

Fascinating and insightful, well done to one and all.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Iain.

Great video Allan well done pal

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Dave, cheers.

Excellent work, saw the same being done on the Grand Union Leicester arm.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks. All the best Alan.

Well done to you all. It's a time consuming job to do such a small stretch of the canal bank.

It's excellent to see how the canal system 'works'. "We" forget that maintenance has to be done and the effort in doing it. I hope others (I certainly will) when passing by - to slow down a bit - avoid washing the bags into the cut....

@erikjohansson1814

4 жыл бұрын

Henry Haresdene What we? Maybe you, not me.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Towpath repairs are very time consuming, so it's very much little by little. Many thanks for your appreciation of the work being done.

Thanks Alan you have just answered my thoughts on how its done I thought the bags were just filled with earth or sand thanks very much

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Brian. I’m glad you’ve had an answer to your query. Cheers

I had no idea that volunteers did work on canal towpaths - I'm guilty of taking the towpaths for granted.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Volunteers get involved in a wide variety of canal related aspects, why not take a look at the Canal and River Trust website to get a better idea. Cheers

@starwater9828

4 жыл бұрын

@@MyNarrowboatVenture Good idea, thank you, I will!

Good work, seems obvious that most of damage has emanated from boats manoeuvring to get in/out of the marina; do the marina owners contribute to these repairs in any way. The man in the blue shirt earned his wages. Great insight, many thanks. Regards AJ

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Alan, I very much doubt it but their boats would need to be licensed, so they would contribute in that way. I'm glad you liked it. Cheers Alan

How deep are the canals on average? Can you stand on the bottom in the middle, for instance? Nice informative film by the way, I always enjoy watching your videos.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Dan. It's difficult to generalise, they tend to be saucer shaped hence the reason for cruising in the middle of the canal. On narrow canals, the depth could be about 3 feet or 1 metre (plus or minus). I have scraped the bottom on several occasions closer to the edges, so would be less than 2 feet. So yes, you could probably stand in the middle of many canals and keep your head above water. The Grand Union would be deeper, as it is wider. Cheers

Does the cement Harden in the bags.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

It does and once there is some turf put over the bags, in time the towpath will start looking more natural.

I'm a little surprised y'all don't use a tender as a platform for the mixer and materials. Seems it'd be easier to use that than transporting with a van.

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Andy. It's not easy to get use of a suitable boat. The distance between the depot and the work site is much quicker by van than boat. There is the added difficulty of turning the boat and securing it. The bags are often moved by a small flat bed lorry.

What is the wall under the water made from

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

I really don't know, but was imagining it to be of stone. There was though a brickworks not far away in the 1800s.

Great Work Much Appreciated..... however wonder why this work is being done volunteerly....such a big industrial and economic power of the world's history, the UK ....what the f---k is its wealth and machinery doing......???

@MyNarrowboatVenture

4 жыл бұрын

Most of our industrial heritage is in the hands of volunteers with little or no financial support. I'm a Trustee of a steam powered pumping station, which dates back to 1830, all volunteer run!