039 - Napton to Braunston, First Snow on the Canal and Braunston chats 

Great vlog... you both speak a lot of sense. Beautiful scenery, nature at its wintery best.

So insightful, especially considering how new you were to the canaling experience when you made this.

Wow loved this presentation. Thank you so much for sharing. George's dreams were cute. Gloria 🐂

Speaking only for myself. I've seen the canal from the vantage point of half a dozen RU-vidrs. After awhile it all starts to blend together and I find myself fast forwarding through the video. It's fireside talks like this one that give me an insight into the minds and lives lives of the people who chose this life that I really enjoy.

Michael and Jo: you make the weather outside (Snow) more bearable with your level headed discussion of the Pandora's box of change required. Thanks for making your selves available as a channel to get people moving on the difficult subject of Change

As someone considering living on a boat in the future, this was very insightful regarding the CRT rules. I’m years away from being able to do this, but taking in as much as possible now. George’s snoring duly noted!

I remember walking around the marina there at braunston back in September, looks so much more beautiful with all the snow! Can't wait to get back on the cut again myself! Roll on may!!!

Very interesting points raised. Loved how George slept with his head on the desk and the snowy video at the end was lovely 👌🏼👌🏼

Gorgeous scenery! I love the twin bridges at Braunston...even more beautiful with snow. Apparently you wore George out with your morning walk....what a cutie George is! Yes, lots of ideas and scenarios to weigh when thinking about life on the canal...interesting discussion.

Glad you guys are doing okay and no more slips and falls. I had my biggest slip up so far back on Nov 2nd, I was admitted into the hospital for an emergency 3-way by-pass, I'm good now, because of complications, I was in for 34 days, and all I had in there was a basic laptop with really crappy Wifi. But I home a week ago and had to re-program my computer, so I back in commenting world. Looking forward to more videos in the new year.

nothing that applies to my life but gosh darn it you two are so fun to watch ... thanks for making the movies , Merry Christmas

Well, as a boater.... I agree and support your ideas....

Your conversation was an great look at different points of views, but for me seeing the dog sleep and dream of a ball and then a duck just cracked me up, thank you for the vlog.

Michael & Jo: Excellent discussion. you are far more down to earth, I agree with Michael if there was a means to track each and every boat through the system so the "System" could be better managed to use available resources to manage the system as a whole

Love this vlog it’s one of the best you’ve done merry Christmas happy boating from Clive Julie and Bobbi the dog

An excellent chat and so interesting the different points you make and you take on the advances that could be made by adopting more technology solutions - especially the bit about variable time according to demand at moorings, I filled in the survey a few weeks back! Good luck in Braunston - do visit the Butchers Shop and yes we love the Admiral Nelson .

Very interesting discussion.

My brother is a long haul trucker. His truck has a system called Freepass. It identifies his truck, for tolls and weight stations. It is short ranged radio to a local sensor. The canals could use a similar system. It could also unify the canals several licensing systems, just as it does for toll systems in the States. Another interesting video from dear friends.

Now you are into it. As noted we are beached for now but hopeful that maybe September will see us get our 2020 cruise under our belts. Failing that we'll catch that up next year and then come back over and do the Warwickshire Ring starting in Napton over 4 weeks with some side trips into Coventry and up the Ashby so thanks for the preview!!

As an IT professional who specializes in database design, I immediately started working the issues you described. Self contained solar powered transponder issued with your license would be be low cost and very efficient in tracking waterway usage while providing helpful tools for the boating community.

Opacity - you taught me a new word. Thank you.

We need people like you involved in the decision making process. Someone who can see all sides of the argument and can steer a way to equitable, well thought out and forward thinking policies.

LOVED YOUR DISCUSSION IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND WHAT YOU SAID WAS READABLE TO BOATERS HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND WHAT YOU DOING BE LUCKY HAVE A NICE DAY

Hi both, Absolutely love watching the journey you embarked upon. I've only just started watching this amazing journey you embarked upon. Absolutely love watching. Wondering if your opinion/perspective has changed now you have been everywhere along the miles and miles you have done? Such an interesting discussion. You might not have mentioned this (intentionally) but the majority of the revenue comes from tourism hiring boats in peak season, so this tracking system just would not even apply. With the amount of bridges (literally thousands), locks and other passing areas the money it would cost to a. put that kind of infrastructure in and b, maintain it, let alone the upkeep of the canals themselves, just look at north or the midlands in suburban areas. Waste, used needles, shopping trolleys, where the canal system is falling back into disrepair. Hasn't this whole argument mainly came about unfortunately because of people living on boats in and around the London area, but who have jobs in a fixed location, and therefore cannot move their boats (essentially their homes) constantly navigating, but feel forced into this option of avoiding council taxes etc because of austerity. austerity. austerity. Unless other monetary taxes are enforced. GPS possibly it just seems difficult to see where the money is going to come from. Like you said it's a charitable heritage organisation. Toilet talk matters 💦🤓

Great video and very interesting chat. To me the system isn’t perfect, needs improving but works reasonably well all considered . Tagged licences to cut down on bridge hoppers and look after the canals better, simple eh. Take care, keep warm you 3 and seasons greetings👍

George..... : - ) so funny he looks so bored......Very interesting to listen to, thank you Michael and Jo.xx

I am not a boater and it does not seem I will become one soon. However, I found your thoughts very interesting! So much of this is applicable on many other aspects of life, so this is really about taking in ideas - and now processing them to integrate them into my own view on … situations in life. Also: What you said about the black sheep that found a community made me understand myself better and why I like watching canalboat channels on youtube.(and also some other stuff I watch)

M - BAAAAAAAAAA! ... Might have to cut that bit! J - Wicked little smile and gently shakes head. Best moment in the video...

Interesting to hear your views on the subject of boat tracking. I have an opposing viewpoint, but like with any debate this is the norm.

I work for a charity, we made a decision to gather better data on our work about two years ago, which we had not previously. Gathering that data and using it smartly and ethically has changed how we work for the better and improved results for our core purpose significantly. Most of the core IT was free as well. Hardware was a cost and a few key pieces of data management software were also costed. We are not a big charity, so the gains for a bigger organisation would be well worth it. Snow and dogs, magic combination.

The canals are missing out on two key resources with surround them. It seems they do not actively draw on the local residents nor are boaters encouraged to improve their canals . My town has a Herring run through it. We have an annual cleanup day for that stream. It removes junk and trims the banks before the spring run. Public Works disposes of the trash and cuttings from local collection points. We are proud of our cleanup. This pride could cover much of the canal system Boater could get credits for work done on the canals. Trimming banks, light trash removal, and other support work could be done by boaters, or or boater groups. Marinas Hire-boat firms or associations could improve their local conditions Even reporting problem areas could help. Boaters could get credits for extra Mooring time, or license benefits for canal improvement activities. I hope this helps somebody.

Liked the video of your trip up the canal, I see you are heading toward the tunnel, that looks like it might be warmish inside anyway. The more I think about the canal system and the people on it the more it feels more like a homeowners association (HOA) than a roadway system. It feels that way because with a roadway system you could easily pull off the road and onto your property and park then remove registration and insurance from your car and leave it there. On the canal even if you have a place to pull your boat off onto your own property it is still under CRT control as long as where your boat is parked is connected to the canal system. Here are the huge differences, on the road you can paint your car however you want and keep it in whatever state of repair you want to especially if you live in a state without vehicle inspection. In an HOA they can tell you what colors and how often to paint your house, they can even tell you how your car can look and where you can park it along with its state if repair. Also it is not that easy to get out of an HOA and you definitely can not leave with your home. HOA's tend to charge fees and assessments in two ways. Fees for the general welfare of all like grounds maintenance, and general roadwork like sweeping and plowing, park upkeep, streetlights are based on a unit area of land billing system. Sort of like you pay 100 monetary units per unit area per year. Fees for projects that do not recur every year are charged per household. These are things like Clubhouse repairs, Mail Station replacement, Paving, and equipment replacement. These would be billed as a separate line and be something like 63 money units per household (If you own 6 houses you pay for each). As for the boat tracking, there are CCTV cameras everywhere in the UK to the point where they are fixtures of daily life. Adding cameras to the canals to read registration tags would not be as intrusive as you people think, it might just fall to the CRT telling boats where there registration tag must be placed on the vessel. As for the technology, police cars in the US are out there right now equipped with camera systems that can read and run a marker plate of a car going 60 MPH. That is an off the shelf system that reads number plates and checks them against a database automatically, yes they will have to pay for the system, but they will get that money back in not having to waste resources dealing with boats that moved but were not reported and fines to people that are not continuous cruising when they say they are. At the end of the day proof of continuous cruising will involve the CRT knowing when you were at a given location, no mater how big brother it sounds the only way to prove movement is to show something was at two different points at two different times so they are going to have to know where your boat was and when. That location information will need to be third party verified so that it is reliable, it is too easy to fake photos and their time stamps.

A boat permanently in a marina is the equivalent of a static caravan on-site (and often bricks!) so used as a retreat from normal life. They should be able to have a status like SORN for cars (Statutory Off Road notification, that would prevent them from leaving the marina when afloat.

Great vlog, wonder if CRT would take time to view it as it may help with their surveys. Have you had time to complete your review of your change to lithium batteries?

You both brought a lot of interesting thoughts to the table. It's hard to really pick out the most important ones but I'll give it a go based on my usual mastery of life grade problem solving. I'd suggest fitting Georges ball (just the one) with some sort of localised GPS tracking device. Whilst your at it tag George with the same thing, just stick to his collar to keep him at his happiest... For the kids, to stop them drinking neat cordial, I make up a bottle of correctly diluted solution in advance. Don't eat the yellow snow. I think I've covered the main issues in this video...

There's a lot to be said about mad dogs and Americans out in the Winter's snow... If the technology is there to capture license plates of speeding cars surely the registration of a slowly moving canal boat can also be recorded. I guess it's more a matter of motivation than need. The CRT (or its predecessor) is no stranger to controversy -- how many were "forced" off the water when the need for constant cruisers to keep moving was seriously enforced? As for registration (or licencing if you will), here in Australia some of the States have a tier for so-called Primary Producers (Farmers, miners and the like) whose vehicles never, or rarely, leave the property. They pay substantially less, if any, road tax for those vehicles. If they need to move them on the roads for some reason then a short term registration can be purchased. Love watching the Vlogs. Keep up the great work.

Hah! could watch George all day! bounding over the bridge was an outstanding shot.

The mooring suggestion is interesting. It would be interesting to understand the technology linked to Transport for London’s Cycle-hire scheme and how they manage the docking stations for customers. There are also parking management systems in some boroughs. It may be that this technology could be adapted to fit your suggestion. I’m sure there are many other examples of similar initiatives around the world, That’s the interesting thing about technology and why it’s becoming cheaper, a lot of the work has been done by others. Thanks for another interesting video. I don’t agree with all your comments but there are no right answers only personal opinions and that’s what makes life interesting. Loved the snow. Thanks.

That's the quietest i have seen George ever! and so still

I first came to the canals from the USA in 2014. It was on a hire boat for a week. I was stunned by the community and decided to do my best to buy a boat and join the community. I just did it. I bought a 58 foot two bedroom narrowboat and am now having it brought up to standards for living aboard. We will vlog as the narrowboat Salmon Helen. I'm Sam and Helen will be with me. We are 73 and 72 years old. We'll find you when we come there next April.

"Whew! Wet dog smell." George snoring was good. We also have IPass and EasyPass trackers here in the states on our toll roads. Little box afixed to the inside of our windshield which get us half-cost tolls and we can just pass though the sensors. They track us moving around the system. No cash tolls to deal with. The toll authorities do take photos of the vehicles and match them up to charge those passed a toll without paying. As you pointed out, the technology exists.

Lovely village. I prefer the Plough Inn. I think they have skittles just like the Admiral Nelson.

George snoring makes this video the best!

I have only been watching the Vlogs on narrowboaters for a year now and only in this past few days noticed the Red and White on the stern of the boats. It takes longer for some us more senior people to recognize change. hmmmm

Nice keep the good work up

I listened to your conversation all the way through, and found it very informative .However i was distracted by the George who after 4 mins was dropping off, and finally snoring,. And to top it Michael nearly went into Brian Blessed mode. But you both put your opinions forward well and presented some good possible solutions to "policing" the problems on the inland waterways.

George is absolutely precious.

Is there any chance you could post the link to the survey please?

I worked for a company using RFID for tracking. This was 20years ago and the company still uses the tech. RFID tag in the license which you display anyway I take it. Readers at every Junction, Lock or Bridge to track movement. Simple but who would pay for it, still has the Big Brother aspect but passive as far as the boat is concerned.

One of the standard definitions for vessel class is displacement. This is an easier means to define rather than length or width.

The English have the unique ability of arguing/discussing a tempest in a teapot. My daughter in London now fits right in. ha ha George's staffing agency I is still waiting for an update on his Staff upgrade.

Bottom line narrow or wide regardless of size you pay based by displacement on the size of your craft and that also determine what you pay for canals you may use .

More George snoring videos please. Oh, and you guys were okay too. :)

Good info.George is a legend he's well funny top dog.nice one

Poor George has the patience of a saint. Ha. Thanks Guys.

George was adorable in the snow 😍

It is a very complex issue, and I am sure most of the 57,000 boats would rather keep the government out of the Canal Life. However that being said there has to be a concerted user involvement for change or it will be imposed and then they will have no say in the matter. Except of the Marinas and the few working boats the rest are considered amateurs or non professional boat owner/operators. It is to everyones advantage if the boaters devise a means to regulate/support/manage the entire entity that serves the whole community without Government engagement. With COVID-19 now gripping the country the Government is far to busy with the crisis so it is an ideal time for the boating community to become active and find the best way to move the community as a whole in the right direction, the community is growing and this is both good and bad.

Another bit to consider is we are in a marina for winter on a river and our marina does own the river and a part of the river so we do not have to pay 12 months licence if we only intend to move for 6 months of the year. Canal marinas do not own the water ! Its not a one case fits all interesting though.

I'm afraid once big brother gets involved that's the beginning of the end, covert surveillance is not what we should be heading towards , I agree that licence and safety certs insurance ect should run in tandem, and yes it's a lifestyle choice what size of boat you buy, but should not be weaponised against someone's choice to buy a bigger boat , love your channel BTW

There definitely are two sides to the "chipping" of the boats, first of them naturally that "big brother"-thing, you could get traced and that by the wrong people. The other side, the positive side has two stages, first of all if CRT managed to keep the system closed to all others they could use it for statistics- both follow up on contiuus cruisers that they really move and the other one a correct number of the number of boats that actually has used a specific lock and from there build the need of service. The third would be if Canalmail or what the name of that firm that could help boaters with delivery of mail would be allowed to trace boats who have a package from Amazon or so on the way they could send it on to a shop where you´ll pass next week.

George is the star. What a sweet dog. I’m so glad he got a loving family.

I agree that their is improvements to be made, but I think the cart could improve the payment system for the pump out system and maybe take it from paper from to contactless card payment system.

I haven't got anything to say about the C&RT consultations, and I'm not concerned with whatever their outcome will be as I'm in FRance. I liked this video anyway, mainly because it was the three of you with George being very calm and happy to sit there with you and finally laying his head down when he'd heard enough and probably thought (rightly) that he didn't mis much if he would have a little snooze.

George is a real goof. Head down on the table and knocks out. Funny.

George the dog is so sweet.

OK the CRT is not a police force, however with all the sunken boats on the Canals, this has to be managed, cleared up by some authorized body, If a person has allowed the boat to sink and has collected insurance, the remains have to be removed. One it is a navigation hazard, it detracts from the purpose of the Canal system. The Boat Safety Scheme, or BSS, is a public safety initiative owned equally by the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency

Your dog seems much more excited about the snow than the owners.

A wide beam uses a smaller portion of the canal but because of the width of the canal the canal has higher maintenance costs? The number of people on the canal determine the cost of services: potable water costs in London or Leeds should be about the same? If I park my car on my driveway and never move it, or even only have it towed (here in New Jersey, USA) I don't need to have it registered. I don't want big brother following my motion, but my iPhone is much more of a problem in that respect. I hope you come to a reasonable solution. Wish I was there. The closest I'll get is RV'ing (caravaning). Thank you for letting me live in quaint England vicariously. PS: My wife has been across the big pond and loves England so I'm sure I'll visit y'all some time!

It’s a really interesting point because I think regardless of the system the challenge is the people and how you get them to embrace change and a need to move forward. You both described it beautifully in your “it’s not like it was 30 years ago” comment. After I responded to your video I read a message on a FB group that I follow regarding the distance travelled by CCers. A system like you mention could potentially resolve this but then some would feel like they were being watched too closely. It’s a challenge but I appreciate the fact you are happy to bring this topic to your viewers for discussion. ALSO! I have a mini version of your boat and we’ve decided to change our swirly cupboard door nobs for brass ones. I noticed tonight you have brass nobs and I’m sure you originally had the same nobs as me. Am I right? And if yes, where did you get your nobs and what size are they. This is a serious question but I’ve had a glass of wine and this seems like a bit of a strange subject now!

How to send George to sleep! 😊

Interesting video. I was thinking everyone needs water so why not track them that way, that surly would be the easiest way using a contact card or similar.

Why not develop a GPS based system where every boat has to have a box that sends information to a database so you can see who's continuously cruising and who's not?

Like your talking points, However I feel you skirted the issue of people moved to canal to reside to avoid higher cost of living. As for tracking system something, like what used in the US tracks trucks for taxation thanks it was interesting

Where the hell are all the BBQs? I haven’t seen one narrow boat with a mounted Grill! Do they just cook with kettles out there?

4:00 I can not remember the last time I heard church bells. I think they are banned in Canada now

I'm Switch & Route IT and if as you say it's your area of expertise, what are you waiting for do man make it happen. It start by looking at whats using other areas of transport such as vehicle tracking.

The CRT as a charity started getting grants in 2012 from the Environment Ministry that are to run for 15 yr. which is their largest source of income. The second ranking source of income is license fees and mooring fees. It gets £1 million from a lottery each year and income from an endowment. That's it. From that they have to maintain over 2500 miles of canals and rivers plus 5 museums. In 2019 its income was £210 million or about £84000 per mile to do everything. When you consider the cost of a single 7 ft x 10 ft gate I suspect with the cost of construction in the UK that amount doesn't go as far as one would think. The cost of 1 km of two lane road in Canada is now estimated at $4 million CDN or about £2.4 million.

The Crt is a charity, so any revenue should be spent on the system, the more people that wriggle out of contributing towards the upkeep, the more the others will have to pay. If boat owners have an issue with paying for 52 weeks license and for 48 weeks it's tied up in a marina perhaps a a boat share scheme is the way to go.

Clean the snow off the solar panels (y) ;-)

We still have our house but we are retired and cruise about 6 months of the year. So we pay for a marina berth but the boat is there only half the time. Nonetheless we pay a full year's fee and don't complain because, as you say, that's our choice. Similarly we pay a full year's licence but again, that is the result of choices which we have made On the issue of tracker technology - clearly you are right on the facts and I am with you about 70%. The other 30% of me is absolutely against you (despite the fact that you are clearly correct) because of the "big brother" aspect of the thing. I am quite conflicted on this point!! Great videos by the way.

George snoring is a highlight of this episode!! Even a rfid reader that’s given to licensed boaters and a reader mounted under a bridge conected to a network. In the USA this is a system type used by truck drivers called Prepass. Not only does it slow the states to register trucks into the state and with accompanying equipment to know all the stats involved But also has all the legal info included in the data base! The Canal and river trust needs to start automation reading of movement in the rural area to start with. This will allow for more human patrols in congested areas where people are more likely to cheat and get away with not following the rules!! The trust also needs to be able to start removing abandoned and sinking boats legally in the canal system!!

Phone App, with GPS tracking option!

the marina i live in dosenot require you to have a liciene plus another one in burton on trent called shobnil marina is licience free. some marina's and privat arms get away with it but if you enter the river in my case or go onto the main canal a licience is needed and falls under the normal rules. i think its old rules when the marinas were opened i think there are more across the canal system in the same position.

You technology freaks! lol ... Don't you think your missing the point, the beauty of the canals is it's simplicity they remind us of the old days when things were a lot simpler and friendlier. To me the canal system allows me to get away from the fast pace and technology of the modern world. I believe modern technology has buggered the idea of community in towns and cities. Your mobile phone tracks everywhere you go, what your interests are, what your buying. It's called "data mining" All they'd need to do is create an app for boat owners and that would give them all the information they require.

Why is there always a club hammer sitting on your side cupboard in all of your inside videos??????? Is it your go to fixer?????

It wouldn't actually be that difficult u would just need a device that can amit a gps signel and a receiver to track the boats

have a keypad at strategic locks that you have to enter your license number into. No enforcement, but people that choose to track progress get lower fees. better yet, a phone app and QR codes at each lock.

Interesting. Yes, if the technology exists to chip your cat, one would think accurately tracking something as large as a narrowboat wouldn't be that difficult to figure out.

Snoring George is the best.

Hello from West Monroe, la. I know I'm late to this conversation but it was interesting to hear and to get a snapshot of what life is like on the canals. I've been following several channels and had no idea of the political side of canal life. I have a point to make and a question. First I am very leary of big brother because most people whom I, in my 65 years, have witnessed who seek to be top dog are vultures. Eliminate them and their constituents and a society can really prosper. So good luck with that. My question is, what about hikers, bikers, fishermen and any others who use the towpath or water their cows and sheep from the canal do they or should they pay a fee of any kind?

A wide beam doesn't use any more water than any other boat!, wide locks narrow locks! It's the same, if they fit, the same amount of water is used regardless to whether or not it's a wide beam or a narrow boat using it!

Interesting video must say well behaved George was

Interesting conversation. I think your analogy to an automobile is in error. The boat is "parked" on the CRTs water. If your car is parked on a public way, even if it never moves, it must be licensed. I think the boat should be licensed. Love your vlogs!

I just watched your covid 19 video comments turned off I have Lupis cannot get response from doctors. does my lupis increase risk I'm 69

I think you slowly talked your dog to sleep! Ha!

Technology for tracking boats, already exists, just everyone goes 'Big Brother' about it. Used on commercial boats and most open water cruising boats. AIS The link is just for FYI. myboatsgear.com/2017/01/08/automatic-identity-system/ In most states, registration costs vary by size of vehicle, heavier/bigger vehicles cause more wear and tear on pavement, so usually, states charge more to register them.

if you don't want to move or pay for a licence then you should not get a taxfree part on fuel, which may be much more than a fee.

I realy like the length argument here. It's all about the locks, isn't it? So a 50x7x2ft boat should be teh top licence, as it can go everywhere. But serious, the same good point you made on width of a boat can be made on length. Or not. After all, all boats use the same amount of water in a lock and alike are other resources like fresh water, dumpsters or facilities at service points are not depending on boat size. Many of the services provided are either equally used and needed by all boats (like dredging and plant management) or, if at all, dependant on the number of peaople livng on a boat. A family of four uses more fresh water and so on than a solo boater. So why not a flat fee for all boats? It would be interesting to see if a statistic for size of boats wouldn't come up anyway with a distribution with a major peak arround 60 ft. So, why wasting time and other (CRT & boater) resources on fiddling with minor variation?

Hello folks, great video's. I am not sure this has already been mentioned, but the IT system you suggest actually exists, it's called AIS, short for Automatic Identification System, which is installed on every commercial sea-going vessel and is also mandatory for all inland vessles on the continent (and installed on more and more pleasure craft). You can check out some ship locations on www.marinetraffic.com, i.e. look for our commercial barge 'Veronica'. It would not be too difficult to use this id system and build some extended electronic info arround it, I think (having worked in IT as well).

I hear that during the 'Working-boat Days', at the height of the industrial revolution, when goods were being transported on a grand scale and canals were the equivalent of modern era motorways, there were a lot of frayed tempers and aggressive competition within the canal community!; So I guess in the immediate aftermath things quietened down and the community changed to one of a deeper comradery, and an exchange of pleasantries were more the norm; Unfortunately with more city folk nowadays hiring pleasure craft they bring with them a more abrupt and less empathetic attitude to the scheme of things?! I say that not as a slight, but it is what it is - the rat race does indeed affect one's personality. I guess change is all a part of living, its a very fluid situation and it ebbs and flows as all things do.