Cruising the Cut
Season 2017
A documentary series following former UK television news reporter David Johns who quit his job, sold his house, bought a live-aboard narrowboat, and films his travels on the historic British canals.
Where to Watch Cruising the Cut • Season 2017
48 Episodes
- Heated DebateE1
Heated DebateWe're right into the middle of winter now and unlike last year, this time it's quite cold with overnight temperatures in the Midlands (where I'm moored) dropping as low as -7C. So although I've talked about my stove and the radiator system before, this is a dedicated video on the subject of narrowboat heating including various types of stove, diesel-fired radiators and insulation. Plus - there's a very special guest apppearance from Mads and Jökull from Sail Life! - Locker TalkE6
Locker TalkWith only a few weeks to go until I set off on my Grand Spring Tour, I've decided to go through the boat and check I've got everything I think I have. So in this video I'm rummaging around in the port side well deck locker and taking stock of what's what. I'll do the starboard side locker in the next vlog! - Brothers in ArmsE7
Brothers in ArmsThere is a surprising amount of unused bits of canal across the UK, in varying states of decay. In this vlog I take a look at two separate (but geographically near) projects which are digging out and restoring parts of the original route of the North Oxford canal. It has, quite literally, taken me months to film this one as the I had to shoot on several occasions at the second location so I do hope you like it! - Share and Share AlikeE8
Share and Share AlikeCast your mind back to the videos I did about buying a narrowboat and you may recall a brief mention of "share ownership" - that's what this vlog is about. How do you own part of a boat, who else owns it, and how does the system work when it comes to using the boat? - Lister BetterE10
Lister BetterIt's time for my 2017 Grand Tour to begin! Firstly I had to put in to Hillmorton Wharf for a fix of my leaking fuel pipes on the boat's Lister Petter LPWS4 engine, then it was off - very gently - to Braunston. This'll be a bit of an amble for the first few days as I'm scheduled to meet someone at Kilby near Leicester in the middle of the month. - Going for a BurtonE18
Going for a BurtonAs I continue along the Trent & Mersey canal on my narrowboat, I need to get some coal - the early April evenings are still a bit chilly sometimes - as well as kindling, a new Calor gas cylinder and most vitally of all, do a load of laundry. So I stop at Barton Turns marina for those essentials as well as popping into PC World in Burton-on-Trent for a portable hard disc to offload loads of old vlogs onto; my poor old laptop is filling up! - Fradley, my dear...E19
Fradley, my dear...After a couple of days in the rather lovely village of Alrewas I take the boat further along the Trent & Mersey canal to Fradley Junction, where it meets the top of the Coventry Canal. From the CRT cafe, I buy and enjoy a nice slice of lemon drizzle cake. Yum. - Shugadelic, babyE20
Shugadelic, babyIn this vlog, I move on from Fradley Junction, take a sharp 90 degree turn to the right and start heading North West, still on the Trent and Mersey canal, up towards Shugborough. En route, I get a haircut in Rugeley, go past the Staffs and Worcester canal at Great Haywood, and despair of the plastic waste drifting along the canal. - ScarecastleE23
ScarecastleIt's finally time for me to face me greatest canal tunnel fear and go through the (almost 3,000 yard long) Harecastle tunnel. It's wide enough only for one boat and has partially collapsed in the middle so headroom is extremely limited and all boats are checked before they enter (and counted in and out by dedicated tunnel-keepers). Here goes! - Getting DownE26
Getting DownSeveral people suggested that as I was going all the way up to Middlewich I ought to go that little bit further north and visit the Anderton Boat Lift, an amazing engineering structure dating from 1875, which lifts boats from the Trent and Mersey canal down to the River Weaver and vice versa. So I did. - RED ROSES TOOE27
RED ROSES TOOIn which I continue my return trip to Middlewich but then do a 90 degree right turn onto the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union canal, get some fuel and fenders from a fuelboat, go all the way along to Barbridge and turn left onto the Shroppie, and past the entrance to the Llangollen canal. - Memory LaneE38
Memory LaneThis is the start of my trip up the River Avon from Tewkesbury to Stratford-upon-Avon. In this episode I leave Tewkesbury and go past three sailing clubs as well as the mooring our family used to use at Bredon, before tackling two ferocious locks and mooring for the night in a tranquil corner of the countryside at Comberton Quay. - Diamond GeyserE39
Diamond GeyserHere's a vlog of two more days of cruising up the Avon, from Comberton Quay where the last vlog ended, through Pershore and Evesham, and up to Offenham. I went through a lot of locks, all of which were rather turbulent and one of which had a puzzle to keep you guessing. - Size MattersE41
Size MattersOn a glorious day in mid-June I departed from the canal basin at Stratford-upon-Avon and headed north up the South Stratford canal. En route I ducked under low tunnels, breathed in for narrow bridges, held my breath on an aqueduct, saw some unusual wildlife and showed off my pasty white legs. All of those treats are included in the video. - LockbusterE42
LockbusterIt's the penultimate vlog from my Great 2017 Cruise and a short hop up the South Stratford canal from Preston Bagot, through Lowsonford and up to Kingswood Junction at Lapworth. Here I turned east along the Lapworth Link and out onto the Grand Union canal before pausing for the night. - Bob CratchitE45
Bob CratchitA bit of DIY and a product review in this video as I think back to when I was moored over the summer and took the cratch cover off, firstly to kill off the algae growing on it (courtesy a free review product from Kinver Canopies, who nonetheless had no say in the editorial content of my review), secondly to clean it, and thirdly to re-waterproof the canvas. - Good VibrationsE46
Good VibrationsOver the summer I noticed that in heavy rain there was a slight trickly of water coming down the stove flue. It appeared to be getting in underneath the chimney collar so I had to take it off, clean everything up, de-rust and re-seal. This video shows how I did it and how it was a bigger job than expected.