What it's like to be on a canal boat during a storm
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- čas přidán 25. 02. 2017
- Ever wondered what it's like to live on a narrowboat, stuck in a wind trap in the middle of a storm? Probably not, but I decided to capture this one on camera - using my wind-but-not-storm-proof microphone - to try and share the experience with you. Enjoy?!
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Pah, call that a wind 😉 you UK softies! Glad the boat survived Robbie.
This was the first narrowboat video I ever watched 4 years ago, never even heard of a narrowboat before that. This one got me hooked, I love storms and being in a tent, RV or trailer. Since then, about 75% of all the videos I watch are bout Narrow-boating. I've even schedule a 4 week vacation over there and am renting a narrow boat. So, thanks for the video. See you on the canals (if you're still doing it).
You survived "Cape Fear'...
Well done 👍 Robbie
I may be 6 years late on this but this is equally both a satisfying and terrifying video lol.
I was watching a lady who had just brought a pram cover for the stern. She never fitted it right and that night it rained...alot. The Pram roof was directly pouring the rain water into her boat. Unfortunately she woke up to find half her boat had sunk. Pleasant dreams Robbie.... :)
Jesus Harry don't tell me that!! Ha ha good thing I don't have one mate (but still have nightmares about similar rain induced circumstances)! 8^D
+Robbie Cumming... Sorry Mate..... ;-)
Cheers Robbie, these are the kind of videos I need to take note of for when I finally have my own boat.
Such a drama queen, lol. :)
Very recently found your channel and staying with it as I intend to have a boat in about 3 or 4yrs (currently saving). I will very likely be on my own too, so it's good to see how you manage. Although I'm a little older, unfortunately.
i love the sound of rain i always find it to be relaxing
That canal was getting quite a swell on at one point. Must have been getting on for 3 & 1/2 inches crest to trough. Savage.
Totally with you ...well done in weathering the wild weather. Learn from it and apply what you can to next time. Take naps whenever you can to recharge your energies.Eat hot foods (cans)...treat yourself any way you can. Keep supplies well stocked, especially fuels, water, etc.. Plan everything possible. Choose a good mooring so your boat is sheltered. Thanks for sharing. At some point do an inventory of the various experiences you have had and, given your fearful nature (like me) be honest with yourself about whether you ought to be continuing this lifestyle.
Bout time, you Narrowboaters and your calm, peaceful, travelling around in the countryside type lifestyles with endless blue skies and green fields.
LOL Well done for filming it!
It did look a bit breezy ;) I can't believe it stopped you going to the pub and naming a Pub of The Week!
Ha ha well I think I ought to save those for the proper voyage-logs I had been doing!
It was good to see that you a Naughty Lass survived :) How did you manage your day at work following that!?
Can confirm, having been at sea in the wintertime in the North Atlantic, and the North Sea. Although... the ship I was on was a good deal larger. Still rolled like a pig in heavy seas, though.
Good to hear you are OK. On the ship they talk about "gear adrift". Basically, it's anything that isn't properly stowed. Most of the time it's just something to keep the junior crew busy but when weather hits it becomes serious pretty fast. I heard tell of a wooden sailing ship that was lost because of a twist tie that got jammed in a bilge pump but sailors are famous for such yarns so I wouldn't put much stock in it.
Ah well it's all about the stories in the end, thanks for watching Dennis!
Hi Robbie. In the high winds or moored near a railway I make like an ostrich and go to bed with earplugs. They cut out enough noise to let you get into a deep enough sleep before they fall out.
Hi Robbie, just watched the Canal boat diaries on iPlayer. Love em, keep on doing what you're doing and keep safe 👍
Cheers nice to hear 🤓👍
I'm almost disappointed I was away for most of it. Fun fact: I was born during the '87 storm
Yeah, but 30 years from now, you’ll look at these and say HESUS... I had grapefruits back then!! You’re going to be so glad that you threw caution to the wind and did it. This is great stuff, Robbie. Lastly, when it comes to storms and sleeping, think earplugs;)
Good one - yeah I’m not really a head in the sand type of person but not a bad idea!
Very scary! No damage to you or your boat thank goodness. Interesting video, seeing how you take as many precautions as possible, to reduce damage.
Brilliant storms on boat at nightime 👍
Went through a hurricane once...... but I was in the USS LONG BEACH CGN-9, it was nuclear powered and the Captain said just point it into the wind and let her run........ we were smashing through waves that were spraying the Bridge windows 9 Levels above the surface of the sea..... yeah lots of fun.... Cheers
Loved your video. Good thing you've got a sense of humor otherwise you would be miserable. I would love to try this though.
Great video
Hi Robbie MR J here apart from that mega bit of crank up the ouse this has got to be my fav vid. It reminds me of being a trucker one cold very and I do mean VERY windy night on stainmore summit on the A66 with rain that sounded like it was being provided by a team of trained professionals. Reminded me how cosy my cab used to be. God I want a narrow boat. LOL.
Ha ha cheers! Hey perhaps get one with a wheelhouse?! 8^D
Deffo a pram hood. or are they viewed as a bit soft?
Yes!! Ha ha it depends if you want to be out there cranking it in all weathers, could save on using umbrellas or simply getting soaked so might be a good idea.
Live on coast in Florida on Gulf Of Mexico. Glad you made it. Hurricanes are a spot of bother all summer between June and November. Been through many, damage and rebuilding.
Wow hope you gave recovered from the most recent one. Currently blowing up a gale here but it’s ok. Just makes you a bit queasy 🤢!!
hi Linux Email I have not been to Florida for 20 years but I hope you guys haven't changed it much. cos I liked it the way sorry LOVED it the way it was.
Mate we had It bad here, spent my days off helping clear my local bit of Stratford Canal. Trees and allsorts of stuff in the cut. Glad you survived without damage etc, quite a few boats were bashed. Love the new found hair:)
Ha ha cheers Dan - sounds like you had it bad, no trees around me which I am unusually grateful for - hope all is well with you mate 8^)
All good fella. Just applied for 2 marina jobs. All part of the big plan my friend, keep um crossed 🤞Keep safe Robbie, catch u on the other side.
Good luck buddy 8^)
I live in a custom bumb boat for nearly 6 months with my wife and kids now..We rent out our 3 room apartment for extra cash..We sold our 2nd car and keep the family minivan and my trusty 600cc motorcycle for work.
Great video i live in keys love that weather . Batten down hatches so funny ! all hands on deck
Yarr! Thanks Fiona and welcome aboard!! 8^)
looks scary but if you're toasty warm in the boat cuddled in bed with a good book ... just ignore the boat's roof coming apart or the moorings getting undone .. haha
I'm glad your ok.
my family has went threw 2 tornados in r houseboat. it was scary. on one tornado we was in the dock & it snapped all the metal cables & the whole dock was spinning in the lake. we was on the news & everything. it was not fun as the dock had over 50 boats tied to it. we was lucky no damage was done to our boat. it was a F1 tornado. little but scary. all we could due was hold on & pray. thank you God...
Wow! What a story, thanks Chris!
Robbie Cumming It is a true story. And it's not no fun. be safe hun.
Exciting and scary. You could have put some ear plugs in to reduce the noise impact. Keep cranking Robbie!!
Brilliant👏👏😁👍
great video
Thanks luciu constantin 8^)
I would absolutely love this sort of weather but I probably wouldn't get out of bed.
I love the canals and was wondering how people cope in the bad weather, particularly Storm Doris last week.
I really enjoyed watching this, very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I'm new to your channel so will have a look at your other videos.
Here's hoping there's no more strong winds for a while :)
Hi alethia Nicola - thanks for stopping by to look at the strange life of the boatpeople! Hope you enjoy the other videos too! 8^)
I've experienced winds of around 140mph which damaged the roof on my house, and I feared the conservatory was going to let go and end up in Norway, but thankfully survived. That's life living in Shetland, but it could be much, much worse. The anemometer at Saxa Vord Hill, on Unst, recorded a gust of 197mph just before the wind blew it away during the now infamous New Year's Storm of 1990/1991.
Crash Box wow!
Mother nature will test us from time to time. I live in California where the weather is nice most of the time but 2 days ago the wind blew so hard it knocked over my wooden fence on 2 sides of my home. $200 to repair them. Maybe you were better off than I Robbie ! ATB , nilo .
Oh no! Sorry to hear about your fence! Yes I only lost a fender so I feel very grateful!
well done you have beaten Doris stay safe
Hey great footage I have never seen spray come off a canal before. Its funny how you can hear banging, when your inside, but difficult to find when you go looking outside.
Yes wasn't it John, and very difficult to find noises heard inside, I think the banging was my rudder in the end so will have to tie the tiller up in future!
Glad you survived Doris Day (and night) Robbie. A bit more of Ms. Kappelhoff's "Que Sera Sera" attitude always helps in times of crisis. Man, that's a strained pop culture reference even for me ;-)
It's an apt one and appreciated nonetheless - thanks for watching! 8^)
Maybe you could hitch a ride on a sailboat going to sea for a few days. After that, the waves on the canal probably won't bother you any more.
Good point! I'd probably be more concerned with the boat sinking though 8^D
Cheeky Doris came a knockin'.
Robbie, I just re-watched this video in June 2021.
I sometimes feel odd walking up the boat in calm weather so in this you must you feel really odd!!! rob
Looks exhausting. I hope you're enjoying yourself, overall.
It's a lot of hard work but yes I'm living the dream!
Yep we were there too!
Yay hi Michelle (and John 👋 hi guysss)
Hi Rob will you be coming down the Shropshire union any time ?are boat is moored there ?.
Hey Rebecca, there are a few boats there, absolutely, but I won't be there for another year or so 8^)
Wish I lived in a narrow boat, what purpose does the cratch cover serve?
It gives you extra space for storing things - in winter that is mostly wood and recycling and anything else i need to keep dry but keep out of the inside of the boat
I sometimes get an amber warning of wind during the night but it's got nothing to do with the weather😬
Lol it's a stones throw from shore to shore I think you will be alright bud
Hey Robbie,
I have enjoyed all your video's.
You keep it real!
Thanks again,
Anyway it sounds like you have some experience on the Leeds to Liverpool.
We have just bought a 58' used narrowboat.
(from Black Prince, Great people!)
Anyway I was hoping to do the Leeds Liverpool this coming summer.
The word on the cut is that 57' is the maximum length that it will allow.
Because they are doubles, do you think I can do the smaller locks alone?
What lock will give me the most trouble?
Keep up the great work friend, you do wonderful video's.
Sincerely,
Mike Keelty
Good questions there Mike - the L&L is without doubt the hardest to navigate solo, you have to be fit and able to tackle awkward swing bridges as I've shown previously. The length of boat I can't comment on but I will say that you can do all locks on your own, apart from the ones you have to book (eg Bingley 5 Rise & 3 Rise, Leeds' Newlay locks, and Liverpool's Stanley locks) 8^)
U need someone to cuddle with in weather like that!
I smell the start of a beautiful relashonship 😍😂
does the boat litrally rock and move if ur on it on a storm? can u feel it or just hear it? 💨
All depends how good your ballast is/how low you are in the water, what moorings are like and if you can employ ‘spring lines’... had a storm last night and the boat only rocked a little as I was lucky to have several rings/bollards to tie on to. But in this video I wasn’t as lucky so it was rocking all over the place!
Omg this is terrifying!
It all worked out in the end 😊
I live on the north end of the Great Plains, when the wind hits certain levels gutters and downspouts start to resonate loudly, sliding screens vibrate and during gusts it sounds like waves striking the sides of the house. Oh, and the flappers on the bathroom fans play a non syncopated rhythm. Several times gusts picked up all the lawn furniture throwing them across the deck at break neck speed. Holes in the hull, na, mooring lines going to break, na but still can't sleep so it's not much different, really.
That's interesting Eric, thanks for commenting, I am always interested to hear where people are watching from and their own experiences of freak weather!
The wind was whipping the boats wobbly bits?
Ha ha yep pretty much!
Another interesting video Robbie👍tell me, have you ever had a sea sick feeling aboard? i have had it bad before and am concerned when we finally get on this barging holiday that it may strike ,especially in bad weather. The brownie in me is being prepared... thanks !
Oops just seen you had answered this previously for someone else....!
No worries! You’ll be fine I’m sure!
Hey Robbie. Are u still shooting with just the Iphone or have u found a camera?.
This video was filmed a long time ago... the beginning bit filmed with a go pro camera which I don’t use anymore (iPhone is most convenient for me). 8^)
It serves u well, thanks for the reply
Has any of you guys ever thought about adding a wing keel or a set of them as a ballast, forward and aft. their design in ratio of length and beam is not far from a sailing boat. if rough water, you could lower the keel some, maybe a ton each. you would never flip.
Well, I have just watched this sitting on my narrowboat while the rain is LASHING down and the wind is picking up, also there is some random animal making weird noises somewhere out there but I think it might be a sheep, maybe not storm Doris league but I have to say I am getting to be one of those people who quite enjoys a good storm (it's taken me about four years to stop worrying about being blown down the canal or sinking) love the vlogs and pub of the week 👍 ah that's as mebbe 😉 x
Aw thank you Megan! Funnily enough I think I have a similar issue with animal noises, although mine sounds like it's in the engine room 8^\ Have you ever had rats jump aboard?!
Robbie Cumming yes we are in quite a rural location and the rats get on along the ropes 😱 but never made it inside thankfully, if I ever hear them I try and make a load of noise to scare them! Ducks are the worst offenders though haha
Argh no... I was really hoping it was a duck pecking away at the outside of the boat but I now fear the worst! Oh well perhaps it will make a good vlog...!
Robbie Cumming I'm sure it was a duck, yes definitely a duck 🦆 probably.....
Is this as windy as the recent winds in 2022?
No, about 20mph less! It can also feel more dramatic in cities with wind being funnelled through all the tall buildings
I hate when it's windy and I live on land. And it's only at night when the winds are bad and you lay in bed hearing things crashing around and you don't know what it is.
FROM BERMUDA HOW MUSH WATER DOES THE TANK ON YOUR BOAT HOLD
No idea! But it keeps me going for about 8/9 days before needing to fill up again!
I always forget to comment but I hate your coors sign. I worked there and they suck and worse yet the beer tastes like beer flavored water 🤣 /rant
Great video, loving the channel.
The funny thing is that the brewers walk across the road to Coopers Tavern to drink real beer 🤣
Can taking off a cratch cover not sink the boat?
What do you mean?
Robbie that was an amazing video... I was on board with you (in spirit) and frightened as hell... great filming.
Get an ex- MOD cargo net, as used by helicopters for lifting stuff. One of those would probably cover more than half your roof and keep everything safe and secure.
I like that John, great idea - although the headroom is sadly not generous enough to hang anything on the roof. But there may be some areas that I could install a smaller version, perhaps in the corner or even within food cupboards or something.
++ Robbie Cumming ++ No I meant for the net to go over the outside of the roof with all the odds and ends which might rattle, clatter or move about held down securely just by the weight of the thing. The net I looked at awhile ago was about twelve feet square and weighed around a hundredweight. I think it was designed for carrying a fully equipped Land Rover underneath a Sea King helicopter.
They are ripples where I come from and I understand those sleepless nights I have slept through gale force winds (80-100)
Well Maddie just be thankful you don't live on a boat!! 8^)
I was out on 70 footer in it bringing some users back last Thursday.
this was great, I wish i had made a video about doris, I did much the same as you , bring in small things from the roof, try not to fall over! was A blowy one!
Your video would have much more informative and better filmed I'm sure! I literally just filmed this on the spur of the moment to distract myself from how anxious I was feeling about the inevitable loss of sleep before a busy work day.!
mine would have been much the same i imagine, I dont get the best footage in low light ( i dont know if any one does!) I really liked the video a lot!
Thanks Jasmine 8^}
Question; can you purchase land next to the canal? Was thinking that you could build yourself a nice port for the storms...
Hi Elizabeth - yes you can - and that’s actually the dream one day! Bob’s boatyard and marina can you imagine it?! Pub of the Week, shower/pool/spa facilities, tennis/basketball court, superfast wifi, arcades, fully stocked chandlery and boat building all on site! Thanks for subscribing by the way 8^)
Robbie Cumming lol...yes, you too can imagine living the dream!
But seriously, I can relate with you about the storms. Being on the water is a wonderful peaceful existence...until the skies turn gray and the winds blow piercing cold through you. 😶 Not fun...
However, the pub and eatery, with a shop for small boat repairs could be $$ for you, if you were so inclined
Yeah start small and then grow from there. YES £££££ & $$$$$ (hopefully some € too?!) 8^)
@RobbieCumming
Did you miss out a laundrette?
Very useful for getting bedding washed and dried.
Was that jay kay?
And, apparently, hot on the heels of Doris, we've now got Storm Ewan ...
One thing that I'm always curious abut in these scenarios - wind turbine generators (on boats, obviously) ... how well do they fair? Are they happy to simply sit there, generating more current than they ever dreamed possible, or are they at risk, and need to be taken down for safety?
I think because of the gusts and temporary/mobile nature of the ones I've seen they might not be tough enough and I guess would have to be taken down - can any one else comment more reliably on this?
Robbie to stop your boat from banging against the wharf, aside from the 2 lines at each end of your boat you need to attach 2 lines, each running from about a quarter of the length of your boat from both the stern and bow, these lines need to crossover and fix to mooring points which are either at least 6 feet less or more then the distance from where they attach to your boat, with them fixed like this it means the 2 crossover ropes have to stretch longer in order for the boat to move towards the wharf, it acts as a cushion and you don't get to rub the paint off the side of the hull.
Great tip Brian, think they call that ‘spring lines’, have tried it a few times since but wind has not been as bad!
Stop sey siç. Get sic. Eg sss eggs.
@@RobbieCumming Correct, those are spring lines, and your middle one straight to the quayside is a breast line as would be a bow or stern line that runs 90 degrees boat to quayside. You were moored up nicely and as well as you could have been. However, the spring lines do not crossover, the crossover point chafes and will damage your line unless you affix chafing material. Springs run from bow toward stern and vise versa, to around at least 25-30 percent of the length of the boat. Springs keep the vessel from moving fore and aft as much but not perpendicular to the quayside, hence the term spring line. Apologies for lecturing, result of being an Unlimited Master of Steam, Motor & Sail and spending 30 years at sea.
Wonder if anyone was aboard that narrowboat across the canal and farther up a bit? Poor bugger was taking the winds beam on!
There was yes! But I think they were a bit better moored and more used to it than I was - that really helps!
do you get tornados in the u.k. i live in oklahoma in the great u.s.a. in tornado alley.
Not really, pretty mild climate generally!
Ok thanks John hopefully that answers your question Kenny! 8^)
actually, the UK gets more tornadoes per square mile, than any other country on earth! it's just that the majority are small and do little damage. But my area, in the past 5 years (Coventry/Nuneaton, we've had two big tornadoes go through the town, which caused lots of damage, plus the T2 tornado that went through Brum. i've got pictures of 3 tornados that I filmed from work!
Was your boat on a river or canal during the storm !?! It looked like a river … when I get my first narrowboat I think I shall only stay on the canals ...
Hi Ruby, it was actually on the canal, Granary Wharf in Leeds. I think it just depends where you moor sometimes as the office blocks seemed to be creating a wind tunnel effect. I hope you don’t get put off travelling on rivers but yeah when it’s your boat you can do what you like! 8^)
I completely understand being a bit of a "Nervous Nellie", try weathering 100+ MPH winds in a hurricane on a sailboat. I've done that too many times to count: Just a few, Georges, Ivan, Andrew, Katrina, Camille etc. I spend my summers into early fall with a constant knot in my stomach when it's a very active hurricane season on the Gulf of Mexico. It does get better, and I'd welcome being on a narrow boat, moored up nicely as you were. Care to trade?
i'm a live aboard sailor, too. not as bad ass as you, but the reason i love watching narrowboat channels is the tranquility of it all. i live in a very urban, high crime US city and work in Emergency. After a long day of seeing soo much shitty things, or getting my ass kicked sailing in 20-30+ knots, i find these vlogs of narrowboat life a form of escapism, life a fantasy world. even their utterly worst scenarios are only an average day for me, and most of the vlogs are a kind of peaceful quietude i've never known. half the time i hear gunshots going off outside while i'm watching them, so i enjoy escaping into their "problems," which i'm so envious about ;)
@@christinep6400 🙏I couldn't agree more. In the early days of first "Lockdown" I discovered a handful of these channels and have very much enjoyed them for the same reasons, and while following along zoomed in on whichever canal on Google Earth!
Oh rob mate it's a bit like being a trucker all day people are awful to you and then it's beddy time in a tin box that's hammered with rain and no sleep cos you are so worried about your truck/boat.
I did this on holiday it ok but horrible in the rain
A little windy
How far north can you travel on the canals ?
Tewitfield, Lancashire - on the Lancaster canal
Cheers for that, Iam from Newcastle and I was on the understanding the canals ran there but did not know if they still did.
I think there are some up your way but only accessible from the sea? Hey might be worth a vlog that! 8^)
Robbie Cumming Go for it mate :) i will wait with baited anticipation. Good luck on ye travels
For narrowboats yes that is true. But for other boats I think you could enter via the Irish Sea/River Lune at Glasson Dock - but I could be wrong.
Hey Robbie. You need to be a bit wary of copywrite laws. I'm sure I saw an episode of #Balimory like this one ;-)
try swinging at anchor riding 10 foot swells, in even higher winds in an 70 year old wooden boat... and then review this.
You've just spelled out the reason why I live on the canals Capt Larry!!
You would have been no use at the battle of Trafalgar.
Damn !!!!!
I stay up all night hoping for some blowing oh and I love the wig. Xxx
If anything I find using the middle rope rocks the boat more because it pulls the boat over. Low level ropes much better IMHO. Potentially have it tied lose as a fail safe.
Ok, each to their own I guess! Cheers Daniel!
I'm hoping to get a narrowboat here in America to have in savannah but every time it storms I'm going to play bad moon rising because of the line "Were in for nasty weather"
Ha ha that sounds amazing please let me know when you do that!! 8^)
I'm always blowing off feel for ya buddy
... you cannot change the wind ... but you can adjust your sails to reach you destination ... ah but no sail ? ...
Looks like you did every thing right. A large night cap would have helped sleep and still no pub of the week. I was in the UK that night in 88 mentioned and yes there was no warning. Nights like that do you ever wish you had company?
You're right but of course alcohol will only get you through the first part of the night and not good to rely on it too much. Pub of the Week special coming soon! Company? Well I guess that would have helped! 8^)
Can you actually get seasick ? on canals.
I think if you were senstivive and suffer from motion sickness yes that could be possible, even just from the boat rocking from side to side!
Hmmmm. I cut my RAF career short because they wanted to put me on that big ship that got scrapped. Not sure of it's name was it ark royal. Anyway I went a bit hmmm and ran for the hills of Derbyshire.. you do crank it up some difficult bits of water though. I might be safe on just gentle canals. I hope.
You'll be fine on those, yeah. Some boat hulls seem to be more wobbly than others, could also be due to having not enough ballast, or when you run out of water etc as all those things will keep the boat lower in the water and more stable. But you just get used to it really I think?
hey man I hope your okay, and I have an idea for a future video, standage tunnel, it's the highest, longest and deepest tunnel in the UK!
Wouldn't that be great! Unfortunately it's also the lowest (in terms of head height!) and some boaters have said my deep drafted boat wouldn't fit. Definitely one for the future though! Thanks for watching 8^)
haha if you don't like that don't go to Gloucester canal the waters like that most of the time and that's not including the ships and tour boats going up and down.
Well, if you live in a house, you also have to worry if stuff is going to blow off the roof.
Tad blustery then? At least next time you'll nail down anything that moves on the roof!
You've got that right! Although I think the tiller/rudder was what was making that banging noise... hmmmm
that wind is very destructive.
I literally never realised that 'red eye' could happen in videos, and not just stills.