scubahead 3Speak Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Listen and watch the latest videos from scubahead. Hosted by 3Speak.tv. The free speech video platform on the HIVE blockchain.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/qsfqbukz
Hail to the Hive!
We've been on a bit of a mission over the past few weeks to chug at slow speed along the canal network to get back for a friends wedding. Starting in Wales, after long ours at the tiller we made it to the Stok on Trent area and in the last video I posted we were just exiting the Harecastle tunnel.
In this episode we make excellent progress through some stunning English countryside and make it to the wedding and then with bleary heads rackle the large amountof locks on the way into Leicester.
Luckily we roped in a trusty volunteer, my mate Elliot, and armed with snacks, beers, a helping hand plus anouther boat we ploughed on along the Leicester atm of the Grand Union and into the City.
There are 41 locks on the Leicester arm before you get to Leicester which can be quite daunting but with all this extra help, beer and great weather we had a truly epic few days.
This is the 5th time we have been along this stretch and it was by far the most enjoyable.
And I was amazed at how quickly we made it through as last time we arrived in the dark which even though atmospheric, was a little nerve wracking. Doing Locks in the dark isn't relaxing at all.
I am now hoping to rope in a volunteer for when we leave in a week or so. It's not only easier but really good fun sharing the experience with friends. Especially if there's a beer od 4 in the mix.
Nothing beats the feeling of the last lock opening and arriving in the City Centre of my hometown on our little NArrowboat Home Badger. Always makes me smile.
So of course this is a reason for celebration 😁.
Well it'd be rude not to wouldn't it?
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/ofioousc
Hail to the Hive!
In this video we leave Wales and the llangollen area on Badger the Narrowboat and head back into England over the Chirk Aqueduct on a new mission to get back to Leicestershire.
We have a friends wedding to attend and even though it doesn't seem far away by normal standards i.e driving a car, it is a long way in narrowboating terms.
If any of you have read any of my posts about traveling on badger then you may enjoy the videos as they do give an entirely different perspective of what it looks and sounds like to live on the canal network here in the UK.
Everything is slow (unless I speed up the video 😝)
And you'll also get to look around and see all the different styles of narrowboat, and there is a huge variety.
seeing @millycf1976 in action on the canals is worth the price of admission alone !
seeing how the narrowboat moves in and out of the locks
and getting a perspective of the scale of it all.
and not just the locks but the tunnels too!
The dark we and creepy tunnels. This one is 1.6 miles long.
So I invite you to take a peek at the #3speak video and tell me in the comments what you think of it all.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/qlmnpeey
Hail to the Hive!
Well It has been amazing. Our expectations of the area, the aqueducts and the canals here have all been exceeded. Such an amazing place.
Waking up here, on the boat, surrounded by this beauty has been special.
And the Aqueducts, the reason we came, did not disappoint!
My fear of heights was well and truly tested as we made our way over the Pontcysyllte aqueduct many times in badger the narrowboat.
I can't lie as I did feel exposed and vulnerable as we crossed over the valley nd over the river Dee in Badger on what looks like the thinnest sliver of water in an elongated iron trough.
But I managed to settle my nerves ( the sneaky beer did help) and get us across on multiple occasions without incident.
With the passengers smiling and hopefully not just out of relief from being alive after the crossing.
No they are genuine smiles of glee.
So I'll drink to that!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/ggzpkkyr
Hail to the Hive!
On our way to Llangollan we hit some pretty terrible weather and usually we would have pulled up, tied the boat up and stayed inside badger the Narrowboat until it was better.
But as they were going to be closing one of the locks for maintenance we had to keep on chugging and get there before the closure or we wouldn't be able to see the beautiful aqueducts at Chirk and Pontcysyllte. So we chugged through the rain and when the tunnels appeared i was acrually grateful as at least it was dry in there!
Despite the rain the scenery was amazing and it was a good scouting mission to ook for places to say for on the way back.
We made it and the first of the 2 aqueducts was Chirk which is the border between England & Wales.
Then Pontcysyllte!
Which terrified me haha.
But it was well worth it for the amazing views.
When I dare look.....
and i was smiling when we reached the other side on the way back
phew!
But we've now been across a few times in different weather and @diveratt even came along for a crossing and took some drone shots for us.
This was 100% well worth the effort to get here and I am glad we decided to come and stay for a while as it is so incredibly beautiful.
I hope you enjoy the video footage as it gives a very different perspective than still photography.
Enjoy!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/tohmqobo
Hail to the Hive!
The Narrowboat Journey continues. In this Video we Journey through the "Scarecastle" Harecastle tunnel and onwards up the trent and Mersey Canal.
The tunnel is extremely low due to subsidence and I had to clear the roof of Badger the Narrowboat before entering.
So low in fact that I had to duck while steering the boat or risk hitting my head. There have been fatalities in the past as a man was knocked out and off the back of his boat.
After the tunnel we had an enourmous amount of locks to negotiate on what they call heartbreak hill. @millycf1976 is becoming quite proficient at the locks now after nearly a year aboard.
It's like an outdoor gym really.
Then we turned onto the Wardle Canal which joins up to the Shropshire Union Middlewich branch.
And had some glorious cruising scenery, The weather finally behaving itself.
The canal is elevated here so it has superb views on both sides.
and in front! 😁
We thenmade it to the Llangollan Canal and our goal of the big aqueducts of both Chirk & Pontcysyllte are nearly in sight. Just a few more days
Of course it will be all up hill and climbing locks until then.
But the scenery is proving to be worth every minute of it.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/bdgffjpw
Hail to the Hive!
It has now been eleven months living onboard little 28ft long Badger the Narrowboat and our journey continues as we make our way slowly towards Wales.
In this video we make our way from the beautiful spot at Tixall Wide on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal onto the Trent & Mersey canal to Harecastle ( Scarecastle ) tunnel.
This journey is a mixture of both beautiful countryside and ugly industrial wasteland, luckily more of the former than the latter.
Along the way we go through many locks, stop in some amazingly beautiful spots, say hello to young swans and pass scores of canadian geese along the banks of the Trent & Mersey, all very reluctant to move out of the way and too lazy to fly south for the winter.
Join us as we continue our slow nomadic cruise around the UK Canal and River system onboard Badger the Narrowboat!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/pcclboqs
Hail to the Hive!
The winter cruising has, so far, been extremely pleasant. I mean, yes there's been a few cold days and yes, there's been wind and rain. But for the most part, it's been pretty damned good/ We decided to take a little detour as so many folks had said there was a particulartly nice spot to moot up not far off our route so we thought ' Why not? We are in no rush!' So a narrowboat detour is what we did. Join us on our narrowboat adventures exploring the UK canals. It's not speedy but it is super cool and chill. Living on a tiny narrowboat gives you a great perspective on not only the scenery but life in general.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/qgnigooo
Hail to the Hive!
It's cold out and there are hardly any boats moving on the canal but we are moving on Badger the Narrowboat. We continue our journey and move onto the Trent & Mersey Canal edging a little closer to Wales. There's a lot of miles to cover and on the way we find ourselves at the very spot where we started our narrowboat adventure. Taking Badger the Narrowboat through the very first canal locks that we had ever done. It felt very nostalgic returning to the spot where we arrived on our return to the UK and began our narrowboat adventue. I have to say that even though it was cold I had a smile on my face as it felt nice coming back to the beginning.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/kihptjtw
Hail to the Hive!
This morning we awoke to a very frosty morning and an iced over canal but we were still intent on setting off and making at least some progress on our journey to Wales and the BIG AQUEDUCT! So after wiping off frost from the solar panel and warming the engine , off we went. Easily the coldest day of cruising on the canals i have done so far but if we do a little every day then we will soon be there. I have decided to post a daily video on this trip to share the experience and the progress. This is Part 1 of Badger the Narrowboat headed to Wales!
We have no idea how long it will take us so let's see how we go!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/ihniddcm
Hail to the Hive!
2021 was many things for many people and certainly provided some unique challenges with may restrictions and barriers in place. For @millycf1976 and myself it brought to an end 7 years in Asia. After 7 years in the Philippines we had made the decision to return to the UK and try living a nomadic life aboard a Narroaboat and explore the Canals and Rivers of the UK. We thought we would probably never move back to the UK and the real surpeise has been how much we love being back. Largely this is due to our chosen lifestyle and the ability to be nomadic, change scenery at will and still get the buzz of exploration. In this video we take a look back at how our year went, highs and lows.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/zzgfybdi
Hai to the Hive!
It's winter and we live on a small steel tube that floats on the cold canal. Staying warm is a must and when we get given some free wood it's better than Christmas. But I must chop it up and get it ready for drying as we can't burn it immediately so it AXE TIME! Time to break out the axe and scare some of the joggers that run along the canal tow path. I do love the axe, it is somehow liberating. The saw is a bit of a chore and I am not so much of a fan. But the axe?! I just love it and I think you'll be able to tell from the video. It really is too much fun. It reminds me a lot of sledgehammer training and the muscle memory came back very quickly.
I almost an't wait to get some more wood to chop as it was all rather enjoyable!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/bjyiuhnh
Hail to the Hive!
Now I keep hearing people say " you guys are on holiday every day" or " wow must be nice being on holiday full time" etc etc. Now I am not moaning as it is a very nice way to live but it ain't all roses. It's a significant lifestyle change and apart from sacrificing a number of taken for granted luxuries { like unlimited water supply, power and waste disposal) there's a lot of advanced planning and daily chores, work on the boat and adapting that need to be done. Now as I said I am not complaining but it isn't like being on holiday every day but then again it also isn't like hamster wheel work to pay rent lifestyle either. Also the nomadic aspect is great. In this weeks episode we hide froma storm and do a bit of boat tidying and a few other basic chores. All part of life afloat!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/oqjamlmd
Hail to the Hive!
After over a week trapped in between 2 lock gates on a short stretch of canal the padlocks have ginally been removed giving Badger the Nattowboat and us some much needed freedom. This didn't happen on time though and I was forced to carry supplies, both food and coal, quite some distance to the boat. Such are the trials and tribulations of narrowboat Canal Life!
It wasn't too bad though and with glorious scenery and a wedding anniversary to celebrate it all turned out ok in the end.
It has been nice to stretch Badgers legs again and the weather decided to take a turn for the better timing our release to perfection and enabling us to do a bit of winter cruising on the canals as we revisit a splendin mooring spot.
Hope you enjoy the vlog!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/ugnqoyfq
Hail to the Hive!
oh dear! Due to the Canal & River Trust assing a last minute closure we have found ourselves trapped on a s,all section of Canal. "OH NO!" I hear you cry. Ahh it ain't so vad as there's a Pub right on our dooestep and plenty of grocery shops and supplies at hand. We have a wood burner and won't freeze but we just can't go too far. Bugger!
But never one to waste an opportunity and as its a weekend we have visitors so I put them to good use as there's always something that needs doing on a boat and Badger is an attention seeker and needs a lot of love and affection so we get a few more modifications done while we are unable to go anywhere.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/nyntjfgq
Hail to the Hive!
After 8 months aboard Badger the Narrowboat we are realising that space and storage are of a premium and anything we can do to improve the use of space will greatly improve our lives aboard. Luckily for me I know a fella from days gone by that is a dab hand ( or fingers) at a bit of carpentry. So we put out heads together the last time i was in Leicester, my home town, and made a plan.
This little video shows the implementation of that plan and the ideas we set in motion. I think we have greatly improved the use of space. PLease let me know what you think!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/dysgxyga
Hail to the Hive!
Winter approaches and we are bracing ourselves for our first winter aboard Badger the Narrowboat. As we intend to keep moving through winter the canal system may at times prove to be a little more challenging. Luckily for us a Christmas gift from @diveratt has arrived early in the shape of some 3D printed windlass holsters. A windlass is the 'lock key' that allows you to work the lock mechanisms letting water in and out of the canal locks to allow your boat to rise or fall accordingly. They will come in handy for real allowing us to keep our hands free climbing on and off the boat or over the lock gares. For me it will also stop me forgetting the windlass on the boat when I get off which I do regulartly.
We also need to familiarise ourselves with all the mooring spots in this area and look for a convenient mooring for unloading a friends van so we can make easy work of the upcoming badger interior conversion happening on Sunday.
Join us for a glimpse into life aboard a narrowboat in the UK
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/ekrirsgf
Hail to the Hive!
We haven't been through a winter in 8 years and we've never been through a winter on a boat before so we are trying to think ahead and prepare. Part of that is getting the boat to a location where it will be convenient to get supplies. In this episode we take Badger the Narrowboat to where we want to be for at least the next 6 weeks and get some supplies in. Also we need to figure out where the good mooring spots are also so we know where to move on to when we get water or empty our waste. Life on a narrowboat is full of challenges.
We also quite liked this area when we were here before so are looking forward to exploring it in more detail in the weeks to come. We've already discovered some new street art as well as some facilities that may prove useful to us.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/mlpamnwp
Hail to the Hive!
After a long wait due to delays in deliveries and struggling through the temperature drop with no heating on the boat we are finally installing the fuel burner. It will truly revolutionise he way in which we live on the boat. It's a game changer for sure.
Narrowboats are essentially a steel tube sat in cold water in the winter and we all know how awful a British winter can be. So the fact that we are finally at this moment is like a dream for us.
We had several options available to us but we decided against a diesel heater and went for the multi fuel burner as it means we can also forage for wood to burn which I rather like the idea of.
I had the help of a good old friend, Elliot, who did the majority of the work as he has previously installed a lot of heating systems in houses but this is his first in a boat.
Let's see how we do!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/dgwplolt
Hail to the Hive!
We are now leaving Leicester and headed towards our preferred area for winter moorings but we have had delays with the Multifuel Stove arriving and being installed. We fully expected the stove to have been installed at the same time if not before the new engine went in but it just didn't materialise. Slowly slowly it is coming together but winter has decided to show it's face and we are not prepeared.
We are making use of the firepit outside when we are in areas where we can use it and generally making the best of things as we cruise by day and try and stay warm by night. We don't have long to wait until it should be installed now but it is starting to get very cold.
The days are mostly fresh and clear and the cruising is beautiful and a pleasure to share with you all as it is a great perspective to see this beautiful countrysidefrom. Even if it is COLD!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/ayfyqymt
Hail to the Hive!
We are back in the City of Leicester moored up right in the city centre and for 7 months have been repeatedly told by boaters not to moor here. We are now suspecting that this is mostly due to second hand information as we have found it to be an excellent and very convenient place to moor up. Waterfront City Centre Life! It's great ( not so much the weather though this time ).
So I decided to address some of these issues in this weeks vlog and explain why and how we feel abut it.
Boatlife is a very different way to live and presents its own unique challenges such as water and waste disposal but some of these can easily be done here at the moorings also.
I hope you enjoy watching the vlog and get an idea of what Narrowboat life in the Centre of Leicester is about!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=scubahead/qkyspxnz
Hail to the Hive!
The Grand Union Leicester arm has to big flights of locks at Watford and Foxton and also has quite alot on the way down to leicester after Foxton Locks. The weather was extremely bi-polar and was in a constant state of flux but the journey was enjoyable and beautiful. We did mistime the last day and ended up doing the last few locks in darkness, which was a little surreal. We have never cruised at night on the canal let alone do any locks. Please join us and watch the video and see for yourselves how beautiful this particular part of the country is from a canal perspective and to see how we fared cruising in the dark!
As always I really enjoy making these videos to share with people this alternative way of living and traveling so don't hold back, if you have any questions about it, just ask away!