073 - Wolverton to Fenny Stratford on the Grand Union Canal

[@richardoakley6460]

Another superb video, the Falkirk Wheel is one of the wonders of the Universe!

[@MinimalList]

Really hope we can rent a boat up there to ride it, as yes it’s a fascinating bit of engineering! M

[@ChrisBrown-jh2mo]

@@MinimalList The Falkirk Wheel is a must see, we took the trip boat last time we were in Scotland, amazing experience.

[@davelawrence821]

if only dogs could talk... at 6:37.. the expression on georges face "humans,,that boat needs painting!" lol I stopped at Gifford Park where you hosed off the pooch, very handy shops there. I see plenty of the blue wyvern shipping boats zooming past, most on the right side of the canal lol big Tesco right by the canal just after Leighton lock in Buzzard

[@MinimalList]

Haha. I often wonder what Georgie is thinking! Yep, we popped into Tesco’s. It came to the rescues when we found that the Lidl was just a construction site. Jo

[@stevenhart3316]

Great video. The place where you stopped for water is called Giffard Park, and the other side of the canal is Great Linford. The pub is nice and Linford Park is worth a look round if you are back in the area.... safe travels.

[@MinimalList]

Thanks!

[@walks_with]

Great video thanks. Hope it’s cooler for us all soon. I’m very hopeful for your roof garden and look forward to seeing it.

[@pipparker6455]

Leighton Buzzard canal festival this weekend so mooring between the disused railway bridge and bypass reserved for that

[@MinimalList]

We are a bit further south now! It’s a shame we are going to miss the festival! Jo

[@luanncrownover4]

awww...sorry about such heat! It's still with us, too. I can't wait to see your roof garden Jo! Hopefully it will help with the heat, too. Safe travels!

[@MinimalList]

Trying not to complain too much but it’s proving hard. Hope you are staying cool! Jo

[@johnhorne1685]

As you went through Cosgrove you would have gone by the entrance to the Buckingham Canal. Most of this I have walked but has a restoration society working on it. A problem is it has been built over in places which means it has to have to break new ground to get around it to get to Buckingham

[@MinimalList]

Hope they find the ground to break! Anything that adds more canal is good! M

[@courierdog1941]

Thanks for the clarification on George. All this means is he is a normal Dog, plus it is more difficult to throw a ball in the boat and for George to chase it. while not impossible it is not as much fun.

[@MinimalList]

Oh, he thinks it’s great fun to chase the ball in the boat… the difficulty is in getting Jo to let me throw it without a look of withering scorn! M

[@courierdog1941]

SO how is the Swan/Duck Food Launcher coming along.

[@MinimalList]

Heh, ultimately just resorted to a jar and hands as the distribution mechanism! M

[@tinplategeek1058]

The water point was probably the one at Giffard Park as it has a pub (called The Giffard Park) beside it.

[@The101stEagle]

Would a roof garden also help keep the boat cooler in the summer?

[@MinimalList]

Maybe slightly!

[@mattcherry276]

When on the canal in hot weather we would have a large bottle of tap water in the fridge which we would top up every time we used any. Provided a constant supply of chilled water rather than warm stuff straight from the tank. It would get emptied before bed each night and filled with fresh ready for the next morning.

[@MinimalList]

We did the same. Jo kept rotating mugs of cold drinks as well between me at the back and the fridge. Thankfully the oven has relented and we've had rain yesterday and today! First time we've broken out the duvet in months! M

[@mattryan2536]

Hey Mike it was 110 Degrees F, in the shop today.

[@MinimalList]

Phew 😬

[@clairepapadatos1116]

'Suffer, babes, suffer'!😊😀 All love, and best wishes, to you all, Claire, Sally, and Zora , Berlin 😘 😘 😘 ✌ 👍 👍 👍

[@keithpayne4143]

Good luck you two 👍🏻 stay safe........drink plenty of water.....its in the mid thirties down here in the southeast.....crazy hot/humid 😓

[@MinimalList]

We're feeling it! M

[@MinimalList]

We will try. Thunder forecast tomorrow! I can’t wait! Jo

[@FoxesAfloat]

Love the brolly 😂👍

[@MinimalList]

It's a good brolly! M

[@sylviapage8572]

We were also out on our boat in that heat with two dogs! Sadly we’re home now because we picked up a new puppy and decided to house train him before we return to the boat, unfortunately it’s taking longer than expected because he’s been poorly. I’m sure you will have thought of this but you could fill a jug with water and keep it in the fridge to cool. We have a Transcool air conditioner and it’s fantastic. Next time we get a boat it will be painted cream. Our cream roof was cool to the touch while the black side panels and decks were red hot. Thanks as always.

[@MinimalList]

This was about three weeks ago and the heat is still relentless. How exciting, a new puppy in the family! I hope he is on the mend and the training is going well. A light coloured boat would be much more sensible in this weather! Thanks for watching. Jo

[@garydye4270]

Looks like a really nice section of canal. Do you know when the new canal is expected to be finished?

[@MinimalList]

No. It appears there are and have been ongoing delays and doubts, due to work on the A421 road, and the tunnel that would be required for the canal to cross it. Apparently it's everyone wants it, no one wants to pay for it. M

[@garydye4270]

Minimal List. Well, I won't factor it into a future holiday then!!! Your videos, especially the speeded-up portions really showcase narrowboating beautifully.

[@fredvolkman754]

Last July it was hot as well. Eventually when we got to Uxbrigde after a 37 degree day we beat feet to the pub and AC!! One of the things that got me as I walked the tow path in the MK area was the number of oddities re: dog doo. Some would nicely bag it and toss it in the hedges but the weirdest was there were spots where someone had sprayed a blue ring of spray paint around the droppings! Go figure

[@MinimalList]

I believe the blue ring is meant to warn the unwary and shame the sort of people that think either leaving OR bagging and tossing into the bushes are okay. M

[@mrdfoutz]

LOTS of great Homer T-shirt captions in the outtakes! 🤣 Did you just Geek out? Suddenly, it's bearably hot! It's the Huhmidy! They ARE pretty fluffy! Why am I in the sun? A female, heroes, of lore. I don't know. I had images. I'm sun-delirious. I think I should stop talking, certainly. And finally - I've got to put the toilet back together!

[@MinimalList]

Hah, those would be good Homer captions indeed! M

[@douglaskerins6030]

I can so relate, can't wait til end of summer

[@MinimalList]

Me too. And then I can start complaining about how cold it is! Jo

[@rbagrizzly]

I keep thinking with all the water under you it could be used as a source for an evaporative cooler but I guess the canal is shallow enough that the water heats up pretty good.

[@MinimalList]

If we could pump it onto the roof, and somehow strain out all the muck you wouldn't want deposited on said roof, it might help. The real problem is the humidity, which reduces the cooling value of that evaporation. M

[@iangorner]

A heat warning has been issued for Newfoundland, humidex is predicted to go up to 40 today. Not at all usual for us. Don't forget to hydrate with something like Gatorade, when we sweat we lose salts along with the h20. I have to sand and scrape my deck prior to staining today.....lots of cold sports drink in my forecast.

[@MinimalList]

Eek, be careful over there! Over here there's no Gatorade, but we'll look for something similar! M

[@SailingWithVampires]

How hot does your boat get inside with a black top deck?

[@MinimalList]

Sooooo hot! We try an moor in shade which makes a huge difference and we have a fan now which helps a bit! Jo

[@lincreed-nickerson7949]

You drive drive on the right, but navigate on the left.. Can you explain?

[@MinimalList]

Sorry, that’s a bit unclear: do you mean “navigate on the left” as in where I stand, to the left of the tiller? Boats always pass port to port, so they’re “right hand” drive by ancient custom, and typically you stand on whichever side of the tiller gives your dominant hand access, because it can take a bit of work to move that thing about, and since most people are right handed the throttle is usually on the left. It also gives you a better view down the port side, which is helpful for passing on narrow bits. M

[@nicholasdodd7207]

Hi Michael and Jo Thank you for the many hours of entertainment. Your, apparent , slower pace of life is most appealing. Is life slower on the canals or does modern life keep the pressure on? Regards, Nick Dodd

[@MinimalList]

Thank you! We are happy you are enjoying them. It is a slower pace of life on the whole and we do notice how hectic it is when we venture into towns and cities. Of course we also still have all the normal life stresses too. Can’t complain though, we feel very lucky to be living this life! Jo

[@stevemusgrave2000]

Washing bowl half filled with water. T shirt in said water soaking. Momentary halt to proceedings to take off existing t shirt, to put on soaked one. Every hour or half hour depending on travel duration. I used to to this at work inside a huge metal hanger, works a treat. On a boat it's even better. As the sun dries it out on your body, steam is going upward towards your face. A mini sauna. Give it a go. Sweat bands in the water and the swapping scenario works too. Keeps the wrists cool as that's one of the areas where blood is closest to the outside of you skin.......😎😥 not one for emoji thingies, but it seems very appropriate.

[@MinimalList]

All of this relies on there being somewhere for the water to go in the air, I'm pretty sure we're at 200% humidity!!! M

[@greymouser8659]

Is Bletchley Park an interest?

[@MinimalList]

Oh yes! So interesting I dragged Jo up there a few years ago on a prior visit, and made her stand around yawning as I fawned over paper tape and wires! Which is why we couldn't really justify another trip that would take us off our planned schedule. M

[@greymouser8659]

Totally wired :)

[@LinuxUser119]

Only 29C! Here its 28C but it's only 0930, today the high is 30C and tonight it will get down to a muggy 26C. I like it here, mostly because they named the town after your cute dog. 😎

[@MinimalList]

Forecast 34C today. Not happy about it! Stay cool! Jo

[@LinuxUser119]

Minimal List 34C! OMG how will George stay cool? Would it be possible for Michael to fan him with a palm leaf? (think Cleopatra) After all he doesn't do bugger all else, so you could put him to good use, and you know in your heart that George is worth it. 😎

[@MinimalList]

Hmm. I think I'll keep this one set aside in memory for future vengeance. Thankfully the rain has hit, finally, so George is fine. And well aware of the heavy lifting I do. M

[@rwbimbie5854]

Pentagon... Spaceforce... Well played

[@MinimalList]

I play what I plays when I plays it. M

[@melwood2477]

We were where you are 3 weeks ago... and it was baking hot then as well... :-) There are some great parks and pubs! Are you heading through to the Tring reservoir?

[@MinimalList]

We are a bit behind in the uploads so this is from about three weeks ago too! We are down in Berkhamsted now. We didn’t stop at the Tring reservoir as we had Michael’s Brother and his family with us. It did look lovely though. Jo

[@CyclingSteve]

Guys, get hammocks, stop by a park and go shelter under the trees, it's the only way to survive this insane humidity. Amazon have cheap ones, use locker delivery. It's working for me.

[@MinimalList]

Well yes, I guess we could just try and sleep through the heat wave! Jo

[@ronnielloyd4676]

Was that Quasimodo shouting "The bells, the bells!" at the end? :) I'm sure somebody must have pointed out it is Gulliver's World :)

[@MinimalList]

Good spot! No, I think you are the first! J

[@welldeckdiaries5610]

What frame rate do you use on your speeded up sections of your video Great humorous vlog as allways

[@MinimalList]

Usually 1 frame per second is what the camera is recording. It's the only way we don't fill the card fifteen times before the cruise is done! M

[@rassman48]

Does the boat cool down if you black out the windows? Or is it still the shell thats the trouble.

[@MinimalList]

It's the shell heating up that does the most... blacking out the Windows helps some, but also insulated and cuts down on airflow, so it's a bit of a win some, lose some. M

[@keda1981]

7:07 I CAN SEE MY HOUSE FROM HERE!

[@miketipping1583]

The Bedford link will be great (forget Bedford, it makes Cambridge accessible without having to get lost in the Levels for months), but like most canal restorations doesn't it give you a 'not in my lifetime' feel. That video was put on youtube 10 years ago in 2008. the whole Grand Junction canal from Brentford to Braunston was constructed in 10 years! It does make me wonder whether it wouldn't be better for someone like the CTR to look at all the canal projects and pick one and really push it so it gets finished, then move onto the next rather than having 50 restoration projects all fighting fro the same grant, donations & volunteers.

[@MinimalList]

When it's all funded by local bodies and volunteerism, it can take a long time... the old ones were built that fast because of the potential for ludicrous profits, but yeah I do wish more felt like they'd be done while we had a chance of cruising them. M

[@CallmeRogerRoger]

Exactly the same thing that happened to me as soon as she said it. "Should I stay or should I go, now?" I feel sorry for you if your brain works like mine. I once had a song stuck in my head for a year. Not too bad, you say? It was "I'm just a girl that can't say no" from Oklahoma. :-O

[@MinimalList]

Oh god... how did you not just end it all? M

[@pipparker6455]

Wherever the heck you are was Giffard park 😂😂

[@urbanimage]

The no return signs don't really mean anything as they aren't enforceable.

[@MinimalList]

That is what we thought. How silly! Jo

[@ChaimU1]

What about the Anderton Boat Lift? It's a similar sort of idea to the Falkirk Wheel, and it's on the Trent and Mersey canal so easily accessible to you. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderton_Boat_Lift?wprov=sfla1

[@MinimalList]

We look forward to getting there, hopefully later this year! M

[@ChaimU1]

@@MinimalList looking forward to seeing it!

[@thelastengineer2315]

The spider hole gets opened!

[@thelastengineer2315]

Miltonkeynes, my sisters old town, thanks for the reminder, I have not spoken to her in a while, I shall give her a call.

[@320ifq]

I think the Falkirk wheel was 46 million .... That money would go a long way to restoring other parts of the system

[@MinimalList]

Since the money came from local governments, it couldn't have gone to other parts of the system, and it did a very fine job of restoring the part it was raised for... and since it's now a heavily visited tourist site, it's probably on its way to being a net positive. M

[@normanboyes4983]

Interesting. The heat is a bit testing.🤔 BTW - The waterway bit seems to have fallen at the first hurdle - www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-44039968

[@garydickens7567]

When your video started I had captions turned on and your first sentence was "we're sitting here in 'poverty' instead of 'Wolverton'. Made me laugh....

[@MinimalList]

I wish I had time to correct the captions as I know people find them useful but it just takes so long. Glad you find them amusing though! Jo

[@charleskitson4903]

Great video as usual. What I would like to know is who is using the thumbs down on your videos? As far as heat goes, take a shower and fan each other.

[@anitablades6033]

Charles Kitson thumbs up or down they get credit the same, ha ha to the downer people !!!

[@ramseybarber8312]

The thumbs down motiff is not what it seems.It is the cuff of the wrist. Look closer and compare to the thumbs up.

[@MinimalList]

I don’t mind the thumbs down but I do find it funny that a couple appear as soon as the video goes live before anyone has a chance to even watch the video. Haha Yes lots of cooling showers and we do have a fan now! Jo

[@charleskitson4903]

The thumbs down people must be masochists to keep watching something they obviously don't enjoy. Well I guess it's a good thing we are all different otherwise this would be a boring ride. Just wondering if there is a small, low current drawing ac that you could use at least in one room. I understand heat. I was born and raised and now back south of Miami. Humidity makes you learn how to breath under water when your young.

[@MinimalList]

I don't know if they actually watch it, maybe they just wait for the notification and then rush to hit the button... some of them have appeared so quick they couldn't have made it past the first twenty seconds. Don't think there's an AC unit out there we could reasonably power on a boat. We've got a fan, but at speeds necessary to kick up a cool enough breeze it's been drawing 3-4 amps continuous... an AC would draw a lot more. Thankfully though yesterday the rain returned to England! Looks like the back of it is broken for now! M

[@jamesjetty625]

As some one who grew up in Las Vegas NV. 1 you gotta hydrate at least a gallon of water in the heat. 2 best to move and do work in the break of daylight or during the night. 3. Get a cooler and some ice to keep cold drinks. 4. A wet cloth on the neck will help to cool you off with the humidity cool would be better. It’s a matter of the arteries near the surface. Also if you get really warm run cool water over wrists

[@anitablades6033]

James Jetty Very True, so many people drink alcohol or pop both a big no no, in the hot Summer !!!

[@MinimalList]

Staying hydrated isn't hard, and the wet cloth does work well when there's airflow... the real problem is when we're sitting still and there's no breeze in the boat. But a strategically placed fan is helping! M

[@jamesjetty625]

Minimal List why also helps is going to family’s house who has AC when it’s hotter that the Devils butt crack

[@MinimalList]

I love that idea, but AC is relatively uncommon on homes here... we've taken to going to Tesco and hanging out in the frozen food section. Thankfully though it has finally started to rain! M

[@jamesjetty625]

Minimal List global warming get a portable one next year and a gen set to run it. For George of course! I mean if you get to enjoy some cool temps with George than just a bonus

[@barbroevanderlindquist4128]

Rigg up two tarps! Could not be impossible! . BarbroSweden

[@rickdearmont9950]

Tarps! Yes! I keep thinking the same thing.

[@MinimalList]

Tarps and wind do not work well together... also it gets sweltering under those things! M

[@barbroevanderlindquist4128]

Well, ther must some kind of shade efforts beside the umbrellas! There are the canvastyps, offcorse they cost more but it protects even sailboats ! Yesterday here in the north of south Sweden we had 34,1C so it is not only in GB it is hot! BarbroSweden

[@MinimalList]

It's too hot everywhere! An actual canvas tarp might help, and be reflective ... the tarps we have are those blue platicated ones, and they act as more of an insulator than a good shade! M

[@boatshaper]

A different hat might help ease the hot head problem.

[@MinimalList]

If only Michael could find one that actually fits! Jo

[@boatshaper]

That's my problem too!

[@rickf5615]

I can feel the headache from here! I get severe headaches that sometimes ring me to my knees. I have prescription meds for them, don't like to take it but once the headache takes hold it can be days before it is gone. I notice at the end of the vidoes on these extremely hot days you are both kind of dazed and confused. i am sure you realize that is a symptom of heat exhaustion! Be careful and drink a ton of water even if it is hot water. I am sure that traveling the places you have I don't have to say that but as we get older we do not handle the heat like we did when we were 25. And you guys don't have AC to retreat to to cool off. MORE SOLAR PANELS!!!!!!!! LOL. Meanwhile, after wetting down George do the same to yourselves and the hell with what people think, you are cool, they are sweating.

[@MinimalList]

Yeah, the headaches suck ... I've had them since puberty, and in my 20s they were especially bad. The doctors called them cluster headaches, somehow different from migraines, but nothing I've ever been prescribed has helped. Well except one thing I had an adverse reaction to where a week after taking one pill I sort of came out of a haze in class and couldn't remember the week, or who the heck had written all the meticulous notes in front of me. Luckily they've gotten less and less common as be years have passed. Yeah the heat has been bad, and you can't avoid the sun on cruising days either. We've used all the tricks, it's just been such high humidity that water on the hat and shirt just warms up and stays stuck to you, and then it's just an insulator. Gah. Thankfully, though, two days ago the first of the storms we've been waiting for finally hit, and it rained lightly all day yesterday, so the heat has dropped off and looks to stay away for a while. M

[@andrewwells8237]

Let the train take the strain, blow that try the Megabus and George can go to. 2 adults plus dog £7.66 return

[@MinimalList]

Will keep an eye out for the megabus option! M

[@peterrutter7332]

No No No roof garden wet plants metal roof = rust

[@MinimalList]

But they are so pretty! How is the boat? Jo

[@mattryan2536]

Sorry BRO, I guess Im a little jellous. And a little drunk. Peace.

[@wsatnutter9674]

drink Ale

[@MinimalList]

I've tried, I've suffered. It just tastes so ick to me! M

[@fredfish8918]

:)

[@MinimalList]

:D