150a. Not A Vlog: real time narrowboat cruising up the Grand Union canal's Wendover Arm

#narrowboat #narrowboats #canal #canals #liveaboard #cruisingthecut
Here's the unedited (bar one cut) footage from the bow of my narrowboat as I cruised from the end of the Wendover Arm on the Grand Union canal back up to the junction with the main canal at Bulbourne.
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Theme music: "Vespers" by Topher Mohr and Alex Alena, from the KZbin music library

[@thomasfrench2012]

I can't understand why anyone would ask you to add music, so thanks for ignoring them. As the sole caregiver for my 91 year old mom, I can't tell you how relaxing it was for us to calmly and peacefully cruise down the canal. Any music, even if we liked it, would have defeated the whole purpose of the cruise.

[@suesmith6721]

Thank you for a lovely relaxing vlog! I love that there’s no music. Hearing the engine chug away is so relaxing. I can feel myself unwind.

[@bennyfromda-bronx6343]

Beautiful. The naturals sounds make you feel like we're actually there too. Great video

[@engadvantage]

Hello from Texas! Great work on the Vlogs, but I must say that I really like the real time cruising shots too. I have a three monitor setup on my work computer here at my home office. One of the three monitors has your real time cruising videos playing full screen as I work throughout the day on the other two screens. It's almost as if I have a floating office with a beautiful view of the canals. Keep up the great work!

[@evkas22]

Such a soothing feeling after I watched it. Thank you and good day.

[@billywayne9039]

Thank you! Vicarious experience near heavenIy. I duck under the bridges and crane to see around the corners. I live on a place called the "llano Estacado" (enormous mesa, get a contour map) in south central USA. It is very flat. There is little water at all. I am retired and not employable. Discovering these series and vids on Amazon Prime and then KZbin has given me great pleasure. I will probably watch this stuff off and on from now on (please let there be internet forever).

[@billywayne9039]

addon, will probably post this or something like it elsewhere on here. But CrusingTheCut is superlative.

[@Dozz70]

So very peaceful....no wonder you love it so. I have watched each and every vlog now and very saddened that I have no more to watch....so... I guess I'll start over again! Cheers

[@CruisingTheCut]

More soon! Cheers

[@vancemarin8022]

Just like watching the fire place channel at Xmas !! Wonderfully relaxing !!!

[@markopolo-1]

I think I'm officially addicted, strangely find the engine noise soothing too, who needs rainfall or piano background, good ole diesel narrow boat to take the stress out of this chaotic world :) - and strangely, who the hell "dislikes" a video like this???!

[@CruisingTheCut]

Haha, my regular band of dislikers!!

[@stancrouch9642]

I always enjoy these. Thanks for the natural sound.

[@robertfield2328]

Very relaxing! Thanks for the ride along.

[@mungojack]

My wife and i spent our honeymoon on a canal barge on the kennet and avon. Started at Devizes and ended up in Bath for 3 days before doing the return journey. Absolutely loved it! It's such a nice change to see the world at a pace you can enjoy. Now I just need to convince my wife that it's a good idea to take our 6 year old and the 14 month old on the water.

[@padmepadme]

Thank you for taking us along on your adventure.

[@Euphoftoday]

I'm really pleased that you took the time to visit here. The Wendover arm trust have spent so many years raising money to restore it. I remember as a child in the 1980s/90s going on a friend's narrow boat from Marsworth and visiting this arm. The friend was a guy who got chatting to my Dad on the train to London as a commuter. There used to be a lovely summer fayre in a nearby field to this arm, although one year we all got drenched to the skin in torrential rain and spent the rest of the day with our trousers hung up over the heater in the boat, trying to dry them out! The world then seemed so much more innocent and gentle and your video really took me back to those lovely days, so thank-you!

[@teresaholmes7384]

This is just the best (everything you produce is wonderful but this tops it all). Thank you.

[@MrSmeggypaws]

So relaxing after a stressful day at work. Thank you for giving me something to unwind with/to.

[@RogerEverett]

I'd always hoped you would do a long-format one of these. So calming. Thanks so much!

[@CruisingTheCut]

I've done several of these, scroll back through my channel and you'll see including some gorgeous views as I went up the River Avon last year

[@anitablades6033]

@@CruisingTheCut Yes you have some wonderful Vid's so restful I put this one under my sleepy time vid's with the others, Thank you !!!

[@cornishviewnorth8994]

I bet my blood pressure is much lower after an hour of watching this. So soothing, and glorious weather. Thanks so much.

[@Bashfuldoc]

So very peaceful! With the construction next door that has been going on since mid summer your video is a welcome balm. Thank you!

[@anvilfireweld6084]

Best 40 minutes of any day. Thank you. So chilled and no other traffic.

[@sharpbends]

Just wonderful, love the sights and natural sounds ( including the diesel engine :-) many thanks !

[@colinwalder5033]

Essential viewing for landlubbers. Thank you for bringing the beauty of the canals into my landlocked living room.

[@suedolly7081]

Love it. Did two wks on the Thames and K&A two years ago. Best vaca ever! Wish I could do it full time. Thanks for the memories!!

[@mattevans-koch9353]

Very relaxing David. There were some grinding sounds that alarmed me, thought maybe you had floated over something in the canal bottom and scraped, but no shimmy in the camera so relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the journey. Thank you and have a good week.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Gearbox not enjoying tickover!

[@neilpalmer7023]

Hi Dave, Four of us from Ecuador & Colombia just traveled the Llangollen Canal a few weeks ago. Had a blast and the scenery was very beautiful. The aqueduct to Llangollen was fantastic. Thanks so much for your wonderful & very enjoyable vlogs. This particular video says a lot about the narrowboat experience. See you on the canal one day. Chao Neil.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Cheers Neil

[@larsgoranbengtsson4784]

Greetings from Sweden! This is Absolutely marvelous! Thank you for upploading. Keep up the good work!

[@scottfw7169]

Got in mail today an 80 page book which gives an overview of the history of UK canals from Roman times to the 21st century. Title is simply, Canals in Britain, author is Tony Conder who it says has been involved in waterways museums for some time. Being from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean I knew almost nothing about UK canal history. It does mention the developments of the arms and unions and how canals and rivers were woven together. Also discusses how going with narrow canals reduced their future ability to compete with those newfangled upstarts, the railways. How much in to books like this y'all You Tubers are is unknown to me, definitely a non-canal person!, but even as that person I'm going to suggest having a look at it. Is a small book, 80 pages and about 8 inches (20cm) high by 6 inches (15cm) wide. Is well illustrated with photographs and artwork, all of course small given the page size, and almost every page has at least 1 illustration. Had ordered this book and one on British Rail diesel locomotives of the 1950s and 1960s via a long lived mail order hobby shop in Texas: both are published by Shire Books, apparently a subsidiary of the well known military history book company Osprey.

[@dizzylizzysunflower]

Watching this with a cuppa...couldn’t get any better!

[@MegaDimebar]

Amazing!! I haven't had a chance to cruise this year, it's so nice to just watch and enjoy this! Thank you!

[@ozwzrd]

Should you choose to listen to both the sound track AND your choice of music, I suggest something in the key of A as that is the primary pitch of the sound in the beginning...with an underlying drone of E which becomes dominant upon throttling down at 1:12. Throttling back up after passing the moored boats and the inflow on the port side, the engine pitch shifts to F#. Think Arvo Part.

[@gustavbroichheuser9852]

Thank you sir. I enjoyed the Video with two glasses of wine.

[@ellenkempner2507]

Hi David My wife and I have been bing watching your vlogs and we are currently up to about 124. We have enjoyed them thoroughly. I would like to see a vlog on boat paint decoration. I notice that some boat have very traditional name and company paint work while others have just a boat name. But the part I am most interested in is the bow decoration, sometimes seen as patterns of diamonds disks. Any history or lore behind this? Keep up the great work. You’re living the dream and taking us with you. Thanks

[@kevgermany]

Yet another relaxing trip. Need to unwind, not just dream about it. Will watch the rest later, nice long one to enjoy. Thanks.

[@michaelpilling9659]

Wonderful experience - thanks David

[@-UrbanSurvivor]

Love these real time videos, especially that bit of canal, it is interesting and beautiful, thanks for posting this one

[@snowmandanselzer7738]

You should show these real time cruises. We can spot cranes and herons on the trip. This is also relaxing and calming.

[@CruisingTheCut]

But ... I do show them. That's what this is. So I'm a bit confused.

[@snowmandanselzer7738]

First, I want to say how much I enjoy your videos--a lot. I probably miss communicated. You do show the cranes and herons, and we love it. Whey you show the "Not A Vlog" real time cruises, we the viewers get a chance to spot the wild life ourselves. You have created a game in your videos. One thing I was trying to say was I hope you show more of these real time cruises.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Gotcha. Cheers!

[@fixallman77808]

the only thing that would have made this any better would be for me to have been aboard. Thank you for the real life cruise. I love when it's just this peaceful. THANK YOU.

[@Tex1947]

David I always transfer these to the big screen tv in the den, that way I feel even more a part of the vlog. Thank you again for a wonderful job that you do.

[@bethevoice-thelifeofsteve6354]

Nice .... My imagination runs wild when I watch cruising vids like this . I see all kinds of creatures coming up out of the water , running along the canal sides , skipping through the fields and flying high into the sky ........It is like a blank canvass .

[@ramseybarber8312]

Hi I get like that when i have to much BEER

[@christopheraubuchon9601]

I truly enjoy taking the way back machine to canal time.

[@malcolmshaw9369]

Had me on the edge of my seat!

[@jordangipson1125]

I don’t know how you don’t fall asleep at the helm. Between the rhythmic chugging of that Lister and the scenery, as well as birds... ah! Just wonderful!

[@CruisingTheCut]

Believe me, you're concentrating when you're steering!

[@jordangipson1125]

CruisingTheCut I couldn’t do it! I’d need somebody to steer for me! Haha!

[@ratroddiesels1981]

sir : WE CONSIDER THIS PROGRAMME SOME OF YOUR FINEST WORK . SOMETIMES ONE PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORD'S . YOUR COUNTRY'S CANAL'S ARE A NATIONAL TREASURE. CHEERS AND GLAD TIDING'S : )

[@derrickfelix503]

Utterly brilliant, David. Wish more of you bloggers would do similar, Hope your next one cut, footage is when your using electrical, propulsion. Real thanks. Pity the girls could not do a One take! longer than 5 minutes. Just not capable! Cheers

[@karensherlock-brennan3708]

I loved this one! Absolutely beautiful!

[@JoniAviography]

Love these videos I just pop them on my smart TV while I work. Thanks

[@mischef18]

Was really good seeing what you see while cruising along at your own pace bro. All the best

[@666k9s]

I so enjoyed this relaxing video! Love the sounds of nature, the water. Just so very pleasant and serene. Your blood pressure must be pretty low! Thank you for posting this. Look forward to the next.

[@CruisingTheCut]

100/70 apparently!

[@urbanrider7981]

Thank you David,im going to watch it fully in bed this evening with a tea.Real time action.chris

[@watersrising8044]

Prescription for high blood pressure: watch a CC Not a Vlog every day. Very soothing.

[@tpinstructor777]

Have you ever considered developing a "Cruising the Cut " video game similar to the ones they have for farming? You would make money to buy fuel, water, charcoal, etc by taking on passengers or completing tasks for the canal authority. Use the actual canal routes or simulated ones.

[@CruisingTheCut]

I wish I knew how! Beyond my little brain.

[@tpinstructor777]

There are game makers making games out of all kinds of things. You just need to be the knowledgeable one on narrow boats. They make it happen with your input. A coworker plays a farming game that is as close to the real thing (farming) as you can get. I can imagine it wouldn't be that hard to make. Its actually a simulation not a game, most people don't know the difference. The canal authority could be involved, given a slice of any profit, so you have the marketing and distribution. I know I enjoyed boating here (USA) my entire life and your videos are so easy to watch. I did't know narrow boats existed until I stumbled upon your channel. Very cool way to live. It's similar to the "Tiny Living" shows we have on television. People essentially build little trailer homes (600 sq ft or so).

[@buyinganarrowboat7612]

My family is in the gaming industry. We talked about it but it's too obscure a subject. @@CruisingTheCut

[@OhioticketswithRobert]

Started my Sunday morning off good with two cups of tea and lemon creme biscuits and this enjoyable video.

[@antipodeanadventures8423]

Loved it! We can't wait to do that.

[@cooper68ns]

Nice looking day has been wet and cold all of Oct and Nov so far in nova Scotia .hope your sun holds on cheers

[@pootle2768]

That was absolutely lovely. Thank you

[@Fur8002]

Enjoyable video of the quiet canal. Looks like the hedges on the towpath are well maintained but the edges of the canal very poorly maintained with no moorings possible.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Yes although bear in mind the Arm is still under restoration but I agree it could do with a bit of tending!

[@veronikabartram2092]

Love these real time cruising vlogs

[@ESmith-ik8vu]

Oi! And thanks for this, and the vlog, too! We have but one canal in Denmark, dug in the 18th century, too, to make power for the mills forging slave chains, and knives for sugar canes.

[@pierQRzt180]

"Oh no, I have to work 8 hours and it is too quiet here. I'd like some pleasant views and background noise on the 2nd monitor" "Right! the slow canal cruising TV!" I love it. I am also pretty sure that the "likes / view" ratio is pretty high on those videos.

[@CruisingTheCut]

😀😀

[@bigwes789]

I LOVE THESE!!!! PLEASE D0 MORE OF THEM (P.S. I LOVE YOUR VLOGS TOO!) BUT I LOVE THE RAW CRUISING FOOTAGE! PLEASE BRING MORE!

[@CruisingTheCut]

More on the way...

[@pattyfarghaly1821]

That is so relaxing. Thank you.

[@elburropeligroso4689]

What a pleasant ride that must be.

[@scottgibson7534]

Great birds eye view, pity they don,t build the pumping stations like the Victorians did.

[@bbqnh50]

Thank you for doing the Wendover Arm, saves me the trouble, it looks not that much different to the Slough Arm except you didn't end up in the middle of Wendover or spend most of your time in the weed hatch

[@patlawless1960]

Awesome! So peaceful.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

Thank you.

[@jamesa7506]

Haha! Your caption in the beginning was great! A Lil B.B. King was spot on for this slide down the canal. Might try some Eric Clapton next time I watch one of these cruises. Thanks for your time and effort sir.

[@aaronhorn6849]

Hi David, You need to market these real time videos to the Christmas market. One year we decided that we were sick of watching the yule log on the telly while chritmas things were going on, we decided to find something else to look at and found a real time video of a train making a trip across parts of snowy Colorado , was fascinating and these videos fit the bill. =]

[@AlexanderWright1]

The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal was built to feed water from springs around Wendover to the summit at Bulborne. It was originally planned as a feeder, but the extra width to make it navigable was a small extra cost, so the canal was built wide enough for navigation. Sadly, it leaked so much that it ended up taking water from the summit, rather than supplying, so it was closed first at Whitehouses, then at Little Tring where the current navigation ends. The stop lock is visible at 4:56. The video starts at the current end of navigation. Shortly after this you can see on the left the pumping station 6:30 pouring water into the canal from the nearby reservoir built for this purpose. The rest of the arm is in active restoration. Please visit the restoration page for more on the history of the canal information on the restoration: wendoverarmtrust.co.uk/

[@richardmadden8742]

Thanks very much for uploading😊

[@joeclarke9782]

Very beautiful and restful. I rank this right up there with live real time KZbin train rides. I'm sure this could help some insomniacs.

[@nunziociuridda]

beautiful video greetings :)

[@ESmith-ik8vu]

One is compelled to feel grateful to those navvies in the 18th century for the digging. Wonder if they had any inkling that any pure pleasure might come from their toil, sweat, and tears?

[@CruisingTheCut]

Very much not, I think!

[@JimmyBoogaloo]

really enjoy all of them!

[@onemanandhiswhippet]

I did enjoy that 👍 Regards Dave, Jo and Louie 👍😀🐾

[@williamavery9185]

Are we there yet? Oh yes! We are. I fell asleep after going under that first bridge.

[@dereknicholson4831]

Good thing you weren't at the helm.

[@stadleroux]

It's a long time ago, but can you perhaps remember or figure out what that sound was at around 40:40? It sounded like it was the engine changing tunes, but why? I heard it a couple of times earlier in the video as well, I think, but this one was the easiest to get back to. 😊 Oh, and this one was just long enough for us to glance at while having our supper, thank you very much! 👌

[@davexvs]

WTG love these vids u do takes me back to when i had my own boat MORE plz {:-) PAV

[@ianhenderson8222]

nice relaxing video thanks,still a bit confused as to how long you can moor at each spot if there are no signs I take it that you can moor for 14 days.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Yes, 14 days unless signed otherwise.

[@TheSkskitey]

I enjoyed that David , no music , no talking and the natural sounds but your engine was a tad loud . Thanks for sharing :-)

[@CruisingTheCut]

Can't do much about the engine!

[@kernowprincess]

Wouldn't get very far without the engine....still enjoyed watching....somehow quite relaxing sound....😁 Thanks David 😊xx

[@DalePeyton]

How many miles did you go in that 40 min. trip Great video Thank you Have a Blessed Day

[@CruisingTheCut]

Probably 2!

[@michaelwatson113]

What a terrific way to experience 2 miles of English Countryside. You sure don't get that in a ride onthe Piccadilly Line. Or the M 25!

[@Nerd3927]

I have seen the previous video. Now I know how it ends. No fun without the anticipation of collisions with boats, bridges or birds. You should have posted this one first! :-)

[@kurtkrueger5622]

While I'm enjoying the cruise down the canal I was wondering , being the fisherman that I am, there must be fish in these canal's and do they catch a lot of them, are there surveys done on what kind of fish are in the canals ? are they edible, how many species, how big do they get, etc. Maybe if you get really bored this Winter you could do a Vlog on that, I at least would be interested. I really like this one. THUMBS UP.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Please see my FAQ page

[@1950boots]

Very Relaxing Vid!

[@llessibm]

Did you ever find out what that industrial building was half way up the cut ?

[@TheSkskitey]

Flour Mill .

[@llessibm]

Answered my own question - it’s a Flour Mill 😊

[@RodgauChaton]

Ahoi David, eine wunderschöne idyllische Fahrt, bitte weiter so. Gruß Leo Ahoy David, a beautiful idyllic ride, please keep it up. Greeting Leo

[@cuzinevil1]

Thank you so much for that. It was absolutely glorious. I was just wondering... at about 20:00 to 30:00, I could have sworn the engine was singing to me. Does that every happen to you?

[@mozismobile]

The engine noise has helped me understand why electric drive is so popular with some people. I'm not a huge internal combustion fan and that noise grates after even a short time. Video is much nicer with a different soundtrack.

[@CruisingTheCut]

It's a bit of a marmite thing, lots of people like it but not all by a long way.

[@williambays3534]

Very nice, but it is easy to see that late fall and the start of winter is close. It just looks cold with the gray skies and brown plants. I marvel at your focus though. I could almost feel my brain locking up about half way through this v'log. I would need a radio or something in the background playing. In the summer the beautiful sun shine and country side keep you focused. Now it's a little dark and gray. On a side note speaking of dark, have you ever cruised at night?

[@baitcommajail]

William Bays when I was out there, a Bluetooth speaker (and (usually) Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span - both eminently sing-along-able) was my regular companion. Some of us have the AD(H)D brain to calm, some don’t. :)

[@jw4620]

Drive by tranquility.

[@bessie2275]

Nice work

[@Philhoppermiller]

I would like to see the cost of a cruise . How you plan it for fuel, food etc. for a trip. Just an ideaa. fo one od your fireside blogs this winter.

[@CruisingTheCut]

I do no specific costing. Just make sure the diesel tank's full, bring some food aboard and set off. You can always top up with food and fuel as you go. Cheers.

[@fins59]

I'd like to see a little of the narrowboat in the shot, so I know I'm on a boat & not magically flying over the water in constant danger of falling in!

[@tronalpha2552]

Hello David. I understand that the canales are not at all deep, so im going to ask you this is it posseble for a narrow boater to rou aground? . with silt build up in some canles i imagane you could. Gerard on readybaron.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Yes, very possible. Generally it is also feasible to reverse off the silt, or at worst, use a pole to lever the boat off.

[@C...G...]

david, you must have read my mind! we've watched the two river avon "notavlogs" that you produced (several times now) and was going to ask when you were going to upload more "notavlogs" of your travels, and low and behold...you uploaded another! many thanks, they are really enjoyable and relaxing to watch. :-) ps. will you be uploading anymore "feature length" notavlogs in the future? we hope you do, because they really are enjoyable and relaxing to watch...I said that once already, oh well :-)

[@CruisingTheCut]

Yes, a few more coming from this trip!

[@mjsimon]

In Holland whe call this canal a sloot...have nice trips

[@namespacetoosmall]

Most relaxing, this dashcam footage. :) But now I'm intrigued: when would you use the words "cruising up" or "cruising down"? Is it related to the compass directions, or the raise and fall of the canal (although there's no locks on the Wendover arm, right)? Or just whatever sounds best? :)

[@CruisingTheCut]

Whatever fits my mood ;-)

[@andrewbarnard667]

If you want to do more of these please do.

[@CruisingTheCut]

I have a whole playlist of them! See kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHTJkoyanrlre80

[@brianrees3697]

Nice one again Dave, but I must say its such a shame that there is not a lot more using the canal what a waste

[@bakakafka4428]

If I remember the engine exhaust position correctly, and the fact you're burning coal in your stove for the entire time, and that exhausts to the low chimney on the roof... aren't you breathing in fumes all the time where you stand at the back when navigating?

[@CruisingTheCut]

The stove is generally not alight (or at most just ticking over), and the engine exhaust is below my feet, to the side so no issue with either.

[@christinehammell6365]

I agree with one of the other comments about having a wee bit of the bow in the shot......Just saying , not ordering you about . 😉

[@CruisingTheCut]

Not feasible, for a dull technical reason.