334. Tiny Canal Boats You Can Tow! (Trailboat Festival 2024)

The annual IWA Trailboat Festival 2024 was held on the Ashby Canal at Moira in Leicestershire, a gathering of compact, lightweight canal boats that can be towed on a trailer behind a suitable car or van. These included Wilderness Beavers, Sea Otters and even a Caraboat!
Previous Wilderness Beaver video: • 235. The tiniest canal...
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Theme music: "Vespers" by Topher Mohr and Alex Alena, from the KZbin music library
#narrowboat #canal #cruisingthecut #rivers #offgrid #liveaboard

[@MrZx9rdoug]

When they say there's no British culture ....there it is . Wonderful .

[@JackNance22]

Another masterpiece, David. KZbin wouldn't be the same without you.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Thank you!! ☺️

[@JeghedderThomas]

Such a joy to see those li'l boats again - I so love them. If one is frugal and doesn't require much space, it's nearly a proper home.

[@cyberi4a]

I like the little boats, just enough for long weekend trips. The RVs of the waterways.

[@redboyjan]

We were along Moira yesterday, very pretty, I hope they restore it all!

[@psocretes8183]

I'm surprised the caraboat isn't more popular. I think it's a great idea.

[@getlosttrails]

We're gonna need a full Caraboat tour....

[@zapfanzapfan]

Yes, I second this!

[@myhillslife27]

Love a good Morris dance and that steam engine model was extraordinary ! Beautiful weather!

[@narrowboatsongsfrombonnie]

Brilliant idea. We were in Stourport dry dock and three came up through the staircase locks sharing a lock between them. Keep up the great videos David.

[@darrenwilson8042]

Its the Mon and Brec all over again. Boats - like caravans/motor homes - are cutest when they a small - we took a last minute break and the only static our usual site had available was a small one. Wife hated it - no room for her 200 bags of clothes lol - but I loved it. Snug, warm and peaceful with a compact well equipped kitchen I adored it.

[@josephneuner6354]

I love seeing the smaller trailerable canal boats! Very cool!

[@CruisingTheCut]

It certainly is!

[@rgarlinyc]

Beautiful day, beautiful and charming boats - thank you very much! I found the place name "Moira" to be amusing, as it conjured up pictures of an 'old girl' with purple rinsed hair tied up in a triangular headscarf, gossiping with her very good friends on a street corner in East London. 😌

[@danieldook9602]

Another great video David your knowledge of the canals is brilliant sending ❤ from a very windy and rainy East Yorkshire.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Thank you kindly

[@dreamingflurry2729]

Nice that you take your history this seriously and that it's a history that still has use today! Maybe not to transport goods, but recreation! If I were a Brit I'd think about living on a canal-boat at least for a while :)

[@Saluno375]

I'm officially a Toad Hall fan now! What a lovely piece of design that boat is.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Quintessentially British at its best. Thank you for taking us along. 👏👏👍😎

[@rotinkerbell]

Always, always, always find delight in your video offerings. Thank you for sharing the joy.

[@CherylSteele-rt8dj]

"Toad Hall". What a great name for a boat. 🎉

[@borysnijinski331]

House across from mine is named Toad Hall

[@wendybrealey8368]

Lovely and I can't believe we were over from Aus in the UK and could actually have visited that if I'd thought to look up what was on when!

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

Thank you.I did pause and read about the car boat very interesting. I used to live in a motor home.

[@pixie706]

I could imagine Twiggy proudly sitting on a trailer behind your van . 😅

[@CruisingTheCut]

That was my plan but it turns out that trailers are really very expensive!!

[@petitebiogeek]

Beavers and Otters... Sounds positively Canadian!

[@craigs1266]

Northern Michigan too

[@MartinAhlman]

Or Swedish! :-)

[@hamshackleton]

We have them in the UK as well!

[@MultiPetercool]

I once flew on a DeHavilland Beaver with two 17’ canoes attached to the pontoons. Was dropped into a lake in northern Quebec and canoed south for 10 days. We didn’t see a single person until we took out at the Cree Reservation.

[@johna1160]

Take either one of them before Water Rat.

[@justinmiller3396]

David, it is SO refreshing to hear “link in the description” and there actually being said link in the description! Thank you! Excellent work as usual.

[@CruisingTheCut]

It's most unlike me to have remembered!!

[@justinmiller3396]

@@CruisingTheCut I’ve been watching you for years and have not once found your content lacking. It drove this American to near obsession with narrowboats and the English inland waterways. Hi from Iowa btw!

[@davidbones1984]

Best presenter on the screen, love the videos.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Wow, thanks!

[@moggymarkshobbies]

Hi what a great video you have made. I love the little Otters boats I remember seeing them at the NEC years ago and thought wat a good idea they were. Thanks Moggy Mark.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@MrLangDog]

I could never live in such a small space but what a cool weekender!!

[@waltersims493]

From Deb…Thanks for entertaining me with this charming vlog…need that as my hubby and I are laid up with Covid.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Hope you feel better soon!

[@Project_Servotopia]

It's hard to believe that original video was already three years ago! Today was the day to watch this video over lunch and daydream about cruising the entire network in a Wilderness Beaver... or a Sea Otter, I could get behind that too. Thanks for sharing!

[@kevinkohler2750]

Absolutely charming!

[@alisonlee3314]

What a wonderful day out! 😃

[@CruisingTheCut]

Yes it was!

[@jcderby129]

Local to me and yet I somehow missed this. I can remember going to Moria furnace to talk about the restoration before there was water back in the canal hopefully the canal gets fully reopened sometime soon.

[@randynovick7972]

Wonderful! Thanks, David.

[@ritubohra2559]

Fantastic journey 👍 Wd cute awesome boats

[@craigbowie8925]

Thank you David. I was having a rough afternoon and listening to you always helps cheer me up.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Glad to help

[@doggonedean5314]

Lovely video (as always). I've been a follower since I retired in October 2017, keep up the good work. Cheers from San Francisco.

[@the2012fad]

Thank you! Your videos always cheer me up!

[@Simonsboxster]

As ever thank you David for another lovely little moment of happiness - best wishes from Holywood N Ireland

[@Ice_Karma]

9:59 Ahahahaha, "I Can't Believe It's Not Nails". 🤣

[@arthurverheijen6682]

Absolutely great!

[@lucindawilson5510]

Alway worthwhile and so delightful ..sharing with us bless you David yay yippie hooray ...what a life .cheers till next time.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Made me feel positively homesick. Great video David. :)

[@robsin2810]

David, what a lovely day, to be messing around in boats. No. You can’t get one until you finish restoring the Yellow Pearl.😂😂😂😂

[@steveowens398]

A glorious day on the water. Thanks David!

[@karinakucharski1235]

They are very cute. If there were canals in Middle Earth the hobbits would have Wilderness Beavers and Otters.

[@eastcoast4233]

True but they would probably be round like Gollum’s craft?

[@FixitFrank]

These are super cool. When we can eventually get over there, I want to hire one for a week or 2. or maybe a long verison for a week and then the wee-boat. CARAVAN Boat? What? You should totally get one of those!! Vandemonium and CTC together!! Cheers David, have a great day buddy

[@eastcoast4233]

My favourite video for ages! A compliment, not a criticism. Got to love these dinky boats. I would love one but they are surprisingly expensive. I’d probably aim for even smaller though, I’ve no need for two sets of benches. Having got used to a converting sofa/bed in a van I’d easily manage with similar in a floating camper. If opportunity arises David please do more on these delightful craft.

[@rollandjoeseph]

That was fun..those boats are the perfect size and the windows were also a nice feature. Well done!

[@AuntieSullivan]

Delightful collection of trailerable boats. Thank you so much for bringing us another good vlog.

[@danwhiteman2529]

Love the small canal boats. Thanks for sharing David.

[@WilhelmvonFahrvergnugen]

3:20 that smile!!!

[@dennyporter2447]

Wow.. cool little boats! Great weather for this event.

[@spencernorby6075]

That was a wonderful episode. Thank You! I see the comment following mine also uses the word... "Charming" and indeed it is. With the trailer ability they just look so unencumbered and something to bring such a wonderful free-spirit feeling for a day on the water. Again, thank you for the peek into another world.

[@thomasturner2279]

Thank for mentioning at Sea Otter Boats they are great boats. I have one and run the Sea Otter Owners Club.

[@CruisingTheCut]

I think they look great. Have heard they suffer more than most from condensation, do you find this?

[@thomasturner2279]

@@CruisingTheCut I haven’t had an issue with condensation on mine.

[@sandihandi7831]

Hello David. Good to see/hear from you again. I don't think I've ever seen "tiny boats" before on here and I've been watching narrowboat channels for several years now. Thanks for sharing. Take care.

[@CruisingTheCut]

I've done a couple, see first the link in the video description and then also this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHXQoWhvhrxgoJY

[@SheplerStudios]

Love these small boats! Perfect designs for electric propulsion.

[@nb_wildblueyonder]

We have a Caraboat in storage and if time ever allows would love to turn it into all electric

[@christineprice5463]

Lovely small narrow boats. I like the waterrat.water rate. Thanks, David.

[@robglysen]

Caraboat looks like the sort of crazy thing I would buy and my wife would go completely mental. One worries about the effect of submergence on the tyres long term.

[@davidrumbelow]

Most interesting, thanks from a cold and stormy Fish Hoek, Cape Town

[@CruisingTheCut]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@darrenwilson8042]

Ahh Jackson and Ruth still boating - how lovely

[@CruisingTheCut]

Yes, absolutely

[@hughcarson6837]

Impressive line up of boats

[@kristianjensen753]

Interesting as always. Thanks

[@CruisingTheCut]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@lakelady57]

That was fun and very interesting. Another option to life on the canals. 😍😍

[@stephenpegum9776]

That looks as though it was a cracking day out David. 😎

[@santos8578]

Your new yellow boat is just as cool as these boats, I remember when you had them on a while ago. It’s time to step up and make your new boat pretty cool. Kinda like you did your camper van, change the windows/heating/cook stove, and so on.

[@sujitsam]

Thanks!

[@CruisingTheCut]

Thank you so much!! Regards, David

[@gustavogarcia3515]

Lovely!

[@japrods1]

Interesting range of boats. Thanks.

[@shirleylynch7529]

Brilliant video. Thoroughly enjoyed that. Thank you for taking us.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Glad you enjoyed it 😀

[@kuukeli]

thank you for nice video once again

[@PeterfromQld]

Brilliant David, thank you. I love those little boats as much as you do I think. They would work very well on some of our smaller rivers here in Oz but alas we don't have any such options, especially trailable ones.

[@wallyclark1895]

What a great informative video! Keep up the great work!

[@CruisingTheCut]

Glad you liked it!

[@pollenhead]

That was fantastic. Those tiny canal boats are just the ticket for solo men or women wanting to travel the canals and not have all the effort of a big narrow boat. A bed, potty, galley, what more do you need? With the outboard motor steering is effortless and refueling is easy. Do these tiny boat owners have to pay the same amount to travel and live on the canals?

[@daveh7720]

In the early 1970s my family looked at an American version of the Caraboat, built on a fiberglass hull and designed primarily for lakes and reservoirs. It had a flat roof with a low rail that could be used for a patio. I don't think they caught on because I only ever saw the one, and it was pretty expensive compared to other boats.

[@nickbitten9910]

For some reason i really enjoyed this.

[@jasonthompson5256]

A splendid day indeed Sir 👌

[@geezerindawoods]

So cool!

[@henrybeenh7076]

Toad Hall!😁

[@grenvillephillips6998]

That's what you might call, the bijou on the bayou!

[@dorothydotson7154]

I love the little boats. They are so cute and to have one that you could drive would be awesome. I'd bet there are road restrictions for those.

[@tomtruesdale6901]

What a wonderful collection of boats. The trailer ability of those boats would be a boon to traveling with your boat. To me it seemed that the tender was a de-rigged sailboat which would be a great way to treat an older boat.

[@Speedbird917]

Takes me back to the 1980's. Some family friends owned a blue and white version of Toad Hall. Funnily enough, the boat was also called Toad Hall! I wonder if it's the same one been painted? Cheers

[@katej3z715]

I really love the trail boats. I think I would go for the Beaver, they are big enough to stay on for weeks and very practical. Nipper, Andante, the others, just beautiful. It is just so tempting...aargh. Are you going to the TBS? I bet they'll be there too! I adore this absolutely fab video.

[@CruisingTheCut]

TBS?

[@fat_tommo_goes_boating]

Great video David, you must have been in your element with all those wilderness Beavers 😊

[@CruisingTheCut]

Absolutely!

[@carolinecaiger6717]

What a lovely way to spend a day :)

[@CruisingTheCut]

Yes it was!

[@RobMartin1ds]

A pleasant day out 4 sure

[@CruisingTheCut]

It was!

[@scottgordon1781]

OMW , trailer up and tour France via the boat you trailed there ,

[@erhardt1477]

Well… To be honest… the idea of a canal boat with wheels on the bottom so it can be towed without any extra equipment is … quite seriously is … GENIUS ✅ Very lovely … very lovely indeed sir … Greetings from Germany everybody 👋

[@NicholasFerrar]

Great video as usual. I would have been interested to see the boats on the road trailers or launching.

[@CruisingTheCut]

See the link in the video description

[@danknox9986]

Love the ducks. Wondering how the Aluminum boats hold up? I would think they offer a lot of benefits.

[@bernadettec6386]

Thank you, that was really enjoyable.

[@re33ce]

Great Blog As Always ❤️ 👀The Perfect Day out 👏👏

[@CruisingTheCut]

Yes it was!

[@juliemeanor6531]

That was delightful! Thanks ❤

[@myself248]

Remarkable how much glass these cabins have! I suppose they're mostly used as pleasure craft rather than residences, so there's less need for privacy?

[@skf957]

Would it be possible to do a follow-up showing theses lovely boats on their trailers, and being launched / recovered? Great content, thank you.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Hi, see the link to the prior video in this video's description!

[@glynfrancis2803]

Love the small boats

[@craigs1266]

Good afternoon 🙂

[@zumbieuk]

Nice Beaver 🦫

[@Temptation666]

oh Yes. My kind of boats. I want two please

[@ElementofKindness]

Looks like the moorings really could have used a trimming of the vegetation before the event.

[@Santafefrank]

Thanks Kevin 😊

[@CruisingTheCut]

??