364 - We Did It!

This video was filmed from 8-10 December 2020
We travel from Wolverhampton to Birmingham in three days and collect three new Silver Propeller Locations on the way.
Our pervious videos of the Birmingham Canal Navigations
list=PLt9UiadU1aXnKZmcce4HvDHwrMYFUdSqk
Music:
Till Death Parts Us - Askash Gandhi
Just Stay - Askash Gandhi
Invisible Beauty - Askash Gandhi
Shattered Paths - Askash Gandhi
White River - Askash Gandhi
Kiss The Sky - Askash Gandhi
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► FAQ
Q• Why do you speed up some of the footage in your videos?
A• We don't, we film it as time-lapse footage. We do not have the battery capacity or data storage to film in real time as our cruises can last up to 7 or 8 hours. We use to the time-lapse footage to help tell the story of movement rather than showcase the scenery. We limit the amount of time-lapse shots we use in each vlog.
Q• Why are the videos so behind?
A• Last summer we decided we really wanted to just enjoy travelling on the boat. If we felt like cruising we would. It turned out we cruised a lot which meant we filmed more and had less time to edit. This meant the edits got really far behind. It was not intentional its just a consequence of us looking after our own mental health. Don't worry we are not rushing, we are just trying to enjoy the adventure.

[@andrewdennis6654]

Brought back a lot of memories of times in the Black Country (worked there 30 years, and have some family history there). Back then I would not have suspected that I would actually live on a narrowboat. When I began studying at what is now Birmingham City University, there was a tour of the area, during which one of the lecturers, a Black Countryman himself, explained that the Bumble Hole was a quarry in which there was a stone breaking machine (ironstone?) which reverberated through the area: "Bumble, bumble, bumble ...".

[@MinimalList]

Ahh, fascinating! That must have been quite a thing to hear in operation! M

[@geoffreysmith916]

Old 'stomping ground', Black Country & Birmingham. Well done for the 'propellor' locations. I am aware of some 'wags' that loaded huge tubs of water onto their craft to 'get' the Dudley Tunnel gauge and, though a pain to 'load' & 'unload' the water with little pumps, they made it easily and depth was no a problem (indeed, IIRC, in places the depth is cavernous!!). Smart move arriving at the south portal in darkness. No chance the local 'herberts' seeing you! Lol! Although many are fixed (rightly) on restoring the No. 2, I do hope they eventually do restore the Boshboil loop and dig out the rest of the Brockmoor canals back to how they were, though the road may thwart a return to the Fens Pools. By the way, I have used those doors in some of the bridge parapets in anger and been very grateful for them, too!! Thank you for the vidoes. They're all good. Keeping the marina fever at bay, here, until the starting gun is fired..... :-D

[@MinimalList]

Just waiting for that gun ourselves! M

[@alanswallow9033]

I never stop being amazed by the amount of bridges there is in UK! Must of been a lot of workers involved in building bridges over centuries!

[@MinimalList]

Oh definitely! Bridge mad over here! M

[@thomasnoble1816]

I actually came to this channel after seeing David Johns ranting (in a good natured way of course) about these people who were not happy unless they got a prodigious among of cruising in. Your torch light commentary brought that old rant to mind!

[@MinimalList]

Does he rant in any other kind of way? Such a lovely fellow. For a marina-er! ;-) M

[@lizbellamy1]

Delph locks twice in one day? That’s dedication!

[@MinimalList]

Dedication is certainly one word for it! M

[@alanglass8161]

Perseverance is in the blood. Well done.

[@ianofsjkartwork]

Another well put together & enjoyable vlog..........stay safe.........thanks for sharing

[@chaswarren7239]

Getting up into Bumble hole is a challenge, more like a stream than a canal & tight with boats to turn at the end.

[@johnallen148]

Congratulations on your achievement well done both of you ,Jo your commentary is so clear and very interesting,great views on the way sure is some deep locks on this journey never seen so many locks hard work for your both ,tell me how many times have you won the silver propeller you really go for it it’s been a pleasure to ride with you most beautiful and enjoyable thank you ,till next time take care keep safe keep warm,John 👀🍺🌈🥂🥂❤️🌹🌹 poor cat so good of you to help out ,

[@MinimalList]

Technically we’ve only won it the once, we’ve just qualified another 9 times since! M

[@JohnBCN]

Farmers bridge lock no 9 lock gate is now fitted. Good to see it in the raw. I did these three silver destinations early last year. Made the mistake of reversing, like you, to Dudley S portal (easy going, with clouds of black slime as you showed). Then next morning, driving away forwards got grounded whichever way I tried. Forward propulsion puts the stern a couple of inches deeper and onto the bottom. Will always go forwards into suspect depths in future so I can get easily reverse out. Cruising solo and stuck in the middle of a lonely basin of slime. Persistence paid off in the end and I live to tell the tale! Thought you were bragging when you said you managed chips at Farmers Bridge. It seems there is another Farmers Bridge near Stourbridge. Thanks for the ride.

[@jmac2031]

Probably your best video ever, very enjoyable watch, cheers from Brisbane Australia

[@MinimalList]

Thank you! M

[@rossrowntree5905]

Should add an extra slot on maps to indicate tow paths walked

[@altacat9702]

..beautiful..

[@SOUTHALLAlanTMobilityScooter]

A sad ending poor old cat... Well done with the silver propellers!

[@pilpelet100]

Great that you made it and collected three new Silver Propeller awards.

[@MinimalList]

New locations... there’s one award, for 20 locations, we’re just adding to our list of locations and trying to see them all! M

[@maobfh]

Well done! You have, I think, almost seen the entire British Canal Network, is that correct? Am guessing that does not include Scotland. What do you have left to do, from the end of this video? It seems to me that the Bumblebee hole would be a great spot for a canoe or kayak! It really looked quiet and isolated, though the human child in the background screaming suggests otherwise. That was a great video! You encountered or passed something at the beginning of day two that I was going to ask about in the comments. You mentioned just before you turned around and there may or may not have been a glimpse during the turn. For the life of me, however, I cannot remember a thing to ask about it. Getting old is fine, for the most part. I had much more pain after being tackled on a cement curb by an overly enthusiastic player who did not realize we were well past the goal line. But the perception of a sudden flush of well over 30% of my brain cells is incredibly disconcerting. If I manage to puzzle it out, I will return. In the meantime, I hope you both have a great weekend. Or what remains of it. Maybe you could sleep in or do something enjoyable off of the boat. Assuming you are exhausted just outside or in the center of civilization prepping for the start of Season...4?...8?

[@MinimalList]

From the end of this video it’s all old territory until we turn up the Upper Trent. Then through Nottingham and all the way to Torksey, were this time we’ll head on to the Fossdyke. From there it’s the Navigable Drains, the Black Sluice, the Witham, Boston, the Welland, and then hopefully by end of May the Wash... that takes us to the rivers Nene and Great Ouse and Cambridgeshire and then Northamptonshire... and then when we hit the Grand Union we’re done, end of the system. From there, it’s uncertain... I’m applying to get into a Masters and PhD; if I get my pick of schools that may put us into a position to go do the Scottish canals, but it’s all a bit unclear for now. M

[@guypidsley1572]

Big thumbs up, congratulations on the 29! loved the photography and the delightful piano music. still looking forward to being out on the water, patience is a virtue! Guy

[@MinimalList]

Hopefully that patience will be rewarded soon! M

[@Andolf10001]

The brockmoor junction we call the dead arm. It used to go directly into the brick quarry. There is the remains of a hidden guillotine lock next to the disused railway line. The bridge you was moored in front of is known as broken bridge because most of the timbers have fallen into the canal. At the end you have the dell which is a park, sports stadium and a large quarry lake. Then across the road you have the fens pools nature reserve.

[@MinimalList]

Quite a lot packed into a little area! M

[@peterwelden2448]

great video love your volgs

[@peterrice9800]

Nice to see the Dudley Tunnel again I have many happy memories of it as back in the day (1960,s) I was one of those people who campaigned to keep it open and was Secretary of the Dudley Canal Tunnel Preservation Society for a while. I helped take trips through the tunnel and have been through probably more than 100 times. That last comment is to make Mike jealous, it really is worth a visit. Keep safe and happy cruising and best wishes for 2021.

[@MinimalList]

I am extremely jealous, and also grateful for the work! I look forward to seeing the whole thing for myself, some day! M

[@lucillecash3046]

Some lovely scenery today, not too wintery yet.

[@dimitriostheologitis7154]

Great video, as usual, you leave no peace of canal unexplored! Having done these routes on a few occasions it was a pleasure to see them again through your eyes. Good thing you could turn at the end of the Wednesbury Oak loop in front of the Bradley CRT workshop. We had called CRT in advance to ask but despite their reassurances we could not (69 1/2 ft boat and some fallen stones in the water...) and had to reverse a long, long way, picking up what seemed like ALL the trash of the canal in our propeller. Carine's shoulder is still sore from all the heaving on the line :-) Which brings me to a similar question, maybe you or another viewer can answer: Is there room for a 69 1/2 ft boat to wind at the top of the Parkhead Locks in front of Dudley Tunnel? Thanks again and keep it up!

[@MinimalList]

Hmm, a bit hard to say... there’s definitely a wider bit and there’s a point where there’s two channels off from the actual lock line where you could nudge in... I think you could probably do it, but as I’m not sure how well dredged it is on the west side, I couldn’t say for sure. CRT or the Dudley Trust may be able to say for certain. M

[@dimitriostheologitis7154]

@@MinimalList good point. Thanks for the kind answer and happy cruising - and vlogging 😀

[@paulcammaerts5230]

When you do your new map you might like to refer to "The missing 60 miles"(sic) which we got from the BCN Society. Incidentally we are told that 'Bradley' is pronounced 'Bradeley"(long 'a') and we were very lucky to have a guided tour of the lock works. Great BCN tour, particularly thr southern part our personal favourite, thank you.

[@MinimalList]

Hmm, would be kind of nice to do a map with the “ghost” sections as well. I’ll mention it to Jo! M

[@DonLefFL]

I'm beginning to think I should get chipped.

[@ryanelger07]

The BCN looks a really fascinating place to visit and some of the moorings looks really quite nice

[@MinimalList]

It’s definitely worth a visit! M

[@johnf3f810]

Spent many happy holidays on the canals - except for the Coseley Tunnel (at 11:35). Unfortunately we found someone who had drowned there! Police called, we helped get him on the towpath, no foul play just a tragic accident apparently. One Constable was sick. another was clueless, luckily the Sergeant was more level headed. Once I had finished helping and given my details it was time to put the kettle on - I am British so Tea puts everything into perspective.

[@MinimalList]

That is actually my worst nightmare ans something I occasionally worry about when I see clothing floating in the cut. Sounds horrific, but glad the tea could help. M

[@johnf3f810]

@@MinimalList It was not pleasant but life ends. It is a pity that this guy didn't have a better ending but, at least, he didn't suffer some long illness. Must have been horrible for his family though.

[@MinimalList]

Imagine it must have been. Not a nice way to go. M

[@christinehammell6365]

Some really lovely footage there . Well done on silver propellers.

[@MinimalList]

Thank you Christine😊

[@mrtnsnp]

The 'off by one' is a good running gag to keep.

[@MinimalList]

And easy for me to do! M

[@crashbox7130]

It's like the 'One Year Out' tee-shirt on Radio Two's PopMaster quiz 😆

[@The101stEagle]

I have really enjoyed the video, including the length. Very busy few days for you guys.

[@MinimalList]

Very busy indeed! M

[@elund408]

great video, worth the small extra wait.

[@jamesblair18]

Smiles having got here!

[@alistairfinch6737]

Your new camera is much better!

[@wam2610]

well done, another three off the list, #thumbsup

[@markgruenberg6277]

Congratulations on three more silver propellers.

[@MinimalList]

Thanks! M

[@markgruenberg6277]

@@MinimalList Your welcome.

[@bernardhilton3527]

Great vlog. Very industrial but interesting nonetheless.

[@rogerwhittle2078]

That was a fascinating vlog, despite it being an 'out and back' route. We are very lucky that such isolated and little used arms are so well maintained and looked after. They are exactly what Dr Beeching closed in the nineteen sixties, if they were railway lines. We have been booked (three times!) to do the Tardibigge and in to Birmingham and maybe - next October - we will eventually make it. I am looking forward to at least being in the area, to at least visit the famous Gas Street Basin. More ambitious and subject to a lot of pre planning, there is a loop, through the Aston Locks and Aston, an insane dash to Gravelly Hills Interchange - which most people know - if they know it at all - as 'Spaghetti Junction. Then back through a short section of the GU, Ashsted Locks and the Aston locks again. Which leaves the Tardibigge again to get back to our boatyard! I've checked it several times and I think - we have a very good crew and with a lot of hard work - I think it is just doable in the week! However, with one bad hold up, we could be forced to turn back early. We did end up using the tunnel light to find a mooring, once. Around Barlaston on the first day of a cruise and we wanted to get to a noted pub. The 'football special' tour boat going back to Stone from Stoke-on-Trent frightened the juice out of us!

[@MinimalList]

Ooh, that does sound like a lot to pack into a week, especially with the Aston locks twice... could be good fun if you do it, but definitely some long days. Hopefully no propeller snags! M

[@stephenphillip5656]

BCN is a fascinating network of canals and traveling around it makes you realise how much industry depended on it for their day-to-day needs. Somewhat gentrified since I travelled across it but Black Delph was familiar if a bit cleaner than 1996! Black by name.... You certainly packed a lot into your 3 days sojourn. Lovely relaxing music with your video. Keep safe you 3. Better days ahead.

[@MinimalList]

Especially when you realise how many of the waterways were lost as well! Thanks for watching

[@MinimalList]

Better days soon, certainly! M

[@anneclarke9700]

Great video. The canals in and around Birmingham are very interesting. Thank you.

[@MinimalList]

They really are. You might also enjoy this channel as Andy know so much about the history of the BCN kzbin.info/door/rzW1oor-tk40DovgxICJaA well worth a watch!

[@maggiekavanagh2801]

Now I fancy chips! Well done for getting more silver propeller locations ticked off. Really enjoyed the video, lovely music, it fitted perfectly. Take care and stay safe

[@MinimalList]

Thanks! M

[@stephenmatthews9378]

Lock gates are also made at the Stanley workshops

[@MinimalList]

Ahh, true! M

[@FillingPassports]

I was curious just how many Silver Propeller locations there are, so I went to the tattenhall-marina web site. On their page they have a short paragraph about Jo, Michael and George's ongoing adventure aboard the Perseverance.

[@MinimalList]

Hah, didn’t know we’d been mentioned on the Tattenhall Marina blog! M

[@richardboulanger3393]

Nicely done!

[@franktuckwell196]

We moored in the Dudley moorings by the Black Country Living Museum, excellent, quiet and safe.Pleased to hear you say it was a ( piledriver? ) in the background, rather than something horrible with your engine.

[@MinimalList]

We moored there the first time through a couple years back now, lovely spot. Was also a perfect way to visit the museum itself. M

[@markattardo]

This is a heck of a video. I'll have my coffee, you have your chips, George has his goose nuggets. Win win😂Congrats on 3 more locations checked off. Bummer about the cat.

[@MinimalList]

George will ever have his goose nuggets. And yeah, felt sorry for that cat. M

[@tonypowell2165]

@@MinimalList Is there a silver propeller league table on who has reported how many they have done? Can't be anyone close to your total surely? Sad about the cat, but your description sounds like it might have been old. Having said that we lost a cat to a car collision and he looked essentially fine, must depend on how they get hit. Also, not everyone collars their cats, we never have, they are so curious and adventurous I'm worried they'll snag themselves and get stuck - but all are chipped these days. ('all' sounds a lot, but is just 3).

[@sallyu1]

Well done on your latest achievement.

[@MinimalList]

Thanks! M

[@carolinebutcher8160]

What an amazing couple of days! Really loved this with so much going on, 3 more Silver propeller locations in the bag and doing locks in the dark!! I must admit your views of the BCN show it to be quite lovely although such a maze of routes! Please can you say the titles of the piano music....it is gorgeous and really adds to the beauty of the filming. Thank you, you packed so much in! It was really worth the wait xx

[@MinimalList]

Thank you! Jo will add the name of the song into the description below the video shortly! M

[@lakelady57]

Interesting vlog enjoyed ferreting around the area and thank you for taking the time to help the man and the cat - much respect.

[@MinimalList]

Just wish the poor cat hadn’t been beyond help. M

[@knobby2knobby]

That was some nifty editing well presented loved watching as always, congrats on the propeller locations 👍

[@MinimalList]

Thank you! M

[@RichardShipman]

Wonderful - planning on doing those silver propeller locations and a few more in our hire boat in a three months time. I thought that Dudley tunnel entrance looked like a nice place to moor when I walked there a few months ago - glad to have it confirmed by you. Love watching your videos, must buy a map soon. Travel safe.

[@MinimalList]

I mean we saw it primarily at night, but it definitely worked as a mooring! M

[@hughking66]

Bravo. Great Vlog. Winter light and reflections on still water. Pressing on into the dark. Piano music and interesting commentary.. Other comments cover the rest! Cheers.

[@MinimalList]

Thank you!

[@shardlake]

Lovely winter cruise, well done for the 29 Silver Propeller's :) Shame about the cat...

[@MinimalList]

Thanks! And yeah, poor kitty. Wish that had turned out better. M

[@garym518]

That is dedication to your silver propeller count. 👍. We have been that way a few times didn’t realise those where SP locations. Does anyone do a map of all of the locations. If not maybe add to your map?.

[@MinimalList]

The IWA have a map online which is the one we use. I’m not sure if they do a printed one. www.waterways.org.uk/waterways/using-the-waterways/silver-propeller-challenge

[@garym518]

Thanks for that will look it up

[@peterrivet648]

We tried to do the Wednesbury Oak loop in 2019 but it was heavily overgrown and we kept on having to stop and clear the weed hatch. In the end we turned round and went back! It was late summer; I think you may have chosen the optimum time of year for this particular Silver Propeller location.

[@MinimalList]

What a shame you couldn't make it to the end. How frustrating. You would think this the CRT would keep it clear as the have to ferry gates in and out. It was second time lucking for us. Hope you make it to the end one day .

[@richardabrown]

It’s good you manage to get the location you missed

[@MinimalList]

We’re glad we did! M

[@angelaaz6282]

Not a bad place if you can roast some Canada geese for dinner! 😮

[@JISJ1964]

My computer gives some interesting feeling around those bridges like Factory bridges lock, they look like parts of a ginger bread landscape to me. Delphi locks, have they ever got a "stamp" scenic flight? Finally what´s the story about the water depth in the Dudley tunnel, would it be possible for Perseverance to finally come through if she had some hundred kilos of deadweight in for instance iron or lead? Would in that case love to come out as a volonteer to help you load the deadweight when finally the virus permits. I mean, borrowing, hiring or so of some metal would be possible.

[@MinimalList]

I wish lead would solve the issue, but sadly the Dudley has both depth and height issues galore... you’re also not allowed to use a diesel in there, so you’ve got to be towed through by their electric boats, making the whole thing much harder for a boat that doesn’t already fit the profile. So not enough lead, I’m afraid! M

[@geoffreysmith916]

@@MinimalList Yup, defo. no I.C.s allowed. They have a fully charged emegency boat at the north end and an electrically powered punt available for the south portal. Our depth issue would be the pool above the top lock where you winded, though, amazingly, we did make it to Llangollen despite advice saying 24 and no more! 27 inches our craft draft.....

[@robertthomas3113]

I always liked night cruses on Lake Winnipesauke NH USA

[@MinimalList]

Sounds nice! Though probably no locks to operate in the dark! M

[@ynys_mon6928]

Well done for securing another three Silver Propeller locations. Is there a Briar Hill and a Brierley Hill? I only ask because I was told that one of my Grandad’s sayings, when amazed by something, was ‘well, I’ll go to Brierley Hill’. Given he married my Welsh Grandmother and the family eventually settled in Anglesey, that expression of his didn’t really make any sense to the rest of the family. I guess it would to someone who grew up in or near Lichfield. I like the localness of the memory, but it would be lovely to know why people said that.

[@MinimalList]

I’m afraid there are multiple Briar Hills, as well as the Brierley Hill... my guess is that it’s one of those local ways of saying “Bloody Hell” without getting a cuff upside the ear from a righteous mother! M

[@adriancoppin977]

Dear Jo and Michael, I watch you videos avidly and I am a subscriber to your channel. Your skills in presenting are wonderful and your vids are totally relaxing to watch. I look forward to your future vids. Please Stay Safe and may your God be with you on all your journeys onboard nb Perseverance. Thank you for all your vids. I feel I know you both very well. Hopefully one day we will meet on the network. Watch out for nb Wibbly Wobbly.

[@MinimalList]

Hi Adrian, we’ll try to keep an eye out! Wave if you see us! M

[@lesleyjohnson7262]

Hi you two. Nice we are getting more videos. Interested in what two way radios you have. Ours are rubbish. Constantly having to charge after only a short while. And the distance is not too great. Can you let us know about yours. And the distance they are capable of. Thanks.

[@MinimalList]

Ours are Motorola Talkr T92s, and they hold a charge just fine and work pretty well, though all such radios are pretty low powered so distance depends so much on what’s in the way. We’ve had them work out to about 3KM when there’s few obstructions, but as short as 1KM when there’s no line of sight. M

[@lesleyjohnson7262]

@@MinimalList Thank you. Shall look them up. One day our paths might cross. Are you going down the river Soar. We are heading up to Braunston. I think you are headed for Nottingham though. We are on the Kennet and Avon moving up to Reading at the moment. Love you videos.

[@MinimalList]

We are indeed near Nottingham, heading up towards the Fossdyke and the Wash and Canbridgeshire, as we near the end of our mad quest! M

[@KarenSFrancis]

Chips! Real chips from a chippie! Here in Maryland there just aren't any. Have one or two or a dozen for me. Whimper.....

[@DavidSmith-lt9hh]

We were waiting for it to pop in . Now ready to watch it.

[@MinimalList]

Well done for being the first to comment. It's a long one, mum might get bored.

[@richardswainson1555]

What is a Silver Propeller Location ? please . Enjoy your Vlogs immensely . From Brisbane Aust. 😉👍

[@MinimalList]

The Inland Waterways Association has been running the challenge as a way to get more people out to the less travelled areas! M www.waterways.org.uk/waterways/using-the-waterways/silver-propeller-challenge

[@navigator902]

Congratulations Mariners ... I've been with you on several Silver Props..... and seeing the smiles on Micheal's face, quite the precious moment.

[@MinimalList]

Glad you like my silly grin! M

[@MrOVERANOUT]

Sad to hear about the cat. You did what you could which is kind. You both looked like smoked kippers on the outro. Well done bagging 3 more propellers.

[@MinimalList]

Sadly wasn’t really anything else I could do. Was quite tired the next morning! M

[@GregoryHarris-ym1qz]

Catching up on these videos. Minimal creepy face cam lighting. lol ♫

[@dudleyblokerave]

My neck of the woods.

[@MinimalList]

Good neck! M

[@rmk]

Congratulations at getting the three locations you missed last time. Sad story at the end though.

[@MinimalList]

Yeah, poor cat. Well done for making it to the end.

[@rmk]

@@MinimalList I've always watched your videos right to the end of the bloopers - they're great too!

[@stephengurd5272]

Well done for ticking off some more locations... not long to the end now then!

[@MinimalList]

Not long at all! Just a Wash in the way! M

[@narrowboatersatlarge]

Poor moggy. At least there were people there to care what had happened to it. One of our dogs has a thing about goose poo too. Gross.

[@pfalzgraf7527]

Another nice video - congrats to all the silver propellers and … drunks at midnight … can be pretty annoying.

[@MinimalList]

These ones seemed to be mourning a recently departed fellow, so I suppose they need a bit of leeway. M

[@seanvgodfrey66]

Yay, well done guys. Happy you got them in the bag, after we met you in Stone. (ps: we collect our NB in a week, can’t wait). all the best, Sean & Denise.

[@MinimalList]

Thanks. How exciting, I bet you are itching to be aboard.

[@seanvgodfrey66]

@@MinimalList certainly are, retire on Thursday, new boat on Friday. See you out there. Cheers 🥂

[@MinimalList]

That is very impressive timing. Do let us know how you get on!

[@richardsmith2122]

Oh WOW. Loved this one. We tried to get to Parkhead earlier this year but got half way up the bottom lock (which smelled *awful*), and a CRT chap appeared and very angrily and vocally removed us for trying to go up there... "its not allowed unless you're going through the tunnel". I remember the smell from that Chippy too... mmm!

[@MinimalList]

Oh my goodness. I hope you reported him. That is simply not true! That is awful.

[@richardsmith2122]

@@MinimalList I got no response from Twitter, but several phone calls got me an answer from some area manager that it was allowed - but by this point we were way away. It wasn't worth arguing with him at the time - would have ruined the day. Next time we are in the area...! (And the Fens Branch is required too!)

[@MinimalList]

The moorings are lovely. Hope you make it back soon.

[@richardsmith2122]

@@MinimalList Thank you 😊

[@paulroberts5677]

Nice vblog. Like how you tied the fast bits and the slow bits together with nicely chosen music. Thank you for your mercy of not showing the chips (week four of 800 kcal diet). Enjoyed it.

[@MinimalList]

Oh ouch, sorry we even mentioned them! M

[@chazzyb8660]

Woot woot < 29 > (or somewhere round there!)

[@ltrtg13]

Did you know you can hear water running down behind the wall on the port of the Netherton Tunnel? I've been told the canal is lower than the water table.

[@MinimalList]

Hmm... hadn’t heard that, and didn’t hear the water. Seems to me there’d be some geological problems with it being lower than the water table (it being built into a hill that’s higher than the surrounding land), but I can imagine there’s a fair bit of water trying to get through that hill and to the water table! M

[@petewood5097]

Did you do the engine arm in the end?

[@MinimalList]

No, that would have involved some extra locks. We walked the Engine Arm last time through and there’d definitely have been some trouble turning, plus it had appeared quite silted up. M

[@simonkelley7073]

I think you'd really enjoy participating in the BCN challenge. 24 hours to do as much of the BCN as possible, followed by meeting at a defined end point to socialise and see which team got the most points. It's normally on the last weekend in May, but was cancelled last year because of the pandemic and will be later this year, if it happens, for the same reason. Normally supplies at least a year's worth of tall stories, often involving Walsall flight. One year the end point was Bradley workshops and the whole arm was jammed with boats going nowhere, many of the deeper ones already aground. We did all get off in the end, obtain beer, and have a tour of the lock-gate factory.

[@MinimalList]

Heh, definitely sounds like fun! Maybe some day we’ll catch Birmingham outside of winter! M

[@marymussi9184]

Are you going for total domination of the canal system?

[@MinimalList]

I mean we want to cruise it all. Does that count as total domination?

[@marymussi9184]

@@MinimalList yes that counts Operation Perseverance is well underway. Has anyone else picked up a silver propeller that you know of? You do know the CRT are offering a chocolate ecofan to anyone who covers the whole of the network.

[@MinimalList]

Not sure if anyone else has finished the SP, but there were a few not far behind us in count, so quite possibly. Didn’t know about the ecofan, we should get that later this year! M

[@marymussi9184]

Congratulations on the SP and I'm sure you're really proud of it and so you should be. Being the first to complete the task a more substantial prize should/could of been awarded in my opinion.

[@MinimalList]

It’s more than us minimalists need! M

[@kevinwhiteland904]

Hi to the 3 of you can you tell me why do the locks have 1 gate on one end and 2 on the other good luck kev.

[@danensis]

There ought to be a FAQ on this. Two reasons - the top gate only has to be the depth of the canal, whereas the bottom gates have to be the depth of the canal plus the fall of the lock, so are much heavier. Also the length of the lock has to be the length of the longest boat plus the clearance of the gate, so the boat can get out, so two gates means the lock can be a bit shorter, so cheaper to build.

[@MinimalList]

I really wish KZbin had an FAQ feature for this one! Perfect answer from @danensis! M

[@jameswitte5167]

I think Cruising the Cut did a vid inside the workshop ... I follow so many of you it is sometimes hard to remember who went where ...

[@MinimalList]

He did do one a good while back, yes! M

[@johnbarnes8688]

did you get the eng sorted john boy

[@MinimalList]

Yep, thanks.

[@TheAyrrow]

just curious - what time did the sun set/dusk at 25:00?

[@MinimalList]

I think it was about 4pm.

[@mattsandilands6380]

I hate to be pedantic but I was pulled up many times when I first moved to Wolverhampton for miss pronouncing Bradley, it’s actually spoken as Bra(y)dley.

[@MinimalList]

Drayt, got that one wrong! M

[@mattsandilands6380]

It must be a nightmare for you as you travel around.

[@danensis]

22:00 Not quite as intrepid as the Tuesday Night Club then?

[@juliusceasar8987]

I have heard, but how scientific it is is an other question, that dogs eating po can be a sign of a deficiency of some kind. Maybe there are vitamin pills for dogs that are worth a try. Having seen a cat getting run over I can assure you that you would know.

[@MinimalList]

It can be a deficiency... it can also just be a highly snack-obsessed pooch. Basically George likes EVERYTHING remotely edible on the ground! M

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid on cut

[@RobinRobertsesq]

Obligatory engagement comment

[@susancarr9955]

Maybe if you made shorter videos, you'd get them out closer to real time?

[@MinimalList]

Maybe. But then again maybe not.

[@RobinRobertsesq]

@@MinimalList You are doing great.