5 Compromises 😞 Tough Winter Living On Our Narrowboat Continuously Cruising Canals - Heating? Solar?

[@chuggingalong]

Feels good to be back with all you Chuggers! See you next week 🙂

[@superyachtchef]

Yo - hello from Fort Lauderdale and great to see these most happy and glorious couple on water. Thanks for this vlog, however if y'all could have 3 wishes for items that could make life onboard a little easier what would these be (i.e. water filter)? 🥉🎖🥈

[@alancope7345]

Hi very pleased you are enjoying life on Mary L. I was the proud owner for 14 years. I fitted her out including installing the new engine and gear box. I would be very pleased to pass on any information that might be useful. Have fun Alan

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Alan, thanks for getting in touch, that's so great to hear. We would be really interested to learn about your adventures with her. Please email us at: [e-mail] We would like it if you could come and see her again one day in the future 👍 Of course, you are always welcome 🙂

[@DoubleOld7]

Of all the cruising vlogs I find yours is most informative on the details of living on the canals. Very helpful for those considering the lifestyle.

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks Rick that's very kind of you! Keep chugging 👍🙂

[@kevgray.]

I'm constant cruiser i have never walked anywhere for water... forward planning..👍🙄

[@henrybiglowe6409]

Good to see you back, 4 mile round trip for water is a long old way!

[@tatstanley]

We lived for many years with bucket showers,both in the Canadian bush and Nigeria,love 'em

[@chuggingalong]

Very interesting! 🇨🇦🇳🇬 We quite like the bucket showers ourselves 👍🙂 thanks for your comment

[@brianinbrisbane6632]

Sam is spot on about water being most important. As a kid I grew up in country Queensland where our only water was from a tank that relied on the rain. Conserving water was number 1 priority. We had 1 gallon bucket with a shower rose under it. To save on your food shortages try powered milk and bake your own bread. Lots of easy no-knead bread recipes out there, yeasted or sourdough. All the best.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Brian, great idea with the bread, something we'd love to try. And that's very interesting about keeping the rainwater in Queensland 👍 Always good to learn how to make your resources last 🙂

[@dianasutherin7658]

Greetings from Corvallis Oregon USA. We are enjoying your adventures via binge-watching! Thank you for providing interesting and entertaining videos.

[@chuggingalong]

Thank you very much for watching Diana! You're welcome. Plenty of videos coming up 😁👍👍🏾

[@roberthennel]

Even though inconvenient, I believe the limited resources and related resource management are a great experience in today's world, where in towns you don't really have any issues with things like these.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Robert, yes, that's very true. We have learnt so much and we are very happy and we will definitely look back on this first winter with fondness 🙂

[@roberthennel]

@@chuggingalong Boating is a great opportunity to learn about self-reliance and resource management. You could have spent the winter in a marina with all the connections, but you are living the true canal life

[@grahamsherwood5212]

Hi Sam & Tim great vlog , we keep our boat in a marina but are just buying a bungalow on the Staffs and Worcester with a garden mooring best of both worlds 😂 , if your ever this way look for Scaramouche at Acton Trussell and pop in for a cupa xx

[@watersrising8044]

Can’t you travel on your nb for necessities like water, diesel, food? I agree, electricity uncertainty has to be the worst, esp since you both need your laptops to work. I need my iPad to watch narrowboat KZbinrs at night! You’re the best, stay safe and cheerful!

[@bjbrown]

Having lived on a sailboat for eight years I am a big fan of bucket bath an bucket laundry. I’m in a house now and still do both!

[@chuggingalong]

Hi BJ, we just KNEW they'd have a cult following great to hear that. We do also quite enjoy our bucket showers. We will enjoy a normal when the opportunity arises though 😅 thanks for your comment 👍

[@tiggasmum]

Hi, I dont live on a boat, but live off grid in a tiny house, during the winter, like you I don’t use my shower , I have got a portashower and I love it, I heat water on wood burner and have a lovely shower, did bucket showers for a while, didn’t mind them, but do like my porta shower now, I am with Tim, it is the electricity I struggle with the most, I have power packs I charge up in the car, really in the winter the solar only runs my fridge freezer and fan for the compost loo. I am thinking about a small portable wind turbine for next winter, just to help with the charging.

[@castingshadows282]

Nice to see you both back happy and cheerful as ever. I had thought you gave up after a 3 week brake. Really great to see you "Chugging Along" So to speak.

[@chuggingalong]

Thank you for your support 👍🙂

[@chrisabbott7458]

Great to hear from you again. I live on my narrowboat. I must admit to having a berth in a marina in winter but one of my pensions pays for that. If you intend to cruise a fair distance Don't get a car it's far too awkward and expensive. I cruise for at least 6 months in summer and the greatest problem is water. Some of the facilities have disappeared and some are shut due to faults, vandalism or flooding. For more electric have you considered a wind turbine? A few videos ago you said you would like to do the Shroppie and Llangollen. Do them asap. I went to Llangollen last summer and it was a fantastic trip. Scenic, beautiful and some lovely small towns with lots of new Aldis, they were even demolishing an older one in Nantwich and rebuilding it. Also on the Shroppie at Wheaton Aston is the cheapest red diesel on the cut at 59.9p per litre! It's Turner's garage with a red diesel pump by the canal and another one by the road to serve the local farmers!!

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks Chris, some great tips there! About the car, we agree it's not as useful in the summer when we will be cruising far and wide! A marina in winter is something I'm sure we'll try at some point. Thanks for your comment! 🙂👍

[@crawfish069]

The larger disposable pocket heaters will last 8 hours, so see if you can find some of those too. :) The foot size ones are too small, get the pocket size ones. Put the pocket size heaters by your feet under the covers at night to keep you warm.

[@michaelwhite8031]

Good to see you guys still smiling ! Keep warm .

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your kind words and comment Michael 🙂👍

[@japanlife1737]

Hi, we are living in an old wooden Japanese house. The house is very cold during winter as central heating is not a thing here. For us a big game changer was getting Brushed Cotton bedding for winter. Could be worth a try, stay warm.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi there, that sounds really interesting 🇯🇵 We'll look into that bedding too 🙂👍👍🏾

[@knutarneaakra6013]

Hi always nice to get new vlogs from you floating ducklings. Winter and snow in Norway too just waiting for spring.

[@chuggingalong]

Oh lovely! Bet you get nice long days in summer too 🙂 Thanks for your comment

[@terrykunst3883]

Very glad to see you both doing well! Water would be number one, heat number two. Great video you included, really enjoyed seeing you treck through the horse pasture. Stay safe and warm, looking forward to hearing from you again soon.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Terry, thanks for your comment as always 👍🙂 Yes we've got to known those horses quite well. Gentle giants 🐎

[@terrykunst3883]

@@chuggingalong that's fantastic! I have horses myself, so love going out in the pasture with them. I realize though not everyone does. Really enjoying your videos thanks again.

[@melbeasley9762]

It's cold here too guys. I have to wear a fleece and jumper with my shorts and sandals when I walk my dogs in the morning and evening.

[@chuggingalong]

Haha! 😳😳😳😳

[@brianinbrisbane6632]

Great to see and hear you again. I thought you two were frozen solid someplace.

[@chuggingalong]

Haha! Thanks Brian! Yep all is fine over here 🙂

[@eviemcmichael3576]

Water for me, I do love a shower every day! That filtering system for canal water sounds brilliant!! Great info, thanks for sharing!

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Evie, thanks for your comment! Yes, a non-bucket shower everyday sounds lovely and luxurious at the moment 🙂👍

[@mattchamberlain5273]

Another great video guys! You're tackling adversity like champions 💪

[@chuggingalong]

Cheers Matt 👍👍👍🙂🙂🙂

[@merlinscat]

Hi guys have missed you, good to have you back

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for staying with us Jenny 🙂👍🌟

[@rotinkerbell]

Hmmmmh I am impressed by how you remain positive about overcoming the challenges. Your pragmatism is impressive. At least Mr Sainsbury has a decent selection of Jerez xxx

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your continued support Tinkerbell 🙂👍

[@valeriebaxter2354]

I would need in the winter but water in the summer! Berkey water filters appear very good but not cheap. Invest in a low wattage heated throw. Try a jackory type charger, ask them for sponsorship to try them out for narrow boaters xx.

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your suggestion and comment Valerie. We'll look into a jackory charger 👍🙂

[@mk1photography62]

It keeps you fit I assume? The thing is you are sensible to your usage and always a pleasure to watch

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Mark, yes we love the exercise! Thanks for your comment and support 👍🙂

[@mk1photography62]

@@chuggingalong It’s amazing how cheerfully you carry on best wishes to you both

[@leebolton6162]

Nice to see a new interesting channel. Nice looking narrow boat.

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for watching Lee 👍🌟🙂 Keep chugging

[@Cat-ni6fm]

Sailing Uma used a 1 gallon garden pumper spray for the first 5 years on their sailboat home. They also heated up water on the stove, mixed it with cool water in the container. Max of 1 gallon of water per person per shower. They used this method of showering when they crossed the Atlantic with only their water tanks for fresh water! This method would give you some pressurized shower water.

[@chuggingalong]

Ah I see that's clever! Thanks for your comment 👍🙂

[@Cat-ni6fm]

Ah, one thing I forgot to mention. They only took one shower apiece on day nine of their 18 day Atlantic passage after carefully monitoring their water usage. But, you get the idea. They used that pumper garden sprayer as a shower for several years before plumbing in a shower system. Love your YT channel.

[@davidbutler4363]

Brilliant guys well done thanks 😁👍👏👏👏

[@chuggingalong]

Thank you David 😁👍👍🏾 Glad you enjoyed it

[@voodoo2882]

2:16....your large stove for heat looks like my old small [hand size] camping stove[old passive system!]. Who ever came up with the idea was brilliant!! On another note......got to give you Brit's credit ....you do like a good gander / walk. Stay safe and happy

[@chuggingalong]

Hi VooDoo, yes we do love a good stroll! 🙂👍 Thanks for your comment

[@fredmahar5431]

Very happy to see you again!!!....you guys do a wonderful job adapting and compromising!!....stay safe 💜

[@chuggingalong]

Thank you so much for your kind words Fred. Keep chugging 👍🙂

[@KarrierBag]

Little Tip, keep a car windscreen wiper blade to hand, really helps clear snow and frost from solar panels, thats what I use. AS for laptop / screens I got an Acer switch alpha 12 phablet which uses low power and i use phone as modem. You are lucky your water hasn't frozen, tap water i mean, here in yorkshire we have had a right problem of frozen taps.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi there, fantastic tip with the wiper! Cheers. Sorry to hear about the frozen taps 👍

[@downhilltwofour0082]

Thanks for sharing your learning experiences with us!

[@chuggingalong]

Our pleasure! Thanks for your continued support 👍🙂🌟

[@Curve2Theatre]

Hi , Good to see your both Safe and Well. Filtered Canal water for the Washing Machine and Showers ,sounds like a good move ( maybe not in polluted City centres ). Your drinking water would last so much longer ! That looks like hard work trekking along the muddy towpath for supplies . I like that idea of using a Garden Sprayer , for a water saving Shower. .. PS . Have you got your Aldi Sponsorship Yet ?

[@chuggingalong]

Hello our friend. Yes the garden sprayer sounds good. Sadly no Aldi sponsorship, they seem to be doing so well they don't need us at all 😂 thanks for your support

[@shierahall2686]

Great minds think alike! Water is a necessity and it surprising how some people fail to appreciate it. By the way.. I love your coat Sam!

[@leetarver3862]

Hey, glad to see you are back! It would have to be water for me, you can survive without the rest! As time on board your boat goes by, you will gain more experience. I think a lesson to learn from your first winter afloat, might be to seek out a marina next winter, at least for the coldest months! (January and February) Stay safe.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Lee thanks for your comment and kind words. Yes we think we'd like to try a marina in winter at some point 🙂👍

[@leetarver3862]

Ooh! Just one other thing, in your video, you said it takes a couple to three hours to get decent hot water when you run your engine!? This to me seems like an awfully long time. Obviously, you are running the engine in neutral, just to give your batteries a bit of a boost but I am left wondering if you are giving the engine enough rpms? I know that every boat is different but I normally achieve enough hot water via the calorifier within an hour, to have a hot shower and do the washing up etc... I usually run the engine on a fast idle (roughly 1200rpm). That should be sufficient to get the coolant flowing into everywhere that it needs to go. If it doesn't, then maybe your cooling system needs a right good flushing through!? Hope that helps. 😁👍

[@shawnsalazar5416]

Hi to the both of you , i have a suggestion for you that may or may not help your power issues , i have seen on sailboats they use solar panels and and a wind turbine combo to meet their power needs, i have seen on other narrow boat channels where their were times it got very windy ,and that wind energy could of been harvested, so i do not know how feasible that would be for a narrow boat but i think it would be worth looking into.

[@robertdrinkall8947]

Nice to see your doing OK guy's. I noticed Sam gave the hot water bottle to the Teddy bear! Keep an eye on that guy Tim! 🤣🤣

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Robert, thanks for your comment as always. Haha! Very true I always had a suspicion 😂

[@vipernight2]

Great video if you guys are still looking for a power bank the Atom Pro is great and the solar panel you get for it charges it very fast and it holds alot of power too. Has usb slots type c usb a main uk plug socket plus the 2 pin sockets also ac and dc outputs.

[@kevinwhiteley2245]

🌈. Good to see you both staying positive in this cold and wet winter. Roll on Summer.☀️🌷

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your kind words Kevin! Yes looking forward to the sun and longer days 🙂👍

[@philelliott5327]

When you have solar in winter the best use is to run the engine for an hour in the morning, put everything you own on charge. The engine will put the bulk of the charge, the big amps. This gives the solar a better chance of putting in the charge over the rest of the day, the smaller amps. Or just chuck it in like I do and sit in a marina with endless power and endless tea and toast.

[@chuggingalong]

Haha! Great tip Phil, that's good to know we've been doing something right at least 😂 enjoy your tea and toast, we would definitely like a to try a marina one day

[@philelliott5327]

@@chuggingalong This is the first time we have been on power in four years, it feels like we are living at the Ritz!!

[@zippyisking]

Yay your back. Thought something had happened to the pair of you. No solutions for your diesel/water/electricity problems but have you thought about getting a trailer for your bikes. Least then you could tow your shopping and water too and fro and still get the benefit of the exercise.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Zippy, yes it's something we've thought about. It would have to be a folding one though for space reasons 👍🙂 thanks for your comment 🌟

[@dukethomas95]

Great video. I know I would struggle with the electricity issue and would have bought a small generator to charge battery packs and such. The going to a pub to do it part sounds great but my liver..... lol. Love the vlogs!

[@chuggingalong]

Haha! Thanks for watching Duke 🙂👍 The generators do seem like a good option

[@sharon2180]

We've missed you. Always enjoy your vlogs.

[@chuggingalong]

Thank you so much Sharon. We've missed you too! Thanks for your comment 🙂👍

[@brian.7966]

great to watch you two.

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks Brian, we are glad you are enjoying the videos 🙂👍

[@mv4463]

Love the water roller ... need that for camping

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your comment. Yes we agree it would be perfect for camping 🙂👍

[@_-martin-_]

Sounds like issues that can all be solved. Double the amount of solar panels and double the battery capacity. Also, get a water purifying filter system so you can have endless baths.

[@paulsj9245]

Purify canal water? Ugh!

[@claireswain9748]

@@paulsj9245 yeah was thinking the same🤮, the cut by us is so shallow and with the dead deer floating past.... The thought of having that water in our tank makes me feel ill. Why not filter grey water, or set up a rain water catcher from the roof of boat?.... Can go into a separate tank or water butt.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Martin, yes more or lithium batteries would be helpful. We would like to keep a bit of roof space for sitting on in the summer so another solar panel isn't on the cards at the moment. Thanks for your comment!

[@chuggingalong]

Interesting! We have seen water butts on boats before

[@chuggingalong]

Haha! Yeah we were wondering what people thought about that 😂

[@christinehunter9867]

Hi guys, very interesting. I agree with Sam, water would be mine as well. Stay safe 😊👍💜

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your comment and support Christine 🙂👍

[@marthamcever5939]

The biggest compromise for me is water. We don't live on a narrowboat, but many years ago we lived in a converted school bus and have had several different RVs over the years. We always like boondocking more than being in RV parks, which have water hookups. The level of water in holding tanks goes down more quickly than I like!

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Martha! Living in an old school bus sounds fun! Thanks for your comment 🙂👍

[@michaelhiggins7365]

I would consider adding another Solar Panel and Leisure battery when the finances allow. This really to me, seems the best answer for long periods on the cut when you are not moving. I'm interested in learning more about the practicality of filtering and using water from the canal. I could see using this for showering, but I probably would isolate the supply from water used for drinking, cooking or washing dishes. I'd like to learn more about this as well as the cost of filter replacements.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Michael, thanks for your comment. Yes if money wasnt an object we think lithium batteries would be great because they store power for a lot longer. Yes, we are looking into filtering, it all seems quite complicated 👍🙂

[@marksaunders4149]

Good vlog makes beaters think

[@marksaunders4149]

Boaters

[@tim040]

For the winter months, I try to get into an area, where there is a marina, and a town or village . Also there is a cruising area. If a sustained period of bad weather or frozen canal, I either go into marina, whilst it blows over, or get nearish to a water point. This year we have bought a Honda generator off e bay to help with eleccy, but I’m not sure yet on how useful, as I still have to run engine for hot water, or put on webasto.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Tim, that's a good plan! We should be somewhere different for our next winter. We will see 👍🙂 Thanks for your comment

[@globalgirlprojectinc.5640]

Things to think about that may help: Get a cart that attaches to the back of your bike so you can ride further and do a big shop, battery packs are amazing and I even have one that charges my MacBook Pro. Charge them while you run your engine and then you can charge things in the evening. Cars are really very helpful to have out on the cut. And I think that most people run their engines at least 2 hours per day which will heat your water and let you charge things a bit more. These are all things I learned my first winter out.

[@paulsj9245]

... or get closer to the amenities...

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for the great tips and for your support 🙂👍

[@Juanitabananadonny]

Nice to see how you are getting on - you are doing well to be so cheerful - from now on it will only get better - let's hope! Got an email from Matt Hancock saying stay at home until 31st March though!

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Juanita, lovely to hear from you. Yes, let's hope things keep getting better and we all stay safe so that we can enjoy the summer!

[@stevekagan6573]

Very interesting. I enjoy seeing that you are adapting and managing well

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your support Steve 🙂👍

[@theoldhobbit3640]

As a land cruiser (Campervan) I can sort of empathize with you regarding power production and usage. Give the power pack another thought, I have one which can be charged from the running engine or independently from the solar. When it goes dark, the pack will give you back the investment. Great vlog and thank you for sharing.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi there, glad to hear the power pack is working for you in your camper 👍🙂 thanks for the comment

[@marianjacobs5597]

I would suggest a cart/trailer that can be attached to your bike(s) which would take care of most of your issues water, rubbish, and food. I would also suggest that you get a couple of extra containers to fill the next time your boat gets toped with diesel because the price difference between buying from a garage and boat is huge. Keep safe and keep warm.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Marian, yes we got 2 Jerry cans for Christmas with their purpose being that we can store red diesel. Finally in these last few days we have filled them when the fuel boat came 😂 yes a bike trailer would be helpful. We do like our Lord of the Rings walks somewhat though 👍🙂 thanks for your comment

[@spencehh]

Great to see you back

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your support Spence 👍🙂

[@ericduffield524]

Thanks for this video! It seems a very honest video of the trials of living on a narrowboat. Well done 👍

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your kind words and support Eric! Keep chugging 👍🙂

[@karlalton3170]

I miss the cold there 🤔🤔 NOT 🤣🤣 stay safe guys 😎😎👍👍

[@chuggingalong]

Haha! Cheers Karl 🙂 Thanks for your support

[@williamsmith2919]

Oh dear it does seem such hard work. 2 miles for water and fuel, I would think a marina would be best in the winter months. Take care keep well. Xx

[@chuggingalong]

Hi William, yes we would like to try a marina in winter at some point. Thanks for your comment 🙂👍

[@jonathanwilkins6071]

Great to have you both back, really enjoyed the vlog. Wow, that is some distance to get water. I would say for me water would be my top priority. You both look happy and enjoy your time on the boat.. The weather can only get better from now...I hope anyway.. Keep the vlogs coming.. Keep safe Jonathan

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks Jonathan for your lovely comment and support. Yes, so good that cold snap has passed!! 🙂👍🌟

[@josephnolette8046]

Great to see you guys again and hope you had a great Valentine’s day love your Vlogs and for me sorry to say it would be Electric because at the end of the day after working and maybe 4 mile walk for water would love to sit and relax and watch a movie on Netflix or another streaming service and you have to keep an eye on your Electric consumption that would be it for me again have a great day and better tomorrow

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your comment Joseph! Yes relaxing after the 4 mile walk makes it all worth it 😂👍🙂🌟

[@kevinemmons422]

Missed ya

[@chuggingalong]

We missed you too Kevin 👍🙂🌟

[@davethenerd1369]

The water treatment you mentioned is called reverse osmosis. Cruise liners for example have very large systems drawing in seawater. In fact, some systems can also process the outbound water - again the cruise lines are very proud that they return water to the sea cleaner than taken in. So as you can imagine, you can spend any amount of money on these systems, starting around 400GBP. You pay more money, you get more capacity - the system can clean quicker. Personally my ambition is to have a Dutch barge where water is measured in tonnes. So an 8 tonne or 8,000 litre tank may be typical. To keep that topped up, systems will cost 2,000GBP. And there is nothing wrong with eating cake at breakfast. Commenting for a friend...

[@pfsmall]

They are not talking about reverse osmosis. They are talking about a filtration system. I would not drink it but I would shower and wash cloths in it.

[@davethenerd1369]

Reverse osmosis is the act of forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane in order to filter out particulates. So I would suggest RO and filtration are the same thing. Incidentally I need to revise my pricing. I saw one for 185 Euros on Amazon. Agree to an extent with your usage comments. While there are no studies showing harm caused by RO/demineralised/deionised water, naturally occurring calcium and magnesium would be removed. So bottled water for drinking perhaps.

[@chuggingalong]

Hello Dave, Yes cake for breakfast is the done thing in Italy so no reason why we all shouldn't do it 😂 Fantastic information there about the filtering, thanks for that. Dutch barges are lovely. We a moored near a very old one at the moment 👍🙂

[@davethenerd1369]

Hey guys. Well, it's been a long-held dream for my dotage to operate a barge more as a boutique hotel than one of the lovely hotel barges you can find (usually for sale at North of 500k). I have my eye on one barge with only two guest rooms but indoor and outdoor space. But as mentioned, you use a lot of water with showers, dishwasher, washing machine, etc so replacing that water from the mains is costly. So for me RO is the way to go. I should more accurately explain a previous response. The other correspondent is correct in that filtration systems are available too but they are cheaper and do not remove everything from water like RO. Since the process involves particulates being extracted and usually returned whence they came, RO is less efficient than plain old filtration, about 20% of RO water makes it to the holding tank. The rest leaves the boat with whatever particulates the process captured. It's an interesting subject. If you have a spare moment, have a Google. On the UK canals you have best of both worlds in that you could top off your water as the points are more frequent. In France, depends where you are. There is an environmental argument for RO too on the Canal du Midi flowing out into the Étang de Thau which is pristine brackish water supplying probably some of the best seafood in the world. That's another story.

[@diannedogwalker1268]

@@davethenerd1369 k

[@EnglishVeteran]

Assuming you guys have a Split Charging system that charges your Leisure Batteries from an Alternator, I would suggest some alternatives, given that Split Charge Systems are inefficient and not sympathetic to your batteries. You could consider a B to B Battery charger (I use Stirling) that will charge your Batteries safely and very quickly and of course economically. Many newer boats now have 2 Alternators, the 2nd once being a much higher output to charge leisure batteries. In an experiment run by Stirling, it was possible to recharge a large battery bank at around 50% charge fully in about an hour. Other options could be a separate Suitcase type generator (very economical) that when combined with a good charger would work very well and can be run of LPG or petrol. For me, I think adding a B 2 B charger and one more Solar Panel would be a noticeable improvement. Already the hours of daylight have increased massively and Solar input is increasing daily. The “Dark Months” are really only Nov, Dec and Jan and soon you will have more power than you need!

[@chuggingalong]

So many tips! Thanks! Yes the petrol/lpg generators seem to be popular. B to B sounds good too 👍🙂

[@OldNickHindle]

I think water is the tough one - you don't realise how much you use until it's restricted, such as on a narrowboat, and it's so bl**dy heavy if you have to carry it! Have you thought about a small wind turbine? I've seen a few boats with those fitted, and if it's not sunny enough for the solar panels there's a good chance it will be windy! 💨

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Nick, thanks for your comment as always. Yes, that's a great point about if it's not too sunny it will probably be windy. It's definitely something we'll look into. Hope you're well 👍🙂

[@peterodonnell5820]

I failed to get up the Thames to Reading and onto the K&A for Christmas for the second year running due to river maintenance work and strong currents on the Thames, which was annoying at the time but maybe it was for the best as the Grand Union at Harefield is not a bad spot to be locked down in. I spent the winter of 2018/2019 moving between Fobney Lock and Thatcham and conditions were never (quite) so bad I couldn't move. I hear things are tough there at the moment and I hope the river calms down soon. I have a Morso stove burning coal briquettes which runs 24hrs a day at the moment, for the really cold spell I also have an Eberspacher diesel water heater which runs three radiators and that has kept me (and the cat) warm. The 500w solar array doesn't keep the batteries charged on its own in the short winter days so I run my Beta 43 engine most days for an hour or so and that gives me enough hot water for showers and washing up so I was surprised you need 2-3 hours to get the water hot. You have been unlucky to hit a bad winter on the K&A. Not being able to move safely makes everything much more complicated, especially with no regular access to diesel so I really hope the weather improves soon.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Peter, that's nice to hear you were on the same stretch last year! We can't complain too much. We are enjoying ourselves 🙂👍 The Grand Union does sound good! Keep chugging

[@sailingadventurous784]

Hi guys. My partner Jaynee and I just found your channel. We are a couple of Australians who live on our small catamaran in the Mediterranean. I have some feedback RE your laptop use. Are you charging through a 230v charger, which would require your inverter to be running. That introduces a lot of losses as the efficiency is not good on either device. We have purchased car chargers, which use a cigarette lighter plug, for our laptops. In that way you are only trying to go from 12V to 19V (some laptops are actually 12 volts and would plug in directly), with very little loss. It also allows you to run/charge the laptops from the house battery in the evening if needed. You can buy the car laptop chargers for quite a good price online. If you need to wire in 12V lighter sockets, don’t skimp on the wire size. Make sure it is well over engineered to reduce losses. When calculating wire size, it is calculated using twice the twin flex distance, as the power has to go to the socket, and back to the battery. There are wire size tables available online. Hope this helps. David SV Adventurous (in transit in Turkey)

[@chuggingalong]

Hi there, so sorry for a long reply. Your adventures sound great! Yes, our laptops are 20v. Could you send an example of what you mean? Would be really helpful 🙂👍👍🏾

[@batyushki]

Maybe you can eventually get a small bike trailer. I use mine to haul bulky items like your water and diesel containers. You can also put water in panniers off the side of the front and back of your bicycle.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi James, yes we have seen people with these! Definitely something worth looking into if they don't take up too much space 🙂👍 thanks for your comment

[@great-grandmakirk8828]

I really enjoy you both and I’m so happy that I found your channel.❤️

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks, we are happy you found it too! Keep chugging 🌟🙂

[@richcolgate8929]

Great vid again Very interesting The points u mention are so important 👍👍👍 Keep em coming And love ya smiles and laughs,... Electric would be my worry,....

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Rich thanks for your comment as always. Glad you enjoyed the video 🙂 Keep chugging

[@adamshaw1032]

Just a point to watch out for guys. Running your engine in idle is not good for it I believe. It can glaze the bores causing damage. Would hate to see your engine fail. I saw it on another video on KZbin 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Adam, thanks for your comment as always. Yes hopefully we'll be taking her out for a cruise in the near future. We will also be servicing our engine 🙂👍 we agree that engine breakdowns are something we really want to avoid

[@ukdave57]

As a diesel engineer I agree with what you believe Adam. I would also point out there is a risk of carbon build up around the valves and exhaust ports. It can also lead to blocking exhaust silencers. However that is real worse case. As long as the engine is worked with load applied such has driving the boat through the water at regular intervals you will be fine.

[@Bicyclehub]

Normally you'd be able to ctuise to the water point. You could fit a second tank. I have a bucket shower as my Eberspacher stopped working last summer. It's fine, and I won't change even when the proper shower is fixed. Heating is the worst compromise for me as being cold is the most miserable feeling. You are lucky to have the diesel fire. It's much more convenient and quicker to get going than a coal stove.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi there, thanks for your comment. Glad to hear there's another bucket shower fan 👍🙂

[@Alanskent]

Glad you are back 👋

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for your support 👍🙂

[@clerccraft7563]

Hy from Switzerland, verry nice (sympa! have you ever thought on a waterfiltersystem, and collecting the water from the roof for wasching. and more solar panel and battery, I have in my Mobilhome in the mountains, a instant gas water heater, works perfect. Verry very nice little flogs greetings from the mountains markus

[@chuggingalong]

Hello! A cabin in the Swiss mountains sounds fantastic! An instant gas water heater does make a lot more sense in winter when we aren't moving the boat. Something to look into. Cheers and thanks for your comment 🙂👍

[@shardlake]

Great to see you are coping and getting used to the "Off Grid" lifestyle. Keep on Chugging :)

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks very much for your comment and support 🙂👍

[@karljoachimgoll]

So glad you are back! 😄

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for watching as always Mr Deltic! Hope you're well 🙂👍

[@Chris-be1fo]

A water filtering system would be great. However it uses electricity or diesel to drive it. Living in my van, I do bucket showers too. I have a USB rechargeable pump which is attached to the shower hose and trigger nozzle. It works well. My biggest compromise is water. Although I do enjoy the challenge of being frugal with my water use. I have got doing the dishes after each meal down to one coffee mug of water per wash. Also have a hand pump water purifier so I can get water from any creek I camp near. it also gives me some exercise. I have followed you from the start and it is good to see how well you guys adjusted to canal life and vlogging.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Chris, thanks for your continued support! We agree it's all about the challenge. Oh yes, we didn't think about the electricity useage of the filtering system. Cheers and keep vanning 🙂👍

[@alanjameson8664]

in re filtered water, you must be careful to replace the filter often enough. The filters make dandy places for bacteria to live and multiply, so I am told. Perhaps they can be sterilized effectively, but I don't know about that.

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks for the suggestion Alan. Yes, that and the amount of electricity they use makes us think it might not be something we'll go for in the near future. Thanks for your comment 🙂👍

[@tammyfetzner5792]

Mud.. Miles and miles of mud! How do you keep all that out of your boat? Stay warm and thanks for sharing a small slice of your life!

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Tammy, good question. We have an engine room where we take our shoes off so we never tread it inside. Thanks for your comment 👍🙂

[@gillchatfield3231]

What does Sainsbury's sell that the Co-op doesn't? It seems to be a lot of effort for little benefit. And washing... the old adage was 'up as far as possible, down as far as possible'. One kettle of boiling water, plus cold, in a washing-up bowl.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Gill, it's cheaper and has a lot more selection. Also, we don't mind the walk. It's good for the soul. Thanks for watching 👍🙂

[@PickingPaul1]

Ive had 100s of bucket showers, I used to live in the Philippines, very common there

[@ROY-COLLEY]

If you get that cold sleep in a onesie. They are brilliant. We use them in the cold times in our caravan.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Smokey, that sounds good, yeah we were wearing half our wardrobe to bed when we had that cold snap last week 😂 glad it's over. Thanks for your comment

[@brianwatkin3128]

Seems like it's all possible. Deliveries of supermarket stuff, a water purification system and a portable generator would give you the answer to most of your problems. Next problem might be affording the gear and storing it but you didn't list cash and space in your compromises list! Thanks for the vlogs. Keep chugging

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Brian, the generators seem popular. We are fine with a nice long walk though! Good for the soul 🙂👍 thanks for your comment

[@Neilukuk]

Love the confused look on her face @10:13 lol

[@chuggingalong]

Haha! Thanks for the comment Neil 😁👍👍🏾

[@Deb_Downes]

Hey guys, nice to see you back. WRT your compromises, they are felt in the midst of a pretty savage winter and a (savage?) lockdown. Personally, I wouldn’t make any decisions on the basis of an outlier event(s) like that. With more experience you’d have been closer to a water point, not stuck on a canal that’s running too fast (flooding?) and not enough sun. You do seem to be thriving despite all this. I’m a fan of dog before car/van/camper 😂 cheers D :)

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Deb, thanks for your comment and support 👍🙂

[@jongriffin4169]

Hi, loving channel :-) I got solar battery packs, work really well xx

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks Jon. Glad you're enjoying the videos. We've seen those solar battery chargers, they look good 😁👍👍🏾 Keep chugging

[@pamelasmith9784]

O lovely to see you guys I missed you 💓

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks Pamela, we've missed you too! Keep chugging 🙂👍

[@richmuzz]

Love following your channel guys, it does seem as if you have more room on the roof for some more solar panels

[@alistair1888]

have you checked out supermarket deliveries, if you're near near a bridge or somewhere where a delivery driver can find you without miles of walking miles, (Aldi don't deliver but most other do)

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Alistair, we think it would be possible to to get delivered to the nearest pub's car park but we both quite like the walk haha! Thanks for your comment and support 🙂🌟

[@abbieb6215]

‘Lord Of The Rings’😂 Love the humour in your vids. P.s I never knew Sainsburys was named after a man called John. You learn something new everyday.

[@chuggingalong]

Thanks Abbie!

[@thomaslubben8559]

I suspect you are aware of this. But the Foxes Afloat channel has 2 episodes on electricity, number 36 and 98. They also seem to have picked up quite a bit of knowledge about it, particularly about efficiency. Perhaps you could chat with them. Also, at least here in the US, Honda has some remarkably silent petrol small generators. You can hold a normal conversation next to one. One of those, if they come in correct voltage for you, may be a useful thing to have. More money and stinky petrol though.

[@elegantinfusions]

Great vlog, these are my theories, 1 Transport, Thinking back, I think Fran & Rich from floating our boat, kept going back for a car, they soon got rid of it as it was a nuisance going to move it. 2 Shopping, get it delivered if you have a location near you that will allow you to use there postcode. 3 Water move to the water point where able too.4 Electricity totally get that one agree with you guys don't need a TV. 5 Heating, depends what type of burner you have, with you guys its hard as you are using your fuel tank. That would be my order

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Paul, yes we agree the a car would be annoying in the summer! Something to think about for sure. We are fine walking to Sanisbury's for now. Good to get out and exercise. We have done online shopping before and it's a great option when narrowboating. Thanks for your comment 🙂👍

[@crawfish069]

I saw one of your videos where you said you turn off your heat at night and the bedroom got very cold. You can buy an alcohol heater for boats, powered by methanol (methylated spirits, not sure what you call it in the UK). It is safe for indoor use. However I don't know the cost of running per night, you would have to do some experiments for that. But if you buy 5 gallons of methanol at a time it will be cheaper per gallon. You might also try a small butane heater for the bedroom but butane in the US is very costly. And get one designed for indoor use. It has special catalytic convertors which removes most Carbon Dioxide. I also saw an ethanol fireplace which might hold enough fuel for the night, but I can't post any Amazon links here. YT doesn't allow that. I also have 2 USB pocket heaters. They won't last all night unless you plug them into a charger. Just put that in bed with you, one for each person. Get a larger one with a larger battery so it lasts longer if you have it unplugged.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi there, thanks for your comment. Those USB pocket heaters sound good! Yes, its very cold in the morning when we have a cold snap but at the moment it's actually not bad at all. Keep chugging 🙂👍

[@floatybyboaty]

Frozen little ‘Chuggers’ . Roll on the spring.

[@chuggingalong]

Cheers mate, yes we're looking forward to it 🙂👍

[@ivanrainbird2416]

enjoyed the video it's getting tuff for you april will be good sun coming

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Ivan, yes April will be lovely we think 🙂👍 thanks for your comment

[@mrb9903]

We have a small motorhome and we always feel you can never have enough power we have solar but there are times when this just isn't enough, this year we're looking at a dc to dc charger with a much larger battery. We think this would be an ideal solution for you as well. Love the channel maybe a cook off meal for 2 under £3 would make a fun episode as we loved the cooking competition 😁 . Keep chugging Mark and Lynda 👍

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Mark and Lynda, ok that's interesting we'll look into DC to DC. Thanks for your support. Yes a budget cook off is a good idea 🙂👍

[@bigtoe333333]

Just in the water filter thing, I priced it out at about £500 as DIY, or about 2k if the pro guy installs it. What put me off was that you'd need to run a pump for about 3 hours a day to filter enough water, and to put that power back into the batteries would need a fair bit more diesel to run the engine, so it's not free of running costs. I'd still think about it at some point, but at the moment I'm put off by the energy needed to run the filtration.

[@chuggingalong]

Hi Tony, thanks for your comment with that very useful information. That does make sense and does make the idea of it less attractive. Still a very interesting concept and good if it works for some people 👍🙂