210. Lockdown! A Day in the Life of a Narrowboater in Self Isolation

#narrowboat #narrowboats #canal #canals #liveaboard #cruisingthecut
This is a day in the life of a narrowboater who's self isolating having come back from overseas. There's not a lot to do so it mostly involves eating, drinking tea and watching the telly.
Watch Gone with the Wynns at / gonewiththewynns
Dr Becky was also watched, see / drbecky
Music used:
Breakfast sequence: Tupelo Train by Chris Haugen
Lunch sequence: Cancun by Topher Mohr and Alex Alena
Both from the KZbin music library.
Got a question? Read this!
www.CruisingTheCut.co.uk/f-a-q/
Boat & Filming gear I use:
www.CruisingTheCut.co.uk/gear/
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Tip jar at www.ko-fi.com/davidjohns
or / cruisingthecut
Get your Cruising the Cut mugs, t-shirts and other merch here: cruisingthecut.myspreadshop.c...
Theme music: "Vespers" by Topher Mohr and Alex Alena, from the KZbin music library

[@gonewiththewynns]

David, I'm not sure the multivitamin makes up for all that butter and jam. 🤣 We enjoyed catching up with your video this morning over coffee and toast with honey (and a healthy dose of butter🙈). Thanks for the shout out and the entertainment!

[@CruisingTheCut]

Hello you two! Extra multivitamins it is then (I'm not giving up the butter and jam haha). Hope you're doing fine in Fiji - but then you always make the best of any place you end up in :-) Cheers!

[@deanjones2525]

@@CruisingTheCut Ha ha. Okay, if we can't impress upon you to reduce your very generous helping of butter and jam, then, how about adding a little exercise into your routine? :-)

[@OoiPaul]

Looks more like margerine to me.

[@stevec-b6214]

COFFEE with toast??????????? JAMais!!

[@Ice_Karma]

People who take multivitamins tend to be healthier, but... not because of the multivitamins themselves, but being the sort of person who's proactive about their health. =3

[@fixedwheel]

I think pre-warming the mug like that is utter genius!

[@somebuddyful]

he beated the system!

[@somebuddyful]

3020 year lifehack

[@davidtebbitt5537]

Watching a middle aged man having breakfast...what has the world come too. No point in cleaning the cup, it will only stain again...man after my own heart. Fantastic vlog David, made me lol, thank you.

[@paulfrancis8764]

This blokes got a brilliant sense of humour. I’m envious of his lifestyle.

[@sidneybowerman558]

You have a gift David. You could make watching paint dry both interesting and funny. Please never ever stop.

[@cherb1971]

I wonder how many of us said "a cheese sandwich" aloud with you? Stay safe, enjoyed every minute!

[@cuzinevil1]

Wow. I had no idea life on a narrow boat was so glamorous. Maybe it's the bountiful menu or the palatial surroundings. Or perhaps it's the endless tea party or the fact the bar is always open. It could be the fact that there is still open water there, where as it's snowing here where I live in Canada and it's a brisk -10C. Or it could be the ducks.....Yeah, it's the ducks.

[@paull9442]

Something oddly comforting about this type of video - Just daily tasks without bells and whistles. Big fan of your style of commentary, subscribed!

[@fluffernutter03]

Oh my god, as soon as it cut away to the closed bathroom door for the shower, I thought to myself "I hope he sings, that would be hilarious" and suddenly " FLY ME TO THE MOON" HAHAHAHAHAH amazing

[@scottphillips7108]

Contemplate whether it's worth getting up out of bed or not... Then goes on to contemplate all the hard to answer universal questions...LOL... You've got a sense of humor Dave... It shows...

[@Chris-top-her]

What a bizarre world we live in. I'm sat on my sofa drinking a cup of tea watching a bloke in a boat making a cup of tea and toast and really enjoying it, along with (so far!) 87 thousand other people!

[@ThomasSmartt]

No way not to love your sense of humor! Thanks for the laugh amidst all the doom and gloom of the world.

[@jolewis814]

I am a police officer in Arizona and my wife and I watch your boat and van videos to relax. Well done and thank you!

[@CruisingTheCut]

Thank you 😊

[@davidrobertthomas1515]

David, I've come to the conclusion that this vlog is amongst the best you've produced. And yes we are throughout our lives nothing more than a transient blip on the radar of a 14 billion-year-old probably infinite universe. With that said, with a cup of tea in hand, I'm going back to bed. Thanks, David. BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT.

[@philradnor7701]

It takes a clever little genius to turn a boring life in lockdown into this amusing 12 mins which made me laugh as well, something we all need at the moment. Well done.

[@virg7340]

This is an award winning video of a day in the life of David. Funny, innovative, entertaining and informative. More of this, please.

[@lokepoke1337]

Three times I found myself wanting to click the like button, only to find that l already had! Keep up the excellent videos, they are always a joy to watch.

[@desertrose2059]

David, only you could take what would be the most mundane of days for anyone else and turn it into a witty and extremely entertaining video. I have missed you! I can't wait till you are back on the canals again but in the meantime, please keep these gems coming, they make my day!

[@toms4123]

He can tell a good story and he can sing a song. The channel is getting better and better.

[@thelastpilot4582]

I like the trick of steaming the cup.

[@MrNewAmerican]

You are actually someone I'd be friends with and would grab a pint as old friends do. Sending you warm wishes from Oregon, USA.

[@CruisingTheCut]

What a nice sentiment, thank you

[@endrr3817]

I found this video very soothing in this time of countless videos of doom. Thanks for the relaxing break. Well, time for the next video about the coming calamity.

[@paulswift8258]

nice to have you back keep up the good work

[@Ricu52]

I'm new to your channel, but I'm totally addicted and love learning all about the long boats! We have nothing like this in the US and my sailboat (I live in the Pacific Northwest) is not comparable. Loving it all! Thank you.

[@jackalker6384]

i studied film at university as one of my modules and i have to say the cinematography and continuity in this video is top-notch. i don't think many people will appreciate what you had to do to film this :')

[@ThomasSmartt]

It was something that I noticed too. Lots of simple looking shots that looked very smooth put together.

[@sdavies45]

David is/was a professional TV reporter

[@lifeislikesailing]

Enjoyed this 'day in the life - in self isolation'. Stay safe.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Hey, great to hear from you. Hope things are OK over there.

[@lifeislikesailing]

@@CruisingTheCut All good so far here in Canada's far north, but restricted travel and outings affecting us the same as everywhere else. Let's hope for better days ahead for us all. :)

[@JohnSmith-cg7ix]

Love the trick with warming your mug and collecting the water vapour before it condenses in places you don't want.

[@deejayimm]

I'm a working class American who never really experienced lockdown. I am so freaking jealous of that lifestyle that you gave up. Over here it's get up stupid early hours, drive 40 minutes to work, go work 10 or 12 hours at a place that makes you hate life, drive home 40 minutes, and you only have a couple of hours to yourself before you have to go back to bed to do it all over again. If I had the ability to live life on the canals, I would. At some point in time you have to ask, whose life are you living..... I understand you're going to have to dump the toilet, but as far as filling the water goes, over here in the US there are so many fantastic options for water filtration systems that I don't understand why you couldn't just drop a line overboard and pump your tanks full. Hell, I carry a personal pump filter in my backpack when I go hiking that I can drop into any body of water and get submicron filtration. Being in a boat like that, you should be able to easily sustain a powered filtration system. I would tie up somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and forget about the world...

[@stevehood10]

Strangely relaxing, sitting here having my poached eggs on toast watching someone else on the other side of the world eating toast and jam. Life is eternally odd.

[@mpersad]

This made me smile and laugh which, in these times, is a real plus!

[@smichelsen]

Your "TV guy" roots, and clearly a vast amount of free time given this lockdown, are showing through nicely here. The zillion cutaways and closeups seamlessly interspersed throughout make for an almost cinematic look at a sleepy day. Good stuff.

So true. Anyone who has even tried to produce watchable steady videos knows how difficult it is, plus his narration is perfect.

[@deadmosquitocreations7044]

I simply love your videos. Narrow boat life is so unique and interesting. And your script is bang on. It's like listening to a fantastic short story in a English class. Simply superb !

[@phantomstranger8959]

Nothing like a well seasoned cup

[@keithhicks1750]

David, there isn’t a grill or waste bin in the country that doesn’t need cleaning. Thanks for your amusing video.

[@EvilDeadFan11]

Hahahahahahahahaha, the opening viewer's warning is hilarious. Good job.

[@paulmcmahon5890]

I love your way of life 👍

[@mlr4524]

Thanks for letting us live the cruising life vicariously. Stay safe. And thanks for clarifying that it was the boat moving, not the moon lol.

[@gillywild]

Thank you for keeping us entertained in these strange times David :) Don't ever worry about finding content ideas during the restrictions. I for one would happily listen to you reading the phone book every evening for half an hour :)

[@minnesotaboy]

This was ever so enjoyable. One of the reasons I like your videos is that you are just a regular guy, not worried about everything being perfect. Everything needs a cleaning, just like most all of us and our homes. I hope you continue to find ways to keep content coming as we all need even more of it right now. Blessings to you David!

[@jackfish9831]

Marvelous! You gave us (Dutch) a good laugh! Stay mixing this typical British humor into your vlogs, we appreciate it very much!

[@malaiselindenfeld1112]

Why is this enjoyable to watch? Someone help me.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Probably the horrific boredom of lockdown overcoming the terrific boredom of my video

[@swishswish386]

David, you are probably the only person I know of that can make the mundane entertaining. Well done, and it is encouraging to see someone being so very positive in these crazy times.

[@mnrex1119]

LOL your routine is much like mine these days 😂 except I make a quality cup of coffee, and I watch YOU while I eat breakfast.

[@andyrbush]

Its like checking in on an old acquaintance to see how they are doing, watching this, very nice.

[@garryharriman7349]

David. I have never seen such a gripping and thoroughly entertaining documentation of everyday, mundane tasks. Your journalistic skills have been put to good use indeed in the chronicling of your unique lifesytle, one that so many of us find so appealing and lament about, yet never emabark upon. For me, your vidoes are a sobering reminder of just how much unnecessary materialistic consumer goods most of us covet and accumulate depite them been devoid of any real meaning. Further, it reminds us of the vast amount of resources we consume as a species that is obviously unsustianable given the number of our species on this planet and the demands we place upon it. Your life style is what my wife and I are seeking when we give up our equally non fulfilling jobs but in our RV! Take care and many thanks for your highly entertaining uploads. Garry Harriman. South Carolina. RAF, 1987-2006 PS; I used to refurbish aircraft for during my time in the RAF wirh corrosion prevention playing a key role in resurfacing. I agree with you in reference to 'blacking' the undersurface of the hull. Corrosion, as you quite accuralty articulate, does require several factors to come together to create oxidization. You really don't require that surface area to be coated with a protective finish. What you could apply, if you wabted to, would be some other coating that was easy to apppy that would simply cover the surface ans would help inhit corrosion (like a Vaseline type clear coating, somethint like that). Cheers mate. Garry

[@MelloYellow2099]

I dont know how I got here...I'm not part of your demographic i'd assume...I'm not even at a point in my life yet where this might be a consideration. There aren't even any canals in Canada lol but when the world is being crazy and stressful... your channel is a welcome solace. I've found all your videos very well made and your style is very calming...and almost therapeutic escape to a simpler life with a calming friend. Thank you for not stopping or being discouraged too early on before the big canal money started coming in (haha). only commenting because u mentioned u read all of them. I'm not one to fall into cults of personality but really wanted you to know my thanks. so thanks, from a real fan of your work.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Thank you

[@mikesiokalo3454]

Hi David. thanks for keeping our spirits up, were all in this together! Cheers from across the pond!

[@leonlowe]

David, this vlog was especially enjoyable. Thanks for the invite into your home and routine!

[@CroakerOutdoors]

As an avid tea drinker, I cannot expound enough about a vacuum sealed mug and lid. My tea goes cold in a few minutes in our ceramic mugs, so I have been exclusively using my camping stainless steel vac sealed one. Game. Changer.

[@qv81]

I have no idea why Your content is so addicting! When I first discoverd Your channel I watched all the videos fo almost a week. I was so intrigued by refurbishing a septic tank or painting the engine bay. I know You have other channels with rvs and stuff, but the narrow boat just made me addicted. It is so calming and relaxing. Maybie it's Your comentary, but I will never get bored of watching You go through locks and meeting swans.

[@dave-in-nj9393]

THUMBS UP for the tip on pre-heating the cup. I will sometimes put hot water into the cup, then pour it out.

[@terencejay8845]

Correct. Fill it with boiling water, wait until it's too hot to hold, and then make the coffee.

[@cliffreynolds7048]

Love your vlog David. We hired a narrow boat in 75 on the River Wey at Guildford for a week. Best holiday we've ever had. Unfortunately no canal boats in New Zealand so that was our one and only time. C

[@philipdandridge4127]

That's the song of a single man, "I know it needs cleaning" .... lol

[@tomcarter1080]

100% cheese coverage, your sandwich-making powers are enviable.

[@remyllebeau77]

Yes but why would anyone eat a cheese sandwich if the bread is not toasted and buttered?

[@elstevobevo]

As an American colonial and given to our great excesses, I rather enjoy this take on a quaint lifestyle. The humor is great as well.

[@raeholman254]

Kansas City, MO USA here. We discovered you last September while I was on maternity leave with my daughter, Aberdeen. She is our first and it was a very new and stressful time for my husband and I. We would watch your show on Amazon Prime on constant replay. It was so calming during a time where my husband and I were getting very little sleep. We told everyone about your show. We still watch it and just recently decided to watch from your KZbin channel. At the time, when we were watching your show, we thought we would never survive a newborn but now when we watch your show, it takes us back to such a special moment. So thank you for that! We hope to one day take our daughter and travel east for a narrow boat adventure.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Ahhh that's lovely, thank you

[@BoomerBlogging]

Well done - infinitely more interesting than staying in a small overly expensive, and dreary, flat somewhere in London!

[@daviemaclean61]

Not to mention the naked reflection in the kettle! Aaaaaargh! Not really, but made you look! ;-)

[@CruisingTheCut]

Bahhh!! You gave me heart palpitations for a moment there, damn you!

[@daviemaclean61]

@@CruisingTheCut Just to get your pulse racing David! ;-) Cheers

[@BVSchaefer]

As of this moment, this video has been up for just 19 hours. I genuinely thought I would be the first one to comment on how charming I found this video to be. I am obviously wrong. Over the Christmas holiday, just three months ago, my children went to a training camp to develop leadership and outdoor skills. They were gone for nine days. The week that they were gone, I packed up my life and my two dogs into a camper and headed out into the desert of the American Southwest. I found the isolation and my abandonment to the nature around me to be quite refreshing. My daily routine then evolved to be much like yours in the immediate here and now. It was quite relaxing. Thank you for sharing your day.

[@chrischart2386]

I would hit like again if I could. The shower singing made me smile.

[@HylaTube]

Chris Chart ... on Jupiter AND Mars! :)

[@randrowe9660]

As old geezers, hiding from Covid, behind our locked gates here in the country in South Carolina, we must say, watching your videos are a joy. Thanks for some laughs!

[@ahabva]

Dave, I didn’t realize how hard you had it, until I saw that gin and tonic without ice and a slice of lime. Condolences.

[@blancosanmartin]

Still remeber the chapter you named Stormy denials...game of words...

[@rochmel1409]

I have just watched this at 6.30 on a dark, windy and somewhat drizzely morning ahead of going canoeing on the local canalised river. Now I will have a better idea of what's going on behind the walls of all those boats I shall be passing. Ha ha! Thank you :)

[@rodolfolarrea8493]

reflexion on meaning of life, solitude, time, one with the universe , and world affairs are always welcome

[@dougdern3246]

Watching this reminds me nothing is different if you are living in the UK or in the Colonies of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Stay safe everyone.

[@littlesammyf7380]

Only you could make self isolation interesting and funny, hope you are well. I have been baking and cooking to feed my small brood, managed to get a 6kg block of cheddar from a chefs supplier selling off stock so that is keeping us in cheese scones and sandwiches.

[@nothandmade9686]

I assume a lot of restaurant supplies have been binned after the lockdown.

[@bekradan458]

That was fantastic! Just goes to show what a professional presenter/TV journalist can do out of absolutely nothing. I’ve been watching your vlogs since Christmas and you truly have a gift. Please keep up the good work!

[@rattywoof5259]

I wonder how many people appreciate what a masterful piece of cutting and editing your breakfast sequence is - well done!

[@CruisingTheCut]

Thank you very much!

[@EVAUnit4A]

I was _just_ thinking about that- the extra time to set-up and move those cameras, let alone getting them in focus, and not letting the food get cold in the process!

[@CruisingTheCut]

It was very cold toast by the time I finished!

[@mickeyblueyes29]

You’re living the dream, David. I’ve got a long time to go before retirement but this is 100% how I can see me spending my later days! I’m a 28 year old prison officer from the North East based in the Manchester area, so we’re all swept up in the rat race as they say. My life can be very, erm, interesting to say the least but wow.. I can just imagine how peaceful and interesting my days would be pottering around the canals on my own narrow boat 😁 I’ve been watching and following your vlogs for the past couple of years, but this is my first time commenting. Hope you are keeping yourself well and manage to get in a well socially-distanced conversation or two with your neighbours just to keep you sane 😂

[@CruisingTheCut]

Hello. I cannot imagine how life must be for you in that line of work at present. Stay safe.

[@mickeyblueyes29]

CruisingTheCut Thanks, you too. There’s a lot going on that’s for sure, but I think the staff across all of the emergency services are pulling together to make the most of what we can. Between yourself, Foxes Afloat and several other narrowboat vloggers, I can kick back and unwind at nights with my headphones in!

[@joshwalters8773]

Hope you’re keeping well in lockdown David. Thanks for keeping the content coming.

[@alpinerpeter1]

Thanks David for your self isolating video. I'm an expat doing the same, isolating here in California. Your scenes of the countryside and features, make me want to settle back in the UK. Enjoy all of your Vlogs so a big thank you.

[@fintimwhimbim]

A wee window into the “real life “ of a narrowboater. Good on you David. The comedy was pretty good too!

[@iainstenhouse8399]

Precision cheese application in that sandwich

[@CruisingTheCut]

Always

[@moma6343]

Keep the videos coming...they are so enjoyable and you sing well. Lockdown stinks, however your vlog makes it better.

[@114hours]

I’m still in my early 20s but because of your videos (I’ve been watching a while), my next holiday is going to be a few days on a rented narrow boat. I just wanted to say thank you for inspiring me to try this. Also, your high quality videos and your sense of humour bring such refreshing content to KZbin. Take care, Danny

[@CruisingTheCut]

Thank you

[@douglasjohnson9472]

This is the. most wholesome channel I've found so far. Amazing. Also makes me crave not being stuck in a flat in London.

[@wsoontheroad3325]

We seem to be willing to watch whatever you you put up. Very similar to my days except working a few hours in the hardware store, which is deemed "essential ". Hang in there, you'll be cruising soon.

[@somebuddyful]

im now at episode 156 so plenty to watch before im catching up.

[@amarshmuseconcepta6197]

Luc Préfontaine ...yeah.. to the moon Stan :) only messing..couldn't resist that.. #jokesarefun... Keeps us keeping on.. keeping on...✊🍬✌#out

[@MySgriblo]

What an enjoyable little video! .........cheers it brightened my morning!

[@paulandrews7166]

Dear David. Please keep it up - you are charming, engaging, and a brilliant advocate for narrowboating! I love watching your vlogs - they cheer me up and are educational to boot - love it! Thanks. Paul.

[@rollandjoeseph]

An oldie but a goodie, thx for a day in the life of David!

[@thomask130]

one my favorite videos you made :)

[@alt9741]

It is still a joy to watch your videos David, stay safe and keep them coming!

[@dygituljunky]

Oh, my. I had no idea you posted such risque content! 🤣 In all seriousness, thank you for the wholesome content which I can watch with my under-10 kids.

[@CruisingTheCut]

Thank you. Avoid the one where I went on the Thames, I said a naughty word...

[@kanaanthepersianprinceandf906]

The dry wit in this was a joy. Can we see more 'day in the life' videos?

[@brianinbrisbane6632]

Nice to see some of you narrow-boaters lead nearly normal lives eating, washing, and wearing slippers.

[@MrMike68r]

I found that quite therapeutic, thanks .

[@jwags405]

Absolutely love how cozy you have everything. Honestly I think I'd have a hard time leaving 😂

[@sottedkraken9971]

This is my first video of your series. And you have a certain Harmony in your life along the water...... I find this quite relaxing.

[@arianjayvillacampa6445]

This video reminds me that life goes on despite what is happening around the world. Makes me hopeful about humanity. Thanks! ^^

[@Jbreuhan2]

I am so grateful for your videos. A slice of normalcy and wholesome cheer. Thank you.

[@pfalzgraf7527]

Aaaah, that English way of making Tea! I have to visit that island as soon as those lockdowns are a thing of the past - and it is clear what formalities a continental European has to go through to visit.

[@JoeMama-hd1fo]

The fact you read every comment is impressive and shows you care about your job

[@DanMcLaughlin]

WARM THE CUP WITH THE STEAM - GENIUS!!!! I now know how to make tea

[@ThisLittleShow]

My god this was so relaxing, who knew watching someone do the dishes was so therapeutic.

[@lindahazlewood936]

Just learned that you also have a nice singing voice as well as a pleasant speaking voice.. don’t worry too much about cleaning the oven and grill 🙃👵🏻

[@stevebork575]

Thank you David for "Cruising The Cut." Your presentation and humor are so enjoyable. I am from the U.S., but my Mum is a British war bride who is 92. She is from Whitchurch, Shropshire, so your travels bring her so much happiness. Our family is still scattered through the Midlands. It's so enjoyable to relax and watch your cruising adventures seeing places we've been and other locations throughout the country. We are boaters, so we understand the issues that confront you on a boat! If I might add that your falling into the canal brought back memories of my brother falling into a canal lock. He just didn't see it in the dark . Long hilarious story that is too long to tell here. He was ok, just all wet! We look forward to many more of your cruising adventures!

[@philtimson5449]

Another perfect day in paradise. Eat, sleep, wash hands, repeat!

[@timhowes6526]

Love the cup warming / damp inhibiting tactics.....stroke of genius.

[@ivarwb4115]

A charming video indeed! I think your description of an ordinary day during lockdown was quite recognisable(?) for most of us. And I am very glad you didn't add any glamourous stash to it. Life is what it is, no need to disguise it!