How to survive winter on a boat By Myles McDowell

[@barryleach5234]

I love Sally....I lived in England for five of the most beautiful years of my life after Viet Nam....and I had an young neighbor who had a little dog just like your Sally. Sally died of cancer ...and my little neighbor was in a bad state....I took him for a walk...we were in the Cotswalds at the time....and we had a long talk....he was asking me why Dogs don't live very long........I told him something my granny told me...she was born in the hills of Tennessee...Gran told me Dogs don't live very long...because we all come here to learn and evolve....and mostly to learn what real love is......well...Dogs already know what unconditional love is......that is why they don't have to hang around so long. Your little Sally reminded me of so much......thank you for including her in your well done presentation. Give Sally a hug for me. God Bless you my friend.

[@boatfaceslim9005]

How very sweet! (y)

[@frozenoem1]

From US Maine, land of -39ºC (yes, that's right Winters) presently a heat wave of 0º C. If you rely solely on WD-40 you will freeze your locks internals, better a shot of powdered graphite. Enjoy your video's, always looking for other ways to heat, or live. Besides my GF wants to rent a UK Canal boat, after we hit the road.

[@SuperDavensuziyoutub]

Wood burns fine with just air from the top, with the bottom vent open it burns away rapido! Coal needs the draught from below.👍

[@hoost3056]

be sure to treat your fuel, I am a trucker from Illinois and I know cold very well. Howe's Lubricator is excellent ( I think they sell it where your at ), adding some kerosene to the fuel will help, but the best thing to do is add heaters to the fuel tank, fuel lines and engine block to keep everything warm. Making sure the tune up on the engine is spot on so it fires within one revolution or so on start up. And as mentioned before, having a fuel/water separator ( heated of course )

[@Stevenkjy]

Have you considered burning “small anthracite”. I have lived in a small croft cottage in the North of Scotland and would not burn anything else, low ash high heat content. I make sure that my stove is well airtight and change the door seal rope often. It costs me about £20 for 50kg bags from coal merchant. I get no deposits in the flue, I keep it lit 24/7 and sprinkle ashes over the fire at night to slow down the burn. Insulated flue ideal to keep the thermal air flow, but I would still recommend a monoxide detector. I have installed dozens of Morso stoves and Bubble oil stoves... my stove is a second hand Spencer got it for £150 over 20 years ago... I would love a narrow boat, retire next year so who knows.... enjoy!!

[@MylesMcDowell]

You sound hardy enough to live on a boat having lived in Scotland, well prepared. 👍🏻

[@Stevenkjy]

@@MylesMcDowell Yes it can be quite cold here, it’s not if it snows it’s when it snows.... had to throw a rope over my roof few years back, to cut of the snow like a cheese wire... the weight could have damaged it!!! ☃️🥶👍

[@danbev8542]

For a warm bed: 1. Cotton flannel sheets. 2. A nice wool blanket. 3. A down comforter. 4. Rice bag. (Pour cheap dry rice into a sock, or sew into a denim rectangle. Heat in microwave for 3-5 minutes. Put in bed - mine keeps my feet warm all night. Note: the first few times you heat it, it smells like a rice dinner - but that goes away with several heatings ☺️). 5. Ditch the polyester blankets & clothing - they are terrible for the environment & don’t keep you as warm. It fills the oceans & landfills with toxic micro bits of polyester every time you wash them. Wool breathes & keeps you warm even when wet.

[@richardhills1215]

One note on WD40, it's NOT a lubricant. If you put it on padlocks it will wash off the lubricant and whilst it will work for a bit it WILL seize up. So use a silicone or PTFE lubricant instead,

[@luvedup01]

I have just subscribed because your videos are just what I've been looking for. We have just made a huge decision to sell our house and buy a widebeam or a narrowboat [I am making a start tomorrow clearing out all the stuff we have acquired ready for carboots] We had a similar kind of life when we lived in a finca in Spain for 5 years ie it was one room and a bathroom no electricity just gas bottles [18 months in we had enough money to buy a gennie] No telephone [got mobiles later on] and the Spanish postie didn't think it was all that important to actually deliver our mail. There was a lot of getting everthing done before it got dark including chopping all the wood and the veg [you don't want to be chopping things with a sharp knife by candlelight ! Like you we loved our woodburner it was our best friend. Now we are going to do it all again but this time on water.Keep the videos coming to help us avoid the pitfalls and we will see you on the cut in 2017 !

[@snubbedpeer]

If you are narrowboating fulltime (?) it makes sense to have a backup, i.e. at least two sources of heat. And if one of them can be turned on by a timer that would be great to wake up to!

[@radio-su6lh]

What an awesome intro to the video. Sally really does look like a sort of human. Laughed so much, When you said 'Love you' Sally looked like she was thinking; 'yeah.....so?'

[@MylesMcDowell]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@gharwood1356]

Probably a bit late to be saying this, but a Carbon Monoxide detector is a must where there's a fire left on at night.

[@lmorrison17]

Loved the dance.

[@jamesshanks2614]

Have you tried anthracite coal otherwise known as hard coal the beauty of hard coal is feed the stove up to the top of the firebrick in the firebox and with only air allowed in through the ash pan door the fire generally will last 24 to 36 hours before running out of fuel oh yeah smoke free too Regarding the dancing to stay warm works well until you look out the window and the fellow on the boat next to looks at you and says " Fancy yourself a dancer mate?" It's a good way to stay in shape. Jim

[@dannysulyma6273]

I would think that finding out that your private dancing has been observed by an amused neighbor might result in a sudden flush of warmth;-)

[@jamesshanks2614]

I know it's over a year but have you tried anthracite coal otherwise known as hard coal virtually smokeless and once you build your fire and load it up to the top of the firebrick in the firebox close down the air going into the ash pan it will sit and percolate heat for 18-36 hours presuming your stove is airtight. Food for thought And enjoy your videos quite imaginative and hilarious " where the magic happens " 😎🤔😀😜😳😇😇😍😍 Thanks for very informative and enjoyable videos.

[@ollvebranch]

V.funny! Saved for when I eventually persuade my husband to buy one!

[@CHE113A]

+Myles McDowell Thanks for the upload! A LOT of Very Helpful interesting info! Much Appreciated!! 👍 We love #Sally !! 💟

[@MylesMcDowell]

+CHE thank you. Sallie is the real star.

[@CHE113A]

***** That she is!😏 But, It takes one to 'Own' One 😉✋ 😊

[@goonluv]

Hi I've subbed your channel, good winter food you could try is butter nut squash, sweet potato soup with chilli garlic and coriander you will need a small onion sweat this off in a little oil, add 1 green and 1 red chilli and 3 cloves of garlic chopped finely, chop all veg up and add to the pan with a pint and a half of boiling water with a chicken or veg stock pot, simmer until veg is soft, season to taste, add 2 tsp of fresh coriander finally chopped, blitz with a food processor, add a knob of butter and eat with crusty bread. Add more chilli powder if you like if it spicy. atb Gordon

[@johnkeyes2045]

you an your wife look cosy in there I love live on boat..

[@jcshinobi1973]

Well. Hello from Thailand. This is a great little vlog and we are happy to follow your adventures.

[@dannysulyma6273]

The dance got you a thumbs up. Cheers.

[@CHE113A]

danny sulyma Ha! Yea I rekon another thumbs up for the dancing 💃 👍& Many Many more for Sally! ♡ 😊👍👍👍

[@jdudb]

I too lived aboard a boat on the Thames for 12 years in my youth and had a solid fuel stove, I think it was called a Little Wenlock. With the right smokeless coal I was easily able to keep the stove going all night by building it up last thing and then shutting the air off. First thing in the morning I would turn the air on, add some fuel and give it a poke and it was soon blazing. I was never cold really but it was a wooden boat and even when the Thames froze around me I was still toasty inside.

[@adddad9779]

The dog in the beginning OMG!! "This is some bullsh!t."

[@laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587]

LMAOOOOO

[@63Eco]

I lived on a 34' Sport Fish boat in Key West, Florida for a time and I loved boat life. I'm considering a move to Ireland and the idea of a narrow boat appeals to me. Your videos are making me want that more and more. They're both fun and informative. Don't let it go to your head, though. Sally is the star of the show. I'm now a subscriber. Keep up the good work.

[@kathleenisa-belle7184]

Sleep between fleece blankets instead of sheets for warmth. Wrap fleece throw around waist or chest like a skirt, very warm and not restrictive. Fleece is light, easy to wash and dries quickly.

[@ianredden9435]

hi your info is very hand as I'm just selling my house to buy a narrow boat I hope to ear more from you in the future

[@snowflakemelter1172]

If your boat is struggling to keep warm buy some foil blankets off eBay, hang them around the boat to reflect the heat from the stove back into the cabin. You can't sleep under one though, you will wake up soaked in sweat.

[@davev5554]

Very informative, amusing too, good stuff 😉👍

[@suzisaintjames]

Two items: 1. Do you give dance lessons? 2. If your dog's mouth smells, she needs to have her teeth cleaned or other dental work. Love your video, keep up the good work xoxo.

[@ayeshawalker7575]

fab. have just bought our first narrowboat & winter is coming!!

[@johnkeyes2045]

sally is lovely. we have maya our dog on bottom bed she a great hot water bottle. lol

[@JOmondi1]

The dancing bit was fab. That's worth the watching and I loved every bit of it. I am so happy to become a boatman soon (if I can get the cash to buy it).

[@wearehuckleberryfriends6191]

fantastic! love this video! x

[@janecox4173]

my first winter and up at 3am. just moved my fan

[@MylesMcDowell]

Well done 👍🏻

[@brontijones7174]

Sally looks so cute with the blanket wrapped round her lol like ET, bless her ❤️ 🐾

[@leekelly9540]

loved the video found it very interesting,dancing was great lol.

[@MrBryanfowler]

LOVE YOUR DOG, HAS THE SAME LOOK AS MY WIFE ON A COLD DAY

[@roseyhilton9166]

Haha oh you sod🤣

[@leegarrett1674]

Can you please do a video on your back boiler heating system and any maintenance? Just got a boat and I need to clean out the header tank, re fill the system, check for leaks and make sure the radiators work before winter Thanks

[@johnneal7832]

I love the look on the dogs face,so sweet

[@zulaigaworth4401]

Thank you

[@LovingAtlanta]

👍Thanks for sharing this info. 💞 I’m in Georgia USA so I don’t really have to worry about snow and I’m at a marina with a covered dock / boar slip. I’m not “living” on it but I do plan on spending several days & nights / blocks of time in a row at the boat. I want to go out on the lake on the good days in the winter and really enjoy it while everyone else has packed up for the winter months. 👍😃

[@donnahague8983]

Beautiful video....love Sally....i also had a pup named Sally for 15 years and she passed away last year....your girl looks so sweet as was mine....

[@bosse641]

Lovely dog.

[@r.blakehole932]

Hmm. Your January snow is what we call a light frost here in Northern Idaho. But, your recommendation for thermal underwear I do endorse. Can really be a life saver.

[@d.r.hamman480]

TO: MYLES McDOWELL: If you can get a hold of something we have here across the pond called: a space blanket or a emergency blanket (the cheapest one) and simply put it, sandwiched between two blankets the same size or bigger and held together with safety pins (which was originally used for holding a babie's diaper together. Just buy fifty safety pins..their cheap, in Medium or Large Size.) And pin, both blankets together, with the emergency blanket in between both blankets. Then always treat this blanket set up as a very delicate fragile item! The more use of folding of it back and forth...subjects it towards the chance of it wanting to tear. So just get use to treating it gently. Once you put the blanket sandwich on or around you and you still feel cold! Then You KNOW You have the Wrong Side Against You! Turn the blanket sandwich around and You Will be Toasty Warm within A Minute!!! As long as your under this Sandwich Blanket you'll stay Toasty Warm because it reflects your own body heat back to You! If you can, buy as many Emergency Blankets as you can at one time...say at least 4 or 6 each. They do fall apart after much use and folding back and forth. (I lived in a two story house in the city with no electric or N.I.P.S.C.O. (gas) for heat for 5-years and survived Ok!!!) (Hard Times!) Take a quick shower or cook up some food then get back under your Sandwich Blanket and stay warm!!!

[@therealrubbertramp2151]

Try stuffing it in your underwear/panty.

[@susangreen3465]

Thanks that's a great vlog looking forwards to more please

[@ddaymen11]

awesome video, I think this canal boats are the greatest thing!

[@MrJimbaloid]

Lovely vid and whilst quite informative very very funny I laughed my socks off. Keep up the good work pal.

[@jeanniemullinder9038]

Your boat is the nicest I've seen here on KZbin, makes a nice change from some of the scruffy ones ! That dog is adorable !!

[@MylesMcDowell]

Thank you. 🙏🏻

[@ohbobpleez]

If the boats a-rock'n Milo might be dancing

[@tayraw]

Hi Miles, I was watching a video about a cave sculptor and then your face appeared on the screen like you're famous or something. Had to watch. Good to see ya xxx

[@MylesMcDowell]

Thank you Tracy, missing you. When are you back on the water? x

[@staninjapan07]

Great video, thanks. Dancing... snow balling with the dog... AND some useful piratical tips. That's too much for free!

[@michaelbarrett1914]

dear sweet Jezzusss!! You said "IF NOBODYS WATCHING!!" You forgot to check to make sure you were alone, I cant unsee that! Good video, I enjoyed that aspect. everybody has been covering the beautiful part of the middle of summer, I seldom see the less enjoyable side where the winter must be dealt with. I really enjoyed the part about the stove and the fuels for it and keeping the chimney clean. I would be the type that would absolutely go for this type of heating source. Being a male of a certain age where sleep escapes me often (witness the hour this is written) and my bladder screams as loud as a freight train it needs emptying every 90 minutes, I could keep that kind of stove stoked nice and warm all night long for the entire winter and never lose any sleep. keep up the good work.

[@backtoafrika]

Good information people need to know. The dancing we give a thumbs up....

[@Falney]

A little trick we used to do for winter camping up in the Welsh hills was sew a mylar sheet into our sleeping bags. Cold? What cold?

[@MrJimbaloid]

WD40 IS good stuff but it washes away with rain however another product made by the same company is GT85 which contains teflon and its WONDERFUL stuff. I found out about from mountain biking and then started using it at work (bus mechanic for an unnamed big company) and I can't sing its praises loud enough.

[@jeffreyplum5259]

A "Three Dog Night" was a very cold night. Dancing works solo, but may work better in pairs. It may not be effective purely for warmth, but then one may not notice the cold as much. Best wishes and God bless you all.

[@paulinehiggins8239]

We have a diesel heater in our motorhome in Australia, it’s cheap to run and never breaks down.

[@johnhayford5946]

No mention of the condensation problem ? FYI the Wabasco heaters are a serious option. Mine is over 10 years old and has never been serviced. The trick is to give it a good blast at full power before shutting it down to clear out any soot. if not you are right, it will clog up and need stripping down. When I am on board it runs all day just ticking over, so only getting through 1-2 liters pm a cold day. Plus we fitted a remote controller so cna switch it on from our phone before we get to the boat, and before waking up in the mornings. The greatest befit I found was insulation, both to keep warm and to stop the condensations problem. It took me three summers but I have not insulated the entire inside of the boat. It's over 40ft, so took forever, removing all the deck-head etc. I used 10-12mm closed cell foam with the aluminum backing. The skylight also have insulated covers, now the problem is the Wabasco heater does not have enough load so easily clogs if if I am not religious about giving it a daily full power blast. Also 90% of the air intake to the heater is re-cycled. If the outside temperature does not drop below 10c I only need a 2kw electric heater, or I just get too hot running the Wabacso. Suggest you get some carbon monoxide monitoring, installed. Our Wabasco had been incorrectly install with the air intake in the same box as the heater, I had to re-pipe it so use either re-cycled air our air directly from outside. And this was installed by the boat manufacture. Also the thermostat is in the air inlet to the Wabasco so it always ran at full power no matter what the internal temperature. plus none of the ducting was insulated. The first two meters ran through an outside locker wasting a load of heat. Now we can use our boat all year round and are very comfortable in well below freezing temperature.

[@joannepentith6124]

My partner and I are going to live on a narrow boat in the next few years, I found these winter tops very insightful. Thanks to you both

[@robertdagata6647]

Great collection of wisdom, thanks for making this video!

[@elizabeth5069]

This is the first of your videos that I’ve seen and narrow boating is just a dream at this point, but I subscribed within the first two minutes because of your interaction with the beautiful Sally!

[@michaelbarrett1914]

I forgot to mention a way for you to stay warm that works like a charm and doesn't cost anything after your initial purchase. You can purchase a couple of pieces of soap stone about 10" square & because they are soft drill 2 holes on each side just off center by about an inch that are about 1" to 1& 1/4" deep. You can then take a heavy piece of wire and make a wood handle for the wire and bend it so that it fits the soapstone and inserts into the holes. It is very easy to do. You could even put bushings into the soapstone to make the place where the wire enters the soapstone more durable. When it is done, you then take the soapstone pieces and simply lay flat on top of your wood burner. The two pieces together will transfer heat quickly from your wood/coal burning fire stove to the soap stone and they will then be toasty warm and ready to take to bed and place between your feet in bed. Or, simply leave them out in your room to help maintain your rooms temperature during the night. They typically will hold heat for many many hours. You can reheat them infinitely and place them where ever you need them, even say at the stern when you are driving and need a bit of warmth to warm your hands while driving, or say to take your boots off and stand on in your insulated socked feet. Just suggestions to help keep you all warm from a person who has lived in Northern America and camped in Canada in frigid temps. Hope this helps you and other narrow boaters.

[@MylesMcDowell]

This is genius.

[@kourtneymelton1282]

I just started living on a boat and we live in Alaska so I can't wait to watch this whole thing!

[@ku6479]

Fill you in on a little secret Mylo (on the note of "chopping down a tree") your boat is made of wood, from what i can see and the bags of wood you're buying comes from trees.

[@boatfaceslim9005]

1. Narrowboats are made of steel. 2. Bags of wood fuel come from sustainably managed forests.

[@keymaster2108]

Hey mate. Coil some copper around the stove pipe add a pump and you have heated water you can make that better by adding some thin stainless steel sheet and Rockwool to insulate the coil or even just Rockwool on its own would work very well. You can use a real cheap pump and use a reservoir when you need it. You could also add a coil to the inside of your oven but maybe not copper I think that would melt but this would work really well without a reservoir but the pump would need to be better. Pumps are expensive so keep in mind things like adding compressed air to the reservoir if you need water pressure. These are some of my ideas that I have not personally tried yet

[@mazdarx7887]

hehehe, and it don't even get cold there. But , some good advice for your area

[@donaleeslack4790]

Lend the dog one of your jumpers 😊.

[@kennyjackson644]

Thank you for the really useful tips, we are about to embark on getting our first live aboard and winter is our biggest concern but hearing what you've just said, I can handle that, I think! Love the blog, you made us laugh. Kenny

[@MylesMcDowell]

+Kenny Jackson You're welcome. thank you and good luck.

[@michaelmooney3369]

a thermocouple is heated by the stove and generates electrical power for the fan. you can also use a thermocouple to measure temperature as well.

[@terrosblue5575]

danm boy! you got the moves

[@leftymadrid]

That dog is just adorable :-) on the subject of narrow boats, if I came into some money I would definitely go that route, would love one totally customized to my needs... great information given thx!!!

[@JulieWallis1963]

New subscriber here. I know I will never live on a boat, I do love boats and cruising (both canal/river cruising and ocean cruising with commercial companies) so I just enjoy this channel as an escape. I looked into hiring a holiday boat, but jeez they’re expensive! I really like the idea of mooring up by a lovely pub to enjoy a pub lunch. Carry on enjoying your canal life.

[@IRBenHunter]

I just bought a narrowboat and am busy getting it set up to live in. It has that same Morso stove. I found it lets out a lot of smoke whenever we open up to add fuel, often causing the fire alarm to go off, and the whole boat to smell of smoke. After watching this video, I got a brush and swept out the chimney, but that caused all the soot to fall onto/in behind the baffle inside the stove. Is there a way to pull out the baffle to clean it properly? or do I have to try and squeeze a brush or hand around it where it is? Do you have any other tips to avoid getting smelly smoke all up in the boat?

[@MylesMcDowell]

It's a dirty job... but getting your hands behind the baffle is the only way to give it a proper clean. It's messy, it's tiresome and you will end up with soot or ash in places that you really didn't think ash can get but it will be worth it. wear gloves Good luck. ps I sometimes use a chopstick to scrape, push or loosen any ash behind the baffle. The more frequently you do this the better your stove will behave. I took a whole day back in early October to fully clean, check, secure and maintain my Morso Squirel. They are very reliable with routine maintenance.

[@IRBenHunter]

Thanks for the tips. After some more investigation, I realised the baffle I'd been trying to remove/get behind is in fact the backboiler plate, and it's reluctant to move because it's connected to the two massive pipes sticking out the back of the stove. Another baffling mystery solved! I'll get back at it and sweep out whatever else I can by hand. Also do you really sweep the chimney every week? I thought it was more a once-or-twice-a-year job. I was recently told about a chimney-cleaning log. Have you ever used such a thing?

[@RoyceMunday56]

Really useful tips (not sure about the dancing though). Stay warm

[@MylesMcDowell]

The dancing is the best bit. 🤣

[@Tinhihi]

Very funny lol. Thanx for the tips!

[@kungfusansootsoilihofuthun8895]

Funniest and most knowledgeable video ever. Very cool

[@MylesMcDowell]

Thank you. 🙏🏻

[@radbabs2000]

try the old fashioned hot water bottle....great to keep your feet warm in bed.

[@johnneal7832]

I love Sallys face😂😂😂😂

[@TIGRAS55UES]

Love ya you deserve your own series!

[@MylesMcDowell]

+TIGRAS55UES thank you.

[@goodbyemrchips4174]

Clothes. Wool every time. Expensive but effective.

[@DisabledPrepper]

Totally loving your videos!

[@jaystermac9870]

Dog reminds me of E.T. from the movie in the scene where boy puts him in bicycle basket and they fly .

[@craigroberts9021]

Great video very informative thank you

[@tonyn9858]

Great video mate thanks tony Leicestershire.

[@peterforden5917]

In Sweden there is summer and winter diesle, the winter stuff doesnt freeze!

[@MylesMcDowell]

peter forden good idea. 💡

[@peterforden5917]

I think that a certain amount of parafin works too check it out with your diesle supplier first

[@stevenpaul9259]

It's not really about freezing, it's more about not getting water in the fuel, which leads to the dreaded diesel bug.

[@davidmiller9674]

Just watched this as a first of your videos. Think I'll check out some more, very informative and delivered in a fun cheery way 😊

[@MylesMcDowell]

Thank you.

[@simonhubbert1785]

Great Vlog, Sally looks like my Boxer Dexter. We're new to narrow boating and mostly he stands on the deck shaking until we moor up

[@MylesMcDowell]

Sallie used to do that. 😆

[@robertcallander1065]

Great moves and fun vlog

[@greengrass8044]

brill mate thanks

[@dermottelliot9634]

Enjoyed it!!! Good honest advice with great tips cheers

[@doyle201206]

Can't beat flannelette sheets and duvet cover for bed time snuggles and warmth.

[@dan675t6]

Yes you can, it's called an electric blanket :) Super toasty

[@dan675t6]

Another great vid. As a newbie finding all the tips really helpful. Quick question, what do you do with the fire ash, where do you get rid off it?

[@shyshy8788]

Beautiful dog

[@rivercarplife]

I’m here for the dance moves only 👌🏼👍🏻 quality stuff milo ✌🏻💚

[@javeydoseph]

😆 Quality!!

[@chriskers747]

I don't think you should burn house coal in a stove due to arsnic content or something, it will damaged the stove and flue. But any anthracite or wood is ok. Also most pallets are treated with tanalising etc, like you say so you dont want to be breathing that either.

[@rebeccacramirez877]

Adorable dog

[@The1vanillaman]

great vlog,love sally the dog,what a character.do i feel a hint of snobishment are you keeping her in the lap of luxury she lshe is entitled to.

[@d3no957]

great educational video myles.! these are the sort of tips, tricks and helpful advice that people interested or new to living on water probably wont know. myself being interested in taking the plunge in the next year or so. ive seen one of your other videos and you quit your job to pursue your dream, good luck to you! oh and im also like one of the other people thats asked, but any video on advice and steps on buying a canal boat

[@MylesMcDowell]

Thank you, Dean. I appreciate that. More 'How To....' Vlogs coming in this year. 😊

[@MultiCandomble]

Excellent what to do video.

[@MylesMcDowell]

Thank you.

[@brianlud]

great blog