162 - Narrowboat cruise under Spaghetti Junction and down the Perry Barr Locks

In this vlog we are very tired! We have a slow start and travel down the Perry Barr fligh of locks, there are 13 locks in total on this flight and for many reasons it takes us a rather long time. It is a damp and miserable and exhausting day, ending just after Salford Junction at Star City. Our exhaustion leads the closing conversation in some strange directions. We hope you enjoy the vlog.
#Narrowboat #perrybarr #BCN
MUSIC:
SAPPHEIROS - EMBRACE
/ embrace
Our Links
Blog: www.minimallist...
Twitter: / nbminimallist
Facebook: / nbminimallist
Patreon: / minimallist
Jo wrote a short book about her travels and how she met Michael.
tinyurl.com/ya...
FAQ's
Q. Where are Michael's T-shirts from?
A. Tee Republic; www.teepublic....
Q. Why do you speed up some of the footage in your videos?
A. We don't, we film it as time-lapse footage. We do not have the battery capacity or data storage to film in real time as our cruises can last up to 7 or 8 hours. We use to the time-lapse footage to help tell the story of movement rather than showcase the scenery. We limit the amount of time-lapse shots we use in each vlog.

[@pappakilo3965]

This was a fascinating series of videos. I've often passed the Birmingham network of canals, usually on the train and intended having a look at them a bit closer; the stretch between Brum and the Black Country in particular

[@MinimalList]

There are a lot of really good and interesting canal stretches on the BCN; though it takes quite a long time to see them all, and in or case a bit too long. In smaller bursts though I think they’re almost all absolutely worth a visit! M

[@pappakilo3965]

@@MinimalList It's a shame the old Birmingham Industrial Museum was dispersed. It was next to one of the city centre lock flights and would have been a good side visit for you. The replacement is jazzy but lacks heart

[@MinimalList]

Would have been nice to see, that’s for sure. M

[@normanboyes4983]

You conveyed your feelings well👍😀

[@MinimalList]

Thanks! M

[@gopalganti1095]

As I have just watched vlog 300 plus. I am glad you guys continued. Great vlogs keep it up

[@alanjackson4646]

Great photos of bridge stonework and aerial shots of boat. Carbonara looked delicious. Enjoy your pooling. Regards AJ

[@ronbearman4661]

Hi guys It looks like you have had enough of urban cruising get out to countryside as soon as possible it will make you feel far happier

[@MinimalList]

Yeah; we had to really push on the last part of the BCN, really after Walsall it was just a slog, but we had a deadline to meet in getting to Fazely. In the next video we finally hit rural again and you’ll see it cheers us up instantly! M

[@totallysimulated944]

I appreciate that you guys keep it real. The good , bad & urban. Summer is just around the corner with it's green trees countryside... Oh and the happy hire boat folks running at full speed. What's the plan for summer guys?

[@MinimalList]

Thank you... we try to tell it how it is although that does mean some people accuse us of being negative. Everyone has good times and not so good times whether they live in a boat or in a house. It was a bit of a tongue in cheek comment about other boaters. While it is nice to have the navigation to ourselves in winter we do live meeting all the different characters when it’s busier. I have been a hirer too after all! As for the summer, we are about to head north up The Shropshire Union but haven’t really got any fixed plans after that! Thanks for commenting!

[@nbflyingfox4672]

Thanks Michael and Jo, have really enjoyed this series of vlogs on the BCN. Bet you will be glad to move on to pastures new. Once again thanks for a great vlog and look forward to your next set of vlogs.

[@MinimalList]

Thanks for watching them! M

[@jwbuys1]

It's fun watching you guys and I've learned heaps about the BCN. Hang in there.

[@MinimalList]

That is nice to hear! Thank you!

[@PeteLorimer]

I’m so used to your time-lapse footage that when you go to real time under the bridges and overpasses it feels like slo-mo.

[@MinimalList]

Haha, welcome to canal time!

[@lollygolden3822]

Don't quit😀

[@MinimalList]

Heh, not yet! M

[@9ColorZebra]

I didn't realize you had bow thrusters. I thought you were roughing it. Always great driving.

[@MinimalList]

Since it only works for a few seconds, we usually are roughing it. If I’m backing up more than about a hundred feet the bow thruster’s done. M

[@MrWolfgee]

I've only just caught up and this is how I am rewarded? "If this IS our last Vlog, thanks for watching." Time for a day or two in coffee shops or pubs trying to get other peoples' perspectives on Birmingham. Seriously, I bet a couple days of sunshine will put you right. Thanks for the chronicles of the Minimal List.

[@MinimalList]

Heh, we keep going, don’t you worry! M

[@ChileExpatFamily]

I am curious. Are you on a schedule? Do you have to be somewhere fast? Looks like you have a beautiful life. Wonderful and filled with beauty. Lori and I here in Chile too had to set back and say "what are we in a hurry for". Now we .... try to live on our time and terms. For us there is no Late or Early! Just when and where we want. We now try to enjoy our frustrations as there is always tomorrow... for the time being. Might as well enjoy today! Love the channel and love living through your adventures with you. Jim

[@MinimalList]

The Canal life is pretty chilled out. At this point we were pushing to get off the BCN and to Fradley Junction because Michael was going overseas for two weeks and I wanted to be on that mooring while he was away! Most of the time we are not in a schedule like that. It sounds like you both have a good approach to life!

[@ChileExpatFamily]

@@MinimalList Yes we have one child out of 6 still at home. Tragedy made us appreciate life and the way we live it. Life is a gift for sure. Jim

[@guyliezelharrison5757]

I'm currently in Thailand on a 6 weeks holiday court up with all your vlogs😁😁 Even started watching the first ones again 😁 You too have come a long way since you started keep it up you and crank it Robbie are my favourite boat tube guy's 😁😁😁 And Ben and Emily gin anyone😂

[@MinimalList]

Wow, Thailand lucky you! We had our first ‘date’ in Chiang Mai! Glad you ante enjoying the vlogs, thank you for the kind words!

[@jamesfagan8474]

Nice guys good video

[@MinimalList]

Thank you for the kind words! 😊

[@MartyLJ57]

Being an old Detroiter, I'd mount CTV cameras on the front of the boat

[@MinimalList]

Lots of people do... though for the most part it means hours and hours of footage of nothing whatsoever! M

[@ipb1966]

Great video again - your camera struggles with the sky a bit in the opening shots. Get a wiggle on and come up to the Leeds & Liverpool.

[@MinimalList]

We are on our way!

[@776281]

I was tired before I started watching, now I am even more so. I have a nice Shiraz so if I get some smoked Edam (don't tell George)

[@776281]

no smoked Edam, so some Brie and some cracked pepper cheddar. And the Shiraz Winton Road Old Vine Barossa 2016

[@MinimalList]

Sounds nice, but George may never forgive you! M

[@pipparker6455]

I'd only set a lock ahead if I can see it. Came to the top of the Marsworth flight and moaned that someone was moored on the lock landing. Lock set in our favour so in we went. Lock nearly empty when guy arrives from down the flight moaning we had stolen his lock. Turns out he had gone and set the whole flight for himself!! By the time we were down three there was also a boat coming up that had emptied 3 of the locks he filled, complete waste of water.

[@MinimalList]

That sounds really annoying. We only do it in winter and only 4 or 5 locks at a time. It’s pretty safe to say that you are not going to meet another moving boat on the BCN in January or February!

[@rwbimbie5854]

Canal Lyfe: See one boat a day, "hrmff.. Traffic"

[@MinimalList]

Haha! We had got used to having the BCN to ourselves over winter!

[@russmontgomery5211]

I would like to suggest checking the output on the alt. it should read about 13.1 to 14.0 volts at 1500rpm's if it's less than you may need to replace it. Also I'm not sure how many batteries you are running on the 1 alt, I would isolate and test them all, 1 dead cell will kill all of them. You run A large risk of burning out the electric motor on the bow thruster by running it under voltage. I don't own A narrow boat but my cruiser had 2 alt's 1 for the boat's starting and engine management the other was for the bank of "house batteries" for overnight camping. I did away with 1 of them and replace the other with A 300 amp alt and A charge isolator. I saw improvements in fuel economy all my batt's stay at A even charge and my engine actually runs cooler. just an fyi.

[@MinimalList]

Ours is a pretty simple setup. Double alternator, the larger is definitely putting out sufficient power and it supplies only the two lithium domestics, most of the time (there is a relay that gangs it to the smaller to charge the starter circuit initially, but it seems to only run like that for the first ten minutes or so). The smaller is a little harder to test but seemingly is putting out the correct voltage, however it charges the quite old starter battery and the equally old bow thruster battery up the front of the boat. That’s where I think there’re a weak link, but it’s hard to tell for sure. There’s a lot of cable running to the bow thruster battery and it’s seemingly smaller gauge than it should be, so that might be the problem as well. However everything seems to work fine when the temperature rises, so bit of a “I’ve got a hunch there’s an issue developing” more than I’m sure there’s a problem: m

[@russmontgomery5211]

@@MinimalList The cable running to the battery up in the bow does not have to be very large because it is only charging the batt and should be A fairly low amp draw 0awg should be about the size you need for A 50 amp draw at 60 ft 1awg will work if the amps are lower but I would consider replacing it if the amps are higher or the wire is smaller than 1 awg. I would also highly consider chasing down A low or dead cell in 1 of the batt's.

[@MinimalList]

I will be trying to chase down the cells. Those batteries are also very near or beyond expected life, so may just replace them anyhow. M

[@daviddean5392]

My question ,Living aboard and cruising all the time cost's money on a regular base's. Do you have a job to create an income or did you sell everything and put said money in a account to live off of. Boat upkeep, Diesel, food, EXT: Just one of the many questions people who watch have?

[@MinimalList]

We are currently living in savings!

[@BlackCountryPiker]

Bless you both, you look cream crackered

[@MinimalList]

We were! Kind of recovered now but Michael is battling jet lag!

[@oldtimers6460]

Lovely along the canals then concrete overpass jungle , pity its just willy nilly .Well Michael and Joy plus George smooth cruising and all the best from OZ.

[@MinimalList]

Thank you! It’s a bit of a concrete jungle under there isn’t it... really interesting but we were so ready for some countryside!

[@hw476]

Ouch! We were tired and grouchy today. 😩😂 You can’t have everything to yourselves. You have to share 😉. Early night for you two. Always interesting to see the pitfalls of canal life as well as the beautiful side. Didn’t see George 😳 All the best.

[@MinimalList]

He was there, walking with Jo, but it can get hard to see him in the concrete jungle. M

[@MatthewHuntley1961]

Electric boat conversion??!!! Who the heck gives you a thumbs down! Great Vid, you. Two look nackered

[@rwbimbie5854]

I dont know about Conversion to electric, but adding an outboard 'trolling' motor (or pair) could definitely cut down on diesel use. Could also be done as omni Thrusters at the bow, to aid with maneuverability as well as forward. Would be a decent application for solar- nice to use when batteries charged but not mission critical if the weather is Too Brittish and batts are low

[@MinimalList]

We’re pretty sure someone subscribed specifically to hit Thumbs Down as fast as possible. At least one usually shows up on every video within a few minutes of it being uploaded, and almost always well before anyone could even have watched the whole thing on 2x speed. Sigh. Some people haven’t got better things to do. M

[@MatthewHuntley1961]

@@MinimalList that fast? Sounds like some kind of bot.

[@MinimalList]

Could be. Or someone very bored. M

[@garrystacey7018]

Great video hope you make it out of Birmingham loving your video shame it you can’t but you can always get a job at star city 🤪😂😂👍🏻

[@MinimalList]

We somehow found the strength to carry on! M

[@markbulla1851]

I miss George... Other than that, thanks for the vlog!

[@MinimalList]

Oops! Sorry! I guess he was a bit camera shy on this day!

[@jacqcoldwell7225]

Very impressive wookie impression! Hope you have a better day tomorrow 😀

[@MinimalList]

Every day is a Wookiee impersonation day for this hairy man! And yeah it gets better quick as we leave the BCN! M

[@mysickfix]

LOVING the outakes!

[@MinimalList]

Hehe! Thank you!

[@Chuck59ish]

What! No George!

[@MinimalList]

Oops! Sorry!

[@mickbroadbent6750]

wow guys you look extremely tired, have a days rest before carrying on ,take care

[@MinimalList]

Don’t worry, after the next cruise we took two weeks off and are fully recovered and ready to go again!

[@stevemusgrave2000]

It goes without saying,and of course,as soon as someone says that, that's exactly what they are going too do. So, it's not only the bowthruster battery that needs recharging, judging by the body language of the Perseverance crew. Minimal requirement: one day off. No applications, no boaty stuff, just fresh air, fresh water, feet up, and alcohol of your choosing, if no alcohol, then more H2O......rest my beauties......keep warm, keep smiling, keep vlogging.

[@MinimalList]

We have just had two weeks of cruising. Well after the next vlog.

[@petersheil641]

I was worried George had disappeared and had to freeze-frame to catch a few brief glimpses of him. Please give your star performer a bigger role in your videos! More ball throwing, more George on the tow path, more George sleeping during your chats :)

[@MinimalList]

Yes sorry, it is not a proper vlog without George running around. We won’t miss him out again!

[@gordonchapman222]

Crikey! at 6:49 onward seems like a genuine low point. I don't see it as just a narrow boat thing though, we all have those off days. That gets me thinking. Do you two ever think of a holiday away from the boat once in a while. I understand you're both not the type for a two week package holiday in the Costa Brava. So if you were amenable to an away break, what kind of vacation would you choose? As always you videos are a delight to watch, both highs and lows 🙂

[@MinimalList]

Oddly enough the reason we were in such a hurry the last of the BCN was because we needed to get to Fazely Junction so I could do a couple week’s traveling off the boat. That meant we were pushing too hard and too long, but in the end we arrived just a day before I had to jump on the train and thence to Heathrow. This was not, however, a vacation, more of a rush to make a wedding and get back, so we’re seriously considering how we might just take a bit of time away from the boat together later this year. M

[@MinimalList]

Oh yeah living aboard, especially without a car, means planning WELL ahead... Jo was working out or route for March back in October. The winter stoppages are a big part of that. Of course it would be much easier if we were bridge hopping or trying to stay vaguely in one place, but it gets much more complicated if you really want to keep moving. We’ve also got to confided where we’ll have to get to for things like blacking and how we’ll be able to meet trains for doctors appointments and so on... it’s a lovely life, it really is, but it’s not less complicated! ;-) M

[@gordonchapman222]

@@MinimalList 🚤 🙂👍

[@robinlong6477]

Another great one. Thanks! A movie sounds like a good idea, but not Star Trek!

[@robinlong6477]

uhhhh... lets make that Star WARS!!!

[@DoneThat891]

Where's George

[@MinimalList]

Camera shy today!

[@redepsilon5]

Chin up groovers, life is good. Take it easy and don't buy into the bullshit. Best wishes from Oz.

[@MinimalList]

It was just a hard, long push to finish the BCN... almost there! M

[@mikevernon7121]

To keep with MP theme....always look on the bright side of life. Feel free to add a whistle after reading. You guys get a rest.

[@MinimalList]

It took some time, but rest was found! Eventually! Fweeee! M

[@richardclark148]

It was all rather grey..the day...the surroundings... the locks..No wonder you were just a touch grumpy....and..alas..no sign of George..or a Lidl......must be time for some rural

[@MinimalList]

George was there, he was just hard to get more than glimpses of in all the spaghetti of brick and roads! M

[@frankchampion2181]

Maybe canals have a natural direction, like supermarket isles, and youre going the wrong way? which would explain why you meet people coming the other way but rarely get overtaken. I do hope you werent expecting a sensible comment, other than, where's George, very few people watch to see you, George is undoubtably the natural star. Off to move my bilge pump (Oh what fun).

[@MinimalList]

Hah, how the bilge pump move went well! M

[@TheGazLab]

It's funny, no matter how hard things are now, they are often looked back on with a smile, honest! How's the coal stock? :-)

[@MinimalList]

More than ample... still trying to figure where we’ll store the excess till winter! M

[@TheGazLab]

@@MinimalList Just checking .. if you were near Weybridge and the Wey I could help store some till the winter.. :-) Gaz

[@MinimalList]

Hah, bit far away now! M

[@misterrob3513]

Well it doesn't look any different to what it was like 30 years ago. Once in a lifetime is enough. By the way its lock gates not doors

[@MinimalList]

We know... but no matter how hard we try to remember, I always mess it up! M

[@algernon9324]

You vlogs are so beautifully filmed and edited and immensely watchable. You do however look like you are on a bit of a treadmill - why is it so important that you go on absolutely every part of the system? Is this making you enjoy it less?

[@frglee]

I agree. I think we all push ourselves a bit hard sometimes. You deserve a nice weeks chill out in a quiet pretty rural mooring, but not too far from a shop, a little country pub (with food) and the other useful canalside facilities. How about a vlog entry on the joys of doing nothing much aboard a moored canal boat for a few days?

[@MinimalList]

The reason we were pushing so hard in this vlog was because Michael was flying overseas for two weeks and I had decided I wanted to moor at Fazeley Junction while he was away. I’m sorry we didn’t explain it properly in the Vlog but we didn’t want to advertise our exact location or that I would be alone on the boat. We love every cruise, even the exhausting ones and don’t worry we are fully recharged and will be be doing less cruising for a while!