Taking My New Narrowboat in a Lock for the First Time

[@judithmatthews8460]

From an ignorant viewer’s perspective who just enjoys watching yours and Cruising the cut videos, even after watching for a while I still fail to take into account the practical difficulties and hurdles you face. How exhausting it must be. The toilet emptying, the water need, the power concerns etc. We just gaze with envy at the beautiful scenery enjoy the serenity of the water and excitement of the locks. So a big thank you for giving us that in your interesting and charming way (no gush thank God but honesty) with a glimpse behind the scenes too. Enjoy your life and challenges.

[@MaxfromKs]

I really enjoy watching and listening to You explain what we are seeing!! Take care be safe and I hope too see you next video!!!!

[@markrant1460]

Hi Lorna You are definitely learning the ways of the canals. There are three things to keep in mind while living on the canals. The first is that one should always allow extra time to get from one place to another as the unexpected usually happens. The second is that you can usually ask another boater for assistance if it is needed. The narrowboat community is very tight and helpful. The third is that time moves slowly on the canals and it will not be rushed. Rushing will only put you into an unsafe situation. Keep moving forward and enjoy your life on the canals. Treat every mishap as a learning adventure and stay positive. Looking forward to your next adventure. Mark Alberta, Canada

[@for.tax.reasons]

I think she's been on the canals for long enough to know this 😂

[@paulmark63]

Well done Lorna you are a real inspiration the scenery looks fabulous and well done going through the locks and that large tunnel kindest regards Paul in Kent

[@derekbarry9143]

Well Done Lorna 👍 & I like the plants on your roof.

[@JT-xh4zm]

What a nice trip....the scenery was beautiful. Thank you for the video. You are doing great...love that you are getting out and about in you wonderful boat.

[@MrCSutton]

Thanks very much. We know the section above Foxton very well as we're doing it all the time, so it was nice to see it from another boater's perspective. As you discovered, once you get past the pipe bridge (a good spot, incidentally) before Husbands Bosworth, there's really nowhere to moor until you get past North Kilworth Wharf. I'm a bit surprised you liked the scenery on the far side of the tunnel more than the Laughton Hills section. That's our favourite bit. It's perfect if you want total peace and solitude for your overnight mooring. Those C&RT works at Foxton and by bridge 59 are an absolute disgrace though. The "workers" spend most of the day standing around doing nothing, chatting, drinking tea and generally not doing their jobs. We've been cruising back and forth past the B59 works since they started in May. The rate of progress is pitiful. If those blokes were on a modern building site with their work ethic, they'd genuinely all be sacked by the first lunchtime. The same goes for the new towpath at the locks. There was a couple of weeks work there at most. It's been going on for a couple of months so far. It's no wonder the C&RT are in such a state. Apologies for the rant, but we've just paid our Licence for the year and seeing our hard earned money being wasted by those lazy contractors really makes us mad. Anyhow, please keep doing the videos. We really enjoy them. We'll doubtless pass one another at some point.

[@Debba521]

Watching your videos does keep things in perspective. It's not all glorious scenery. There's real work involved. Glad you had help at the locks and particularly with getting off the sand bar. It does make me leery of trying it myself. I had a chuckle about the yard measure. There's really not much excuse for us Americans not converting to the metric system. Just sheer laziness. But I don't feel quite so bad when I hear boaters talking about distance in miles, yards, feet and even inches, often. And thank goodness too, or I'd forever be pausing and shouting at Alexa to do the conversion for me. 😉

[@pamelajohnson9260]

Absolutely beautiful. So peaceful. Thank you

[@MotownJT]

Well done. Appreciate your honesty and truthfulness. Loved the beautiful scenery. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

[@DonaldMcKay3768]

Great start to this video, reminds me of my own cruising. Of course I'm of a much earlier generation and I kept my logs in spiral bound notebooks, handwritten. An amazing number of days' runs start out with, "Got underway 'bright n' early' at 1500." Routine chores like dumping the head and filling the potable water don't seem like much but I always underestimated the time required myself. And then there's whatever I discovered in that other part of the morning ritual, "sounding the tanks." Sometimes the bilge required pumping or fuel needed to be replenished. I found the series of locks intimidating looking but a good day's run is a good day's run.

[@ladygardener100]

Im a solo liveaboard. Things happen, most often early on. I used about thirty tools, to remove a duvet id welded to the propshaft took four days!

[@annjarvis9300]

Well done you are brave some lovely scenery too thanks for the trip the oldies 👍🤗

[@thomaswitman8592]

So great to see you enjoying your new boat, especially after the continuous issues you were having with your last boat there at the end. Foxglove is just an adorable little thing. It's so you !

[@SteveMorton]

It was great to see you getting out and about on your new boat, and I hope you are enjoying it too.

[@PamelaBane]

Happy boating Lorna, Foxglove is lovely.

[@rebeccam9008]

Great video. So glad you are now back to enjoying the canal.

[@trep53]

Nice adventure! Hooray for the boater that helped you get off the grounding, shame on the errant line from the work boat. The flight of locks and the tunnel with the event sun at the end are good bookends for this cruise.

[@robertbrierley7083]

Lovely vlog , Glad your having fun.😊

[@sandbridgekid4121]

Its sad to come to an end of the all too short videos. I enjoy, so much, that brief period we're together. I miss David, Narrowboat Experience, Jono, and the others, who've stop uploading or leaving the canals altogether. Your pink boat cheer us so. The round ports make it look like a Hobbit Hole, and that means COMFORT.

[@for.tax.reasons]

I know the staircase lock is probably less fun to do in person than watch through a screen but it is very cool to watch on screen so thank you for sharing it with us! And thank god for lockkeepers!

[@lornajaneadventures]

I loved it!

[@annwagner5779]

What a beautiful video! Seeing the world from Foxglove with her pretty plants makes everything extra special. You got through some adventures, didn’t you? Well done!

[@natashab2304]

A gorgeous cruise - thank you 🥰🥰🥰

[@NigelDrury-c2o]

well done LJ and your first set of locks x

[@stratocasterblue]

You know how to make a real good video you should be a movie director and nice plants making your boat like a pink cloud with a purple lining

[@ladygardener100]

The flowers look great

[@MrSheckstr]

At Mt Vernon outside of DC (George Washington family home) there is a series of inverted facial sculptures (imagine taking a plaster mold of your face then having your face reprinted on the inside…. This has the optical illusion effect of making it seem like the eyes are following you as you walk by….. the eyes even follow you up and down if you are going up a flight of stairs…… Anyway in my “when i win the billion dollar lottery” narrowboat fleet i intend to have custom bungholes with the inverted face feature that will be looking at everyone trying to play peek a boo

[@curtissorg4687]

Love your smile in the lock!

[@steveowens398]

You were a bit stressed, but the video and the background music wound mine down. It's been a long week, so thanks! I love the flowerpots on the sides of Foxglove.

[@ArtfulDrifter...and_away]

Wonderful 👏🏼 you must be so happy being out & about on her!

[@QALibrary]

very impressed - they look so very narrow and daunting - like an opening of a movie

[@for.tax.reasons]

People putting their faces to the window to peek in is crazy no matter how cute ur boat is 😭

[@sarabaldeschwieler7763]

Congratulations on the locks and tunnels. Having done locks with two people on board I’m personally a bit worried about going solo, but if there are volunteers on hand, that’s a perfect solution!

[@angelaaz6282]

Congratulations Lorna😅😅. That’s some set of deep and narrow locks …think those locks would make me somewhat claustrophobic 😂

[@MuddogMusic]

Great content Lorna keep it up. Love from Ireland

[@christinehammell6365]

Well done Lorna. That was lovely x

[@margaretknight8690]

Well done - scary doing those locks alone! X

[@hamshackleton]

As an ex.trucker - I can safely say there's nothing worse than being bursting for a wee - and nowhere to go!

[@Rollynarrowboattales]

Hi Lorna, have recently started watching your Channel really liked watching , not seen all but starting from beginning, I too have Narrowboat mine 40ft based in stone, anyway you did great job thankyou for sharing. John.

[@Jonathan_55018]

looks like your getting the hang of things love the vlog keep them coming

[@lewisgardner1660]

Thank you for taking us along with you😍

[@LittleKenny]

Good stuff! Great to see you out and about.

[@lornajaneadventures]

@@LittleKenny thank you 😊

[@monrezee]

7:20. Colin approves!

[@SuperRobertwillis]

Nice one Lorna enjoyed that 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂❤

[@bernardhilton3527]

Well done you. 👍👍👍

[@naughtysquirrellyndatee96]

Absolutely LOVE your flower pots hanging off the side rails🩵💛💜💚😊

[@normanshute7162]

Congratulations on completing your first flight,once you’ve gotten used to the mechanics of the locks and the subtle differences between them you will be fine.

[@t1n4444]

😂 Perhaps you're unaware Lorna has been boating for years. This is her second boat (at least). Lorna is a qualified (or soon will be, I have forgotten exactly) Boat Safety Scheme Examiner. Lorna is definitely not some young tyro, still wet behind the ears. Lorna's probably forgotten more than some boaters ever learn. Plus Lorna is in cahoots with that doyen of the inland waterways, CtC, of international fame and renown. Together they have crewed different boats on both canal and river.

[@MrSheckstr]

@@t1n4444 the learning curve Lorna is going thru is navigating with a short versus standard size narrow boat …. It must make those standard size canal looks feel like the massive lock near where rivers empty out into lakes and bays

[@t1n4444]

@@MrSheckstr Possibly, but Lorna has navigated similar, in length but broader in the beam, on the Thames, going downstream ... with the added complication of having CtC aboard ...

[@normanshute7162]

@@t1n4444 Being new to the narrow boating community and stumbling onto Lorna’s channel through David’s channel I wasn’t aware of her experience. Julie off of Rhapsody in Blue is constantly stating her trepidation about handling the boat in tight quarters which is why she defers to Martin and they’ve been cruising for years also. I was making my comments on more what she was saying and her physical appearance.

[@t1n4444]

@@normanshute7162 Hirers generally manage and a lot of them have had no experience at all. It's not that difficult and just be prepared to go into reverse or hard astern.

[@Sim0nTrains]

Lock virginity.... never knew that was a thing LOL Interesting video and shame about the problems but well done for carrying on

[@marthaanderson2656]

Do you pay a toll when you sign in for your lock passage or is it funded by moorage taxes or boat license?

[@lornajaneadventures]

@@marthaanderson2656 no, it’s all funded by the licence fee

[@marvindebot3264]

Hey! Glad it's a short one, I'm waiting for the Starship launch in an hour or so. I must have missed the Patreon email, busy weekend. Has Jen seen the boat yet?

[@lornajaneadventures]

You’ll have to come back next time and see 😉 coming to Patreon very soon

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

great vlog cranking on the cut thanks for the vlog cranking it thanks lee

[@martykitson3442]

🤠👍👍

[@agfbuilding]

Are you a BSS examiner now ?

[@mrmocki]

Road junctions, Ale, Distance ?

[@BrorAppelsin]

A cruising video ❤

[@thenewboater5380]

Hey , passed you a couple of weeks ago , i was on the cute little boat , you commented on it as we passed

[@lornajaneadventures]

She is so cute

[@thegregdavieschannel]

You've really found your feet with your recent videos.

[@billy4072]

Cor, 😢 you skipped over the most important issue.. the rope wrap around prop . Google says a bread knife is best? ..I can see that , tbh, as using a Stanley knife ..can end in tears A marlin spike or similar ? Anyway, to paraphrase Dr Todd grande , “I was analysing this case, just a reminder I am not diagnosing anyone / situation only speculating what could be happening. In a situation like this “. 😂🤔.

[@lornajaneadventures]

I used a bread knife, lady from the marina use a hacksaw blade. I’d say she did most of the work and had more success than me

[@ladygardener100]

I had assistance from noddyboater, but it still took days, as I was being ultra car3ful when using naked blades

[@ladygardener100]

I have coloured film on my Portholes, not c9m0letetly covered, but it gives plenty of privacy, one day I'll get bungs.

[@Windswept-q9i]

Our rv windows have some kind of privacy glass so people can’t see in during the day but we can see out. Still need shades for nighttime tho or you end up living in a fishbowl.

[@t1n4444]

​@@ladygardener100 Just make your own. Couple of discs of stiff cardboard taped together,cover with. layers of bubble wrap, taped up tight. Insert, jam into port hole space and will see you right over winter.

[@edwardhoughton2565]

Xx

[@gobstoppa1633]

i carnt help but suspect women wth boats are liable to be taken advantage of as women getting car work done with garage mechanics they dont know.maybe wrong but" who knows, nothing more dodgy than cowboy workman ship.

[@for.tax.reasons]

I never considered that as a solo boater you have to plan for wee breaks 🫠 that is stressful

[@t1n4444]

😂😂😂 Yes but you can buy gender specific "appliances" from a specialist retail outlet or pharmacy. Info online.