David Johns posts
CtC383A: Tow's Company
New video! Released early and (partially) ad-free for Patrons during the early access period.NOTE: This video does contain a sponsored promotion read by me for Holzkern.com; if Patrons wish to skip it, it runs from 3'11" to 5'28". Sorry but these very occasional promos are very valua...
CtC Vlog 380: Super Ply Guy
New video! Released early (and ad-free to Patrons during the early access period)After being called away unexpectedly when I was last working on my fibreglass project cruiser, Twiggy, I was able to return a couple of weeks later to continue shaping the second chunk of wood that will make up the new ...
CtC Vlog 381B: A Spring in my Step
New video! Released early (and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)Continuing my journey aboard my narrowboat, this time from Polesworth down to Springwood Haven marina, where it would remain for a further three weeks before I was able to move it again. On the way, I went through the ...
CtC Vlog 381A: Polepole
New video! (Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early-access period)Watch at https://youtu.be/zgumqdB4vtkAs part of my ongoing journey bringing narrowboat Gentian down from Lincoln to the Midlands over the summer, I had stopped at Kings Orchard marina in Lichfield. The next step was to...
CtC 380: The Best Laid Plans...
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)This was supposed to be a very productive day when I almost finished the new wood core for my fibreglass cruiser's transom, however part-way through I was called away. So this episode documents what small progress I managed t...
CtC Extras #69: Quiz Team On Board
Hello Patrons, it's been a while since I did a bit of bonus content so here's a link to a little video of my day aboard Gentian yesterday. This is only for Patrons and YouTube Members as extra content, it won't go live to the public.https://youtu.be/nWoQHP6V64Y
CtC379B: Country Roads...
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)This is a further continuation of my journey taking narrowboat Gentian from where I bought it down to the Midlands where it will be moored for the foreseeable future. Here I go from Alrewas to Kings Orchard marina, managing to le...
CtC Vlog 379A: And Mondays...
New video! (Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period) We return to the journey of narrowboat Gentian in this episode, documenting the trip from Mercia Marina down to the village of Alrewas - and it rained, a lot, on the way.Start point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rzAyWXtq7J...
CtC378: Wood It Fit?
New video! (Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)I am publishing another Twiggy DIY episode because it follows straight on from the last one (I will return to narrowboat Gentian in the next video).In this episode I make a template for the new wood core of my boat'...
CtC377 Mind the Gap
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)Having not been able to do any restoration work on my cabin cruiser Twiggy for a while, I finally got back to the boatyard to do final preparation before fitting the new transom core. This involved a bit more fibreglass work as w...
CtC396B: Mercia Me!
At the end of the last video, I came to the end of the River Trent at Derwent mouth where it joins the start of the Trent & Mersey canal. In this video, I take the boat onto the canal and up to Mercia marina, where I'd be leaving the boat for a week until I could move it again.Prior video: https...
Van 95: The Hills are Alive!
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)As I live very near to Malvern, and a day ticket for the motorhome show was just £7.50, I took a trip to the Three Counties Showground to browse a huge variety of motorhomes. Come with me, in this video.Caravan Radio https://www...
CtC376A The Endless River
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)Having left my narrowboat at Beeston marina for four weeks, I now returned for a weekend to move it onto the canals and stash it at Mercia Marina temporarily (until the next move!) This is part 1 of that move.Start location: http...
Van 94: Newbury Fruits
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)New video! I was invited to go along to the Van Life & Celebration event in Newbury at the end of July, and various friends were going to be there so along I went.
CtC Vlog 375B: Nottingham Forests
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)This is day 2 of my weekend spent moving narrowboat Gentian from Newark-on-Trent to Beeston Marina, filmed at the start of May. In this episode, I take the boat from Stoke Lock on the River Trent, onto the Nottingham & Beeston ca...
10 Years on YouTube!
A quick note to mark my ten year anniversary of this channel on YouTube and to say thank you to anyone who has ever watched and enjoyed my videos. Cheers!
CtC Vlog 375A: Rush Hour
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)Part 2 of my trip to bring the narrowboat Gentian down from Lincoln to the East Midlands, here I move it from Newark-upon-Trent to Stoke Lock which is not a million miles away from Nottingham. It was a bank holiday weekend (first...
CtC 374: Tide Up
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons!)Back in April, I began the slow process of moving my recently-purchased narrowboat from Burton Waters marina near Lincoln, down to the East Midlands. This video is Step 1 of that journey, from BW to Newark-upon-Trent. I grumble a lot in this video. Probably b...
CtC 373: Bon Voyage
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons apart from the embedded Saily promo - use timestamps below if you wish to skip it)In this final part of our Canal du Midi press trip, organised for us by Le Boat, we move from Roubia up to Trebes where we handed the boat back and went for a day trip to Carcass...
Thumbnails! Aidez-moi, s'il vous plait!
Hello Patrons, I'm about to upload the third and final part of the France trip but am pondering thumbnail images again. Which do you prefer? The video will show up as "373. It's a breeze! High winds while canal boating in France (Canal du Midi Part 3)" and has been titled BON VOYAGE ...
CtC 372: L'eau Rider
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons except for the embedded promo for Saily which is part of the video itself; see timestamps below if you wish to skip it)This is Part 2 of my trip along the Canal du Midi courtesy of Le Boat, travelling from Port Cassafieres to Trebes, near Carcassonne. I was jo...
CtC 371: Cruising Le Cut
(Released early and free of YouTube ads for Patrons during the early access period but please note there IS an 'integrated' advertising promo which I can't remove for Patrons as it's part of the video. You can skip it though, for which timestamps are provided below)I'm very keen ...
CtC Extras #68: Vive la France!
A little teaser of the upcoming videos from my trip last month to the south of France on a Le Boat canal trip...
CtC 370: Stranded
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early-access period)After a long period where it seemed that all I did was make holes in my fibreglass cabin cruiser, "Twiggy", I have at least started to repair them. This time I use sheets of "1708" fibreglass mat soaked in vinyles...
CtC Extras #67: Richard Parry's Final Thoughts
At the recent IWA/CRT restoration conference, I interviewed the CRT's outgoing CEO Richard Parry for video 369 but while I had him there, I took the opportunity to ask a couple of quick supplemental questions about the future of the CRT.
CtC Vlog 369: Phoenix Knights
Hello Patrons, here's the next video in advance of public viewing (and no ads during the early access period)
CtC 368: Prop Forward
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)Although lots of technical data about narrowboat propellers exists already, it largely relates to the traditional diesel engine. With electrically-propelled canal boats now becoming more commonplace, boat-builder Ortomarine held ...
CtC Extras #66: An evening at a lock
A short, Patreon-only bonus video filmed on Saturday evening as I moored on the River Trent, while bringing the boat up stream as part of the move towards the Midlands!
CtC Vlog 367: The Daily Grind
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)In order to fix the holes in the sides of my boat that I made when trying to find out where the transom wood ended, I need to open them out a bit so as to give me a space onto which to stick new fibreglass so that meant buying an...
CtC Vlog 366. Narrowboat cruise to Torksey - plus how to change a lightbulb!
(Released early and ad-free for Patrons during the early access period)For the second cruise on my 'new' tiny narrowboat, Gentian, I turned right out of the marina and headed about 7 miles west along the Fossdyke Navigation until I got to Torksey lock where I stopped for the night before hea...
























