OnTheCut

Blogs

Keep up to date on the latest adventures and musings from boaters blogs.

8 February 2026

Will it go any higher?

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

8th Feb. Day 23 We have been religiously following the Gov.org website on Shardlow river levels since we first arrived over three weeks ago, watching the river going up and down it never quite got down far enough for us

Best Moorings in 20 years -plus flood works

NB Herbie

So after another break - more on that later -we continue our look back over 20 years of enjoying Herbie. How many times we've moored up for the night is anybody's guess. It'll be in the thousands at any rate.

7 February 2026

Best of all worlds and best for choice?

Pickingupducks

It is interesting to see your own way of life portrayed on television, particularly if it is a little different. We are familiar with Robbie Cumming’s *Canal Boat Diaries* and always thought them the most honest representation of how we

6 February 2026

Another test of our resolve to keep the boat

NB Percy

I dare not do the calculations ( but I will) of what it costs to keep a cottage and a boat. I'll then consider the costs of just the boat and continuously cruising having sold the cottage .... I doubt

4 February 2026

A very short cruise

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

Feb 4th Today we left the moorings above Shardlow lock, and today we hoped we might be able to leave for home. Levels had dropped to below 1.53, lower than it had been since we arrived over two weeks ago.

1 February 2026

Replacing Window Stays

The Sumpners Afloat

**A quick DIY Job** Many of you will have [Caldwells windows ][1]– the hopper style ones that are either open or closed. We really love ours as they can be fully removed to let more air in. We very often

31 January 2026

Signs, symbols and significance

Pickingupducks

Next Monday is Candlemas Day, a day traditionally of long range weather prediction, pancakes and of course, candles. Weather lore is more than folklore, but based on sensory observations over many years, changes in temperature, smell, sounds and sights. *If

30 January 2026

And still we wait.

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

Jan 30th Still here...thirteen days later and the river refusing to go down. In fact, the one chance where we may have been able to leave, the levels having dropped to 1.61, happened at 5am on the 27th before rising

Canal Boat Travels – The Winter we will Never Forget!

Narrowboat Life Unlocked

Winter life on a narrowboat can be a challenge and we are hoping to have a relaxing few weeks on the Llangollen canal, mooring on the Prees arm, then Whitchurch, but get caught up in the terrible breach, but finally

Riddle me this ?

NB Percy

Never a nice thing to be shelling out large chunks of money. January is our boat license renewal month. I will have detailed in other posts the cost of having a boat on the UK canals. Boat licence Mooring fees

27 January 2026

Why The Nene is our favourite river - plus quiz answers

NB Herbie

Soirry to keep you waiting (I've been busy). Can you tell a red kite from a marsh harrier, or a wren from a sparrow? Find out in the answers to the questions in Part Three of our Best Ever Cruise

26 January 2026

Part 3 – Our Canal Boat Water Usage Meter

NB Floydtilla

The problem has always been: How much water do I have it the tank? This is part 3, the development of our solution. Software development is now pretty much complete, and the User Interface is detailed below. Next will come

24 January 2026

Inspiring new beginnings amid the winds of change

Pickingupducks

How rapidly things change for us, and not just river levels! Last week we were awaiting the arrival of a grandchild. He finally arrived in the early hours of a Tuesday morning, a big lad whose arrival proved very uncomfortable

23 January 2026

Beautiful Blakemere in Winter – Narrowboat Life Continues

Narrowboat Life Unlocked

Filmed four week’s before the Whitchurch breach, we are moored in the same spot that we chose on the 22 December and head through the lift bridge, our winter plans are to get to the Prees arm, then Blakemore and

22 January 2026

7 canals for widebeam boats in the UK

Insure4Boats

Cruising the [UK canal system][1] in a widebeam boat is a unique experience, offering plenty of space, a homely feel, and great stability on the water. But with their broader beam, these boats can’t navigate every stretch of canal. Careful

Your guide to sailing safely: Tips, checks, and safety equipment

Insure4Boats

Whether you’re a [beginner sailor][1] or experienced on the water, weather, tides, navigation rules, and other water users can pose potential risks when out on your boat. Staying safe while sailing isn’t just about following the rules. It’s about preparation,

21 January 2026

Tempting tempting tempting

NB Percy

Electricity seems to rule an ever bigger chunk of my life. Ever since installing the solar panels and house battery at home ( as well as the EV) I am monitoring and tweaking ever more. I woke this morning to

19 January 2026

Dissapointment.

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

Jan 19th High hopes this morning that we may be able to leave. This screenshot taken from my phone on the GOV.UK site. It states the level to be steady and in normal levels. Yippee, we might make it onto

18 January 2026

Wow, River Trent higher than we thought.

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

17th Jan The couch to 5K run was in progress opposite the park just as we were about to set off. Wow, it was well attended, over a hundred I think, some in fancy dress, some pushing buggies and some

17 January 2026

Out of control

Pickingupducks

This has been a week of waiting. Waiting with anticipation and a little anxiety for a baby to arrive; waiting for the threatened rain and more flooding after things had begun to subside; waiting for news of the Skipper’s mum

16 January 2026

Best Cruise Awards quiz

NB Herbie

Here's part three of our quiz based on our Herbie Award for our Best Ever Cruise. It had been pretty good so far but the best was yet to come. Leaving Bedford we were joined by three old friends, Paula

Making a break for it

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

14th Jan Woke to ice....yet again! Thankfully, it didn't last because the temperature throughout the day rose steadily. With only a couple of bags of coal left, and not knowing how long we would have to wait for the river

15 January 2026

Unexpected Puddles. 13th January

NB Oleanna

*Scarboreugh / Redhill Marina* Here in Scarborough we’ve had snow, quite a lot of it. It was over six inches deep with us at the house. Friends who have a work shop further north, and our veg box people found

14 January 2026

Anniversay Awards Quiz part 2

NB Herbie

Spoiler Alert! The answers to yesterday's quiz about the first part of our Best Ever Cruise lie at the foot of today's questions. So here we go with another 10.This time we'll be covering waterways somewhat less travelled by narrowboaters

13 January 2026

OUR BEST EVER CRUISE - GUESS WHERE WE WENT

NB Herbie

Oh yes - the award season is upon us -Golden Globes was on yesterday but did they combine it with a quiz? No they didn't. But in our 20 year celebration long term Herbie Awards, you do get a quiz.

12 January 2026

Made Alrewas. How long will we have to stay here?

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

12th Jan It was positively balmy overnight. 8 degrees, it hasn't been that high for weeks! Lovely to open the curtains and see clear water. A few floating sheets remained; those had been broken by nb Pilot when they left

11 January 2026

Escape is planned for tomorrow

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

11th Jan The thaw has arrived! Into plus figures this morning, and now the countdown to our escape was on. Yesterday, we contacted Kat on Bagus to see where she was. Unfortunately, she is stuck on the wrong side of

10 January 2026

Heating and toilets and gauges

NB Percy

If you mooch around the blog I am sure you'll find repeat mentions about both topics. Sitting here in the cottage reading of Adam and Adrians composting loo and having recently chatted '$hit' with our boaty neighbour Mandy my thoughts

A long cruise...all of 3 boat lengths!

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

10th January Blast, blast, blast! This blooming freeze is getting beyond a joke. Woke to FS gripped again by ice, minus 3 was all it took to hold FS fast, so looks like our planned journey to Alrewas won't be

Displacement activity including another named storm

Pickingupducks

This Storm Goretti, aka Storm Spaghetti as a certain 8-year old dubbed it this week has kept us guessing. We had a warning of “significant snowfall” so someone was expecting a snow day of making snowmen and sledging (as were

9 January 2026

Part 2 – Water Meter – AI code development

NB Floydtilla

To see what happens I decided to give an AI a shot at assisting me with the code development. The chosen AI this time was Gemini from google (Other code writing AI’s are available). What had to do first was

A rapid stop and getting stuck

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

9th Jan So yesterday, early evening, storm Goretti arrived bringing torrential rain. Instead of the expected high winds, only a moderate breeze was present. 8 pm, the rain had turned to heavy snow. By the time we went to bed,

Another tough day for the cottage

NB Percy

We think our cottage is over 250 years old.... we have some historical reports done by a previous occupier that shows it on the earliest OS maps. We really need a historical architect to come and look at it and

Whitchurch before the Breach this Beautiful Canal Life

Narrowboat Life Unlocked

Filmed four week’s before the Whitchurch breach, we are moored in the same spot that we chose on the 22 December and head through the lift bridge, our winter plans are to get to the Prees arm, then Blakemore and

8 January 2026

Prepping for a 'multi hazard event'

NB Percy

Of course on the boat the prep is mostly done in that you are responsible for your own heat power and water as well as waste, very much off grid living - which is why it is a bit attractive

Look who came past

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

8th Jan Early this afternoon we heard banging and crashing which could only mean one thing, a boat was coming. Wow, it was CRT's workboat. Well, we couldn't just watch them go past so it was a dash to the

Kayaking and fishing: A beginner's guide

Insure4Boats

Whether you love kayaking, enjoy fishing, or are new to both and want to try something new, kayak fishing is a great way to combine these two popular pastimes. In this complete guide to kayak fishing, we share what kayak

7 January 2026

Heating Not Working. 1st January 2026

NB Oleanna

Sorry about the lack of pictures in this post. I have turned off lots of plugins on our website to try to get to the bottom of the spurious posts promoting gambling. At the moment there is not the facility

6 January 2026

A tale of two locations

NB Percy

I woke this morning after a very long sleep last night to snow at the cottage and a photos from our boaty neighbour Mandy off NB Don't Panic. I do feel a tad guilty but we needed to be home

5 January 2026

A horrible disturbed night. Plan B then

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

5th Jan This wasn't the ideal mooring and when Kat came past late afternoon yesterday we had thought to follow. She was stopping at boats giving out sacks of coal (gosh she's strong) and fuelling those that needed diesel and

A new low for us

NB Percy

There was eerie sounds on Percy in the small hours.... not heard for many years. As the canal froze and nature locked Percy into her icy stronghold the smallest of movement on the boat creates a creak and a groan

4 January 2026

2025… The Year Of Fools, Drought, NHS and Roses.

NB Oleanna

A round up of 2025, sit down with your favourite drink and I hope you enjoy. January started out as December this year would end, us watching from afar the aftermath of a breach. January was the Bridgewater, December the

That was a turn up for the books!

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

Jan 4th Gosh, it was freezing this morning. Getting out of a warm bed, our first thoughts, had the stove gone out. Our temperature gauge showed minus 6.8 outside and only 11 degrees inside! But the fire was still in,

Spanish Funnyness

NB Oleanna

Hi everyone, we’re aware that something funny is going on withn the blog. My IT support and an even higher IT support are working on it right now. Apologies, unless you want to do some banking in Spain!

A big anniversary coming up

NB Herbie

Hi dear readers, a Happy New Year to both of you. Yes we're still alive an kicking despite not having updated you for far too long. Well, not much has happened on the boating front apart from emails from CRT

Testing weather - which is fairing better

NB Percy

As forecast the weather is coming in - the north westerly weather we are now getting at this time of the year is a test for heating systems. As I type this on Saturday afternoon it's gusting and bright but

3 January 2026

I don't think we have much blacking left!

NB Free Spirit (Jameisons Afloat)

Jan 3rd 2026 Minus 3 and yes we had some ice. Mainly behind FS, in front a slight breeze was disturbing the water which kept the ice formation at bay. Took ourselves off for a walk to the road bridge

Going to need a bigger spanner !

NB Percy

Sitting here in a very warm boat contemplating a few hours in a very cold engine room - the boat is 25c the engine room is 7c Lovely day after a spattering of snow overnight. Just had a nice cup

Live your dream

Pickingupducks

Many of us start a new year with a reflective look back at the old, but for us circumstances have resulted in a rather further look back than usual. A new day, a new dawn With a new grandchild very

2 January 2026

Home mooring

NB Harnser

We woke this morning to find the boat surrounded by ice yet again so we were more than happy to hear Nb Minnow, Monarch, Comet and another boat breaking their way through the ice towards us. I gave Dunchurch pools