It’s cold and wet out there, but with this list YouTubers to watch you can get all the excitement of narrowboat restorations and magnet fishing without moving a muscle!
May
May is a solo female boater who lives full-time on her 62ft narrowboat. There’s a bit of everything on her channel – from answering questions about living on a narrowboat to yoga tutorials to May’s day-to-day life on board. No matter what she’s up to, her videos are always fun, engaging and informative. May has videos about preparing for winter or working whilst living on a narrowboat which would be great ways to learn for beginners, or to relate to for the more seasoned!
Try out one of May’s videos below and then give her a follow!
Driftwood Folk – Nesha and Mike
Follow along with the restoration of a 45-foot narrowboat in this bingeable series of videos from Nesha and Mike. The series starts from the very beginning, when Nesha and Mike first bought the narrowboat, which they planned to completely restore. They bring us along through the whole journey, from their first narrowboat survey to their first cruise, ripping out the old shell, installing insulation, repainting, and all the highs, lows and mistakes in-between.
Try out one of Nesha and Mike’s videos below, and then subscribe to keep up with the full series!
Floating Our Boat
Four years ago Fran and Rich decided it was time for a complete lifestyle change. They sold their house and bought a narrowboat and have been exploring Britain’s waterways ever since. Aboard their new narrowboat, Laura Maisie, they vlog their life and adventures and share it to their YouTube channel, Floating Our Boat. The beautifully shot clips of our great British canals and Fran and Rich’s fun personalities mean their videos are always worth a watch!
Try out one of Fran and Rich’s videos below and then give them a follow!
Towpath Productions
Or if you’re looking for something a little different, how about some music, recorded live on the Oxford canals? Towpath Productions host and record live music sessions from a range of artists aboard their historic canal boats. It’s a great way to discover new music or hear brilliant covers of some of your favourite songs.
Have a listen to this performance by The Kirals, and then give Towpath Productions a follow!
The Narrowboat Pirate
Videos from Heidi, AKA The Narrowboat Pirate, are always a joy to watch. A solo traveller living and working on her narrowboat, Heidi brings us along on all of her adventures as a continuous cruiser. Whether she’s busy exploring somewhere new or just sanding the roof, Heidi’s fun, bubbly personality makes watching her videos feel like having a chat with a friend.
Watch one of Heidi’s videos below, and then subscribe!
CruisingTheCut
If you’re looking to learn more about our historic canals, this is the channel for you. David Johns, AKA Cruising the Cut, makes fascinating short documentaries up and down the canals of the UK. Recent videos include interesting looks at a fly boat, a visit with a group of enthusiasts who have found renovating ancient narrowboats to be just as restorative to themselves as the boats, and a look at some of the incredible Little Ships of Dunkirk, which helped rescue stranded Allied troops in World War 2.
Try out a video below and then subscribe to see more!
Bondi Treasure Hunter
These videos aren’t about floating on canals but fishing in them! Leigh, AKA Bondi Treasure Hunter, travels the world and magnet fishes wherever he goes, including in the canals of London, Amsterdam, and Paris. If you’ve ever wondered what’s lurking below the surface, Leigh has all the answers for you as he pulls out everything from coins to jewellery to motorbikes and even a safe!
Watch an example video below and then follow Leigh here!
And whilst you’re following all these creators, did you know that Towpath Talk also has a YouTube channel? Check us out here!
