- 11 hours ago
Narrow Escapes - Season 3 Episode 2
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01The Great British Canal Network.
00:03Hello, Cocker!
00:05A picturesque escape for those who've swapped bricks and mortar.
00:08Oh, we're back, we're back.
00:10For a new life on the water.
00:12You just have to go with the flow.
00:14Oh, it's great.
00:15But is it really domestic bliss?
00:17Oh, no.
00:18Hold on, hold on.
00:19I'm all right!
00:20Whether they're building a business.
00:22You're my first ever customer.
00:23Or starting new families.
00:25I'm going to see you.
00:26Can these intrepid Brits stay afloat?
00:28We're going to bump.
00:30Or will they be cast adrift?
00:31Do it down.
00:32It's a kid.
00:33From epic adventures.
00:35This is so cool.
00:37To learning the ropes.
00:38This is so heavy.
00:40Do they have what it takes to live out their dreams.
00:44Head over heels in love with boat life.
00:46And find their narrow escape.
00:48Coming up, Roger and Joe get stuck in with a bit of manual labour.
00:53Push, push.
00:55Keep pushing, keep pushing.
00:56I feel like I'm giving birth.
00:59Claire's got big plans for tugboat Ted.
01:02Can I have a window there?
01:03You can have a window wherever you like.
01:04You can have a hatch if you want.
01:06Oh, can I have a big hatch?
01:06Yes, I'd hatch.
01:07And Michelle's in the middle of a unique workout.
01:10Yeah, a wide pull artist.
01:12It definitely keeps you fit.
01:19In Lechlade on the River Thames.
01:22Following their first successful paint and sip in the Cotswolds,
01:26Joe and Roger are ready to begin their journey to south-west London,
01:30where they plan to meet her family.
01:32Since we bought the boat, we've promised my family that we will go down.
01:36And my brother lives right by Hampton Court Palace and that whole area.
01:39We've promised we will go there.
01:41But the couple have an ulterior motive for the trip.
01:45It's our 10-year anniversary.
01:46We got married in Teddington, so it would be really cool to go back there.
01:49Long before they became boaters, they had their official wedding photos at Teddington Lock.
01:54We were telling the photographer, OK, let's go, we've got to get back before the canapes are all gone.
01:58And he's like, no, no, no, just some more, just some more.
02:00So we have these, like, grumpy photos of us on the Teddington Lock bridge
02:05and just being like, come on, we don't want to be taking photos, we want to be eating.
02:10We look so stoic.
02:11This is our happy face on Teddington Lock and we're waiting for the food
02:15and he's forcing us to be there.
02:17And this is actually when we got to the party.
02:20This trip is a chance for them to recreate these photos fully fed.
02:26They're smiling a little bit there.
02:27Maybe he said this is our last photo.
02:29Probably.
02:30It's a long old stroll down memory lane, or rather down the Thames,
02:34as the trip from Lechleigh to Teddington is 154 miles.
02:39Never having done it, it's a little bit nerve-wracking, a little bit.
02:43Which means there's no time to waste.
02:46Come on. Come on.
02:49Good girl.
02:50First, they need to turn around their 70-foot narrowboat spirit.
02:57In the wind like this, a 70-foot boat acts like a 70-foot sail.
03:01So not the best.
03:02I control everything from the rear.
03:03So if the front goes because of the wind, it goes.
03:06I have no control after that.
03:08And with strong winds, the weather conditions are less than ideal.
03:13I really think it'll bend.
03:17Got it!
03:18Yay!
03:19OK, come my way.
03:22Are you ready?
03:23Don't go too far forward, though, because remember,
03:26he said that corner's really shallow.
03:30It's going!
03:31But with the high wind and shallow water near the banks,
03:35it's a tricky manoeuvre to pull off.
03:39No.
03:44This is not a good place to be.
03:47Oh no!
03:48Now we just gotta wait for the wind to die down.
03:51Yeah.
03:52Trying to find something I can push on.
03:53I might need to push on my end as well.
03:55It looks like they might not be going anywhere for a while.
03:59You're not going to be able to push off in this wind.
04:01Are you able to reverse ever so slightly?
04:04I can't go back.
04:06No.
04:07Oh no!
04:08I think we're going to be sleeping here.
04:10Hold on.
04:12Yep.
04:13Wow, we're properly wedged here.
04:15I know.
04:17This should be interesting.
04:20Braving the stinging nettles in sandals.
04:23I'm on land. I'm on land.
04:24Roger manages to free the bow.
04:27Just hold it there like that.
04:29All right.
04:31But now...
04:31Yes.
04:32As soon as you push me off,
04:33I'm going to have to give it power.
04:35You know what I mean?
04:35Yeah.
04:36And you're just going to leave me there.
04:38What?
04:39No, you're going to jump on.
04:40Okay.
04:41You got it?
04:42Mm-hmm.
04:43I can see this leaving me in the bushes
04:45and the first thing without me.
04:47This should be fun.
04:49Okay.
04:50Tell me when!
04:52Okay, push hard!
04:53Push hard!
04:54Tell me when we're all stuck.
04:56Push, push, push, push, push!
04:58All the way!
04:59All the way!
04:59All the way!
05:00Push us off!
05:01Push us off!
05:01Push us off!
05:04Push!
05:05Push!
05:05Keep pushing!
05:06Keep pushing!
05:07I feel like I'm giving birth!
05:09You got it!
05:10Dig in!
05:10Dig in!
05:12Dig!
05:12Dig!
05:12Dig!
05:14I think we got it!
05:15I think we got it!
05:20I think we got it!
05:21Woohoo!
05:21Great success!
05:24Free at last!
05:25They're ready to make their journey down the Thames.
05:29Oh, you don't know how glad we are to see you!
05:32It was a little stressful.
05:33We've never done that before, actually.
05:34We tend to not cruise in the wind if we can help it.
05:37It's an adventure!
05:38I said I could do it, and I didn't.
05:41But wow!
05:43That was a...
05:43I think I have stinging nettles all up and down my legs.
05:46The water wasn't deep enough to get any thrust.
05:48That was the real problem.
05:49But I will say, there's nothing that challenges your marriage
05:52like a day like today.
05:53After ten years together,
05:56it'll take more than a muddy mishap
05:58to knock this couple off course.
06:03Over on the Air and Calder Canal,
06:06on board her cafe boat shanty...
06:09Good to go.
06:11Claire is on the move.
06:14She recently bought a project boat,
06:17affectionately known as Tugboat Ted,
06:19for £500.
06:21But getting the boat onto dry land was no small feat.
06:25So today, Claire's finally finding out
06:29if it was all worth it.
06:31So we're going to head over to Tugboat Ted now,
06:34and I'm meeting my friend Dan, the welder.
06:36So today, for me, is like the deciding factor
06:39that, yeah, for the future,
06:41what we're going to do with Ted, really.
06:43Whether it's going to be viable,
06:44whether we can fix him,
06:45how much it's going to cost,
06:46whether I can actually afford to do it.
06:48So, yeah, it's a big day.
06:50Yeah, make some plans and get excited.
06:52But I really would like to bring him back
06:55into a floating boat, really.
06:59It'd be a shame to let him go to the scrappers, I think.
07:02It'd be a real shame.
07:03She's got a short van journey east to Rawcliff Marina,
07:07where she's meeting welder friend Dan,
07:10who's going to conduct a thorough inspection of the hull
07:13using some specialist equipment.
07:20Claire's planning to convert Ted
07:22into a floating greenhouse with storage.
07:25She's already been busy.
07:27The timber roof's off, the interior's stripped,
07:30and Ted's looking a little more open plan than before.
07:34So, I believe it's early 1970s.
07:38There's not any full documentation on the actual age of it.
07:43And I also believe it's an old British Waterways working boat.
07:49It originally did have an engine in it,
07:51but the previous owners took it out,
07:53which is fine,
07:54cos I'll just tug it around with me anyway,
07:57cos it's just extra maintenance, extra cost.
08:02And it's time to find out
08:04whether the project will sink or swim, literally.
08:07Using a specialist device,
08:09the hull thickness readings will show
08:12whether tugboat Ted still has solid steel beneath the rust,
08:16or if time and the water have taken their toll.
08:21Some ultrasonic gel.
08:25And if we put it on here...
08:27And four millimetres is the minimum.
08:29We're reading 4.6 millimetres.
08:32That's good, then, isn't it?
08:33So, this is what we wanted.
08:35After checking the rest of the hull...
08:38And we've got the same reading as we have here.
08:40Woo-hoo!
08:41So, that's pretty consistent.
08:43It's good news all round.
08:45Right.
08:46So, we need to make a plan what we're going to do with him,
08:48then, don't we?
08:49Right.
08:49After all the hard work getting here,
08:52Claire can finally start thinking about the fun part.
08:55It's exciting, doesn't it?
08:57How to bring Ted back to life.
09:00What do you want to do about this back?
09:02Shall I leave it on, or should we take it off?
09:04That structure's an added bit, look.
09:07Oh, that's terrible, isn't it?
09:08Yeah, so we could take that off and just have it
09:10in the original structure.
09:13Is that tape?
09:15Yeah.
09:16That's why we're leaking.
09:18Yeah.
09:18So, roughly, we'll have a wheelhouse.
09:21Yeah.
09:22And then a structure.
09:23Yeah.
09:24Can I have a window there?
09:25You can have a window wherever you like.
09:27You can have a hatch if you want.
09:28Oh, can I have a big hatch?
09:29Yeah, side hatch.
09:30Claire's grand designs sound impressive,
09:32but before the big ideas can take shape,
09:35there's plenty more graph to be done.
09:37So, the next step is clean it, paint it.
09:41I know it's going to cost me a lot of money.
09:42Things always cost a lot more in a boat,
09:44but it don't matter.
09:45I think it's just going to be great.
09:47I think it's going to be good fun.
09:50And it's definitely going to be purple.
09:55Coming up...
09:56Oh!
09:57Give me strength.
09:58Frustration for Michelle.
09:59Oh!
10:00Roger and Joe strike a pose.
10:02Thank you so much.
10:04And Claire and Tony are on a roll.
10:06Ah!
10:15In Garstang Marina, in the midst of a heat wave,
10:19Michelle is renovating her boat
10:21before her grandkids arrive
10:23for a weekend adventure on board.
10:25I'm starting to feel the pressure a little bit now, yeah,
10:28because there's probably another two, three days
10:30of decorating to do,
10:32but tomorrow I'm at the...
10:33I've been crossing the Ribble Link,
10:35so that's a whole day out the diary.
10:37So, yeah, the pressure's mounting.
10:39I have to get it done before the kids arrive,
10:42so I'm just going to have to power through.
10:45Michelle's bringing her own touch of style to the cabin
10:47that's a little more boutique than boatyard.
10:51So, today, this is what I'm going to be fitting
10:53to the bottom half of the boat.
10:55Slot them all together, screw them to the wall,
10:58and then, hopefully, just have enough
11:00to put a kickboard at the bottom.
11:04So, we have a baton there.
11:09There.
11:10Right, so that's one on.
11:13In the tight confines of a narrowboat...
11:15Oh!
11:17This is where it gets tricky.
11:19Because you've got no room.
11:21..even a spot of DIY can turn into something of a workout.
11:25Oh!
11:29Pilates.
11:30DIY Pilates.
11:34It definitely keeps you fit on the boat.
11:37There's a lot of lifting and carrying.
11:41Oh!
11:42Smashing.
11:43Right.
11:44One more to go.
11:50Lovely.
11:52That's it.
11:54Michelle's got a knack for keeping busy.
11:56Whether it's DIY, entertaining the grandkids,
11:59setting up a community outreach project...
12:02Right.
12:03..or braving new waters.
12:05Oh!
12:06Spilt it on the acoustic board.
12:08But despite keeping busy,
12:10she can't escape thoughts of crossing the Ribble Link tomorrow.
12:14And, although she's going with friends,
12:16it's a stretch of water that's given many boaters sleepless nights.
12:21People's boats turning over, people getting stuck,
12:25people losing their boats completely.
12:29Yeah, you hear a lot of horror stories about it.
12:32So I'm trying not to think about it too much.
12:36And I just want to throw myself into it.
12:39Hopefully she means the task and not the canal.
12:42At least the DIY is a welcome distraction.
12:45I absolutely love DIY.
12:48I've always loved DIY.
12:50And, er...
12:51Yeah, when I lived in a house,
12:53I would redecorate a room probably every six months.
12:57It was forever changing.
12:58It gives me a lot of satisfaction.
13:01Michelle is clearly less DIY...
13:04OK.
13:05..and more DIY not.
13:07So far, so good.
13:11Despite the heat and a couple of mischievous pins
13:15doing their best to slow her down...
13:17Oh!
13:19Oh!
13:20Give me strength.
13:22Michelle has powered through
13:23and got an impressive amount done in the cabin today.
13:27When in doubt, smash it out.
13:30Now it fits.
13:36I'm very happy with how far I've got today with all the DIY.
13:40Bit of a big clean-up now to get ready for tomorrow.
13:44We have to do some locks, which I've never done before.
13:47We have to cross the river, which I've never done before.
13:51So, yeah, big day tomorrow.
13:53Big day.
13:54Slightly nervous, but just trying to keep positive.
13:58It's going to be fine.
13:59It's going to be fine.
14:02All adds to the adventure.
14:11Back on the River Thames,
14:12Roger and Jo have made it to Kingston.
14:15On the canals, we're actually quite a big boat.
14:18But now that we're here on the Thames,
14:20we are tiny compared to some of the boats that we've seen come by.
14:23They're on their way to meet Jo's family at Hampton Court Palace.
14:27But first, they're cruising a little further
14:30to visit a very special place.
14:33We are heading into Teddington,
14:36which I'm really excited about
14:37because we got married in Teddington.
14:40Last time we stood on Teddington Lock
14:43was ten years ago.
14:45So, that's pretty exciting.
14:47They're on a mission to retake their wedding photos.
14:50On the big day, the shoot clashed with dinner.
14:53And it's fair to say they were both a little hangry.
14:56We were trying to rush that photographer
14:58and bless him if he's watching this.
15:00You know, he's a great photographer.
15:01But we figured we have plenty of shots of us.
15:04We just want to get to the canapes, actually.
15:06I won't be in a wedding dress, but I think I'll stick a dress on.
15:09But I'm going to make sure I've had my breakfast this time.
15:13And we're going to take the photos again with a smile on our face
15:16because we will have eaten.
15:18That's the plan.
15:19And sure enough, after a short cruise down the Thames,
15:23the memories come flooding back.
15:25I think that blue bridge we walked over...
15:27Yep. We'll have to look at our wedding album to make sure.
15:30That way we can get a photo the same.
15:32Yeah.
15:33Oh, gosh, maybe we can ask the lotkeeper to take our photo for us.
15:36I don't know.
15:36Yeah, we don't have a photographer this time, do we?
15:39No, there'll be someone crossing the bridge, I'm sure.
15:42Yeah.
15:43You can actually see the bridge from the mooring.
15:46Yeah, it's right there on the left.
15:47That's the bridge we're going to take our photo on.
15:49I think we'll fit in there.
15:51OK.
15:52Do you trust me?
15:53I trust you.
15:54Tight but doable.
15:56Luckily, they're mooring at Teddington
15:58as the tidal Thames begins just a few feet away.
16:02That weir, as deep as it is, probably 10 feet at least, that's tidal and this is not tidal,
16:07so that will come up actually all the way to the top and spill over.
16:10So it's on rings like this, so as it comes up, the boat doesn't get trapped.
16:21The river's last lark is framed by two iconic 19th century foot bridges and today they are a backdrop for
16:29Roger and Joan.
16:30Oh, my lady.
16:32Yeah, thank you.
16:32This is slightly awkward actually.
16:37I remember we went up onto that bridge but I don't know if we didn't come down here.
16:42We would have come from the other side.
16:43It's cool to be back here.
16:45I know, right?
16:46You've got to look for this sign here.
16:47No, it's on the other side.
16:48See the ramp?
16:50I knew it.
16:51There's even a little narrow bit there, see?
16:53Yeah.
16:54Yeah, look, there's that sign there.
16:55Diving and jumping from the bridge is prohibited.
16:58It's the same.
16:58It is a new sign but they've definitely painted the bridge.
17:01Excuse me, could I ask you to take a photo of us?
17:04Just like this.
17:05So this was 10 years ago.
17:06Of course, of course.
17:06And we're redoing our wedding photos.
17:08You've got to smile this time.
17:12Can I have a congratulations?
17:14Thank you so much.
17:16I like that one.
17:17Like this?
17:18Yeah, let's do that.
17:19About...
17:20There.
17:23With the photo successfully recreated,
17:26this trip down memory lane has certainly been worthwhile.
17:29I'm not usually sentimental at all, really, but...
17:35I'm the sentimental one.
17:36It was nice.
17:37It's nice.
17:38And I'll print that out and I'll put it in a frame, I think.
17:41Yeah.
17:41We could do a side-by-side.
17:43Yeah, we should.
17:43I tell you what, like,
17:4510 years has gone by really quickly
17:47and we've done so much.
17:49The journey here has been amazing.
17:51Even from Chester this summer all the way down Kingslough
17:53and then we went up to Lechlade.
17:55Yeah, that was a 186-mile journey we did.
17:58Yeah.
17:59From Lechlade to here is another 154 miles.
18:03Yeah.
18:03All at walking pace.
18:05So it was...
18:06It's been an amazing journey this year.
18:10But even though Teddington is the end of the line,
18:13it doesn't mean it's the end of the adventure.
18:16And with Joe's family waiting near Hampton Court Palace,
18:19there's one more leg to go.
18:23Over at Goo Marina Chandlery...
18:26Getting expensive this year.
18:28I like what I think.
18:29See you later.
18:31Bye.
18:32Claire is having some retail therapy.
18:34Boater style.
18:35Most women, they go in and they like,
18:37they get excited about shoe chops and handbags and stuff.
18:39I get excited in there with Chandlers.
18:41I'm like, oh, what do I need?
18:42Oh, look at that, look at that.
18:43I just...
18:47With a purse considerably lighter,
18:50Claire's heading back to Rawcliff Marina
18:52to continue work on Tugboat Ted.
18:55But there's been a lot of delays,
18:57not just because of cost.
18:58Claire has been weathering a storm of her own.
19:01I'm running probably six months behind schedule.
19:05The plan was on track.
19:06We'd move the boat, got it in seat tube.
19:09And we were making plans to start the work.
19:11But, however, unfortunately,
19:13I came...
19:14Well, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
19:17I've been having treatment,
19:18radiotherapy and everything,
19:19and it knocked me off my feet quite a lot.
19:22I think everything was that overwhelming.
19:24It was thicker winter.
19:25I got a really bad flu as well.
19:27I think there were times
19:28when I was worried and panicking,
19:29and I just didn't know
19:30how I was going to survive financially.
19:33But I found CRT,
19:34which is Canal and River Trust,
19:36in regards to a temporary mooring
19:38is why they were poorly in having treatment.
19:40And they're really supportive.
19:42So they were going to arrange for that.
19:44But as it happened,
19:45I just managed.
19:46I kept moving.
19:47My friends came and helped me move the boat initially
19:49when I first had my operation.
19:51And then I just carried on.
19:52For someone as determined as Claire,
19:55it's been a test of patience
19:56and a reminder that sometimes
19:58even the best laid plans
20:00need to drop anchor for a while.
20:02I feel like I've turned a bit of a corner now.
20:05And I've got my energy back to an extent.
20:08So I wallowed in myself pit for a little bit
20:10and then I just thought,
20:12I am going anywhere.
20:13This is not having me.
20:16Too busy.
20:17I've got a boat to build.
20:22After months of planning
20:23and a few too many receipts...
20:26I've got to start off.
20:27I took my turn.
20:29I'm out of the way.
20:30You lie.
20:30I bet you've been to the pub.
20:31I haven't.
20:32You have.
20:33Claire is ready to make a fresh start
20:35on her project boat.
20:37And with Tony in tow,
20:38it's all hands on deck.
20:40If they can get their equipment together.
20:48Well, they're in the use of an ornament, I think.
20:51Anyway.
20:52We'll go take this, er,
20:53packaging off.
20:55Oh, that's where I couldn't see!
20:59How's it go?
21:00Oh, no, go.
21:03Yeah, it's that way.
21:04Yeah.
21:05I'm fully PPE'd up.
21:07We're going to get as much of this rust off
21:09and then follow it with some of the rust converter.
21:12Just do it in sections until...
21:15..until I've worked my way round.
21:19Just get all this debris off
21:20and get, you know, a good base to start.
21:23A good foundation, I suppose.
21:25Claire's decided the boat's future
21:27is a floating oasis for salad, herbs and houseplants.
21:31Hopefully I'll be able to grow stuff
21:33that I can use in my coffee, really, I suppose.
21:36And I better store a lot of my stuff in, you know,
21:38like my spare gas bottles and my table and chairs
21:41and just declutter my boat a little bit
21:43and take a lot of the business stuff out of there
21:45so it feels more like a home again.
21:47But before all that can happen,
21:49there's a lot of work to do.
21:53Oh, that's potent.
22:05Get right into it.
22:06Cracks.
22:06The external hull is ready for the all-important blacking.
22:14Yeah, that's one coat done, so it needs about four or five, really.
22:19But this coat now has to sit for 24 hours.
22:23Yeah, I think it's looking better already.
22:26Lots of work.
22:29Unfortunately for Claire, the hard work may have only just begun.
22:33So I've done outside and thought, yeah, it's coming together
22:36and then I've got inside and thought, oh, my God, this is massive.
22:39So much work to do.
22:41Anyway, yeah, I've got some extra pair of hands at weekends,
22:44so just keep chipping away.
22:45It soon comes along, doesn't it?
22:47What else would I be doing?
22:50Oh, yeah, baking cakes.
22:55Coming up, Michelle tackles her first ever lock.
22:59That is deep.
23:00Oh, my God!
23:02And Claire's plans hang in the balance.
23:05Just, like, wobbling all over it.
23:07Can't look.
23:14The nation's waterways rarely make for dramatic scenes,
23:19but here on the Oxford Canal, tragedy has struck.
23:22A sunken narrowboat has blocked the waterways for weeks
23:25and, as Pete and his team from River and Canal Rescue raise the wreck,
23:30it becomes clear that this was no accident but a robbery.
23:41I've never seen a boat stripped out as much as this one.
23:45There's no sink, there's no cooker, there's no toilet.
23:49Anything they could take, they seem to have taken.
23:51And then they've switched the tap on until it's filled with water
23:55and down she's gone.
23:58Very, very sad.
23:59You put your tears to your eyes because there's someone's pride in joy.
24:01You know, it's really sad.
24:04But eventually the team managed to bring the boat back to the surface
24:07and are heading for the canal side.
24:10Much to the delight of those who are waiting to pass.
24:16She came up better than I thought she would
24:19because she popped up at the bow first.
24:21It kind of took any aggressive pop-out-the-silt offers.
24:25It came up quite gently.
24:27With the wreck cleared from the centre of the canal,
24:30the waterway is open once again.
24:32Oh, so happy!
24:35Allowing stranded boaters to finally continue their journeys.
24:40Have a safe trip!
24:41Thank you!
24:42This boat's been blocking the canal for approximately two to three weeks.
24:46Now the waterway's open again,
24:47people will be happy that they can move again.
24:50We've already had two or three boats go past.
24:53So as reef floats go, it's been a successful day.
25:02At Garstang Marina, Michelle is getting ready for a day trip with friends.
25:08I'm starting to feel a little nervous.
25:10After two years cocooned in the safety of the marina,
25:13today she's pushing herself by tackling the Ribble Link.
25:17The Ribble Link is the river you have to cross to get off the Lancaster
25:22and onto the next canal.
25:24So you're on more of the network.
25:25It is a tidal river.
25:27It is an estuary.
25:28So it is pretty tricky,
25:30but you have to cross the link if you're going to do the network.
25:33So it's a must.
25:35It's daunting even for seasoned boaters.
25:38So as a relative novice,
25:40she's joining her experienced friends
25:42and using their boat for the crossing.
25:45Hat, map, bag, life jackets.
25:51They'll leave the Lancaster Canal behind
25:53and follow Savick Brook right down to the Sea Lock.
25:56Then it's a run across the River Ribble
25:59before a final push up the River Douglas,
26:01ending up at Tallerton, Preston.
26:03And holding her hand throughout
26:06will be experienced friends John and Izzy,
26:08who will pass on a few pointers...
26:10Hello.
26:11..to try and calm Michelle's nerves.
26:13Yeah, good to go.
26:14Good to go.
26:15Bit nervous, but excited.
26:17Yeah, it could be brilliant.
26:19Before her journey can begin,
26:21there's a small matter of Michelle navigating her first ever lock.
26:25However, this one is far from ordinary.
26:28That is deep!
26:30Oh, my God!
26:31It's one lock after another after another,
26:35so they call it a staircase.
26:37So, yeah, this is a baptism of fire.
26:40I don't think I should look at it any more.
26:42I don't think I should look.
26:43I feel quite sick.
26:46But boat life rarely rushes for anyone,
26:50and being last in the queue
26:51is giving Michelle's nerves plenty of time to stir.
26:56All right.
27:04He can fly that.
27:06I can do this.
27:07Yeah, you can do it.
27:09It's only because it's unknown...
27:10..and you've not done it before, so that's cool.
27:12All week I've been going, no, I'm not nervous, I'm excited.
27:15No, I'm not nervous.
27:16Now I'm starting to get a little bit nervous.
27:18Slowly but surely, the queue moves on and it's all aboard.
27:22That's a good girl.
27:24But not for John, who'll be watching from the sidelines.
27:27What if something goes wrong and you're not on the boat?
27:30Listen, you'll see her rolling around, happy.
27:33Oh, OK.
27:34Right, OK.
27:35Right, so you're not going to be on the boat.
27:37This is...
27:38I'll shout to you, yeah?
27:39You're very trusting.
27:40And I'll say, oh, God, me boat!
27:47Over there, front ways.
27:48And then I'm going to reverse her in.
27:50And then reverse her in.
27:50Look, you boat.
27:57Hi, dear.
27:58Thank you, love.
28:01Oh, my goodness.
28:02That was a bit easier than I thought.
28:04I think it's a good thrill.
28:06Yay!
28:07They're into the first lock without a hitch.
28:10But this staircase has a few more steps
28:12and Michelle's not done yet.
28:15I think I'll have the hang of it by the time we get to the bottom.
28:18Confidence is starting to rise as the lock starts to descend.
28:38Lock number two.
28:40Doing things like this is what keeps you young.
28:43So, I'm about 43 at the minute.
28:47I'll be 21 by the time I get to the end.
28:50With Michelle descending the lock free of any mishaps,
28:54John decides it's safe to hop on and join the crew.
29:00It's like the start of Wizard of Oz, isn't it, when those gates open?
29:05But Michelle's forgotten her ruby slippers, so she'll have to take the long way home.
29:10Look at that.
29:10I'm even reversing in a straight line now.
29:12No, look at this.
29:13And step by step, she makes it to the bottom of the staircase.
29:24The staircase is behind her.
29:27Oh, John.
29:28But her journey has just begun.
29:30It's not left.
29:31Yeah.
29:31And it's a race to reach the sea lock to access the River Ribble
29:35before the tide turns.
29:37Flank.
29:40Which way does it go?
29:42Somewhere over the rainbow.
29:44There's no place like a sea lock.
29:49Over at Rawcliff Marina.
29:51I've got an habit of not thinking things through.
29:53I just thought, oh, yeah, that's a good idea.
29:54Let's buy a £500 boat.
29:57Two and a half grand later.
30:00The once crumbling interior of Claire's project, Tugboat Ted,
30:04has been transformed into a solid functioning shell.
30:07And it's almost time for a return to the water.
30:10But there's a little more prep to do before the crane arrives.
30:14And we're going to cut these and we're going to wedge them in.
30:18Basically, what happens if you don't do that,
30:20the boat can bow and sort of, like, pull in, which is not good.
30:23My friend Tony's on his way with some tyres for the side,
30:26you know, stop it banging on my boat.
30:28So we're nearly ready.
30:29Just last few preps and then he's going to water.
30:34So Claire and friend Chris crack on with the supports.
30:38Too sharp.
30:40Too sharp.
30:41It's not.
30:41It is.
30:42How's that going to wedge him?
30:44Where's that big arm there?
30:45We'll bash it.
30:50It must be here, really.
30:51Stopping mowing.
30:54Let's touch that up.
30:56Right.
30:56Don't think that's going anywhere, do you?
30:59It's all hands on deck.
31:00And, as the last of Tony's makeshift fenders are secured, the crane arrives, ready to give tugboat Ted his big
31:08lift.
31:12Hiya, look!
31:13Hiya, Claire.
31:14Are you all right?
31:14Thank you for doing this.
31:16You're welcome.
31:16So I'm now going to be towing the boat, so we need it putting in...
31:20Over the top.
31:21Can you put it over the top?
31:22I need that back end at my back end.
31:25Right.
31:25Oh, yeah, where the tiller is.
31:27Yeah.
31:27So then I'll tie it there, and then that makes it more stable if it's next to me.
31:31Right, okay.
31:32So, preferably without the dog.
31:34Yeah.
31:36Right, shall we get in?
31:37Yeah.
31:38Okay, let's do it.
31:39Oh, I'm nervous.
31:42As tugboat Ted has no engine...
31:45It's like it's actually happening now, innit?
31:47..it needs to be lifted over Claire's cafe boat so it can be secured to the side.
31:58That's some machine, innit?
32:01Wow.
32:02Steve's plan is to waste no time and get Ted into the water with one smooth lift.
32:08Good roll.
32:09Right, we're going that way.
32:14But it looks like they may be coming up a little short.
32:22I was hoping that the crane would reach over the top.
32:25I'm literally a metre short.
32:27Would you reckon we'd move this boat up here?
32:29I reckon that would be a good idea if we did that.
32:31Right.
32:32Just move it along.
32:33So, we're moving my boat cos the plans changed.
32:35Ted will now pop in the water behind me.
32:37Then I'll shuffle back again, tie it together,
32:40and we're good to go to move.
32:42With the obstructing cafe boat out of the way
32:45and the crane moved closer to the water,
32:48Ted is on the move again.
32:50But the wind's picked up and it's not making the job easy.
32:54What's that, look?
32:55Yeah, I've got it.
32:58Sweating.
33:00Just, like, wobbling all over in it.
33:03Oh, God.
33:04Can't look.
33:06With a steady hand on the crane...
33:09Oh, my God!
33:10..and a little teamwork.
33:12We're in, we're in.
33:13We're in, we're in.
33:14We're in, we're in.
33:14We're in, we're in.
33:15We're in.
33:17Ted's back where he belongs.
33:19Yay!
33:20Well done, Steve!
33:22Yes!
33:22Yes!
33:25Oh, Claire's walk coming in.
33:27Oh, what a reason!
33:29Don't do that to me, my legs are shaking.
33:33You're welcome.
33:34No, thank you.
33:36I've got my eyes.
33:37Oh, bless you.
33:38Just need some row locks on it now.
33:40What's that, mate?
33:42Right, yeah, yeah!
33:44After a long run of delays,
33:46it's been a successful day.
33:48Ted's in.
33:49He's not sinking.
33:50There's no water in him.
33:52I'm so relieved.
33:53I'm really nervous.
33:54So now I'm going to tie him to the side of my island
33:56and then we can get off.
33:57With Ted safely afloat,
33:59Claire can get back to business on the cafe boat
34:02and start planning the next stage of the refurbishment.
34:15Coming up, a reunion for Roger and Joe.
34:18To family, to family.
34:20Cheers!
34:22And Michelle makes it onto the Ribble.
34:25Wow.
34:26Look at this.
34:35In Teddington, a feast is being prepared.
34:39We are going to do a gochujang barbecue pork belly
34:43in the crock pot.
34:44Roger's cooking up a meal ready for Joe's family.
34:48Yeah, that looks good.
34:49Good.
34:50Usually we're quite far away from my family,
34:52so to have them on our doorstep and be able to come over.
34:56For dinner.
34:57That's amazing.
34:57And cook for them.
34:58I'm really excited.
34:59And with dinner prep done...
35:01And now we let it cook for a good five to six hours.
35:05Ready.
35:06Are you good?
35:07Good.
35:08The couple set off on today's journey.
35:10A brief trip back west to East Molesy,
35:13home to Hampton Court Palace,
35:15for a long-overdue reunion.
35:18We have never been down here
35:20since we bought the boat four years ago.
35:21We've always told them,
35:22and your mum is all...
35:23Every year she's saying,
35:24you know, when are you going to come nearer to us?
35:26When are you going nearer to us?
35:26When are you going nearer to us?
35:27We just kept going north.
35:27But we're finally doing it,
35:29so it'll be really nice to see everyone.
35:31But they're not the only family who are part of today's trip.
35:35This section of the Thames has special significance for Jo.
35:40We are coming up to Thames Nitton Island,
35:43which is where my grandma grew up.
35:45If we go this way, we should go under the footbridge,
35:48that she would cross every day to go to school.
35:52Jo's nan spent much of her life on the island
35:54and a family member recently dug out
35:57a very special memento from her wedding day.
36:00Under that footbridge is where the footage is
36:03of my nan coming across the river on the boat
36:05in her wedding dress, so that's right there.
36:07Yeah.
36:08Of course it's raining, but it rained on her wedding day,
36:10so it's quite fitting, actually.
36:11It did.
36:11Under her footage, she has an umbrella,
36:13and she almost falls in
36:14because she's holding onto the umbrella
36:16and trying to get off at the bank.
36:18But that's where she would have got off,
36:20right where that skip is.
36:21Yep.
36:21Absolutely.
36:22Yeah.
36:24Other than the boats,
36:25the footbridge is the only way on and off the island,
36:28and Jo's nan used to avoid the original one-penny toll
36:32by climbing along the outside.
36:34She'd climb around the outside with that.
36:37I'd have a heart attack if it was my child.
36:40It's an area rich with Jo's family history.
36:44That was her house.
36:46It's quite special to be here on the river, actually.
36:48She would really love that we're here.
36:55And just around the corner...
36:57Wow, look at it.
36:58There it is.
36:59That is amazing.
37:00...is a place significant to Roger and Jo's own history.
37:04Hampton Court is seriously special to me
37:06because when we were dating,
37:07that was the first palace you ever brought me to,
37:09and, I mean, as this wide-eyed American
37:12visiting the history of England,
37:13you see this palace,
37:14and I just absolutely fell in love with it.
37:16It was amazing.
37:17It was also a former residence to a well-known monarch.
37:21You know King Henry VIII, right?
37:23I'm Henry VIII, I am.
37:26Henry VIII, I am, I am.
37:28I was married to the woman next door.
37:30She's been married seven times before, and I'm...
37:36LAUGHTER
37:37Much like Roger and Jo,
37:39Henry VIII had a soft spot for Hampton Court.
37:42The vast Tudor Palace was one of his favourite summer retreats,
37:46hosting hundreds of courtiers for sports and feasts.
37:49Today, over 700,000 people explore its almost 1,400 rooms
37:55and 60-acre grounds each year.
37:58It's so good!
37:59I love that palace, I really do.
38:01It brings back so many memories when you brought me here
38:03when we first started dating.
38:05It's so surreal to be moored where Henry VIII
38:08probably would have put his boat.
38:09We are so blessed to live on a boat
38:12and be able to moor outside of a palace in England.
38:15That's amazing.
38:16It's pretty cool.
38:19Keep going straight, don't fall in!
38:21Where's my gar-son?
38:22And with the arrival of Jo's family...
38:25Hello!
38:26..they can enjoy one of Henry VIII's favourite pastimes.
38:30No worries.
38:33We've been saying for how many years
38:35that we're going to come down and moor outside Hampton Court Palace.
38:38And now we're finally here.
38:39We're here.
38:40And you guys are here.
38:40Four years later, but it's all right.
38:42Yeah.
38:43We made it.
38:43Narrow boats are very slow.
38:46It's a fitting end to Roger and Jo's 154-mile journey down memory lane.
38:52To family.
38:54To family.
38:54To family.
38:56Cheers.
38:57Cheers.
38:59Cheers.
39:09Over in Preston...
39:11What are we on?
39:11Savick Brook.
39:12Savick Brook.
39:14Michelle, along with her friends Izzy and John, is indeed cruising down Savick Brook,
39:19as part of her confidence-building voyage across the Ribble Link.
39:24We've just done the staircase backwards, and then we did three more locks frontwards,
39:31so now we're heading for the sea lock to get onto the Ribble.
39:35But to have any chance of crossing, they'll have to get there before high tide.
39:40So time is of the essence.
39:45A lot of unfamiliar territory, navigating a lot of things for the first time,
39:51and against a deadline, which is not normal narrowboat life, to be honest.
39:56Crossing the Ribble Link is necessary if Michelle is to leave the Lancaster Canal
40:01and explore the rest of the network.
40:02Even though she's never done the trip before, they've made great progress down the Savick Brook.
40:08But, for every stretch of calm water, there's another that keeps you on your toes.
40:13Oh!
40:14Oh, this is a tight one.
40:20Oh!
40:21Oh, my God!
40:26This is like sailing through a cave.
40:29I don't want to hit that.
40:31Wow!
40:34Jeez!
40:35Louise!
40:36This part of the brook is basically an obstacle course of S-bends.
40:40That certainly set my heart rate up.
40:42And rising panic.
40:44John, I'm going to hit something.
40:45I'm going to hit something.
40:46I'm going to hit something.
40:47I'm going to hit something.
40:48With low water, tight banks and obstacles either side,
40:52it's enough to give even a seasoned boat a nightmare.
40:55It's all over.
40:56He's going to hit the dirties.
40:58This one.
40:59I'm not going to hit this one.
41:00I can't see the other one.
41:02It's quite the baptism of fire for Michelle, but her nerve is holding firm,
41:07even if her balance isn't.
41:09I'll cough.
41:11Wow!
41:12It nearly took me over the side.
41:13And that's a narrow escape.
41:15Oh!
41:16I think I've dislocated my shoulder.
41:18Sorry, John, but it just took me.
41:21Slow down.
41:23Slow down.
41:24Serenity's finally reached the sea lock,
41:26despite a journey that's been anything but serene.
41:30That's not even the hard bit.
41:32And to Michelle's relief, they've got company.
41:35I'm glad I'm following people because this is the next big scary bit.
41:39Narrowboats aren't really made for rivers.
41:42So, yeah, according to the CRT, give it plenty of welly
41:46and just keep going.
41:47So that's exactly what I'm going to do.
41:50Four other boats are joining them to cross the rivers Ribble and Douglas.
41:55And with Michelle's hand firmly on the throttle...
41:58Shall I give it a bit?
42:00Let's go.
42:01They're off onto the river Ribble.
42:03Hold on to your hats.
42:09Wow.
42:11Look at this.
42:13Oh, my God, this is so much different than being on a canal.
42:17When I bought my boat, I didn't even dare sail it out of the marina.
42:22So would I have imagined I'd be doing this two years later?
42:25Absolutely not.
42:27This is what we call an adventure.
42:28We're not in Kansas anymore.
42:31She may be new to the helm, but Michelle has held it together well so far
42:36and the crew seem pretty happy with their current skipper.
42:39Oh, this is marvelous.
42:41You can't beat it, can you really?
42:44Michelle's been brilliant.
42:46She really is a can-do person.
42:48She just gets on and does it.
42:50So, don't argue with that.
42:52That's given us a break and sip pipes.
42:55Even the best captains need a break.
42:57So, while John takes the tiller, Michelle takes a well-earned rest.
43:01This is beyond anything I could have imagined.
43:05I feel pretty confident I could do this in my own boat now.
43:09I'm sure I can handle her a little bit better than I've been handling this one.
43:12There is the issue of you are sailing your entire worldly belongings across a tidal river.
43:19So, yeah, that's a little bit daunting, but that's part of boating life.
43:23You take your home wherever you go, which is half the appeal, if I'm honest.
43:27I keep pinching myself because this is a life I dreamt of.
43:33And now I'm doing it. I'm living it.
43:39And the dream rolls on.
43:42Spectacular, isn't it?
43:43As the crew reach a marker known as the Aslan lamp.
43:46So, this is the turning point.
43:48We're coming off the Ribble and we're going on to the Douglas now.
43:55Wow!
43:57Now Michelle's got a taste for adventure.
43:59Suddenly, the whole of the canal network looks very tempting.
44:04Now I've done eight locks.
44:06And a sea lock.
44:07Yeah, I'm good to go.
44:09I'd love to do that big boat lift.
44:11I'd love to do a tunnel.
44:13I really want to do the Leeds-Liverpool.
44:15I could go do the Bingley Five rise.
44:18So, yeah, I can't wait to get out on that network and do it all.
44:29Next time, Michelle and her grandkids go foraging.
44:33I don't want to scare them this way.
44:36For fairies.
44:37Look.
44:39Claire and Ted are back on the move.
44:42Go away.
44:43As she reopens her cafe to an eager crowd.
44:48Ta-da!
44:49And we catch up with Paul and Anthony and their newest crew member.
44:54It's really nice again, isn't it?
44:55Yeah.
44:56It feels like a complete family again, I think.
44:58Yeah.
44:59Yeah.
45:13So,
45:28You
Comments