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Narrow Escapes S03E06 englishsub fullmovie❌🍿
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00:01The Great British Canal Network.
00:03What a beautiful day for a cruise.
00:06A picturesque escape for those who've swapped bricks and mortar.
00:09Everything I own is on that boat.
00:11For a new life on the water.
00:13Slow and steady runs the race.
00:14But is it really as tranquil as it seems?
00:16We're grounded.
00:17Billy, you're gonna crash!
00:20From creating unique spaces.
00:22It looks great, ain't it?
00:24To sharing them with furry friends.
00:26He was born to be a boat dock, wasn't he?
00:27Will these Brits stay afloat?
00:30Bleh!
00:30Or be cast adrift?
00:32Oh, my feet are in it.
00:33From uncharted journeys.
00:35This is what we call an adventure.
00:37To taking on the Great British weapon.
00:40Oh my goodness.
00:41Do they have what it takes to live out their dreams?
00:44Life's better at four mile now.
00:46And find their narrow escape.
00:48Coming up, we meet Josh, Hayley and family
00:51as they embark on an epic race against the clock.
00:55I can't explain how happy I am now.
00:59First-timer Tom is feeling the pressure.
01:02If you knock my hat off with a tree, it's an automatic fail.
01:05Oh no.
01:08And Jen has problems with her plumbing.
01:12Oh, my feet are in it.
01:19In Lincoln, there's been a breakthrough.
01:22I don't need help anymore, Dad.
01:24Oh, you don't need my help anymore, that's it.
01:27On board their 12-foot wide beam, Darth Vader,
01:30Josh and Hayley's home school is in session
01:32with their three kids, Eli, Maya and Niamh.
01:36Muddy!
01:37Muddy!
01:37What should we live in Durham?
01:39Um, camping with muddy tunnels!
01:41I think so.
01:41The family are still relative newcomers to boat life,
01:44having made the move just over a year ago.
01:48We just wanted some freedom.
01:49We went from the flat, didn't we,
01:51to living in a nice big house,
01:53and still weren't completely happy,
01:55and we just thought,
01:56let's maybe look at a different lifestyle choice,
01:58and yeah, it's been amazing, hasn't it?
02:00Yeah.
02:00It's been really good.
02:01Yeah.
02:01Good fun.
02:03It's gonna be a bug.
02:04What are you drawing?
02:05A bug.
02:06What does she get?
02:07A car.
02:08A car.
02:09And where's the wheels?
02:11Um...
02:12With three children under five,
02:13as well as dog Bertie and two cats,
02:16the couple decided on a wide beam
02:18to have enough space for all the family.
02:21Oh, it would not work on a narrowboat.
02:23No.
02:23It's just about enough room at the moment for all of them.
02:26We did look at getting a narrowboat.
02:27Yeah.
02:28I'm six foot seven, I was bumping my head,
02:30I was hitting my arms on the ones we looked in.
02:31You were like this, crooked.
02:32And then we envisioned all of these three playing on the floor,
02:35and we were like, there's just not enough room.
02:36Yeah.
02:37Oh, my gosh, where's all the strawberries gone, guys?
02:40Um, I needed them for my cake.
02:44And it's not just the space that's been an adjustment.
02:47The couple have been getting to grips
02:49with parenting out on the water.
02:51It's challenging with children anyway,
02:53but then when you add in,
02:54we might have like a five- or a six-hour cruise,
02:56and we've got...
02:58Hayley's got to go in and keep them entertained,
02:59I've got to move the boat.
03:01Everyone is tired by the end of it,
03:03but then they always seem to have a little bit of energy left
03:06to give us at the end.
03:07Yeah.
03:08A bit more stick before bed.
03:10Yeah.
03:10Yeah.
03:11What's on your one?
03:12What's the last bit?
03:14A pair.
03:16Right then, guys.
03:17Who is ready to set off?
03:18Are you ready?
03:19Say yay!
03:20All right, so we're going to Talksy,
03:21and it's going to take us about three hours.
03:25Today, the family are beginning an almost 200-mile journey
03:29from Lincoln to Milton Keynes,
03:31but due to Darth Vader being too wide for some parts of the canal,
03:36it will have to be lifted out of the water at Nottingham
03:39and transported by road to Warwickshire.
03:42And we're ready to go.
03:44But before they can make the jump to life speed,
03:46there's a small matter of getting out of the marina.
03:50So there's a bit of wind at the moment,
03:51so it's going to make coming out of this bit here quite a challenge.
03:57Yeah, it's very windy now.
03:59And with the force of a heavy crosswind pushing Darth Vader off course,
04:03Josh is going to have to pull some Jedi moves
04:06to get them back on track.
04:08So we're going to go down there where it's a bit more open,
04:11and then I'm going to use the momentum of the boat
04:13to kind of spin us around.
04:15It's challenging, to say the least.
04:17But being twice as wide as a standard narrowboat,
04:20Josh needs a much larger area to spin Darth Vader around.
04:25So now we're going to try and do our turn.
04:31Hopefully we can spin and get enough momentum.
04:34With very little boating experience under his belt,
04:37Josh has taught himself how to cruise their extra-large floating home.
04:41I'm learning every day as I go still,
04:44and I don't think I'll ever reach a point where I consider myself an expert,
04:47but I just get on with it.
04:50And thankfully that can-do attitude pays off.
04:53I think we might be all right.
04:56With the course set for Talksy Lock,
05:00below deck, the kitchen is open.
05:03So for dinner we're doing homemade pizzas.
05:06I get the toppings over for the kids and they put the toppings on.
05:08And it's not just pizzas on the menu.
05:10All right, we're ready for pizzas.
05:13There's your worm.
05:15Hayley is five months pregnant,
05:16and that's why they're heading to Milton Keynes.
05:20What we ultimately want to do is get closer to family and friends,
05:23so that when baby is born,
05:25we have a little bit more of a support network.
05:28But with Milton Keynes on a stretch of water far, far away,
05:32and just four months until the baby's due,
05:34they'll need to get a move on.
05:40At Readley Marina in Lancashire...
05:42Hiya, Roy.
05:44How are you doing, Tom?
05:45I'm very well, thank you. Yourself?
05:46Yeah, are you all ready for action?
05:48Oh, I can't wait.
05:49Boating newbie Tom is taking to the water for the first time,
05:52with his one and only lesson with expert Roy,
05:56before he moves aboard his new home.
05:59Cannot wait.
06:00You'll have a fun time, honestly.
06:01It's laid back, it's relaxed, there's no stress, no pressure,
06:04plenty of brews.
06:05I do like a brew.
06:06That'll do, because we've got one on.
06:07Fantastic.
06:08After 29 years living with his parents,
06:11network engineer Tom has taken the plunge,
06:14swapping his landlocked life for the waterways.
06:17I know as much with boating as the float,
06:22and there's a tiller.
06:23But this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.
06:26The reason I decided to live on a boat was,
06:28number one, the cost.
06:30I mean, the cost of getting a house is obscene at times,
06:33for rent and especially mortgages if you're single.
06:35Two, it's the community.
06:37It's the community spirit.
06:38It's something that I grew up with.
06:40And three, it's just, I mean, look at the scenery.
06:43It's beautiful.
06:47Having lived in the family home all his life,
06:50Tom's move to independence is bittersweet.
06:55We're a very tight-knit family.
06:57I would probably liken us to the Dingle from Emmerdale.
07:00It's very tight-knit.
07:02We look after one another.
07:03I think my mum's definitely the one who's most affected by it.
07:06There's been a few tears,
07:09and I imagine that on the day there's going to be a few more.
07:12Tom has said,
07:13we're actually treating it, Mum,
07:15like you're never going to see me again,
07:16and I'm never going to see this house again.
07:19But it's just because it's just such a big change
07:22after nearly 30 years.
07:25But it's a change that we'll all get used to.
07:28We'll all adapt.
07:30And, well, I won't have as much washing to do.
07:34It's going to be very different and very weird
07:36not being around them and not being able to see them,
07:38but it's probably gotten a bit beyond the joke now
07:40for me staying at home.
07:41I think it's about time I moved out
07:43and started to be a bit more self-sufficient.
07:46And his new lifestyle comes with plenty of freedom.
07:50I definitely, I'm going to be a continuous cruiser.
07:52For me, life on the canals, life on the cut is definitely...
07:55It's going to be a big adventure
07:56of just seeing the country that I live in.
07:58Because I'm, you know,
07:59I've barely left Lancashire my whole life,
08:01so it would be nice to go out a bit and explore.
08:05But before the cruising adventures begin,
08:07he needs to learn the basics.
08:09And instructor Roy is here to lend a helping hand.
08:14Right, well, I'm going to start you off light with little things.
08:17We're going to start with, we'll get the boat ready,
08:19and then we'll do a bit about steering, that kind of thing.
08:21And then I'll teach you how to manoeuvre at slow speeds
08:24in tight spaces, and then even coming in and out of a mooring.
08:28And who knows, we might even turn round at the end and come back.
08:31Brilliant, yeah. Yeah?
08:32Yeah, sounds fantastic.
08:34The reason I'm doing this lesson
08:36is just to build up a bit of confidence.
08:37The last thing I want to do is go on the canals
08:39and have no training and crash into everyone's boat
08:41and become an absolute menace on the high cut.
08:44So definitely just a bit of training just to get that confidence up.
08:48Before they tackle the shallow waters,
08:51Roy is keen to dive in deep with a little theory.
08:54A canal boat is a bizarre design
08:56in that it's got a completely flat bottom.
08:59It was never intended to be a seagoing vessel,
09:01it's just lit really a container to be pulled by a horse originally.
09:05Right.
09:05So we're stuck with what we've got.
09:07Where boats would normally have a propeller stuck out here,
09:10you can't, the canal isn't deep enough.
09:12What that means is if you're not driving,
09:14there's no water going over the rudder, so it doesn't steer.
09:18In fact, we keep saying no gear, no steer.
09:20Right.
09:21And that's forward gear at that.
09:23With Bottoms 101 covered,
09:25Tom is ready for his first short cruise
09:27down the Leeds and Liverpool Canal,
09:29learning the basics of manoeuvring, mooring and turning
09:32before heading back to the marina.
09:36Today's feeling is definitely one of perpetual dread.
09:39I am worried quite a lot about it.
09:42I mean, I'm probably fine, I'm going about four mile an hour
09:44and I'm used to going 60 mile an hour,
09:46but still, because there's water and it's another person's boat
09:49and there's other people's boats in the area.
09:51Quite worried.
09:53Theory done.
09:55It's time to put all that new knowledge into practice.
09:59Coming up.
10:01Plumbing problems for Jen.
10:03Tom takes the tiller.
10:05You're a natural, aren't you?
10:06You really are.
10:07And it's fast food on the move for Josh.
10:10He's determined to get your pizza first.
10:13Come on.
10:19Just outside Birmingham...
10:21Oh, yeah.
10:22..an unusual workout is taking place.
10:25This is like basically exercise.
10:28I can imagine a PT telling people to do this.
10:32Squat and scoop.
10:34In the midst of this energetic DIY is Jen and furry sidekick sausage dog Lady Bagel.
10:42Last year, they swapped bricks and mortar for a life aboard their 60-foot narrowboat.
10:48I was living in a flat and I did everything that was supposed to make you happy, right?
10:52I had the fiancé, I had the job, I was lucky enough to be able to buy a flat.
10:57And I was desperately miserable.
11:00And I wanted to live on a boat, but I didn't trust myself enough.
11:03Like, I didn't have the confidence.
11:05But watching others inspired her and Lady Bagel to make the move.
11:10She's like the boat.
11:12She's long and narrow, aren't you?
11:17And as she's heading to uni in a few weeks to study social work,
11:21life on the water feels like the smartest and most affordable way to live.
11:26I feel like I've hacked the system when it comes to uni accommodation.
11:30Because first of all, I got a whole space to myself.
11:33I could not handle living with people again in a shared house.
11:37I'm too old, I'm too stubborn, I'm too happy in my own ways.
11:40With Freshers Week fast approaching, Jen's starting to feel the pressure.
11:45I'm so nervous about going back to university as a mature student.
11:49I'm worried that I will be taking on every way from Australia in the course
11:52because I do that all the time in life anyway.
11:55Like, everyone's going to be 18.
11:57I'm 15 years older than them.
11:59I already fight the instinct to mother everyone around me.
12:03And they're all going to have, like, these young sponge brains
12:06that can, like, absorb everything and know how to write an essay.
12:09And I'm just going to be there like, aren't you a bit chilly?
12:11Don't you want a cardigan?
12:12Oh, do you need a tissue? Do you need a baby wipe?
12:15But also, how do I put together an essay?
12:18And she needs to crack on with some DIY
12:21before she can show off her new home to her new friends.
12:25Welcome to my home.
12:27I painted all of the walls and the ceiling,
12:30along with some help of boat neighbours.
12:32Kitchen.
12:33I painted these because I don't know how to fit new kitchen bits.
12:37Oh, and the blind that took me over a year to get...
12:43Privacy! Finally!
12:44Oh, and my disco ball, which has followed me
12:48the last four places that I've moved.
12:50Essentials, obviously.
12:52But not every corner of the boat
12:54shines quite as bright as the disco ball.
12:57And then...
13:00We have the room of shame.
13:02The bathroom is in a complete state of disrepair
13:05and it's starting to attract unwanted visitors.
13:09So, there's loads of flies in the boat.
13:11There seems to be more flies in the bathroom than anywhere else.
13:16I open up the L-San lid. There is larvae.
13:21So, today, Jen's task is to make a start on fixing the room of shame.
13:26Very mashed up with hair and dirty shower water and gross things.
13:30I'm going to unblock the big pipey thing as well
13:33and hopefully I pump some more water out,
13:35change the shower head, because I've not done that
13:37since I moved in, like, a year and a half ago,
13:39and just generally give it a good clean.
13:42I don't want a repeat of maggot game.
13:44I can't do it again.
13:46I will move the stuff out of the shower tray
13:49so it's not in the way.
13:51Ooh, look at that nice collection of hair matted in toilet roll.
13:55Mmm.
13:56Ah, my feet are in it!
13:59I keep thinking that I'm a terrible bursack
14:02because there's always four things broken at once.
14:05Quite an exciting range of things in the shower water.
14:08We've got what looks like a piece of seaweed,
14:10cotton pad and fake nails so far.
14:13Ooh, is that an onion skin?
14:15That really is a surprise.
14:16And as a solo boater with zero plumbing experience...
14:21Why is it making a funny noise?
14:23Thank you, old shower head,
14:25for the cleaning and the life that you gave.
14:27It's proving trickier than expected.
14:30OK, yes!
14:31Ah!
14:32Then we can screw you in here.
14:35OK, this is what you're saying to do,
14:37but I don't think it'll work.
14:38But please work.
14:39Ah!
14:40No!
14:40Bert missed it!
14:42Maybe I'll just give up showering.
14:49On the Fosdyke Canal, dinner is served.
14:52You say, Daddy, food ready!
14:54Wow!
14:55Is that for me?
14:56And Bert, what's Bert?
14:57You made it all for me?
14:58Bert one summer's gone, I think.
15:00Josh and Hayley are making the long journey to Milton Keynes.
15:03She's determined to get your pizza.
15:05Bert, come on!
15:06To be closer to Hayley's family when their baby is born.
15:10Trying to eat and move at the same time
15:12is a challenge in itself.
15:15But with Hayley's pregnancy giving them a deadline,
15:18Josh is having his meals on the move.
15:20A lot of people have asked us
15:22why I'm always doing the controls of the boat,
15:24and I just show them that.
15:26You know, because I'm six foot seven
15:29and I've got, like, a two-meter arm span.
15:31With a slightly smaller wingspan, unable to reach the controls...
15:36No, I'm putting yours in now.
15:38Two minutes.
15:39Almost done.
15:40And then you guys can have some.
15:42Hayley spends a lot of their journeys
15:44entertaining and educating the kids.
15:46At the moment, it's just early years.
15:48They love it.
15:49We're not all sitting around inside.
15:51I mean, most of the time we're at museums, libraries.
15:53They love forest school.
15:55Yeah, basically anything outside of these kids,
15:57that's how I get them to learn the best.
16:00Unfortunately, their 181-mile journey
16:03means they'll have to spend a lot more time on the boat.
16:07So our plan is to go to Nottinghamshire.
16:11I think there's a marina there called Red Hill Marina.
16:13We want to get craned out there.
16:15But Darth Vader is too wide to make the journey solely by canal.
16:22With three kids, a dog and two cats,
16:24having the extra space offered by a wide beam was non-negotiable.
16:28So if we're going to move onto a boat, I want it to feel like a home.
16:32They bought the 60-by-12-foot behemoth of a boat as an empty shell
16:36and had the interior custom-built to suit their needs.
16:40Got a washing machine which we could not live without.
16:42I don't know how the boat is with loads of kids do laundry and stuff.
16:46I would suffer.
16:47Like, these guys get messy so often.
16:50Like, it would be a real challenge.
16:52Josh also designed his own technical systems,
16:55covering everything from water filtration to CCTV.
16:59I don't know anything about it.
17:00It's good.
17:01And we can power loads of stuff.
17:03That's all I know.
17:06And then down here, we've got the kids' room.
17:09So, at the moment, the girls share the bottom bunk.
17:12Eli sleeps on top.
17:13Then we're going to get a triple bunk, probably within the next year.
17:16But it also means more space for the home creature comforts
17:20the family are used to.
17:21We've got a pump-out toilet.
17:23And then we've got the tank that's stored underneath the sink.
17:25And then, yeah, we've got bath instead of shower,
17:27just because the kids love baths.
17:29And here is our bedroom.
17:31Got all the kids' life jackets ready to go for an emergency.
17:35And there are wardrobes at the side.
17:38That's my section.
17:39And Josh's section.
17:41There's even room to the side of the bedroom
17:43for Josh's small home office,
17:45where he can do his tech job no matter where they are.
17:48Yeah, it's funny in a team's meeting,
17:50cos you can literally just put your phone out the window
17:51and you're like, there's a field there, there's a field there,
17:54and there's nothing.
17:56And while Josh may be getting used to things
17:58like locked gates and unpredictable weather,
18:01the next leg of their journey will be on a tidal river,
18:04which he's only done once before.
18:08Going onto a tidal river can be a bit nerve-wracking.
18:11They're big rivers, they're powerful rivers,
18:14they will move the boat around, you know,
18:16with the current and the flow of the water.
18:19To get on the River Trent,
18:20they'll also have to use the tidal lock at Torxey.
18:23With a tidal lock, you've got a book in,
18:25and you have to book in 48 hours in advance.
18:28And what we tend to do is get there the evening before.
18:31If one of us gets up late or something,
18:33there's just no rush element to it.
18:36We're already at the lock, and it takes off all the nerves.
18:43OK, you lie down then, I'll give you a cuddle.
18:45Like, do you pop in?
18:46Below deck, it's time for bed.
18:50Love you!
18:52We'll go see plans with dreams.
18:54Good night!
18:55With the kids asleep,
18:56and the boat's secured outside Torxey Lock...
19:01A cup of tea.
19:02Yes!
19:04Thank you very much.
19:05Josh and Hayley can finally settle in for the evening.
19:08You looking forward to the tidal tomorrow?
19:10Yeah, I am looking forward to it.
19:13Nice to now have a couple of minutes
19:14where we can just put on the TV,
19:17chill with a cup of tea,
19:18and not be moving the boat
19:19and not be able to look after the kids.
19:21And all again tomorrow?
19:22Yeah.
19:23Survive.
19:28Back at Reedley Marina...
19:30The life jacket needs to be secure.
19:32I think mine's actually alright.
19:34Tom and Roy are getting ready
19:35for Tom's first ever cruise at the helm.
19:39Right, Tom.
19:40First things first,
19:41we've got to get the boat ready.
19:43So we need something to steer with,
19:44which is that tiller arm that needs to go on.
19:47So if you put that on,
19:48it just slides on to the back,
19:50line the hole up,
19:51and the pin goes through.
19:53And do make sure your bird faces forward,
19:56otherwise we're lost.
19:58Having recently bought a narrowboat as his first home,
20:01Tom is in need of a crash course.
20:03You remember I talked about our pivot point?
20:05Yes.
20:06Three mushrooms on the roof,
20:07nearest to the front,
20:08that's our pivot point.
20:10So what I'm doing is I'm bringing it around in a curve,
20:12and the idea is to go through gaps in a straight line.
20:15If you go through in a straight line,
20:17then if the front goes in, the back will go in.
20:19Just like a glove, that.
20:20Yeah, it is, yeah.
20:22So once the boat has left the marina,
20:24I can now start to put a little bit of power in.
20:26The further forward it goes,
20:27the faster the boat goes.
20:29Luckily, Roy is full of knowledge
20:31only a seasoned expert would know.
20:33Now you can see the next obstacle is this bridge.
20:35Ruggish sits under bridges.
20:37So, pull it back to tick-over speed.
20:40It's less likely to suck rubbish off the bottom.
20:42Right, okay.
20:43And Tom gets to put theory into practice.
20:47So what I'd like you to do
20:48is you to come and stand where I am.
20:50Turn to face me like that,
20:51because that is a gun sight.
20:54That's where the back of the boat will go.
20:56So if I move it over there,
20:57the back's going over there.
20:59And if I move it over here,
21:00the back's going over there.
21:02So that's the easy way to remember how to steer.
21:04So pop it into forward gear.
21:07That's it.
21:08But even with his initial reservations...
21:11This morning, like I said,
21:12I'll give it a good go.
21:14I've got to learn it at some point.
21:15So let's see how it goes, shall we?
21:17You'll do fine.
21:18And if you break the boat,
21:18it's coming out of your spends.
21:20All right, brilliant.
21:21He's already feeling like a king on the cut.
21:24Can you imagine where the best place to be
21:26is to be able to see around the corner?
21:28As wide as possible.
21:29Yeah.
21:30We've got weed there we want to avoid,
21:32but you'll see more.
21:33It will also be a gentler curve,
21:35so it's easier to steer.
21:36There is a rule on this boat.
21:38If you knock my hat off with a tree,
21:40it's an automatic fail.
21:41Oh, no.
21:42No pressure then?
21:43No pressure.
21:43No pressure.
21:45We'll move away from the tree
21:46because the back end is going that way.
21:48Hold on to your hats.
21:50Yep.
21:50You're going to miss me.
21:52Whee!
21:55But weeds and trees aren't the only challenges
21:57on the narrow winding canals.
22:00Now, as you can see, we can't see them,
22:02they can't see us.
22:03Yes.
22:03So, we'll keep going a bit closer
22:04because we want the sound to go through the bridge.
22:07So, if you can lean down and press the button
22:09and hold it for four seconds.
22:15And for Tom, it's water off a duck's back.
22:18That's it.
22:19Right, you just come through one of the worst bridges
22:21on this canal.
22:23Really?
22:24Yeah.
22:24I don't usually let a student bring it through.
22:27That's exactly the confidence boost Tom needed.
22:30I was treading the bridges just in general,
22:33but to be told it's the worst one in the area,
22:36I've managed to do it.
22:37And did it well.
22:38Didn't you just do it?
22:39I don't really know why I was so worried.
22:41You're a natural at this, you really are.
22:43It must have been a previous life of mine.
22:45It must have been.
22:46You were a pirate at some point.
22:49And Captain Tom's next challenge
22:51is mooring up without a scratch.
22:53Now's a good time to turn.
22:55So, bring it to 45.
22:57Give a punch of power.
23:00Now, if you centre your rudder.
23:02Yep.
23:02We're going a bit quick, aren't we?
23:03Pop it in reverse.
23:05Give it some revs.
23:08Keep the revs in.
23:12We'll walk to the middle of the boat.
23:14Just put your body weight on,
23:16and the boat will gradually drift in.
23:18You don't jerk it,
23:19you just lean weight against it.
23:21Having quickly mastered the boatman's hitch,
23:23things are going swimmingly for the first timer.
23:26Right, so that's done, you're secured.
23:27Let's go and get a cup of tea.
23:29Lovely.
23:30Can't beat a cup of tea.
23:31It was obvious when he turned up
23:32he was a bit on the nervous side.
23:34And everybody is, that's normal.
23:36But he very quickly settled into it.
23:38He's doing brilliant.
23:39He's got a natural feel for it.
23:41He's going to do well.
23:42And I think he's going to enjoy boat life as well.
23:44Some people don't take to it.
23:46It's a different way of life.
23:47Yeah, it's just going brilliant.
23:49A lot smoother than I thought.
23:50I've not crashed yet.
23:51With the winding hole still to tackle,
23:53things could change.
23:54But for now,
23:55it's time for a well-earned brew.
24:00Coming up,
24:02Jen gets hands-on.
24:04OK, nice.
24:06And top marks for Tom.
24:08Bring it over.
24:09That's it.
24:10You can bring it right over now.
24:11I'm going home.
24:12I'm not leaving here.
24:13It's job done.
24:22Britain's Canal Network spans over 2,000 miles
24:25and is a haven for wildlife, walkers and boaters.
24:29But keeping it thriving takes dedication.
24:33The Canal and River Trust is a charity
24:35that protects these waterways
24:37and one of their toughest jobs is managing water levels.
24:42But with longer dry spells and dwindling reservoirs,
24:46there are some difficult decisions to make
24:48about this precious resource.
24:52The situation in terms of water levels,
24:54water resources for our Canal Network
24:55is challenging at the moment.
24:57I think it's fair to say.
24:57We've had one of the driest springs on record.
25:00We've had heat waves through the summer.
25:01We've had prolonged dry weather.
25:03We've got drought in a lot of the country.
25:05For the Canal Network,
25:06we're really feeling the impact of this lack of rainfall.
25:10Adam, the Head of Water Management,
25:13is at Saddington Reservoir near Leicester.
25:16Reservoirs play a vital role
25:17in controlling canal water levels.
25:20Built to capture winter rainfall,
25:22they store water that can be used to top up the canals
25:25through the dry summer months.
25:28Water level, when it's full, should be here.
25:32This is what we call top water level.
25:34When the reservoir's full at 100%, full to the brim, that's full.
25:36And you can see the level's been lowered
25:38as we've been feeding the canal
25:40for all those summer months.
25:41In fact, it's lowered so much,
25:42we've gone off the bottom of this gauge board,
25:44and you can see across here, the other gauge board,
25:46we've gone below that as well.
25:47So we're pretty empty.
25:48In fact, we've used about 77% of the water from this reservoir.
25:51We're getting to the point now
25:52where we literally can't take much more water out of it
25:55and we're effectively running dry.
25:57This problem isn't unique to the region.
26:00With drier summer months becoming the norm,
26:03reservoirs nationwide are feeling the strain
26:06and there's no easy solution.
26:08What we really need to see to improve the situation
26:10is simply rainfall.
26:12Rainfall will help recover the levels in our reservoirs,
26:14it'll bring up the water levels in the canals
26:16so that we can then reopen canals that are closed
26:18as soon as possible.
26:24Back on the outskirts of Birmingham,
26:26after a day of unsuccessful shower repairs...
26:30We're looking a lot better in here, I think.
26:32Oh, I do just want to take this into a bin somewhere.
26:34But there's no hairballs.
26:37The shower isn't usable.
26:39But luckily for Jen,
26:41the nearby amenities at Gas Street Basin
26:43mean she and Lady Bagel can get a much-needed wash.
26:47But first, more DIY.
26:49OK, so health and safety.
26:51Obviously Lady Bagel has to get her construction sight suit on.
26:55Unfortunately, the shower isn't the only thing that sprung a leak.
26:59So I've got a really old engine.
27:01I've got a BMC 1.8, which is great because it means she's indestructible
27:05and you can fix her with, like, mad stuff.
27:07She's just, like, very simple.
27:08But it also means that she leaks a lot.
27:11And then also where sometimes I forget to grease his stern gland,
27:14water comes in from the canal through the prop
27:17and then the engine leaks as well.
27:19And then I just end up with, like, a double leak coming together to make a big leak.
27:23I've done no research whatsoever.
27:26My plan is to look at it and see what I feel needs to be done.
27:31Water in the engine bay can be a serious problem for boaters.
27:37And for Jen, the severity of the flooding calls for drastic measures.
27:41I have a plan. It involves gaffer tape, very washing-up liquid,
27:46a saucepan, boiling water, maybe some cable tyres.
27:50Everything can be fixed with cable tyres and gaffer tape.
27:53Engine maintenance is a part of every boater's life,
27:56but Jen's pump, which clears water from the bilge,
27:59the lowest part of the boat, is completely clogged with grease.
28:04You can pop this greasy bilge in the boiling.
28:08And when a bilge pump isn't working...
28:10..little wiggle.
28:11..even a small leak can build up fast.
28:14Look how clean that boat is.
28:16That water build-up risks engine trouble
28:19and a low stern gland forces out what little grease is left.
28:24Grr!
28:25Yes!
28:26So it needs regular greasing to keep water from seeping in.
28:30Right, unscrew this to the top bit.
28:32..and Jen's is in desperate need of a refill.
28:35So you're supposed to be able to push your stern gland thingy over it
28:38and then the pressure will, like, force the grease up into it.
28:42It's actually working!
28:44OK, and now I should be able to screw it back on here.
28:49OK, nice!
28:51Although the clogged bilge pump and the empty stern gland
28:54have had some TLC,
28:56the bottom of the engine bay is still as flooded as the bathroom was.
29:00I want to see how deep the water is.
29:03OK, so she's like...
29:05Oh!
29:06Oh!
29:08OK, it's a solid paddle.
29:10But rather than emptying the water by hand,
29:13Jen just needs to get the pump working so it can do its job again.
29:17Oh, that's a much cleaner part.
29:19Look at you!
29:21Hopefully, I can overlap this bit.
29:26But sometimes, a bit of brute force is necessary.
29:35Yes!
29:36Oh, she's in!
29:37Ugh!
29:38And now,
29:40today,
29:41I'll just gaffer tape her in.
29:43And according to Jen,
29:44there's nothing a bit of gaffer tape can't fix.
29:47I'm thinking,
29:49if I wrap up
29:51this bit first,
29:53because tape and water is a great combo.
29:55OK,
29:57so...
30:00I'm feeling an optimistic 50-50,
30:02especially because my starter battery is quite low.
30:08So the build isn't working,
30:10but the engine's running.
30:12So that's like a 70% win.
30:15Despite only partial success...
30:18After all that mucky maintenance,
30:20the promise of a hot shower
30:21gets their trip to Gas Street Basin cautiously underway.
30:26There we go.
30:30Back on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal...
30:33You might find the wind takes us out naturally,
30:36but we'll try and do it the proper way if we can.
30:38Yeah, brilliant.
30:39After a refreshing break,
30:41Tom is more than ready to continue.
30:43Bring it on. Cannot wait for part two.
30:45Part one, we're brilliant,
30:46so part two's going to be even better, surely.
30:48But next,
30:49he has to tackle today's toughest manoeuvre.
30:52The winding hole's one of the ones
30:53that I was probably more worried about
30:55than anything else,
30:56just because of the amount of turns.
30:57I don't want it to be a bit, you know,
30:59too much like Austin Powers
31:00doing about a 100-point turn.
31:02So we'll see.
31:03Just stick the engine in slow reverse.
31:06This rope will pull tight.
31:07Oh, yeah.
31:08Hold the boat still,
31:09and look what's happening to the front.
31:11Take it out of gear.
31:14I can take this rope off,
31:15and we can get on board and go.
31:17Winding holes are sections
31:19where the canal is wide enough
31:20for narrowboats to turn.
31:22Getting the angle right can be tricky,
31:24but luckily,
31:25helmsman and instructor Roy
31:27has a technique.
31:28It's something I call gear, power, steer.
31:31So let's try it.
31:32Gear, power,
31:34and pull the rudder up.
31:36Over to you.
31:37Hard over.
31:38Hard over, 45.
31:40I'd give it a little bit more power,
31:41not much.
31:42Now, we're beginning to move forward,
31:45so I'll take it out of gear,
31:46centre your rudder,
31:48pop it into reverse,
31:49give it some revs,
31:50that's it,
31:51and we're moving backwards.
31:52Now,
31:53forget the front end,
31:54let's have a look at the back end,
31:55because that's where we're going to go.
31:57So you can take it out of gear,
31:58because it will continue to drift.
32:00So you're ready for the next gear power,
32:03and steer will be in that direction.
32:05Gear, power,
32:06that's it.
32:07Whoa, beautiful.
32:09Once it's got itself in line with the canal,
32:11you can ease the power back to cruising revs
32:14and start to steer.
32:16And with that,
32:17Tom's completed his first ever Winding Hole turn.
32:21First time I do a Winding Hole,
32:22I will remember that.
32:23Gear, power, steer.
32:25Yeah, that's it.
32:25If you can remember that,
32:27Gear, power, steer,
32:27it makes some sort of sense of sequels.
32:30Yeah.
32:31With everything going so smoothly,
32:33even he's wondering why the helm feels so natural.
32:37Potentially gaming.
32:38I play a lot of games with joysticks,
32:40and they tend to be,
32:41you do the different direction.
32:43But, as every seasoned gamer knows,
32:45it's useful to learn a few cheat codes.
32:48Have you noticed it's not steering very well?
32:50Yes.
32:50And we're not moving very well.
32:52And that's because you've picked up some weed on your propeller.
32:55Uh-huh.
32:55What happens is it gets stuck down there.
32:57Now, one way to do it is to stop,
33:00go down there, take the rubbish out.
33:02But weed often comes off.
33:03If it turned onto the shaft, pulling it on,
33:07going in reverse can throw it off.
33:09And what you do is this.
33:10If I take it out of gear, select reverse,
33:14and then...
33:16..let the throttle in reverse...
33:21..probably fine.
33:22That's better.
33:22Yeah, so come on.
33:23We've shaken a pile of weed off,
33:25and now you're back into steering again.
33:26Ah.
33:27Yeah?
33:27Brilliant.
33:28It doesn't work with rubbish, but it often works with weed.
33:31With the propeller back in action,
33:32Roy is confident enough in Tom's new skills
33:35to give him a special task.
33:38Now, you've got more than enough skill to get into the marina.
33:41If you fancy a crack at it, I think you can do it.
33:44Give it a crack, yeah?
33:45Give it a crack, good man.
33:46Yeah.
33:46When you get past this tree that bulges out,
33:49you'll see the two flagpoles.
33:51Right.
33:51So we're going to go around in a curve to go straight in.
33:54The burst of power just makes it spin that little bit.
33:57Now you're back as you were.
33:58Feet straight at that so you don't turn.
34:02Bring it over.
34:03That's it.
34:04You can bring it right over now.
34:07It's turning in.
34:10Nice and tidy.
34:11I'm going home.
34:12I'm not needed here.
34:14Job done.
34:15With Boating 101 complete,
34:17Tom's proven he's ready to begin his life on the waterways.
34:21Fantastic. Thank you very much.
34:22Well done.
34:23It's been an absolute pleasure.
34:24It has.
34:25It's been brilliant.
34:26I've loved every minute of it.
34:27I can't wait to see what you do with your own boat.
34:29In fact, I'm coming down for a brew when you've got it.
34:31Yeah, sounds like a plan.
34:32I'll definitely be in contact in the future.
34:33Please do.
34:34I didn't expect it to go that well, to be honest.
34:37I definitely expected some bumps and some scratches.
34:39Definitely some more mistakes.
34:41And it's went fantastically.
34:42Far better than I thought it would have done.
34:44And it's all credit to Roy.
34:45Roy was fantastic with me.
34:46The next step will be getting the boat and sailing off.
34:54Coming up, Lady Bagel gets soggy.
34:57No, no, no, no.
35:00No, no, no, no.
35:02Sorry.
35:03And engine trouble for Josh.
35:06Please don't race on me.
35:14Back in Birmingham, still without a functioning shower...
35:18Oh, look quite close to the wall, yeah.
35:21Jen has made it to Gas Street Basin,
35:23where she and Lady Bagel can make use of the CRT amenities.
35:28Do you want to help tie me up?
35:29So, I'm just going to close up the boat.
35:31I found these little padlocks that do combination locks instead of keys.
35:35Now, it doesn't ever matter again if I lose my key.
35:38We are locked. Is it bath time?
35:41Yeah.
35:42But there's one key Jen doesn't want to lose.
35:45The universal key that allows boaters access to these facilities across the network.
35:53She does not like soap and water.
35:57Look! Isn't this lovely?
36:00Despite Lady Bagel's lack of enthusiasm...
36:03No, no, no, no.
36:06No, no, no, no.
36:09Sorry.
36:10..the shower and water points provide a lifeline for boaters.
36:14Now, do you want a swaddle with your towel?
36:17Oh, good shake.
36:19Oh!
36:22Go on, you can run away now.
36:24Tell everyone how awful Mama is.
36:27And with university just a week away,
36:31central Birmingham is the perfect place for Jen to stay moored while studying.
36:36But despite a fresh shower, her boat is still in need of some TLC.
36:41So, Jen's got no time to rest.
36:44So, I'm just preparing my hacksaw to cut the mattress up.
36:50The door won't open because the mattress is in the way.
36:53So, I'm just going to saw the corner out.
36:55And then if it does go wrong, if, like, all the stuffing falls out or something,
36:59I'll just gaffer tape it back together.
37:02With a plan so solid, what could go wrong?
37:06All right, so, this is my issue, so it doesn't open.
37:10So, I'm thinking if I just cut, like, from, what, like, here and then there,
37:15then the door will be able to open and it'll be fine.
37:18Every good DIY project starts with one essential.
37:22Careful, baby girl.
37:24Optimism.
37:31OK, I can see why people use electric bread knives for this.
37:34So, I'm getting through it with, like, a serrated knife?
37:37It's carving meets carpentry.
37:40Carvery.
37:40Steak knife.
37:42Yeah.
37:42Is that what it is?
37:44Oh, yeah, she's slicing.
37:46And I didn't even have to use the big scary hacksaw.
37:54OK.
37:55Gorgeous.
37:56And in true Jen fashion, there's one tool she trusts above everything else.
38:02Are you annoyed that I've hacked my part of the bed?
38:05If I pre-cut it, so I'm not going backwards and forwards between sticking.
38:10Oh!
38:10Like Raph and Christmas presents.
38:15I'm so lucky to not have to be in halls of residence with people,
38:19like, 15 years younger than me or in a shared house.
38:22Instead, I get to come back to my lovely gaffer-taped bed.
38:27With uni accommodation in central Birmingham known for its price tag,
38:32Jen's saving herself a pretty penny.
38:34At the moment, my bills, I make my own electricity off the alternator and the solar panel, so I don't
38:41pay for that.
38:42And then I get one gas bottle about every two months, and that's £35.
38:48So, all in all, I'm paying about £17.50 a month.
38:54Yes.
38:57Hacked and gaffered.
38:59Oh, look how smooth she is.
39:00Yes.
39:01With no shortage of creative solutions, Jen's ready for her life as a mature student to begin.
39:09Perfect.
39:12Yay, we did it!
39:13We did it!
39:16Almost.
39:25In Lincolnshire...
39:26Right, we'll get life jackets on, we're going to go on Tidal.
39:29Come to Rini.
39:30Josh and Hayley are preparing the kids for today's journey down the Tidal River Trent to Newark.
39:36I want a whistle.
39:37You got a whistle?
39:38Yeah, you got a whistle.
39:39That's the best bit, isn't it, the whistle?
39:41To get onto the Trent, they need to go through Torxey Lock.
39:45Try and get in without bumping that.
39:47This tidal lock holds back water from flooding Lincoln.
39:50But today, there's a problem.
39:53There's a bunch of debris the other side of the lock gate, so there's trees, branches, logs.
39:59Debris can cause damage to the hull and block the propeller of the boat.
40:04I said I'd try and avoid it, and they said you might not be able to, so we'll see.
40:09It wouldn't be right as I'm coming onto the tidal that I'd get this again.
40:13As a relatively inexperienced boater, this is only Josh's second time on a tidal river.
40:19So we're literally just edging forward and trying to nudge it out of the way.
40:25And if the debris wasn't enough to deal with...
40:28That gust of wind just took the bow to the left side.
40:35Look at that!
40:37Whoever comes out of there next is going to have an interesting one.
40:44Safely on the River Trent, they made it through without incident.
40:47It would have slowed us right the way down, so I'm glad it's gone.
40:51I also don't want to get into a situation where I've got to slow down.
40:56It's a powerful river, and I don't want to ever really stop on it.
41:00For me, I just want to go straight through.
41:04As they continue their journey to Newark, below deck, Hayley and the kids are preparing to make some sculptures.
41:12So we're going to make some Play-Doh.
41:16Right, what colour Play-Doh do we want, guys?
41:19Can we have a rainbow?
41:21What, different ones, yeah?
41:22Yeah.
41:23OK, another one.
41:24It doesn't matter. Flower's easy to get up.
41:27And with Hayley currently five months pregnant, being constantly on the move is not without its problems.
41:34Moving across different counties has been quite difficult with trying to book in for the antenatal clinic.
41:40I'm having to re-register everywhere I go.
41:43And a few issues where they're like, oh, well, if you're moving every two weeks, we can't see you.
41:47So it's quite stressful wondering whether there's going to be problems every time we move
41:52and whether I'm going to have to fill out ten pages of paperwork each time.
41:56Right, if you sit at the table, I'm going to start bringing this over.
42:00But while the sculptures get underway...
42:04I just didn't sound healthy.
42:06Above deck, there's a problem.
42:08We've got a rattling noise from the engine bay.
42:11I don't know whether it's the prop or the gearbox, but something is making some horrible noises.
42:18Please don't brake on me.
42:20I think it may be gearbox.
42:23A gearbox issue could be costly, and engine troubles on a tidal river come with other complications.
42:32Where do I stop?
42:36There are no nearby mooring points, and the strong current and steep sandbanks mean Josh is at a high risk
42:43of running aground if he stops.
42:46So, I've just had a thought, if we rev the boat in neutral, then it won't spin the prop, which
42:53will prove that whatever is making that noise is spinning with the prop.
42:57So, we'll give it a shot.
43:01OK, so it may not be gearbox related.
43:05Something wrapped around the prop would be less of an issue, and thankfully, there's some more good luck.
43:12So, I've just, for a second there, put it into neutral, and then I pulled it into reverse, and then
43:17it just seemed to throw whatever was on the prop off, and now there's no noise.
43:25Oh man, I can't, I can't explain how happy I am now, honestly.
43:32And with the sculpture making downstairs also a success, Darth Vader finally pulls into Newark.
43:41I'm happy we're here, I'm happy we made it. I'm just tired and hungry.
43:45Long journey, I'm glad we're here now.
43:48Let me tie on down here.
43:49I can't reach, my bump's in the way and I'm too short.
43:51Yeah, it's alright.
43:52But, with a long adventure still ahead of them, for now, the family can spend some well-earned time off
43:58the boat.
43:58Let's go to the park, kids.
43:59Yeah, come on in, guys.
44:00Yeah, it's right.
44:05Next time, Tom embraces his inner pirate.
44:09Hi there.
44:10As he cooks up a treat.
44:11Step two, add water to pot noodle.
44:14Jen brings in sweeping changes.
44:16I've broken the brim, haven't I?
44:19And starts up a podcast.
44:20Do you remember what I was wearing when we first met?
44:23A tutu.
44:25While Josh watches Darth Vader take flight.
44:30It's almost surreal seeing it, like, just floating right now.
44:34We'll see you then.
44:35Come back.
44:48Check it out.
44:49Let's go.
44:50Hi.
44:54Hi.
45:00Hello.
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