Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast

Recorded about a week ago when the ice was over an inch thick, I had a chance to take a breather from filming the next series and pick up where I left off on the previous podcast episode, reviewing the most recently broadcast season of Canal Boat Diaries. You’ll hear me talk about tricky water pumps, retying boats moored between locks and being mistaken for a poacher. This episode is dedicate...

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of Episode 8 of Canal Boat Diaries, Season 6, recounting my past journey from northwest to east London. Did I think we really captured what it’s like to be a continuous cruiser in London? What challenges did I come across? And how did the old working boat families actually have space to er... have a family?!  Don’t forget, you can watch Canal...

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of Episode 7 of Canal Boat Diaries, Series 6, traveling from Weybridge to Stonebridge Park. Joining me is my Dad, who brings along his legendary apple cake. We tackle the Hanwell flight and experience vibrant Diwali celebrations in Southall, where fireworks light up the night sky. I also share a wild story of rescuing a woman trapped in the canal. Don’...

In this episode, I dive into the wild ride of filming Series 6, Episode 6 on the Basingstoke Canal, where I nearly threw in the towel thanks to relentless weed, a cracked rib, and a bridge disaster. You’ll also hear from my mate Jamie, whose help and positivity saved the day! Don’t forget, you can watch Canal Boat Diaries, Series 6 on the U&Yesterday channel and on the&nbsp...

In this episode, I chat about being featured on Channel 4's Gogglebox over the weekend, with celebs throwing shade at my canal boat life and the behind-the-scenes of getting on the show. I also talk about the need to be thick skinned and how I’ve learnt not take harsh feedback to heart. Plus, I reveal which Gogglebox celebrities I’d trust to take the tiller of my Naughty Lass. Canal Boat Diaries,...

In episode 5 of Canal Boat Diaries series 6 you see me fall in, you see me meet Timothy Spall, and you see me struggle with a mystery battery problem. What you don’t see on camera is how the Naughty Lass could have burnt down, the real reason for the drain on my batteries and a licensing loophole that I discover only after spending hundreds of pounds on temporary visitor permits on the River Thame...

In this episode, you'll hear about my misty morning start, navigating the challenges of drone filming in fog, my nomadic life on the move and a near-miss with rowers on the River Weaver. Canal Boat Diaries, Series 6 is broadcasting each Monday and Tuesday on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app which currently hosts all...

Behind the scenes on episode 3 - Oxford to Reading. In this podcast episode, you'll hear how I spruce up the Naughty Lass with new bespoke windows, chat about growing up on a garden centre weeding for pocket money, breaking my sink off camera and some rock and roll history including Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and George Michael! Canal Boat Diaries, Series 6 is broadcasting each Monday and Tuesday...

Believe it or not the making of Canal Boat Diaries draws its ins from many different other genres of filmmaking. Not only the personal self-shot vlogging style taken from my YouTube videos, but also skate videos from the 90s and a fledgling stand up comedy career! You’ll even find out where the phrase ‘let’s crank it’ came from and I tell a funny story from my Pub of the Week in Oxford. This podca...

Here we go again! Ever wondered how Canal Boat Diaries is made? What really happens behind the scenes? Or simply why British people complain about it being too hot when it’s only 26/79°F?! In this episode, I will answer all those questions and more, as I provide a sort of director’s commentary retracing our journey from Napton Junction to Aynho Wharf. Canal Boat Diaries, Series 6 is broadcasting e...

Hop aboard for a cruise down the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with myself and the canal geek genius producer behind Canal Boat Diaries, Stuart Woodman. With over 30 years in telly, producer Stu and I enjoy a bit of barge banter and spill the beans on our one-of-a-kind reality/history/travel show. We talk about working without a script, how we plan the journeys, how long it takes to film...

Imagine gliding through Braunston Tunnel, a 2,042-yard passage dug in 1796. Your narrowboat’s light flickers on damp, iron-streaked walls. In this episode, I’ll take you inside this marvel—4.8 meters wide, 3.76 meters high, with a slight S-bend from shifting soil and three air shafts. It’s just wide enough for two 7-foot boats to pass. Heading north after filming series six of Canal Boat Diaries,...

I’m taking you through Cosgrove Lock on the Grand Union Canal—engine humming, lock gates creaking, water rushing as I work the paddles. It’s a sunny spring day, cherry blossoms are out, and after a long, muddy winter, I’m finally moving. Simon, a continuous cruiser, lends a hand and we chat about why days like this—calm, bright—make it all worthwhile. It’s real-time canal life: the windlass clanks...

It’s not all roses and castles as they say! This is a whole side of boating that I don’t think I’ve ever talked about. River rage – disagreements and arguments that often occur when waterways users lose their cool after a long day living the good life!  A boater’s £4,000 fine for disrupting a rowing regatta was the subject of a radio phone in that I took part in recently. So, in this epi...

What’s it really like living on a canal boat during winter? In this episode, I share the ups and downs of winter life on the water – the cold, the shorter days, and the isolation that come with it. As someone who’s spent a lot of time navigating through it, I give you a behind-the-scenes look at balancing the tough side of winter with the unexpected rewards. From keeping the fire burning to embrac...

In this episode, I talk about what life on a narrowboat in London is really like – the good, the bad, and everything in between. With over ten years of experience living on the water, I share some of my personal stories from when I first started out, including the surprises and challenges that came with it. I’ll take you through what it’s like managing life on the canals in London, from navigating...

In this Christmas special, I share what Christmas truly means to me, from family traditions to the reality of spending Christmas on a boat. I also give a sneak peek into 2025, with exciting things coming up, like more live shows, writing a book, and season 6 of Canal Boat Diaries, featuring more adventures and canals to explore. Throughout the episode, I answer listener questions about life on the...

In this episode, I take a break from filming Canal Boat Diaries series 6 to dip my toes into anissue that impacts millions of people and yet remains a delicate and very personal subject. Living on the water certainly offers a slower pace of life and a chance to reflect on life, but it’snot easy and can be very challenging&n...

Aside from making Canal Boat Diaries for TV, I am also on tour with my live show – Canal Boat Stories. It’s mostly just me sharing photos, videos and stories about my travels, with a bit of music and also a Q&A. With an audience of around 200 people, I enjoy answering questions, but this time there were so many I ran&nb...

What’s it really like filming Canal Boat Diaries? Summer edition! From the set of Canal Boat Diaries (er, well my narrowboat) I bring you some extra special behind the scenes content. Anxiety about public scrutiny and the inevitable loss of privacy are points I cover, as well as baffling other boaters and how long it really...

My dad, Richard, joins me for this episode, where we reminisce about our adventures on the water. From his globetrotting career in high-tech horticulture to earning his yacht master qualification, we recount memorable boating trips, including a hilarious mishap on the Kennet and Avon Canal and a nerve-wracking journey down the tidal River Trent.  We als...

Here’s a bit more behind the scenes info from episode 9 of Canal Boat Diaries season 5. I journey from Bugbrooke to Milton Keynes in this episode along the historic Grand Union Canal. I share the practicalities of life aboard and discuss (perhaps in a bit too much depth!) how an efficient water filtration system can make all the difference.  I’ll guide you through the historical Blisworth Tun...

I'm taking you behind the scenes of episode eight, series five of Canal Boat Diaries, which you can stream now on UKTV Play as I journey from Coventry to Weedon Bec. In this episode, I explore Coventry's musical heritage and how the Specials and ska-punk bands like Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish have influenced my musical journey. As a musician living on the waterways, recording music aboard a c...

I'm continuing to take you behind the scenes of Canal Boat Diaries, Series 5 which is now available to watch on Yesterday and stream on UKTV Play. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of episode seven as I dive into the rich history of the Ashby Canal, uncovering its 22-mile stretch built in 1804 and the exciting ongoing restoration efforts. I also talk about one of my favourite times of the y...

I continue to take you behind the scenes of Canal Boat Diaries, Series 5. In this episode, I navigate from Great Bar to Atherstone, sharing a journey full of unexpected twists and realities of canal boating. From the frustration of getting wedged between locks and battling a wrapped propeller to the less glamorous parts of canal life, such as toilet troubles and leaking lock gates, I share the raw...