Advertise on podcast: 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 dedicated to the memory of Emma Bird of BWFuels who I met to chat about her work and life on the Grand Union canal. You can watch Canal Boat Diaries on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app, as well as all of my narrowboat voyage logs on YouTube, just search Robbie + Canal. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 Boat Diaries, Series 6 on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app which currently hosts all episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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’t forget, you can watch Canal Boat Diaries, Series 6 on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app which currently hosts all episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 free U app which currently hosts all episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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, Series 6 is broadcasting each Monday and Tuesday on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app which currently hosts all episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 Thames.  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 episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app which currently hosts all episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 podcast is packed full as we delve into the making of season six episode two, from Ayno Wharf on the Oxford Canal to Bablock Hythe on the upper Thames. Canal Boat Diaries series six is broadcasting each Monday and Tuesday on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app which currently hosts all episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 each Monday and Tuesday on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app which currently hosts all episodes from series one onwards. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 an episode and loads more. We also share a few moments from the sixth series (no spoilers don’t worry) which starts on the U&Yesterday channel and U app from the 19th May. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 contend with engine noises and spider webs, finding an eerie calm in the tunnel’s hidden story. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 and the boat steadies. No polish, just the water, the quirks, it’s a raw slice of the cut. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 episode I share some true stories of my own experiences from the rivers Thames, Weaver and Ouse. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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 embracing the quiet of winter moorings, I share the little things that make this season special – like wildlife sightings, the beauty of the landscape, and how the solitude can spark creativity. I also talk about the practical side: staying warm, finding the right spots to moor, and how living this way takes both physical effort and mental resilience. Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.