I passed this on the highway the other day (my daughter took the photo). While it is an ordinary sight around here, it occurred to me that most people might not have seen one or know when/how it’s used.
This is an absolute giveaway of where I live. What ordinary things are a sign of where you live that a visitor might be surprised by or particularly appreciate?
It’s a Air Boat…goes on water,…they use them in the amazon rainforest,I believe…or wherever.
Is it one of those swamp boat things that I don’t know the name of? 
Clearly a hair drier!
For a big head!
I think the same as you Harbal, it looks very like the engine thingy on the Air boat we had on an alligator trip in the swamps in Florida.
Swampster? 
Seen them in a lot of films. Usually on the Everglades 
Lots of these.
There is also a marina in Keynsham, with links to the River Avon. Lots of houseboats moored here.
We don’t have any billboards in our rural area but my neighbouring farmers find their own attention grabbing ways of advertising their produce! 
Gator thumper 
Yes, it is an airboat. They are especially suited for our marsh and swamplands that would otherwise get tangled up in motor propellers, rudders, and the like.
Too funny! 
Excellent and very appealing! I have never seen one of these before. Are most used as personal watercraft, rentals, or houseboats? I hope those never go out of fashion. Just lovely.
Those are great, Boot! I have never seen bale wraps like these. Maybe I need to import a few and make a few dollars 
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There have been an occasional bump of a boat with a gator. That is a fight I would not want to enter.
They are used as mix. The beauty of them as houseboats is you can move from place to place if you get fed up in one place.
This link gives you more info
I am sure glad these were repurposed. They really are gems. Thanks for the link. Narrowboats - something new to that jumble of unusual knowledge in my head. Good stuff!
There are a lot being used as house boats on the river Avon near where I live. Some look quite cosy with their log burners. A lot have solar panels fitted as well. 
Narrowboats can be very cosy in Winter, when the solid fuel stove is lit - we have spent a few Christmases on ours - we don’t travel far in Winter, though, it stays moored up at an old Wharf - we usually spend Spring and Autumn travelling on the canals and linked rivers in England and Wales.
It’s a very stress-free way to travel and incorporates lots of lovely countryside plus some interesting industrial heritage.
They do look cosy. Easy way to get around to places which otherwise may be inaccessible.
Haven’t been on a narrow boat, but have done the Broads a few years back. Nice and relaxing
I “follow” a few narrowboat channels on Youtube I find it quite interesting though it would not suit me, travelling at an average of about 1.5mph and dealing with getting through locks would drive me up the wall.
Holly the Cafe Boat or Cruising the Cut are a couple of narrowboat Youtube channels I enjoy.
As for the topic…
Bloody obvious really
That’s quite a treasure, Boot! I know you must thoroughly enjoy your time on her, whether moored or leisurely making your way through the canals. I hope you are taking some pride retaining your history and culture bye keeping her in such good shape… Well done! How much work do you have to spend on it to keep it in such good shape?
That is one big rat, Bruce! You all probably laugh at us for taking such pleasure in them. Deer populations are up here and it’s not unusual to have one cross the road, but I always slow down immediately because if there is one, there’s going to be more. The same with kangaroos?
Realspeed, thanks for the video. Is this a special event or is this an ordinary gathering?
You don’t see so many historic working narrow boats left now - the original ones were constructed from wood and those must take a lot of tender loving care to maintain. Some of the finest examples of the traditional old working narrow boats travel around to boat festivals and are also used for educational school visits etc
Many of the narrowboats seen on the canals these days are more modern and were built as leisure craft, either for the holiday rental companies or custom made for private clients.
My partner built and fitted out his own boat, the one in the picture, over 30 years ago. He bought a paper plan and some sheet steel to make the hull, then fitted it out as a family holiday boat.
He’s refitted it with a more modern kitchen and bathroom since then and he is always tweaking bits and pieces.
He likes fiddling with engines and boats, so it’s all part of the rest and relaxation time for him!
And I love polishing brass, which is rather fortunate, because there’s a lot of it, inside and out!
The part of the maintenance that feels most like work is when it needs re-painting and when we have to take it out of the water in a dry dock every few years, to remove all the rust and treat the steel sides that sit in the water.
