How to use the online timer
Stay beside the narrowboat and use the next two minutes and fifteen seconds to fold its wet canopy while watching for water trapped in the creases. On a British canal towpath, there may be little clean, dry ground, so bring each section towards you rather than laying the whole cover down. Keep buckles and cords clear of the fold as you work.
With both hands on damp fabric, a phone may be visible but untouched beside the hatch. If its screen goes dark before the countdown ends, leave it alone and continue folding at the same steady pace; the alert should still sound when time is up. Keeping the handset nearby also means you can hear it over passing boats, birds and water against the hull without interrupting the job to wake the display.
Remain with the canopy during warm weather, because heat can make exposed sections dry while shaded folds stay wet. Open any clammy pocket you notice, shake off beads of water, and fold it loosely enough for air to reach the inner surface later. If sunshine has warmed the dark material, check that straps have not become buried beneath softened, awkward folds before securing the bundle.
Common questions
What might make folding the wet narrowboat canopy take longer than the allotted time?
Water pooled in seams, tangled straps or a muddy towpath can slow the fold. Keep the canopy aboard where possible and finish carefully after the alert rather than trapping wet sections inside.
What if the narrowboat canopy is folded before the countdown finishes?
Use the remaining moments to check for damp creases and loose cords. In warm British weather, a section facing the sun may feel dry while the underside still holds moisture.
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