NABO general secretary Peter Braybrook comments on some more topical issues.
I CONFESS: I am not a boater any more. I am still a boat owner, but this year our boat has only moved to turn it round to wash the other side. We planned to cruise the Kennet & Avon this summer as we have never been on that particular canal. I subscribed to Canal & River Trust’s stoppage page, with the filter set to the K&A, and it hasn’t stopped producing stoppage notices. Some of them were for fallen trees that were cleared in a couple of days, but there have been longer stoppages from lock failures. The most serious was the closure of Caen Hill Flight from June 27. It took the trust until July 20 to conduct engineering assessments and get contractors mobilised. It initiated ‘assisted passage for narrowboats’ from July 27; with the expectation that we would not be able to complete our journey, we didn’t set off.
I appreciate that we are now in drought nationally and that many stoppages and restrictions are because there is not enough water. Basically, we are in for a repeat of the conditions we had last year. Last summer, our boat was stuck in Birmingham, about eight days from our home mooring, for more than three months until we were ‘released’ to navigate the Napton and Claydon lock flights in early November. We do not want to repeat that exercise. As I write, there are 23 canals or lock flights on restricted hours or closed because of water shortages.
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This column allows us to comment on current issues that confront boaters. The NABO Council met recently and following it, we expect to circulate to our members brief comment on the meetings and contact that we have had with navigation authorities on their behalf. There are 24 current issues listed. These are not niggles about a broken paddle here or there –they are issues that affect boat owners, impinging on their enjoyment of boating and, in some cases, their way of life. They range from concern about safety on the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to getting the design of Elsan disposal points fit for purpose. In between these, we make comment on the closure of waste disposal sites, planning applications, smoke control areas, engagement with boaters during consultations, the safety signage on tidal rivers and much, much more. We are actively trying to get navigation authorities to treat boat owners as knowledgeable customers who should be listened to. NABO is active in its aim of making boating better.
As drought is declared and hosepipe bans come into force, there is a shout from the press that water companies should have done more to stem the flow millions of litres of drinking water lost from pipes to the surrounding earth. Similarly, there are voices raised asking the trust why leaking gates and paddles were not prioritised in the light of last year’s events and in preparation for this year’s summer activity. The answer in both cases is lack of money. Water companies are stricken with debt, while navigation authorities have reduced grant income from central government.
NABO is active in the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign. This summer, the campaign cruises were fragmented by the unplanned stoppages on the system. The cruise up the River Great Ouse did take place and successfully reached Bedford. It met with several MPs and local dignitaries before joining the Bedford River Festival. But the drought conditions have left some participants wondering whether they will get back to the River Nene via the Middle Level navigation. The planned crossing of the River Mersey could not take place, as reported, because the lock from the river to the docks was closed for repair. Some of the flotilla used the Manchester Ship Canal to access the River Weaver and formed up at the foot of the Anderton Boat Lift, highlighting the financial need to restore this currently closed ‘wonder of the waterways’ to working order. Another group went the other way along the ship canal and into Manchester. Lack of water and more maintenance on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
prevented access to Ribble Link and the Lancaster Canal. Water levels there have been low too.
But back to Elsan disposal points. Well – boaters are always talking about toilets, aren’t they? NABO recognises that the CRT is trying to achieve a design that is easier to standardise and maintain network-wide. Equally, we see this as an opportunity to produce a new, effective, and perhaps innovative facility by continuing to work closely with the people who use it every day. We believe the best outcome will come from maintaining that collaborative approach and ensuring the final design meets both the trust’s operational requirements and boaters’ practical needs. Both NABO and the Accessible Waterways Association are willing to assist in that process. A frost-protected access to foul drainage with a cover and a means of rinsing and flushing should not be too hard, should it?
I hope you are all going to get home safely this autumn. Currently, the bottom is definitely too near the top!
