Before heading off into the traditional mayhem of a British Bank Holiday weekend, put your feet up and have a read about our winter stoppage plans, how we can help you if you're having difficulties and head of boating, Mike Grimes's take on a busy summer.
Welcome to the last edition of this year’s summer. Meteorologically speaking, next Thursday sees the start of autumn and, going on the anecdotal feedback I’ve had from boaters, it’s been, by and large, a good summer for boating.
The weather hasn’t always been kind (and for some of us it isn’t set to be this coming Bank Holiday weekend). In his monthly column below, Mike Grimes, head of boating, reflects on some of the more noteworthy news of the summer. As always though, I’m interested in how it’s been for you so please do drop me a line to let me know whether your summer has been sublimely soothing or stubbornly stressful.
If there’s a particular topic you’d like to see in a future edition, or a regular feature you think will be useful, then please get in touch. In the meantime, click on the links below to jump to the article of your choice:
Happy boating,
Damian
Since the last edition you may have heard, or seen, that:
And if you’re wondering what you can enjoy on or by a canal this this Bank Holiday weekend then you might be interested in:
Of course, there are plenty of other activities and volunteering opportunities around the network so please visit the events section of the website to find the perfect one for you.
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As mentioned in the intro, we’re less than a week away from autumn so what better way to look forward to Christmas (can you believe Selfridges is already selling Christmas decorations?!?) than to start your planning for winter cruising.
As regular boaters will know we work year-round to keep the waterways open for navigation. That said, we do try to concentrate most of the bigger jobs into the winter period when they are likely to affect fewer boaters – some winter boats in marinas, some continuous cruisers take up winter moorings and so on.
The hardier among you generally only stop cruising when the ice gets too thick (and don’t have an ice-breaking bow!). So, when putting together our plans for the ‘big jobs’ we try to take into account as much of your preferences, opinion and knowledge as we can.
I won’t intricately detail each minor step but, in general terms, we’ve gone through a lengthy consultation process:
As the last point in the list states, we’ve now got the final plan up on the website. So if you’re planning on some cold-weather cruising, check out the plans to make sure you know what will be happening in your area.
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As the summer holiday cruising season draws to a close, Mike Grimes reflects on a busy, but fulfilling, period for the Trust’s waterways.
“My job, along with many colleagues’, is focussed on one of the most calming and soothing activities known to man or woman. Ironically, we sometimes have to work fervently to keep it that way!
“I thought, as we move into a different season, you’d be interested in just a small section (you’d be nodding off if I listed everything) of the work we’ve been doing, or involved in, over the last three months – some more fervently than others…
“For me, the busy summer really got into full swing at Crick Boat Show. I got to speak with a good number of the record crowds that the show attracted. In the North West, early summer was spent dealing with the effects of a wild winter as engineers laid the foundations for a new Elland Bridge and subsequently reopened the canal after the Boxing Day floods.
“Meanwhile, down on the Staffs & Worcs, the £1million dredging project was making good progress as shown in this video. Early July, colleagues in the South East who’d been working with the Wendover Arm Trust, announced a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to further develop plans to continue restoration.
“A few days later, news of a £159,000 maintenance project on our most southerly canal, the Bridgwater & Taunton was released. This type of planned maintenance gives us the opportunity to pre-warn boaters of potential disruption and is typical of the work that we spent £128million (an 8% increase) on in 2015/16 as detailed in our Annual Report which was published in late July.
“Then, as we moved into the final month of summer, one of those ‘fervent’, and unexpected, tasks came up. In order to keep a vital lock, on a very popular part of the network linking the north and south, operational the local team carried out emergency repairs through the night and reopened the canal as the sun rose.
“Even though the projects and work mentioned above are diverse, they really do only scratch the surface of what’s been happening this summer. As we move into autumn the planning to do it all again, but better, begins. Happy boating.”
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In another contribution from the boating team, welfare officer Sean Williams talks about the work he’s been doing to help boaters in difficulty.
“More and more people are choosing to make their homes on water according to our latest boaters’ survey, with 39% of respondents describing their boat as their primary or secondary home, up from just under a third in 2014.
“With that in mind we want to make sure that boaters who are in need of support are able to get the help they need to enable them stay on the water. This blog covers some of the help that we’re able to provide if you, or someone you know, is struggling.
“I started as the Trust’s first welfare officer in 2014 to help staff work with boaters in need of more support as well as linking with the organisations that can provide practical help: places like the Citizens Advice Bureau, mental health charities and the waterway chaplains.
“In the last 18 months I’ve supported over 189 cases of boaters in need of specialist help, and the team has made over 1,000 adjustments to help people who have run into short-term trouble. I’ve recently blogged about my role where, if you’re interested, you can read some anonymised case studies.
“It’s been very rewarding helping these boaters and we’ve had some great feedback.
“Ultimately, don’t be afraid to ask for help, it’s what we are here for. If you are a boater and feel like you may need help, please get in touch with us – you can find your local contact’s details on this map. If you prefer, contact customer services on 0303 040 4040.
“We welcome any ideas about organisations we should be speaking to or suggestions on how we can work to support boaters. So, if you have an idea or suggestion please send them over to me.”
Thanks Sean!
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While we work hard to protect the 200+ year old network of canals and rivers – check out our plans for this winter - and keep them in tip-top condition, it’s not always possible. The list below is what we already know will affect cruising over the coming weekend. This list highlights those instances where, for one reason or another, cruising won’t be possible.
When any restrictions to navigation happen we get them up on to our website as soon as we can – always best to have a scan before you set off for a cruise.
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Happy boating!
Damian
Last date edited: 26 August 2016
Think of this blog as your one-stop shop for up-to-date boating news. It's packed full of useful information about boating on canals and rivers as well important safety announcements and upcoming events.
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