The new procedures mean that up to six boats can travel each way along the Pier Head Canal Link every day except Tuesdays. This gives boaters more flexibility over arrival and departure days into Salthouse Dock, compared with the old system which had designated ‘in' and ‘out' days.
The new Liverpool Canal Link booking process has been trialled since August 2015 and was voted a winner by boaters using the new service. This flexible booking system will now be replicated for the 2016 boating season which begins on March 21.
One of the advantages of the new system is that boaters can now cruise straight to the end of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at the Eldonian Village without needing to book a passage from Aintree.
A huge step forward
This means that during popular times, such as the Mersey River Festival in June, boaters have the alternative of mooring on the main line of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to access the city centre attractions about a mile away.
With only 45 Liverpool Waterfront visitor berths available in Salthouse Docks, this will mean many more boaters will be able to enjoy the city, adding vibrancy to the canal through Sefton and North Liverpool.
Steve Bergquist, customer operations manager with the Canal & River Trust, explained: “This new arrangement is a huge step forward and it's great that in the canal's bicentenary year, many more boaters will be able to enjoy the fantastic facilities on offer in this amazing city.”
