Boater seeks reimbursement from Canal & River Trust for sandbank rescue

WITH reference to the letter ‘Stranded on a sandbank’ (Talkback, Issue 177, July), on June 17 I had the misfortune to travel through Stoke Lock and was not warned by the lock keeper about the sandbank.

Even less fortunate, there were not three burly men to pull me off the sandbank. A passing narrowboat did try, unsuccessfully. Thanks for trying.

River Canal Rescue was brilliant at winching me off – I cannot fault their service. It cost me £350.

I had been advised by Canal & River Trust staff at Holme Lock of the sandbank and told to pass it on the right. This I did but unfortunately the fresh water coming over the weir pushed me on to the sandbank. The advice should have been to go to the left to avoid it.

The Canal & River Trust said that they could not help me as they had no resources.

This begs a few questions:

• Why was the sandbank not buoyed in the three weeks since Roger and Colette’s experience – let alone since the floods in February?

• Why was the sandbank not dredged since the floods?

• If the Canal & River Trust is not responsible for the safety of its waterways, who is?

• Why doesn’t the Government subsidise canals and rivers in the same way as it does roads and railways, so that CRT does have the resources – particularly to protect those wanting a holiday on the network this year? Ray Faulkner By email Editor’s note: Mr Faulkner has since formally asked CRT to escalate his complaint to national level and refund the £350 cost he has incurred. His complaint is threefold:

“No dredging took place this spring when gravel banks are known to build up after floods – it happens almost every year and you must have been aware of this. Continuous cruisers were told that they must move in early June so boat movements were required and staff should have been taken off furlough to deal with problems.

“I was given wrong advice by CRT staff and ended up on the gravel bank at Stoke Lock. I had to pay £350 to solve a dangerous and potentially lifethreatening situation.

“You knew of the danger in early June as another boat had become stranded, yet you did nothing until after July 18 to either dredge or buoy the sandbank.

“I would also say that I think you are taking health and safety on the waterways lightly, and ‘a needs based schedule of reactive dredging’ demonstrates this as it was not pursued for six weeks following the previous grounding.”