In praise of the coal boats
Mark Tizard, general secretary of the National Association of Boat Owners (NABO), comments on some more topical issues.
IT WAS difficult to know what to write this month. In such a fast-moving pandemic I wasn’t even sure that the paper would be published, let alone read and I’m conscious that whatever I write is probably out of date by the time you read it.
As a boater of some 35 years’ experience I have never known a situation where coal boats have been so essential. While all around them movements grind to a halt and marinas close as the pandemic tightens its grip, it’s the coal boats who keep the system going.
These boats have always been the eyes and ears of the waterways, initially reporting infrastructure faults and dredging issues to the Canal & River Trust. Now in the current pandemic they are also able to identify vulnerable boaters and I know several of them have continued to supply even though some of their customers have suddenly found themselves unable to pay.
Boaters remain a community and it’s pleasing to see that several customers, myself included, have contacted their local coal boat and prepaid a bag of coal or a bottle of gas to be given to a boater in need at their discretion. If you are able to, please consider doing this while the crisis continues.
In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of liveaboard boats, the majority without a home mooring. Most of these are now reliant on the coal boats now the vast majority of marinas have closed. I sincerely hope that these boaters will remember those traders that supported them once the emergency passes.
There have been moves in recent years to close towpath facilities and move them into marinas (Fazeley comes to mind). With many of the marinas temporarily closed it demonstrates just how important it is for CRT to continue to provide these facilities on the towpath.
NABO was approached by several members wanting to know our views on a possible licence rebate as they were unable to use their boat. After much debate among NABO Council members we responded as follows:
“We have discussed this recently among council members in the light of CRT’s recent announcement of a threemonth licence rebate for the licensed trading boats.
“After the initial panic where we saw CRT issuing multiple press releases with mixed messages, we feel they have subsequently been proactive and have been managing this fast-moving situation well.
“We take on board that leisure boaters are likely to be prohibited from using their boats for a period of three months, while in the majority of cases being required to pay for moorings and other ongoing costs.
“However after the Toddbrook reservoir disaster and subsequent winter storms, CRT is already financially stretched and the majority of its investments are linked to industrial property which is also likely to be adversely affected by the current emergency. Finances are likely to be very tight for CRT as well as many
of its boating customers. With the above in mind, our view is that CRT should continue to require boats to be licensed and boaters to pay as they currently do. However NABO strongly supports CRT’s declared intention to be flexible with payments for boaters in financial difficulties as a result of the current crisis.”
This was confirmed in an email recently from Matthew Symonds, head of boating. “We have finalised a process that our licence support officers can use to support boaters who may be facing financial difficulties at this time. We’re asking boaters in this position to contact us to discuss how we can help them. Support may include deferred payments, payment plans and help identifying support from Government schemes or other sources.
“Should the boating lockdown continue beyond three months we will certainly review this.”
We will certainly be supporting CRT in any request to Government for financial support.
Lastly, a point for CRT to consider asking boaters to print a ‘keep off the towpath’ poster consisting of a bright blue sheet with a few white words may look pretty and corporate; if it was a white sheet with a few blue words it would be dramatically cheaper and easier for boaters to print, if they had a printer.