Virtual discussion

I WRITE this at the start of lockdown 2 with some frustration as cold, crisp, sunny days are my favourite days for a cruise. The Canal & River Trust’s towpath advice this time seems to strike the right balance, respecting the concerns of both towpath users and boats moored.

However their advice for other users is a little more confusing. Non-liveaboard canal boat owners wanting to go out for a day’s cruise are prohibited from doing so. Yet according to the British Canoe Association, canoeists and paddle boarders are free to use the canals as a result of an agreement with the waterways authorities, as indeed are fishermen.

Every activity linked to the canals is apparently permitted by CRT save from boating. There should, in my view, be one simple rule either banning or allowing navigation. Whatever your circumstances I hope you stay safe.

Social media over the last few months has been full of rubbish – not just overflowing CRT bins but worse, the increasing amount of refuse and litter that has been discarded along the towpath. Unfortunately the majority of it appears to be boater related.

It’s not unusual any longer in a day’s cruise to see abandoned boat fittings, engine oil containers, even old toilet cassettes as well as general household waste. We shouldn’t rely on CRT and volunteers to clear up after us. Presumably if you have little respect for the environment around you, it’s also the case you have little respect for the locks and related infrastructure.

CRT seems keen to tighten up its terms and conditions yet I can see nothing in the current consultation that penalises or drives changes in behaviour for those that substantially pollute or litter or indeed overstay on water points or lock landings. These things worry boaters more than CRT’s attempt to decide whether a boat from a marina is on a genuine cruise or not.

NABO held a virtual AGM on November 14, which included a long discussion on concerns raised by members and NABO’s Council on the proposed changes to the terms and conditions. Some of these were allayed by a detailed discussion with CRT’s head of boating; however, some serious concerns remain.

In particular NABO asked our legal advisers to comment on the proposed changes that would affect boaters with a home mooring who are required to go on a ‘genuine’ cruise although this is not defined. Their advice confirms our concern viz: “This change appears to be another attempt to extend powers beyond the 1995 Act. There is no authority in the 1995 Act for CRT to decide how a boat must travel in order to comply with the requirement to be used for proper navigation. The requirement is simply as per s17 (3) (c) (ii) of the 1995 Act – the boat must not have remained continuously in one place for more than 14 days, unless reasonable in the particular circumstances.

“We would recommend that this proposed amendment is strongly disagreed with, this appears to be the CRT seeking to extend powers beyond the original meaning of the 1995 Act again to assist its own agenda.”

There is also yet another consultation on London congestion. I guess CRT is not seeking advice on where to add extra moorings and facilities, rather seeking ideas on how to reduce the number of boats in the London area. One assumes CRT already knows what this might look like seeing as an email, which has already been sent, refers to mooring zones being introduced in the summer.

A good start would be to find out what boaters in the London area want, the reality is that the majority of this largely transient population want to remain roughly in this area. The challenge is to accommodate this need while allowing space for visiting boaters. Perhaps what’s needed along with short stay and normal 14-day moorings is long-stay temporary moorings.

If we can have three-month winter moorings why not all-year-round three-month moorings with no return within three months. Bookable and chargeable at winter mooring rates which pays for a local mooring warden. Just introducing some form of congestion charge is unlikely to solve the problem, just creating another enforcement nightmare.

As ever your comments are welcome: mark.tizard@nabo. org.uk