Inland Waterways

Campaign group Fund Britain’s Waterways has announced it is planning a weekend of action over the UK’s May Day holiday weekend from 4-6 May 2024. The aim of the weekend’s activities is to raise awareness of the current challenges facing Britain’s canals and rivers.

The group, which was launched in June 2023, has created a coalition of over 100 member organisations, representing hundreds of thousands of users and supporters of inland waterways. A public petition has astonishingly attracted nearly 50,000 signatures.

The group has organised three campaign cruises which will take place in Birmingham, Gloucester, Continue reading “Fund Britain’s Waterways announces weekend of action to raise awareness”

In my work as a marine engineer at Tooley’s boatyard in Banbury, I see many different mechanical issues throughout the year, but during 2023 we have been seeing a massive increase in diesel fuel related breakdowns due to sticky diesel.  At present, we have four boats requiring attention because of fuel issues. This is not ‘diesel bug’ but something else entirely.  With this particular sticky diesel scenario, the fuel goes dark, smells different and leaves sticky tar-like deposits in the fuel system. Continue reading “Sticky diesel is causing multiple fuel problems on the UK inland waterways”

The Boater Report 2023 summarises the work undertaken to keep the canal network open and available for navigation and sets out how the Canal & River Trust (CRT) generates the income needed to support boating and the wider use of the waterways.

Covering the period from April 2022 to March 2023, The Boater Report 2023 illustrates how navigation is the core of the CRTs day-to-day spending and objectives. A link to the Report will be included with new boat licences and boat licence renewals.

In a challenging year which illustrated the vulnerability of the ageing canal network and its exposure to extreme and more frequent weather events brought about by climate change, Continue reading “Boater Report 2023 by published by CRT”

River Canal Rescue (RCR) is calling upon boaters to be aware of the fire risks on their vessels, after finding more and more cases of poor electrical wiring, including under-sized wiring, overloaded circuits, and sub-standard connections and cable routing, which can rapidly turn into a loom meltdown or a fire.

Managing director Stephanie Horton says with BSS certification failing many boaters, RCR is having to report regularly on boats that are dangerous or at risk.

If you are leaving your vessel for a period of time, it’s important to isolate the batteries and disconnect your shore power if you have it. Continue reading “Fire safety warning issued by RCR”