OK, as promised, let me tell you of our first encounter with real life CRT volunteers.
As many will recall, I have been somewhat forthright in expressing my view that (from my own personal POV, which is based upon our circumstances), they were likely to be (at best) an inconvenience, and at worst a hazard.
Despite my very clear misgivings about the prospect (based on previous experiences with unwanted "helpers" of other sorts), I have done my utmost to approach this with as open a mind as possible. I also chose NOT to discuss the fact that there are volunteers marauding around the system with Mrs M, lest she be unduly influenced by my experience!
We have just returned from a week out, during which we encountered two teams of volunteers. Naturally, I accept that our experience of such volunteers is statistically not a valid representation of the average, but it is a real experience.
I suppose that many here will imagine that when I say that our experience of volunteers was not a positive one, I will be sitting smugly with that look that says "told you so". Nothing could be further from the truth, for it seems inevitable that we are to be stuck with these volunteers tinkering with the workings of the canal, and much as I don't want them I would rather be able to say that they are pointless but harmless than to have to say that they were a hazard.
However, I have to say that they were a hazard.
Our first encounter was last Monday morning, when we arrived at the top of Bosley Locks to be faced with no less than 3 volunteers and their minder (apparently a paid employee).
The very INSTANT the top gates touched together, and long before we were safely clear of the cill, one of the volunteers, without so much as a glance at Bev, was winding a bottom paddle up. Bev shouted at him to stop (and as both of us were at the head of the lock, shouting was the only option), and I went down to the tail of the lock and asked him NOT to touch the paddles without the permission of the steerer. The response was to ask "what's her problem?" I explained that until the steerer was happy then the paddles shouldn't be drawn, and that in actual fact he had started to open a paddle before the boat was in a safe position to avoid being cilled, to which his response was "Anyone would think she was trying to berth the F***ing QEII, rather than have a bit of fun", at which point, I told him that as he viewed having a bit of fun as more important than safe operation of the lock his further assistance was distinctly unwelcome.
At this point the minder came over and said that "we have to understand" that they are volunteers and that they aren't yet fully trained, and that if we don't want them to help we only have to ask.
Sorry, but we don't "have to understand" anything. If they aren't trained, please don't assume that my boat is available for them to practice on. I shouldn't have to ask them not to help, they should be told that they must ask before helping, and I certainly don't think that it is at all acceptable for them to swear at boaters, when they have been told by the boater not to do something that is unsafe.
I have made a formal complaint to C&RT about the conduct of the volunteers.
Looking at it, why on EARTH would they put volunteers on the top lock at Bosley?
It isn't a difficult lock, it has no major traffic management issues, and it isn't the first lock that rookies encounter on a regular basis.
Had they been deployed at the BOTTOM lock, which is the first lock hirers encounter, then it might have made some sense (and on that day it would have made a lot of sense, because a broken paddle at lock 9 meant that uphill boats were bunching up 2 to a pound in the short pounds at the bottom, and somebody on the ground could have usefully controlled traffic coming up the flight).
Had they been deployed at lock 4, they could have removed the padlock from the sidepond paddle, and shown those who don't know how it works how it works or watched on as those who do know how it works used it.
But of course the brew room and toilets are at the top lock, so the volunteers are deployed where they can have a fun day out rather than where they might possibly be useful.
The second encounter was on Friday at Bridge 48 on the Macc, which is the manual swing bridge (the one that has been permanently open for donkeys years but is now back in action) upstream of Oakgrove.
Several boats were going through, and as we approached, we could see the volunteers standing around in their yellow hi-viz jackets. OK, I can see this as a marginally useful occupation, because that bridge is a bit of a PITA to get off and on to operate.
As we approached, the bridge suddenly started to swing shut in front of us, and only a rapid application of reverse avoided us running into it. Apparently the volunteers have been trained that a maximum of 3 boats go through each time they open a bridge, so as to allow road traffic to pass.
Now, that would indeed be sound operating practice at Oakgrove swing bridge, where even 3 boats can lead to a bit of reving from the waiting traffic, but this isn't a road bridge! It is a farm access bridge, and a bridge that sees almost ZERO use for crossing the canal. There was no traffic that needed to pass, and in any case if they needed to close the bridge wouldn't some kind of signal have been helpful? If they are opening bridges, and I have no idea whether they are going to keep it open or not, then I'd rather they shut it and let me work it myself.
In the interests of balance, I should report that I did see a volunteer performing a valuable public service on a canal in Stone on Wednesday. He was usefully engaged in litter picking. Such a pity that he doesn't count on CaRT's scorecard, because he wasn't a CaRT volunteer, he was a member of Stone Lions Club .