Basyfart

Having worked on the restoration of the Basingstoke since 1972 I know of the years of hard work that we put in to restore this canal not just for boaters but for the use of the gneral public. It is the attitude of the managment that I am complaining about because they just do not listen to the complaints or advice from people who KNOW and LOVE this waterway. Unpowered craft licences put up from £21:70 to £50 to as they say to " bring them into line" with other waterways. However the SAME licence for the River Wey is £30 and the River Thames £35. You can join Canoe England for about £39 and get a licence that covers ALL CRT waterways, the Thames, River Wey and the Basingstoke also including third party insurance and reduced prices for young persons. John Cale, the boat hire opperator at the canal centre Mytchett has pulled out all his powered craft because of the proposed increase of licences ( from £4000 to £14500) loss of workshop/storeroom not being able to sell the the buisness as any agreememt would be non assignable,pluss many other restrictions. The public have lost a 47 seat function boat, 2 self drive day hire boats and a specialy purchased disabled access boat that was the only boat that could take permanent wheelchair passengers within25 miles for short enjoyable public trips. A number of private boat owners are either paying or planing to pay monthley licences so the can quit this waterway soon, forced out by the high charges being made. This is why I say that this hard faught for canal is in jepody not from outside, but from its own management.

If you have moorings & licence on the top 2 pounds you are charged more than at the lower end of the canal. These top pounds are where you are more likely to get traped through the bodged up repairs to the Deepcut Flight or water shortages. You dont get these problems at the lower end and can usualy get onto the Wey & Thames to go cruising, so why would anybody want to pay "premium" mooring charges for second rate facilities & maintenance managed by people who just do not listen to people who know what they are talking about.

The Basingstoke Canal managment must be the most high handed and unfriendly managment on the waterways.Unpowered craft licences have gon up from £21:70 to £50 p.a. this is to bring into line with other waterway , however the River Wey is only £30 pa. The state of the locks and passage times are horrendous and dredging is very badly needed. Rumour has it that the hire boat operation at the canal center has been forced to pull out because of astronomical price increases from Surrey County Council , an increase of 350% just before they were due to open . Their 72ft 47 seat function boat, 2 self drive day hire boats and disabled access boats have all been withdrawn . Quite a few long time boats on the canal have gone off with no new ones to replace them, maybe they are put off by increased navigation charges, the Surrey C.C. say they can get £3,500 per year for so called "premium" moorings at Mytchette It would appear that the BCA and Surrey C.C. are only interested in money, still what can u expect from organizations that are run by people who know nothing about canals and care less.The way they are going on the canal will soon be back to a derelict state what a waste of all the time and effort put in by hundreds of enthusiasts over many years.

I worked on the dredging team from 1975, Also on the team was Ian Cripps, Rodger Thomas, Peter Caiger, Brian Bains, Paul Gasgoin and his wife to be Penny, Ian Edward and John Hulbert. Foregiv me if I have missed others out but it nearly 40 years ago. We started with the steam grab at Odiham working up to King Johns Castle befor backtracking towards Fleet. The dredger arrived at Pontails Bridge Fleet in 1994. Yes the steam grab was used for harder compacted silt. At Colt Hill narrow gauge rail track and skips were used to remove the silt from th dredger for spreading. A very hard job pushing skips weighing aprox 1ton. By Swan Cutting things were easier when a locomotive arrived It was a happy, if hard time with many laughs along the way, but now at the age of 75 I dont think that I cold do it again and would we be allowed to in these days of "Health and Safety"

As previously stated "who cares about continuity" sit back & enjoy the film as I do as much as when it came out all those years ago. Yes the butty is now the horse drawn trip boat "Iona" operated by Jenny at "Godalming Packet Boat" in Surrey with regular public & charter trips

A great pleasure to see the work and progress you are making and I watch with great interest. Look forward to coming up to your yard with Andrew Hall some time early in the year. Regards Martin

The trouble is as you say there are not many of us left, but could you cope with another 17 years now Chaz ? I know that I couldnt that would make me 92. Hope you are still enjoying yourself on the Wey Navs, havnt seen you fore some time

Some of the worst things that we encounter on the Basingstoke are steel wire framed crayfish pots.The steel wire is hardened and you cant get bolt cutters through the weed hatch. Last one we had took 40 mins to prise off with a mooring spike unfortunatley we 47 passengers on at the time and in the middle of Mytchett Lake

Having helped to reassemble Perseverance and work on the dredging team for many years I can state that it was never on the Basingstoke prior to us recvering it from the K & A

I think you have got the wrong craft, to my knowledge It was bpught by the K & A Trust and used there for many years before we obtained her in 1973 I think

The Bantam tug at the canal center Mytchett was removed on instructions from Surrey County Council safty "advisers" as it could be a dangerous thing for them to play on even though they loved it

I Have known Tony for many years on canal restoration, and boating for many years, he usualy only takes down the pompus types. He sold Dreamcatcher due to lack of mobility with his age, and cost of upkeep on a pension. He has bought a motor campervan, and returned to one of his origenal loves. folk clubs and singing. He is resideing in the Yorkshire area with Sofie as a constant companion.

Christopher James has always been extremely well looked after by her owner Andrew Hall. I have worked alongside Andrew on the boat for many years icluding fitting about 30 feet of new bottom boards in the Deepcut dry dock and its a been pleasure to have done so. The last major work this year was to replace aprox 20 feet of bottom side planks as well as a new stern post. in a previous comment about replacement of the stern post at Bulls Bridge, no it wasnt it was only capped. All the work on the boat is carried out in the tradional methods and wherever possible traditional materials. As to her looking too clean & tidy for a working boat, she is a retired working boat and why shoulnt she always look her best for her age?

Its allways the sameallways will be as long as we have people in charge who have no KNOWLEGE or LOVE of the canal.This is from some who has worked on and for the Basingstoke for over 40 years

Great times remembered working on the dredging crew in those early days and on the Deepcut flight at that time. Now that I have seen photo of Tony Haynes taken then I do remember him. No resemblance to the friend I have known and boated the last few years How can i be a junior member at 74 years of age?

We started wiyh the dredger at Colt Hill in 1974 working up to the winding hole at kink Johns Castle.Among the early regulers were Ian Crips, Roger Thomas Roger ? ( a royal navy Lt Comander Ian Edwards & Peter Cager. Paul and wife Penny were also along with john Hulbert & myself

Looking realy good after replacing two bottom planks and new stern post, very hard and expensive work carried out by the owner and friends. Took nearly six months to carry out the work

Tony is alive & well living in the Yorkshire area. He spends more time with his new campervan visiting the waterways

Leonard Liegh tugs used any grey near to admiralty grey that was available at the time. Christopher James is us painted with Tecaloid Admiralty Grey and has been ever since Andrew Hall the owner has had her for the past 20 years.I have worked on tne boat with Andrew for the past 17 years. At the moment se is in the dry dock on the Basingstoke Canal having two bottom plankss (port & starboard) and the sternpost replaced due to rot