Friendly kayaker

I wonder when weighing up the cost of restoration they've considered the benefits to tourism and mental and physical health for hundreds of years to come. Very sad.

To purely let humans out all you would need is a tiny inset area with a ladder which wouldn't protrude into the canal and certainly wouldn't take up so much space. The pieces of metal used for mooring are really useful as handholds to hold onto when getting in or out of a kayak and could help a swimmer get out. I wish there were more. I've even considered carrying a tent peg in my bouyancy aid to help me if I ever need to climb out where there is thick grass with no handholds.

I wasn't implying the depth of water was part of the solution. I probably shouldn't have mentioned it as it was the step that was the reason for posting. I'll edit it out.

I found two points on the Peak Forest Canal yesterday where animals would easily be able to get out. The first according to a local resident was a place where water was able to go under the path into a stream to prevent the canal flooding after heavy rain. The second looked like the turf had been cut away to reveal old stones on the side of the bank. Both look like low cost ways to help animals get out.

Anthrax spores can persist for a long time in water judging by this study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2950457/#:~:text=anthracis spores can survive from,in seawater or distilled water. As a GP myself if someone was admitted with a respiratory illness I would rarely consider the diagnosis. It is possible many cases go unrecognised and are treated with broadspectrum antibiotics with neither doctor nor patient ever being aware. Given that canal systems are so well. connected with each other and the spores can survive for up to 18 years in water it would seem the only reason we don't know about the presence of anthrax in our waterways may be the difficulty of testing for it. You couldn't test for the spores but it might be worth monitoring carcasses and certainly mention to a doctor if you have been near a carcass and have a respiratory illness. Fortunately doxycycline is often prescribed for chest infections after flu or covid as it treats staph aureus pneumona so well. Fortunately it also kills anthrax. Ciprofloxacin also kills anthrax apparently (I had to Google this) which I shall certainly remember. This antibiotic is well known for its ability to get to places other antibiotics can't.

Interesting point. I hadn't considered it might be better to leave a dead animal in the water. However even if consumed by bacteria and fish, the stench from a small lamb was so bad I can't imagine the smell from a deer after several months making it very unpleasant for walkers and other users of the canal. I even wonder whether anthrax might be a risk but perhaps being in water prevents its growth. Anthrax spores can persist for a long time in the environment.

This forum thread had lots of discussion mainly about deer and the need to cull them to reduce the number falling into canals. What struck me was no-one being responsible for ensuring all animals dead or alive are removed after they fall in.

Which suggests ski-slopes don't work perhaps (I don't know what they look like) or are too far apart. Someone earlier suggested a simple step. I would think just cutting away 2-3 itches of turf away from the edge might be done in a way to allow animals to escape without creating the chicaine effect, hampering movement of barges, someone else mentioned earlier. It would have to be done in spots where it wouldn't cause people to inadvertently fall in. On a different note, if we encounter a live animal eg. deer in the water I presume the fire brigade are the people to call. I wonder if they might also remove dead animals as well. This task would be less unpleasant if performed as soon as an animal was noticed be it dead or alive. Perhaps there ought to be someone responsible for coordinating /improving this problem nationally. https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/call-action-after-animals-keep-2941118#amp-readmore-target It seems often locals rescue the animals and also call the firebrigade.

I'm quite curious to know how deep the Bridgewater and Peak Forest canals are. I'm a member of Manchester Kayak Club and the members have regular clean up days when we gather rubbish from the River Goyt. Stable open canoes are most useful for this. I believe the last haul included a couple of shopping trollies. Retrieving a dead animal is different though... the smell is so bad.

I was paddling a racing kayak 4 days ago and noticed a dead lamb on a narrow section of the Bridgewater canal about a mile towards Altrincham from Ye Olde Inn number 3. The stench affected a 100 yard stretch of the canal. I reported it to the Bridgewater canal helpline. Unfortunately I couldn't remove it from the canal as my kayak was too wobbly. I hope it is removed soon as it is a health hazard. I wonder whether easy exit points for animals might be a good idea. I presume as the years pass and the thickness of turf on the bank increases the height down to the water increases. That may be why I can normally only get into my kayak under bridges where there is bare stone on the sides. Even a human swimmer might struggle to climb out in some places.

Appalling behaviour by the kayaker. It's their own fault for trying to paddle a kayak with too low a wobble factor. The wave behind a canal boat can be a bit tricky to handle. If I ever fall in I'll be sure to keep clear of any propellors! A good reminder.

I use a racing kayak regularly on canals and hadn't thought about potentially making a moored canal boat move when I pass it. I'll try to keep my distance. Thanks for making me aware. I'm here to learn to be a better kayak user of canals.