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Will Coronavirus make canals more popular..?


robtheplod

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I think UK boating holidays will bounce back quickly once the sun starts to shine. Peeps will be concerned they may get stuck in Spain etc if a new round of the virus takes off next autumn. Holidays in the UK may be at a premium later this summer.

Self isolating on a boat is so so better than being in a house. You can move everyday if you want and still keep away from people. As long as hire boats are deep cleaned between hires then boating on the canals seems a great way to relax this year.

Not sure all the public will see it that way though.

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I can assure you at the moment its becoming critical for the narrowboat hire industry. At one of my mates hire bases tomorrow there were only 3 boats out tomorrow as its early season. All 3 have cancelled. The bookings and final payments have gone into free fall.

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1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

I think British holidays in general will see an increase. I sincerely hope hire companies survive this next few months.

 

Difficult times ahead. 

 

Like mrsmelly says, this seems highly unlikely. Canal boat holidays are EXPENSIVE, and with millions of people on reduced hours or losing their jobs completely, I can't see the holiday sector having a bumper year in summer 2020. 

 

Called into a pub for a pint on the way home on Tuesday. I was the only one in there. Landlord and lady are new there, took over the tenancy in October, were glum and miserable having sold up in Bermuda and come back to Blighty to get a pub. Reckon they have to pay their brewery rent weekly and this week they don't have a prayer of raising the cash having been empty every night for a week. Planning shut that night for ever. Prolly gonna do a bunk, would be my guess, as they have no ties locally. Very sad. 

 

 

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It would seem that this pandemic will effect the whole spectrum of the leisure industry. Until the virus can be controlled, all will suffer. Yet thought can be given how can hire boat operators assist in these difficult times and receive some form of payment at the same time, if that is at all possible.

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On 19/03/2020 at 18:49, Dr Bob said:

 

Self isolating on a boat is so so better than being in a house. You can move everyday if you want and still keep away from people. 

Lots of boaters complaining about people passing them on the footpath ?

 

Seems a house would be a better bet for self isolation ? 

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1 hour ago, cougie said:

Lots of boaters complaining about people passing them on the footpath ?

 

Seems a house would be a better bet for self isolation ? 

But you are inside and they are not. I think the 2M principle works. We were parked 1 mile north of Braunston on Sunday and only 2 peeps walked past. It was very quiet....not so in the middle of Braunston.

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2 hours ago, Heartland said:

It would seem that this pandemic will effect the whole spectrum of the leisure industry. Until the virus can be controlled, all will suffer. Yet thought can be given how can hire boat operators assist in these difficult times and receive some form of payment at the same time, if that is at all possible.

The seasonal leisure businesses are always vulnerable, esp just before season starts.

 

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46 minutes ago, Captain Fizz said:

I think the public are slowly getting the message....towpath pretty quiet today, see what the weekend brings.

Sadly not here - we're seeing far more people than usual for the time of year. At some points the towingpath has looked like Sunday afternoon in August with walkers, dog walkers, cyclists, loony cyclists, people coming to feed the ducks and even a motorbike. I think the slight drop today probably has more to do with the temperature.

 

The interesting bit to me is that most are new faces - we know the regular walkers and they've pretty well all disappeared.

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The towpath opposite our Club seems to have been discovered by a lot of the residents back towards Wolverhampton. As the canal is well above 2 metres wide, it does not affect us, so our mooring is isolated. Saw 2 hireboats going back to base today. They've had lovely weather, but I hope they've got on well with each other as there would have been nowhere to go.

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6 hours ago, cougie said:

Lots of boaters complaining about people passing them on the footpath ?

 

Seems a house would be a better bet for self isolation ? 

Seems a fair few walkers have headed for the towpaths thinking they will be able to have a quite walk away from it all only to find that others seem to of had the same idea. 

Still a number of fishermen trundling there gear about and setting up on the towpath. 

Hopefully the message will get to them soon. 

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Rose Narrowboats said

We're seeing far more people than usual for the time of year. At some points the towing path has looked like Sunday afternoon in August with walkers, dog walkers, cyclists, loony cyclists, people coming to feed the ducks and even a motorbike. I think the slight drop today probably has more to do with the temperature.

 

The interesting bit to me is that most are new faces - we know the regular walkers and they've pretty well all disappeared.

 

Whilst one instruction is that people exercise as long as they keep the  required distance. Yet this account seems to indicate some are not adhering to what has been stated. Being between Leamington and Warwick I suppose there is a large residential area near the canal and the canal does provide the recreation opportunities those with the enforced free time need. As to the rogue, or loony, cyclists, it would be nice to see their presence reduced. With the reduction of people needing to work away from home, I can only hope those that choose to cycle along the towpath for getting to and from work is reduced. Within that group of careful cyclists, are those that see speed between canal bridges paramount to get between work and home, with disregard for others.

 
 
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Edited:

Removed content as having just read yesterday's 27th March CRT boating update it looks like my understanding of the towpath usage was wrong. I'm sure the couple I informed that the towpath was closed will be fully understanding and will not be even slightly inclined to curse me when they find out. 

 

Edited by reg
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