Fit for Purpose ?

[Detling]

With the closure of the L&L at Bingley due to lack of water, the closure of the Marple and Bosley flights due to lack of water, the closure of the Aire and Calder due to too much water, do we have any hope of using a boat this year on the northern canals?.  As I understand it a major remit of CRT is to facilitate navigation of Britains canals, where we acctually have a massive FAIL.  I do understand that the Aire and Calder was not down to CRT management, but the others, a collapsed culvert, been collapsed for a few years, Toddbrook reservoir CRT had been issued 'maintenance required' surveys and notices, L&L they scheduled reservoir maintenance for February, for sure they are not to blame for a dry March and April but even in a normal year the reservoir would not have enough water, had they scheduled the work for November/ December the reservoir would have been full by the end of this exceptionally wet Februrary. The only thing that has given CRT  a softer ride this year so far is the lockdown, due to you know what, otherwise god alone knows what else would have gone wrong.  I do wonder if it is worth trying to navigate the canals or would I be better off with a camper van.  I do not think the current management have a clue, or even care, about meeting the duty of their organisation, fatcats surely can organise things better than this.

[Alan de Enfield]

16 minutes ago, Detling said:

With the closure of the L&L at Bingley due to lack of water, the closure of the Marple and Bosley flights due to lack of water, the closure of the Aire and Calder due to too much water, do we have any hope of using a boat this year on the northern canals?.  As I understand it a major remit of CRT is to facilitate navigation of Britains canals, where we acctually have a massive FAIL.  I do understand that the Aire and Calder was not down to CRT management, but the others, a collapsed culvert, been collapsed for a few years, Toddbrook reservoir CRT had been issued 'maintenance required' surveys and notices, L&L they scheduled reservoir maintenance for February, for sure they are not to blame for a dry March and April but even in a normal year the reservoir would not have enough water, had they scheduled the work for November/ December the reservoir would have been full by the end of this exceptionally wet Februrary. The only thing that has given CRT  a softer ride this year so far is the lockdown, due to you know what, otherwise god alone knows what else would have gone wrong.  I do wonder if it is worth trying to navigate the canals or would I be better off with a camper van.  I do not think the current management have a clue, or even care, about meeting the duty of their organisation, fatcats surely can organise things better than this.

 

It is because of such as this, and how I see the future developing that we have decided to take our boat off C&RT waters and moved to the coast.

No licence, no BSS, no hassles, plenty of water, cheaper marinas, what's not to like.

[mrsmelly]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is because of such as this, and how I see the future developing that we have decided to take our boat off C&RT waters and moved to the coast.

No licence, no BSS, no hassles, plenty of water, cheaper marinas, what's not to like.

You've got a proper boat. Most of us on here have skips more commonly known as sewer tubes and not realy boats so we are stuck mainly with the ditch system. 

26 minutes ago, Detling said:

With the closure of the L&L at Bingley due to lack of water, the closure of the Marple and Bosley flights due to lack of water, the closure of the Aire and Calder due to too much water, do we have any hope of using a boat this year on the northern canals?.  As I understand it a major remit of CRT is to facilitate navigation of Britains canals, where we acctually have a massive FAIL.  I do understand that the Aire and Calder was not down to CRT management, but the others, a collapsed culvert, been collapsed for a few years, Toddbrook reservoir CRT had been issued 'maintenance required' surveys and notices, L&L they scheduled reservoir maintenance for February, for sure they are not to blame for a dry March and April but even in a normal year the reservoir would not have enough water, had they scheduled the work for November/ December the reservoir would have been full by the end of this exceptionally wet Februrary. The only thing that has given CRT  a softer ride this year so far is the lockdown, due to you know what, otherwise god alone knows what else would have gone wrong.  I do wonder if it is worth trying to navigate the canals or would I be better off with a camper van.  I do not think the current management have a clue, or even care, about meeting the duty of their organisation, fatcats surely can organise things better than this.

We have a small motor home and boat. Can't move either at present ?

[Slim]

25 minutes ago, Detling said:

With the closure of the L&L at Bingley due to lack of water, the closure of the Marple and Bosley flights due to lack of water, the closure of the Aire and Calder due to too much water, do we have any hope of using a boat this year on the northern canals?.  As I understand it a major remit of CRT is to facilitate navigation of Britains canals, where we acctually have a massive FAIL.  I do understand that the Aire and Calder was not down to CRT management, but the others, a collapsed culvert, been collapsed for a few years, Toddbrook reservoir CRT had been issued 'maintenance required' surveys and notices, L&L they scheduled reservoir maintenance for February, for sure they are not to blame for a dry March and April but even in a normal year the reservoir would not have enough water, had they scheduled the work for November/ December the reservoir would have been full by the end of this exceptionally wet Februrary. The only thing that has given CRT  a softer ride this year so far is the lockdown, due to you know what, otherwise god alone knows what else would have gone wrong.  I do wonder if it is worth trying to navigate the canals or would I be better off with a camper van.  I do not think the current management have a clue, or even care, about meeting the duty of their organisation, fatcats surely can organise things better than this.

When will people realise that the canal system is a 250 year old , underfunded network that is tumbling into decay and disuse. The government has washed it's hands of it and any hope of a bailout has been wiped out by a virus. Buy the camper van but make sure it's pure electric

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

You've got a proper boat. Most of us on here have skips more commonly known as sewer tubes and not realy boats so we are stuck mainly with the ditch system. 

We have a small motor home and boat. Can't move either at present ?

If its a choice of not moving on a muddy ditch in a tin slug, or, selling and buying a 'proper' boat and having 10,000's miles pretty much regulation free to go where you want and not much in the way of lock failures lack of dredging or lack of water, its an easy choice to make.

[mark99]

We are on the river(s). Occaisional trip to the overcrowded ditches. 

[mrsmelly]

11 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If its a choice of not moving on a muddy ditch in a tin slug, or, selling and buying a 'proper' boat and having 10,000's miles pretty much regulation free to go where you want and not much in the way of lock failures lack of dredging or lack of water, its an easy choice to make.

My missus won't allow proper boating at sea. We did it for a while but she prefers skips ?

2 minutes ago, mark99 said:

We are on the river(s). Occaisional trip to the overcrowded ditches. 

To be fair the Oxford isn't crowded and I am a river lover but I'm not the boss ?

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

My missus won't allow proper boating at sea. We did it for a while but she prefers skips ?

Had NBs and cruisers for many years (often both at the same time) but once when coming back from the IoM the waves were breaking over the flybridge, she said 'that's it, get another NB.

After about 10 years solely on NB's she said lets get back to the sea.  Bought the cruiser had a 3 years on the Trent (due to a serious of medical problems from a car accident, and a broken back to a brain tumour, surgery, radiotherapy and Chemotherapy) but now 'we are gone'.

[Detling]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If its a choice of not moving on a muddy ditch in a tin slug, or, selling and buying a 'proper' boat and having 10,000's miles pretty much regulation free to go where you want and not much in the way of lock failures lack of dredging or lack of water, its an easy choice to make.

I used to do the lumpy water bit on the Bristol channel but SWMBO never got her sea legs and decided that fields and buildings make a better view than the bottom of a bucket.

Having had 6 enjoyable years on the canals I am sad to see the rate of decline but I think there is a lack of organisation. It is not just CRT but fairly widespread, look at the current organisation of PPE.  Maybe the computer is not programmed to think for the boss.

[Ianws]

We got our boat on the Leeds & Liverpool 2 years ago. First year the locks were all shut until October, I think, due to water shortages. Last year we got to get up the locks to our surveyors preferred boatyard and got it blacked. Then went for a couple of weeks away but didn’t get too far. We had a couple of issues but it was a great learning opportunity. This year we’ve got the national emergency and water shortages to contend with again, if other restrictions are lightened. I’m still positive and look forward to what year 4 brings. Sometimes you have to put things into perspective and be thankful of small mercies. One of mine is our mooring is secluded and lovely- but that’s not why we got a boat.For info are leisure boaters not live aboard.

[mrsmelly]

7 minutes ago, Ianws said:

We got our boat on the Leeds & Liverpool 2 years ago. First year the locks were all shut until October, I think, due to water shortages. Last year we got to get up the locks to our surveyors preferred boatyard and got it blacked. Then went for a couple of weeks away but didn’t get too far. We had a couple of issues but it was a great learning opportunity. This year we’ve got the national emergency and water shortages to contend with again, if other restrictions are lightened. I’m still positive and look forward to what year 4 brings. Sometimes you have to put things into perspective and be thankful of small mercies. One of mine is our mooring is secluded and lovely- but that’s not why we got a boat.For info are leisure boaters not live aboard.

To be honest despite what you here on this forum the system is better now than just a few years ago. We have lived aboard 31 years and 31 years ago the Coventry for one had more cars and sofas in it than water. Plenty of places have improved. 

[Ianws]

I can appreciate that. It must have had a lot of challenges and you really wanting to live on the canal. It’s quite a contortion act to access and work in our weed hatch. That was one of of the things we learnt to do last year. 

[Athy]

13 hours ago, Slim said:

When will people realise that the canal system is a 250 year old , underfunded network that is tumbling into decay and disuse?

Your breezy optimism is a real tonic in these difficult times.

[Man 'o Kent]

I once saw some advice along the lines of: "Beware of doing business with any company that has just installed a new fountain in the  foyer and where the chairman has just got himself a shiny new Rolls Royce." The fountain is there to convince everyone that organization is doing just fine while the Roller is the boss ripping off the last of the company assets before the collapse.

Fancy new logos, lots of PR posers and advertising, farming out work to contractors so that nobody gets to carry the can. Half the country flooded and now there is no water.

Six inch diameter trees, even ones growing out of the canal bed, don't appear overnight by magic.

(Seen somewhere between the Middlewich and the Lea last year, on the Oxford if memory serves)

Burning -- fiddle -- Nero . . .

[Mike Todd]

15 hours ago, Detling said:

With the closure of the L&L at Bingley due to lack of water, the closure of the Marple and Bosley flights due to lack of water, the closure of the Aire and Calder due to too much water, do we have any hope of using a boat this year on the northern canals?.  As I understand it a major remit of CRT is to facilitate navigation of Britains canals, where we acctually have a massive FAIL.  I do understand that the Aire and Calder was not down to CRT management, but the others, a collapsed culvert, been collapsed for a few years, Toddbrook reservoir CRT had been issued 'maintenance required' surveys and notices, L&L they scheduled reservoir maintenance for February, for sure they are not to blame for a dry March and April but even in a normal year the reservoir would not have enough water, had they scheduled the work for November/ December the reservoir would have been full by the end of this exceptionally wet Februrary. The only thing that has given CRT  a softer ride this year so far is the lockdown, due to you know what, otherwise god alone knows what else would have gone wrong.  I do wonder if it is worth trying to navigate the canals or would I be better off with a camper van.  I do not think the current management have a clue, or even care, about meeting the duty of their organisation, fatcats surely can organise things better than this.

Lockdown getting to you?

[Laurie Booth]

15 hours ago, Detling said:

With the closure of the L&L at Bingley due to lack of water, the closure of the Marple and Bosley flights due to lack of water, the closure of the Aire and Calder due to too much water, do we have any hope of using a boat this year on the northern canals?.  As I understand it a major remit of CRT is to facilitate navigation of Britains canals, where we acctually have a massive FAIL.  I do understand that the Aire and Calder was not down to CRT management, but the others, a collapsed culvert, been collapsed for a few years, Toddbrook reservoir CRT had been issued 'maintenance required' surveys and notices, L&L they scheduled reservoir maintenance for February, for sure they are not to blame for a dry March and April but even in a normal year the reservoir would not have enough water, had they scheduled the work for November/ December the reservoir would have been full by the end of this exceptionally wet Februrary. The only thing that has given CRT  a softer ride this year so far is the lockdown, due to you know what, otherwise god alone knows what else would have gone wrong.  I do wonder if it is worth trying to navigate the canals or would I be better off with a camper van.  I do not think the current management have a clue, or even care, about meeting the duty of their organisation, fatcats surely can organise things better than this.

Better off in a camper van.

 

[Mike Todd]

13 hours ago, Detling said:

I used to do the lumpy water bit on the Bristol channel but SWMBO never got her sea legs and decided that fields and buildings make a better view than the bottom of a bucket.

Having had 6 enjoyable years on the canals I am sad to see the rate of decline but I think there is a lack of organisation. It is not just CRT but fairly widespread, look at the current organisation of PPE.  Maybe the computer is not programmed to think for the boss.

A lot of what your are observing has an element of truth but I suspect that much is down to us beginning to see the eventual downsides of the long term "get rid of the nanny state, let the market roam free, no-one should tell me what to do, private enterprise will always do better than public service, I know best how to spend my  money" mindset of recent decades.

 

Interesting to see how many commentators conflate the PPE problems of the NHS (with which this government has a strange semi arms length relationship) and care homes, most of which are in private of third sector hands. Very few are now left in the state sector having been transferred out of the local authority remit in order to save shed loads of council tax payers money. Suddenly people with that mindset in government are expected to whistle up a command and control economy (but one that does not tell me what I can or cannot do with my boat)

 

Yes, there is indeed a grown up debate to be had but it goes much deeper than when to release us from lockdown, and hopefully one that will have long lasting beneficial changes in our collective psyche.

2 minutes ago, Laurie.Booth said:

Better off in a camper van.

 

But I don't think you are allowed to drive t to even the nearest water point right now?

[Laurie Booth]

1 minute ago, Mike Todd said:

A lot of what your are observing has an element of truth but I suspect that much is down to us beginning to see the eventual downsides of the long term "get rid of the nanny state, let the market roam free, no-one should tell me what to do, private enterprise will always do better than public service, I know best how to spend my  money" mindset of recent decades.

 

Interesting to see how many commentators conflate the PPE problems of the NHS (with which this government has a strange semi arms length relationship) and care homes, most of which are in private of third sector hands. Very few are now left in the state sector having been transferred out of the local authority remit in order to save shed loads of council tax payers money. Suddenly people with that mindset in government are expected to whistle up a command and control economy (but one that does not tell me what I can or cannot do with my boat)

 

Yes, there is indeed a grown up debate to be had but it goes much deeper than when to release us from lockdown, and hopefully one that will have long lasting beneficial changes in our collective psyche.

But I don't think you are allowed to drive t to even the nearest water point right now?

 

5 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

A lot of what your are observing has an element of truth but I suspect that much is down to us beginning to see the eventual downsides of the long term "get rid of the nanny state, let the market roam free, no-one should tell me what to do, private enterprise will always do better than public service, I know best how to spend my  money" mindset of recent decades.

 

Interesting to see how many commentators conflate the PPE problems of the NHS (with which this government has a strange semi arms length relationship) and care homes, most of which are in private of third sector hands. Very few are now left in the state sector having been transferred out of the local authority remit in order to save shed loads of council tax payers money. Suddenly people with that mindset in government are expected to whistle up a command and control economy (but one that does not tell me what I can or cannot do with my boat)

 

Yes, there is indeed a grown up debate to be had but it goes much deeper than when to release us from lockdown, and hopefully one that will have long lasting beneficial changes in our collective psyche.

But I don't think you are allowed to drive t to even the nearest water point right now?

Yep, that's the point I was making

[Rob-M]

13 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

To be honest despite what you here on this forum the system is better now than just a few years ago. We have lived aboard 31 years and 31 years ago the Coventry for one had more cars and sofas in it than water. Plenty of places have improved. 

I remember boating down the Coventry about 35 years ago, I was on the bows as spotter so we avoided the TVs, fridges, sofas etc.

[mrsmelly]

6 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I remember boating down the Coventry about 35 years ago, I was on the bows as spotter so we avoided the TVs, fridges, sofas etc.

Yes, not arrf lol. Bought our first boat on the Cov in 89 and had to spend most of the first day or so dodging cars and 3 piece suites plus bag after bag of rubbish. I remember wife and I wondering if we had made the correct decision!! It was fine as we gained experience and went elsewhere.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Man 'o Kent said:

I once saw some advice along the lines of: "Beware of doing business with any company that has just installed a new fountain in the  foyer and where the chairman has just got himself a shiny new Rolls Royce." The fountain is there to convince everyone that organization is doing just fine while the Roller is the boss ripping off the last of the company assets before the collapse.

I was always told that the first sign of redundancies, going into administration etc was that the toilets would be painted.