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Boaters - Are you satisfied with the state of the canals?


Rambling Boater

Boaters - Are you satisfied with the state of the canals?  

60 members have voted

  1. 1. Boaters - Are you satisfied with the state of the canals?

    • Yes
      27
    • No
      33


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Generally depth etc are as good as it's ever been.

 

We appear to get more large scale failures of equipment or embankments, which many consider avoidable. I don't know if that is the internet making the world smaller, various chance happenings, BW running it down pre-CRT, or more preventative work recently. 

 

There also appears to be a lot of work done badly, expensive but poor finished item. But maybe that's just me getting old!

 

 

Daniel

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1 hour ago, DHutch said:

I don't know if that is the internet making the world smaller, various chance happenings, BW running it down pre-CRT, or more preventative work recently. 

 

There also appears to be a lot of work done badly, expensive but poor finished item. But maybe that's just me getting old!

 

 

Daniel

If I wasn't on this forum I don't think I'd be any the wiser about how apparently terrible everything is now. Doesn't seem to me much different over the last 4 years Cc'ing than it was when I've hired at various times over the last 30 years. Only one stoppage (Buckby flight, currently ongoing) has caused me any problem so far as I'm on my way to have blacking done and had to put it back by a few days. 

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8 hours ago, DHutch said:

Generally depth etc are as good as it's ever been.

 

We appear to get more large scale failures of equipment or embankments, which many consider avoidable. I don't know if that is the internet making the world smaller, various chance happenings, BW running it down pre-CRT, or more preventative work recently. 

 

There also appears to be a lot of work done badly, expensive but poor finished item. But maybe that's just me getting old!

 

 

Daniel

Having just been up to Llangollen I think the depth is worse than in 1997 when I first ventured that way especially in places  on the concrete sections where it’s just poor maintenance rather than bank erosion....we were hitting quite solid stuff mid channel. 
 

There does seem to be more large scale infrastructure failures including lock gates failing due to rot...culverts due to lack of inspections etc. Also the fallout from said failures is poorly managed reinforcing the fact that boaters and indeed navigation are no longer priorities for CRT management sadly. 
 

I have in general been a supporter of both BW & CRT over the last 30 years but my support is starting to fail...For all the faults of BW at least they realised they had a navigation...currently more effort seems to be directed on pretty signs and stupid slogans. 

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14 minutes ago, tosher said:

Worst they have ever been in my 13 years on the canals. Lock failures, breaches, water shortages, overgrown vegitation, unsafe towpaths etc, etc.  tosher.

When you get something new, it's wonderful and exciting. Only later do you notice the flaws which were, in fact, there all the time.

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1 minute ago, Jinna said:

I had an e mail from crt last week asking me to complete a survey on the state of the canals. Is this a regular thing?

Yes it is, for some years. Can't remember how long.. Supposedly random boat owners picked. Had at least one before. 

Jen

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As Matty says its not so black and white. In general the system is better than it was when I moved aboard 31 years ago. We bought our first boat in Coventry and there were more cars, sofas and rubbish in the canal than water. Last time we did the K and A two summers ago it was much the same as it was when we first used it in the early nineties. We have had breaches and lock gate failures etc etc during this time as we always have.  Much of the system is now easier to use now with the instalation of girlie electric lifte bridges etc although of course this does mean they fail more often. The system is now even older than it was so more failures are to be expected however good the maintenance. Like us humans things get harder to repair as we get older. I am a glass half full bloke so dont look to moan at stuff all the time and am happy enough with how things are at present.

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It seems to depend on the canal, those with an association that look after them seem to be better maintained. It also depends where the canal runs, for example most of the bank and towpath through Milton Keynes is in very good shape; perhaps MK council is somehow involved. Whereas large stretches of the South Oxford have towpath that are getting to be dangerous to traverse.

We are on the Ashby now and as far as I can tell the Ashby Canal Association seems more interested in repairing the banks and turning them into a wildlife sanctuary than providing useable moorings. Great for wildlife not so great for boating. So the state of canals depends on ones perspective and expectations.

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3 hours ago, Bewildered said:

It seems to depend on the canal, those with an association that look after them seem to be better maintained. It also depends where the canal runs, for example most of the bank and towpath through Milton Keynes is in very good shape; perhaps MK council is somehow involved. Whereas large stretches of the South Oxford have towpath that are getting to be dangerous to traverse.

We are on the Ashby now and as far as I can tell the Ashby Canal Association seems more interested in repairing the banks and turning them into a wildlife sanctuary than providing useable moorings. Great for wildlife not so great for boating. So the state of canals depends on ones perspective and expectations.

We've just done the Ashby again (3rd time in several years). No problems at all except for the usual shallow bend which catches most first timers out.

 

When we turned onto the Ashby a few boaters coming the other way commented on how busy it was but it seemed pretty much as normal to me. No problem finding somewhere to moor. It does get pretty busy when the Shackerstone festival is on though 

 

I see the poll has gone 50/50  at the moment just like Brexit. ;) It does make you wonder how much it is a glass half empty/full thing. 

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22 hours ago, matty40s said:

Its not quite as black and white as that

.........

 

Yes it is!
These kind of questionaires are used when you want to know the answer. 'On a scale of one to ten' questionaires are used when you want people to agree with the answer you already have.

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13 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Won't be a problem anymore as I don't think they will be holding another one.

Do you have information which suggests this?

It would be a pity, as it's a very good event.

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24 minutes ago, Athy said:

Do you have information which suggests this?

It would be a pity, as it's a very good event.

The heritage working boats group attended every year and were informed that last year was the final event.

 

And taken from the festival web site, http://www.shackerstonefestival.co.uk/

 

Soon after the 25th Shackerstone Family Festival the Committee of Volunteers and Organisations running the fund raising Event met to consider the future of the Festival. It is with much regret that they have decided the Festival will no longer continue to run in the future

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2 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

The heritage working boats group attended every year and were informed that last year was the final event.

 

And taken from the festival web site, http://www.shackerstonefestival.co.uk/

 

Soon after the 25th Shackerstone Family Festival the Committee of Volunteers and Organisations running the fund raising Event met to consider the future of the Festival. It is with much regret that they have decided the Festival will no longer continue to run in the future

So nothing to do with the NWO making all social gatherings illegal next year then? ;)

 

No, seriously, that's a shame. Just missed last years one to. 

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