Is your journey really necessary?

[koukouvagia]

Jeff Whyatt, Waterways Manager for the SE region, told a User Group meeting at Tring this evening that the various measures taken to mitigate the effects of the drought were working. These included: restricting lock hours, sharing locks, back-pumping, re-charging of reservoirs, moving water around - specially in the Braunston area, the use of volunteer lock keepers etc. Even so theTring reservoirs were only 61% full, compared with 89% at the beginning of April last year and those on the Leicester line were almost empty.

 

By early June he said he would have a much clearer picture about whether there would be enough water to last till the end of the summer. He promised to give at least three weeks' notice before announcing any further measures and restrictions that might be needed.

 

Although there is no need to spread panic and alarm, the plain fact is that unless lock usage is reduced by 45% in the southern region, we'll be in real trouble by the end of the summer. There was, at present, adequate water in the Braunston area, with the reservoirs 75% full. However, boaters were advised to go to the north west.

 

I reckon that in order to make supplies last as long as possible perhaps we should consider curtailing our cruising this summer in the affected regions in order to give priority to hire boat firms and those businesses whose livelihoods depend on moving boats around – e.g. dry docks, boat services, fuel and diesel deliveries, etc.

 

I'm resigned just to pootling up and down the Tring summit and getting on with all those jobs I've been putting off for years.

 

Footnote:

The great exodus south that BW erroneously thought would happen as boaters rushed to take up the much advertised Olympic moorings has not materialised. Only 8 boats have booked the expensive temporary Olympic moorings near railway stations on the outskirts of London! Surprise, surprise. At least, that saved lots of water from being drawn off the Tring summit.

[leeco]

Jeff Whyatt, Waterways Manager for the SE region, told a User Group meeting at Tring this evening that the various measures taken to mitigate the effects of the drought were working. These included: restricting lock hours, sharing locks, back-pumping, re-charging of reservoirs, moving water around - specially in the Braunston area, the use of volunteer lock keepers etc. Even so theTring reservoirs were only 61% full, compared with 89% at the beginning of April last year and those on the Leicester line were almost empty.

 

By early June he said he would have a much clearer picture about whether there would be enough water to last till the end of the summer. He promised to give at least three weeks' notice before announcing any further measures and restrictions that might be needed.

 

Although there is no need to spread panic and alarm, the plain fact is that unless lock usage is reduced by 45% in the southern region, we'll be in real trouble by the end of the summer. There was, at present, adequate water in the Braunston area, with the reservoirs 75% full. However, boaters were advised to go to the north west.

 

I reckon that in order to make supplies last as long as possible perhaps we should consider curtailing our cruising this summer in the affected regions in order to give priority to hire boat firms and those businesses whose livelihoods depend on moving boats around – e.g. dry docks, boat services, fuel and diesel deliveries, etc.

 

I'm resigned just to pootling up and down the Tring summit and getting on with all those jobs I've been putting off for years.

 

Footnote:

The great exodus south that BW erroneously thought would happen as boaters rushed to take up the much advertised Olympic moorings has not materialised. Only 8 boats have booked the expensive temporary Olympic moorings near railway stations on the outskirts of London! Surprise, surprise. At least, that saved lots of water from being drawn off the Tring summit.

 

 

Its been raining non stop up here in leeds for the past few days.

[lexicon]

The situation is pretty bad still it seems and much more rain needed to improve things long term.

 

Makes me feel better about the boat not moving for months while I crack on with the fit out, hopefully get some boating in over winter if it's a wet one.

[leeco]

The situation is pretty bad still it seems and much more rain needed to improve things long term.

 

Makes me feel better about the boat not moving for months while I crack on with the fit out, hopefully get some boating in over winter if it's a wet one.

 

 

Hows the fit out going?

[smudge837]

This is a serious question, before I get my head ripped off.

 

What does a BW/Cart license purchase? Is it the right to occupy? ( I am under the impression, no) Is it the right to cruise? ( this now also seems a no)

 

I suppose my question is, will there be a reduction in the fees due to a reduced service offered? When I by a can of pop I expect to be allowed to drink it. Car tax I expect to be allowed to drive ( if I can afford fuel). So what does my license fee actually purchase?

 

feel free to inform me how wrong I am, I was just wondering what service I can expect for my money.

 

Cheers all

 

Smudge

[nigeljan]

would bw relent if cc cruisers remained in the same area to conserve water supply ?

[blackrose]

This is a serious question, before I get my head ripped off.

 

What does a BW/Cart license purchase? Is it the right to occupy? ( I am under the impression, no) Is it the right to cruise? ( this now also seems a no)

 

I suppose my question is, will there be a reduction in the fees due to a reduced service offered? When I by a can of pop I expect to be allowed to drink it. Car tax I expect to be allowed to drive ( if I can afford fuel). So what does my license fee actually purchase?

 

feel free to inform me how wrong I am, I was just wondering what service I can expect for my money.

 

Cheers all

 

Smudge

 

A licence gives you the right to cruise as conditions permit. It is not an absolute right.

 

Similarly, a car licence gives us the right to drive, but if we saw a police roadblock ahead due to an accident, a tree accross the road, flooding, etc, how many of us would still insist on our right to drive though?

 

A few decades of the consumer society has imbued many of us with certain attitudes towards the services we pay for, equating these with any other tangible product we purchase. This mindset is often encouraged by the organisations that sell those services, but unfortunately when things go wrong we can clearly see that it isn't always the case.

 

As for reduced fees, I've no idea, but you could always ask them...

Edited April 20, 2012 by blackrose

[lexicon]

Hows the fit out going?

 

Shaping up slowly

[cotswoldsman]

would bw relent if cc cruisers remained in the same area to conserve water supply ?

 

Guess it would be ok for CCers to stay in one place for the benefit of others.

[larkshall]

Easy answer to this, ONLY TRADING BOATS ALLOWED TO MOVE MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. All others can move on a Sunday, and CCers MUST move on a Sunday.

 

Holiday/trip boats allowed to move on Saturday and Sunday Only

Edited April 20, 2012 by larkshall

[Pykebird]

I was also at this meeting and although I was aware of the situation, to actually have graphs in front of us showing how low the levels are and the drop we experienced last year, really brings it home.

But unless we ALL pull together and save as much water as we can, we won't help the situation.

Whilst at the bottom of stoke bruene flight we witnessed at least 4 boats go up seperatly, then come back down a day or so later ! Was that journey really necessary?

I for one am willing to try and help, even if it means I can't take the boat to any festivals/banters etc, until the situation gets better.I will carry on cruising within the limits required at the same time.

After all I want to still be enjoying living on the cut for a long time yet!

[koukouvagia]

This is a serious question, before I get my head ripped off.

 

What does a BW/Cart license purchase? Is it the right to occupy? ( I am under the impression, no) Is it the right to cruise? ( this now also seems a no)

 

I suppose my question is, will there be a reduction in the fees due to a reduced service offered? When I by a can of pop I expect to be allowed to drink it. Car tax I expect to be allowed to drive ( if I can afford fuel). So what does my license fee actually purchase?

 

 

This is what it says in the licence Terms and Conditions document:

9.1. We will do our best to keep the Waterway open for cruising. The Licence fees are calculated on the assumption that you will be affected by closures from time to time and accordingly refunds of Licence fees will not be made for closures as described in this condition.

[jelunga]

Jeff Whyatt, Waterways Manager for the SE region, told a User Group meeting at Tring this evening that the various measures taken to mitigate the effects of the drought were working. These included: restricting lock hours, sharing locks, back-pumping, re-charging of reservoirs, moving water around - specially in the Braunston area, the use of volunteer lock keepers etc. Even so theTring reservoirs were only 61% full, compared with 89% at the beginning of April last year and those on the Leicester line were almost empty.

 

By early June he said he would have a much clearer picture about whether there would be enough water to last till the end of the summer. He promised to give at least three weeks' notice before announcing any further measures and restrictions that might be needed.

 

Although there is no need to spread panic and alarm, the plain fact is that unless lock usage is reduced by 45% in the southern region, we'll be in real trouble by the end of the summer. There was, at present, adequate water in the Braunston area, with the reservoirs 75% full. However, boaters were advised to go to the north west.

 

I reckon that in order to make supplies last as long as possible perhaps we should consider curtailing our cruising this summer in the affected regions in order to give priority to hire boat firms and those businesses whose livelihoods depend on moving boats around – e.g. dry docks, boat services, fuel and diesel deliveries, etc.

 

I'm resigned just to pootling up and down the Tring summit and getting on with all those jobs I've been putting off for years.

 

Footnote:

The great exodus south that BW erroneously thought would happen as boaters rushed to take up the much advertised Olympic moorings has not materialised. Only 8 boats have booked the expensive temporary Olympic moorings near railway stations on the outskirts of London! Surprise, surprise. At least, that saved lots of water from being drawn off the Tring summit.

Just shows that canal boaters are not the cash cow that sone in BW think we are. Or maybe more of us have Yorkshire blood than was previously thought.

Thanks Mum

[alan_fincher]

Whilst at the bottom of stoke bruene flight we witnessed at least 4 boats go up seperatly, then come back down a day or so later ! Was that journey really necessary?

Yes, but equally the last couple of times I have taken a look at Stoke Bruerne water has been cascading over the gates.

 

I can see why people not fully acquainted with the situation might not be too concerned about use of the locks there that could have been avoided.

 

What percentage of time water cascades over the gates I can't of course say, but "fairly regularly" doesn't seem to be overstating it.

 

I'm not trying to suggest the current measures are not essential - clearly they are, but you do get these anomalies, and that means some boaters who are not fully up to date on the reservoir situation can think that BW are overstating the problem. (I do know they are not, BTW!).

[Proper Job]

Most of the boaters on the muddy ditch around our neck of the wood have cancelled or serverly curtailed their cruising plans for this Summer.

 

As far as BW/CaRT giving back refunds....... Why?

 

They still have staff to pay, infrastructure to maintain etc.

 

The situation we're in isn't their fault.

[jelunga]

Easy answer to this, ONLY TRADING BOATS ALLOWED TO MOVE MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. All others can move on a Sunday, and CCers MUST move on a Sunday.

 

Holiday/trip boats allowed to move on Saturday and Sunday Only

Trouble with that is diesel boats would lose trade since their customers would not be using so much diesel. And hirers would not hire.

The threat I see is hiring boat yards not getting enough customers and going out of business thereby the rest of us losing their services. Less hire boats less license income less money less maintenance less hire boats less licence income less maintenance..........

[larkshall]

Trouble with that is diesel boats would lose trade since their customers would not be using so much diesel. And hirers would not hire.

The threat I see is hiring boat yards not getting enough customers and going out of business thereby the rest of us losing their services. Less hire boats less license income less money less maintenance less hire boats less licence income less maintenance..........

 

 

Conversely, less been hit by renters, no queues at locks, discounts on coal etc (can't sell it).

[mrsmelly]

Trouble with that is diesel boats would lose trade since their customers would not be using so much diesel. And hirers would not hire.

The threat I see is hiring boat yards not getting enough customers and going out of business thereby the rest of us losing their services. Less hire boats less license income less money less maintenance less hire boats less licence income less maintenance..........

 

Too much water about at the moment. I had to push one hell of a flow ont river yesterday. Needs to stop raining soon or it will be unsafe to go out. Its a funny old world.

 

Tim

[Proper Job]

Too much water about at the moment. I had to push one hell of a flow ont river yesterday. Needs to stop raining soon or it will be unsafe to go out. Its a funny old world.

 

Tim

It's called the North old son.........

 

Bright sunshine here

[jelunga]

Agree. We are loitering waiting for the flood gates to open at Alrewas , Shardlow and Sawley!

[mrsmelly]

It's called the North old son.........

 

Bright sunshine here

 

I aint in the North anymore Im down south near a place called derby Bet your on the bottom old bean ?

 

Me

[matty40s]

Guess it would be ok for CCers to stay in one place for the benefit of others.

 

I guess it wouldn't......... why should I/we be stuck in one place, we are the ones who like to see lots of the system.

The CM'ers are a different kettle of fish though.

Popcorn ready

[Keeping Up]

Yes, but equally the last couple of times I have taken a look at Stoke Bruerne water has been cascading over the gates.

 

I can see why people not fully acquainted with the situation might not be too concerned about use of the locks there that could have been avoided.

 

What percentage of time water cascades over the gates I can't of course say, but "fairly regularly" doesn't seem to be overstating it.

 

I'm not trying to suggest the current measures are not essential - clearly they are, but you do get these anomalies, and that means some boaters who are not fully up to date on the reservoir situation can think that BW are overstating the problem. (I do know they are not, BTW!).

 

But which gates Alan? If you are talking about the top gates of the top lock, clearly that would relate to the amount of water in the long pound to Whilton, but it is an entirely different matter if you are referring to the gates lower down the flight. The back-pumping there exits to the pound that is two locks down from the top, and there is then a separate pump from that pound up to the top. The capacity of the lower pump seems to be great enough to ensure that the water will normally cascade over all the gates from that intermediate pound to the bottom where it is picked up by the pump and recirculated. It looks to me like a waste of energy but I suppose it does at least ensure that all the intermediate pounds remain full.

 

A similar principle is employed at Buckby, with a similar effect. The designer of the system there told me that he wanted to ensure that "his" pumped water wasn't being stolen by the Braunston flight.

[carlt]

Similarly, a car licence gives us the right to drive, but if we saw a police roadblock ahead due to an accident, a tree accross the road, flooding, etc, how many of us would still insist on our right to drive though?

The police have powers to obstruct the highway, in certain circumstances, but if a tree fell down or the road flooded then the Highway Authority has a duty to remove the obstruction, as soon as is reasonably practicable.

 

The canals are different because, unlike the Public Highway, there is no right to "pass and repass".

[Keeping Up]

9.1. We will do our best to keep the Waterway open for cruising

I wonder if you could take legal action against them for not doing their best.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Keeping Up