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CRT - Survey of boaters's attitudes


Laurence Hogg

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From Fran Read:

 

Today at 9:48 AM

CANAL & RIVER TRUST LAUNCHES BOAT OWNER ATTITUDE TRACKER

This month the Canal & River Trust is starting a new survey of boaters, the Boat Owner Attitude Tracker (BOAT), to keep up-to-date with boaters’ thoughts and feelings between the existing biennial survey. Listening and responding to boaters is at the heart of the Trust’s new strategy and the survey will track the ‘word on the cut’.

Starting in June, there will be three waves of research every year. The views of around 1,000 randomly selected boaters will be gathered each time, with invitations sent out by independent research agency BDRC Continental, who is conducting the survey for the Trust. The survey will be sent to different boaters each time and, over the next two years, it is expected that all boaters who have registered their email address with the boat licensing office will have been invited to take part.

Richard Parry, Canal & River Trust chief executive, said: “Hearing what boaters are saying is vital if we are going to build better understanding of their priorities, and broaden our thinking about how we can make the very best of the waterways in our care. This new regular survey will help us tap into how boaters feel about the Trust, and their experience of using our canals and rivers. We’ll be able to use this information to help us plan our works programme, and to address any areas where we may be falling short. If you receive an invitation to take part in the survey please do take part – sharing your feedback will make a difference.”

A short report on key attitudes will be published after each round of the BOAT.

ENDS

For further media requests please contact:

Fran Read, national press officer, Canal & River Trust

m 07796 610 427 e fran.read@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

  • Greenie 1
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Personally I shall be petitioning for jaded and cynical boaters to be expelled from the cut, especially ones who used to have an icecream boat.

Don't do that, I would miss crossing swords with you.

 

Or would you still post in here anyway?

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More evidence of the credibility gap between what CRT say and what they do.

 

Why yet another way to gather boaters' opinions? So they can have an even clearer idea of what they are ignoring?

 

Surely the waterways user group meetings Alan, Steve, Matty etc write about attending are already doing the same job.

 

 

MtB

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Personally I shall be petitioning for jaded and cynical boaters to be expelled from the cut, especially ones who used to have an icecream boat.

Unfortunately for you, the more boaters you expel, the more expensive your licence gets. You may even have to let the butler go...

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More evidence of the credibility gap between what CRT say and what they do.

 

Why yet another way to gather boaters' opinions? So they can have an even clearer idea of what they are ignoring?

 

Surely the waterways user group meetings Alan, Steve, Matty etc write about attending are already doing the same job.

 

 

MtB

That is obvious, it is so that they can prove that what they are doing is correct.

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That is obvious, it is so that they can prove that what they are doing is correct.

 

Ah yes of course.

 

When the survey result supports a previous management decision publicise it, when it doesn't, deny it ever existed.

 

MtB

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All jousting aside, I think ALL boaters want to see the money bring spend on maintenance and repairs, not more expensive surveys with loaded questions.

Certainly surveys with loaded questions are undesirable but could you at least await the questions before crucifying them? I doubt it costs very much to run an electronic survey like this - there are no postage costs for a start.

 

Yes we want most of the money spent on maintenance and repairs but there is not enough money for all that would be "nice to have" so some slashing and burning has to take place. What then are the priorities? Dredging? Mr plastic cruiser man doesn't thing so. Offside vegetation cutting? Only shiny boaters care about their paintwork. Towpath improvements? Only cyclists and runners want that, but plenty of boaters are cyclists and/or runners so... Maintenance of services blocks? Personally I just want water and rubbish. Folk who get a kick out of carrying their poo in a suitcase should be discouraged anyway. As for showers, everyone has those on board don't they? and if not, perhaps it's because they enjoy being smelly. etc ... etc

 

So it is not quite as simple as you make out.

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Not really. How can Alan, Steve, Matty etc represent the majority of boaters when they don't know what the majority view is? These people move in certain circles and therefore their views may be coloured by those circles. Alan for example will I'm sure be the first to agree that he doesn't really know what the silent majority view is on a number of subjects. I am not denigrating what they do but please let's not try to pretend it is some sort of democratic process.

 

These surveys are a good thing. Anyone who thinks they are not just has an anti-CRT axe to grind and/or a fear that the majority viewpoint might prevail. They should migrate to Narrowboat World if they want to engage in an irrational CRT bashing orgy.

 

 

Ok you've changed my mind on this.

 

Bet you never expected THAT did you?!

 

 

MtB

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Not really. How can Alan, Steve, Matty etc represent the majority of boaters when they don't know what the majority view is? These people move in certain circles and therefore their views may be coloured by those circles. Alan for example will I'm sure be the first to agree that he doesn't really know what the silent majority view is on a number of subjects. I am not denigrating what they do but please let's not try to pretend it is some sort of democratic process.

 

These surveys are a good thing. Anyone who thinks they are not just has an anti-CRT axe to grind and/or a fear that the majority viewpoint might prevail. They should migrate to Narrowboat World if they want to engage in an irrational CRT bashing orgy.

I don't normally find myself agreeing with Nick but I do this time. I have seen many complaints on the forum about how organisations, trustees etc don't represent the average boaters views. Then as soon as an idea is floated that may (note the word may) get a better idea of the general view nobody likes it.

 

Is it too much to ask that you see how it works before condemning it?

  • Greenie 1
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Maybe, just maybe some of the questions will be written by boaters - unlikely scenario I know, but it could happen,

 

If I recall some of the questions on the last survey, included such things as "how much a day do you spend on food in canalside businesses ?

How many locks a day do you 'do' ?

What is your annual income ?

 

This time - Maybe such things as

"In an average month, how many times do you :-

1) Touch the bottom

2) Get a fouled prop

3) Find a leaking lock

4) Find an out-of-order service block"

 

What would be your top three suggestions for improving a boaters 'experience' on the canals ?

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Maybe, just maybe some of the questions will be written by boaters - unlikely scenario I know, but it could happen,

 

If I recall some of the questions on the last survey, included such things as "how much a day do you spend on food in canalside businesses ?

How many locks a day do you 'do' ?

What is your annual income ?

 

This time - Maybe such things as

"In an average month, how many times do you :-

1) Touch the bottom

2) Get a fouled prop

3) Find a leaking lock

4) Find an out-of-order service block"

 

What would be your top three suggestions for improving a boaters 'experience' on the canals ?

 

 

I'd suggest none of those questions would address the stated aim of the new survey. They are looking for "boater attitudes", not information on maintenance needed.

 

An 'attitude"-revealing question would be something like "Please rate the way CRT managing visitor moorings on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being poor and 10 being good."

 

MtB

 

MtB

  • Greenie 1
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What was expected? Not sure what you mean questions were written with no expectations

The questions were impartial. However taking the perceived view of the (noisy) forumites and applying that to the questions, one would perhaps have expected a different outcome from the actual one. Which just goes to show that the apparent "view of the forum" is not always (or perhaps "rarely"!) reflected in the views of the greater boating population.

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