The last thing they want

MY COMPATRIOTS of the Great Ouse Boating Association (GOBA) seem hell-bent on the Canal & River Trust taking over its waters from the Environment Agency, but it really is the last thing they want, writes Peter Ford.

I have spent most of the summer months cruising CaRT waters, from Bath to Manchester and most points in between, and it is obvious that it has little care for the canals if their condition is anything to go by, and admitting there are 60,000 [59,133] defects I can well believe, with a further admitted £117 million maintenance arrears.  And they are its own figures!

Dumping the Agency

I shall not mention any names, but those of the hierarchy of GOBA who write so passionately in GOBA News of dumping the Agency in favour of the Trust have obviously not cruised the canals and rivers under CaRT's control, for if they had they would not be so passionate about it having control of the Great Ouse.

The start of my cruise away from Environmental Agency waters was at Northampton and the struggle up the flight to the Grand Union and the condition of its locks should have been fair warning what to expect. As others have often remarked, there are very few locks that do not leak, many so bad it was hard to get the level of the water high enough to open gates. Many paddles were wrapped in plastic and some what did work were difficult to operate as were many gates. Much, much worse than those on the Great Ouse.

Claydon Flight

To show that it is not me exaggerating I too cruised the Oxford Canal and can but agree with your writer about the condition of the locks and the broken gate beams and particularly the Claydon Flight, and there were no volunteer lock keepers on duty there of course the locks obviously being too difficult for them.

I would need pages to list all the problems, for I admit I was looking for them, to see just how well the Trust looked after its maintenance, as before I started I was somewhat wary of the figures [of the defects and maintenance shortfall] but no longer, but I will add that I was 'caught' four times in stoppages, that in every instance did not seem to warrant any urgency in being put right.  Two of those were paddles, and in one instance it took three days before anyone turned up I was told as I arrived at the same time as the contractors.

IWA

Personally I am of the opinion that the urge by GOBA for CaRT to take over the Great Ouse from the Agency is spearheaded by the IWA members on the council, as it is well known that the IWA are 'in' with the Canal & River Trust, but the huge majority of GOBA boaters have river cruisers and have never experienced the canals, and I feel that if they had, they certainly would not be so willing to be led like lambs to the slaughter.  Having now done so, my advice is very simple—better the devil you know...