London unable to cope with boaters

THE ever increasing number of people living on broken-down boats in and around London is causing problems not only to the city's infrastructure but even River Canal Rescue is voicing concerns over the number of call-outs it receives to attend poorly-maintained boats with faults not covered by membership fees.

Its Managing Director, Stephanie Horton, sums up the problem:

Negligible maintenance

"The standard and condition of boats in this area is causing frustration for our engineers and owners who assume they won't face any additional repair or equipment costs once they've paid their yearly subscription.

"The vessels have had negligible maintenance or, if work has been undertaken, there are so many modifications that repairs are likely to be expensive. We are expected to undertake all repairs or do a ‘quick patch-up' job but this is not always possible, as it depends on how many systems—ie fuel, cooling, drive or water—are affected."

75% increase

RCR states the explosion in live-boards, as evidenced by the recent Canal & River Trust Survey which showed there are 57% more boats in the London area (outside of the Thames), is putting pressure on its business, with Stephanie adding:

"Each of our five engineers serving London has to attend some 300 call-outs per year, which is a high proportion for such a small area. After analysing the mileage, fuel, parking costs and exorbitant fines when they run over, plus congestion charges and the number of repeat call-outs, we are considering how to best to meet the challenges presented by this community."

Cheap alternative

Boats in and around London are used as a cheap alternative to expensive accommodation, often by people having little or no knowledge of boating, and therefore poorly maintained.

Many are continuous cruisers with no permanent moorings, so have to move every two weeks, and when a problem arises there are pressures on River Canal Rescue engineers to complete quickly.

Unfamiliar with basic engine workings

As many boaters have never owned a car they are unfamiliar with even basic engine workings, and of course there is a lack of good marine engineers available in London to take on work that falls outside the boat owner's membership remit.

Engineers have found the number of forums giving  inappropriate advice and lack of qualified engineers in London causes people to try cheap solutions that often result in more expensive repairs.

All too often diagnosis and work is  questioned with engineers being told ‘xxx said the equipment should be like so-and-so', that of course is completely wrong.

Inspecting boats before membership

Of this now serious problem Stephanie concludes:

"We are currently investigating a series of solutions for London-based boaters which we hope will reduce the number of call-outs and costs associated with attending poorly-maintained vessels. This may involve inspecting boats before we agree membership cover levels or a surcharge for call-outs within the M25 ring.

"By exploring the options, we can better protect our wider-based membership against the impact of spiralling costs."

To find out more about River Canal Rescue call 01785 785680 or https://www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk