Another silly scheme from CaRT

NOT only a silly scheme but a very one dangerous too, as the people at Canal & River Trust are to allow canoeists into tunnels.

For this purpose, the Trust restricted navigation through Foulridge Tunnel on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal yesterday, Tuesday, and will do so today and tomorrow, Keith Gudgin tells us, with no access until after 12.30pm.

Starting in June

This is to allow a photography shoot takes place inside the Tunnel, as part of the plans to allow access by canoes through the tunnel, starting on the 3rd June.

As with upgrading towpaths into fast tracks for cyclists, this is part of the Trust's plans to promote canoeing on the waterways by developing the Desmond Family Canoe Trail.

So low in the water

There is no intimation as to the rules regarding what many boaters will see as a very dangerous scheme indeed allowing canoes that sit so low in the water to share a tunnel with both narrow and broad beam boats, whose steerers at the stern of boats will be unable to see anything so low in the water. 

It is not known if the tunnel will be closed to powered craft whilst canoes are inside, if allowed together or if carrying lights, which can hardly be as bright as the powered ones used by boats, and not easily seen.