Sensible precautions

I FOUND the advice from Canal River Rescue of the precautions to take in flood conditions quite sensible, writes T Lang.

They would be especially useful for someone not having experienced floods or thinking of taking up continuous cruising making them aware of winter conditions on our waterways.

Prime reason omitted

But I was concerned that one of the prime reasons for boats sinking in rising water levels was omitted, or perhaps the writer had not the experience.

As a long time boater I have twice seen a boat flooded by its mooring ropes being too tight and thus preventing the boat rising in the flood, and I know that four boats were sunk in the flood of 2000 at Derby Boat Club moorings, all being tied direct to the jetty and thus unable to rise when the Trent flooded.  But at least a lesson was learned and I noticed that poles had been erected at every berth to allow the boats to rise.

Stupidity of some

But alas you cannot allow for the stupidity of some, for as I passed earlier in the year I noticed no few still tied direct by short ropes direct to the jetty.  And as at present the Met Office site shows the river there in flood, they are definitely at risk.

Over the years of boating, time and time again I have seen boats not only tied tight to rings, but worse, tied tight to a ring with their centre ropes.  This was the case with one of the boats that I saw that had 'rolled over' and sunk, the centre rope pulling it over as the waters at the moorings on the Soar rose.

I can only hope that boaters take notice that tightly tied boats are at risk of sinking in floods.