Victor discovers no more short boat trips

CONGRATULATIONS to NABO for its attempt to get sense into the new CaRT terms and conditions.

The National Association of Boat Owners have taken CaRT to task at getting some sensible meaning into the hodgepodge of terms and conditions for boaters, that it now admits is full of errors in the various drafts and contained contentious conditions that NABO had removed.

Take the proposed condition 5.1 for home moorers—'You must travel on a journey when You are away from Your Home Mooring. Your journey should be a genuine journey. It should start and end at Your Home Mooring'. (CaRT's mixed capitals.)

So does this mean that if allowed to come into force none of us will be allowed to take our boats out locally for a day as it would not be termed as a genuine cruise?

That will surely empty our marina of the hundreds of cabin cruisers that only take to the two rivers at the week-ends for short trips or to local pubs.  And will there be no more spending a night on Sawley Cut for us, or a short trip up to Derwent Mouth or up the Soar to take a walk with the dog.  Will we be stuck in the marina except for our two cruises—in May and September?

How daft is all that?  Who on earth conjures-up these ridiculous—and unenforceable—conditions?

Will invalidate your insurance

Another instance of a crazy regulation (11.20) that NABO pointed out was CaRT's insistence that boaters must follow the instructions of volunteers at all times.

Though there are ex-boater volunteers, most are not, just wanting something to do in their retirement, so CaRT is telling that these people know better than say us, with the experience of thousands of locks under our belts gained over 27 years boating. I don't think so.

And as NABO so rightly points out, this could invalidate boaters’ insurance as many policies stipulate that the owner or skipper must be in charge at all times.  Certainly not an inexperienced volunteer.

What about the IWA?

Thank God for NABO that is going flat-out to get sense out of such silly conditions. And condemnation to the IWA that is standing by allowing CaRT to get away with it.  Little wonder its membership is at an all time low. 

All it is concerned about is restorations—take a look at its website—and certainly no interest in the welfare of boaters as it once so rightly did.

Don't use Togo

Be careful if booking a meal at a pub using one of those booking services.  The Crown Inn at Alrewas use Togo for its bookings, but there's rather a problem.

The booking company  accepted a Tuesday evening booking at the Crown, reserving a table, complete with print-out to show at the pub to claim your table.

Just one problem—the pub isn't open on Tuesdays!

Just about sums it up

A boater sent in  an email with her view of CaRT, but was worried about her name being included, but as it just about sums up dear CaRT, here it is:

'And if the name 'Trust' is not the biggest misnomer ever, I do not know what is, as there is no way you can trust it to maintain its waterways, otherwise there would not be all these usually daily stoppages'.

Victor Swift

(NB—I don't normally do this, but I reckon us boaters should support NABO in its fight against CaRT's draconian terms and conditions, by joining.  Here's it website.)