CaRT IS a Limited Company discovers Victor

AS TO all this palaver of what the Canal & River Trust actually is, it is just a matter of contacting Companies House—and you will discover—as I did!

What it is—and obviously it does not want the public to know—is a Limited Liability Company.

Yes, my friends, and here is the listing of Canal & River Trust at Companies House:

Company type:
Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital, use of 'Limited' exemption

Incorporated on:
12th October 2011

Address:
National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, CH65 4FW

Accounts:
Next accounts made up to 31 March 2023
due by 31 December 2023

So there you have it, CaRT is a limited liability company, but has 'arranged' not to have the word Limited after its name, as I reckon it would not help with its 'charity' status, now would it?

The reason why

In a way we have done the opposite—registering the site as .com instead of .uk, where of course it is based. But the .com giving it a much wider appeal as it is read the world over by anyone interested in the waterways or boats.

In our case it is strictly non-commercial with the limited amount from the two Google adverts simply helping with its running costs.

A quote

So a quote on social media from Simon Robbins (ex NABO vice chair):

'It would to say the least be slightly ironic if we end up back at British Waterways v2 because the 'Charity' that took it over turns out to not actually be a charity! Couldn't make that up, (except they did)'!

Where to go

Many of you, considering your cruises are asking where to go—where it is safe to go away from stoppages of course—but for once I am at a loss to recommend!

In fact, and definitely no pun intended, we are in the same boat! As looking through the lists of monthly stoppages during the summer, it seems that the two waterways without major stoppages were the Bridgewater—that has no locks—or the Thames.  Both of which are out of the hands of CaRT!

But there's the Ashby with no locks. And mind you the Llangollen, with its many hire companies seems safe enough, though if you are a newcomer you many find the fairly fierce by-washes, that supply water to a reservoir, may be a bit of a hassle when mooring to go up the locks. And of course there are long sections of the Shroppie without too many locks that is fairly safe.

But as so many tell, the northern ones are very risky. The Leeds & Liverpool must hold the record for stoppages with the Rochdale close behind.  As for the Huddersfield Narrow, as most of you will be aware, only six boats a week are allowed through Standedge Tunnel. So it's a matter of taking pot luck

We are keeping to the Trent & Mersey—yet again—as Jan is off rivers, so it's our only choice!

No water

As to cruising, Roger Fox telling of the expected lack of rainfall in Europe does not portend too well for our leaking waterways.

Especially as the lack of cash—or initiative—for dredging the reservoirs will not help with their resulting lack of capacity.

So all in all it doesn't look too good for any of us.

Okay so I'm being pessimistic, but you can't have a reliable system if you don't keep up reliable maintenance, and so much cash, it seems, is squandered on other things.

Those winter works

It was way back on the 28th of September that CaRT announced its Winter Works programme.

Here it is—'Altogether 48 waterways will benefit from 172 large-scale works to repair masonry and brickwork, fix leaks, update and install hydraulics and electrics at mechanised structures, as well as replacing seals, stop plank grooves, lock ladders and lock gates'.

Alas, time after time we are told that such and such winter work is cancelled, so many in fact that we lost count, but it was the hell of a lot.

So I'm afraid there were nowhere near the 172 as promised.  It looked good though. But this one didn't believe it!

Better to search

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Victor Swift