Ribble Link unnecessary current closure to navigation
IT IS a flawed rationale behind the Canal & River Trust's nonsensical and wholly unnecessary current closure to navigation of the Ribble Link, writes Tony Dunkley.
It is, or should be, a serious matter of great concern, and embarrassment, to this apology for a navigation authority that was foisted on the boating public as a replacement for British Waterways some 12 disastrous years ago.
No real problem
The current restrictions imposed on the Ribble Link are not due to any real problem with the navigation itself, but due solely to the fact that C&RT has no one amongst its staff and employees capable of or competent in scheduling and supervising vessel traffic movements on tidal waters where the timing of passages is severely restricted and crucial to safety and success.
The plain truth behind what is a wholly unnecessary mid-season closure of yet another waterway was exposed last week when the C&RT's so-called Northwest management team obligingly walked straight into a great big hole that had been specially dug in preparation for them.
Last week, C&RT were sent a written request for specific Ribble Link navigational and pilotage information and data relating to tide heights, dredged depths, and bridge clearance heights reduced to Ordnance Datum Newlyn (and indirectly to local Chart Datum), . . all of which is data and info that is and always was absolutely essential to making an informed and correct decision as to whether or not the affected short semi-tidal section of Savick Brook with the Half-Tide Gate/Barrier is safely and/or practically navigable/useable whilst the Half-Tide Gate/Barrier is out of commission.
Not a serious impediment
Regardless of the lame excuses published by C&RT since the 28th of last month, the failure of the Half-Tide Gate seal is NOT in fact a serious impediment to navigation, . . merely an added inconvenience that makes the planning, scheduling, and supervision of vessel passages somewhat more time critical than it normally would be with the Half-Tide Gate in operation.
On top of knowledge and experience gained nearly 60 years ago from inland commercial vessel operations on the rivers Douglas and Ribble, loading bagged chemicals ex-Preston Docks for ICI at Anderton, and despite making the above request of C&RT, I was in fact already in possession of all the more recent up to date pilotage information and tide data relating to the Ribble Link that I was specifically requiring the trust to provide last week..
The C&RT response to the request for information mentioned in the paragraph above is, at one and the same time, both useless and remarkably enlightening. It states that no such pilotage and tide information or data is relevant, useful, or even available!
What can one say in the face of a response as damning as that? I think it's clear that as a navigation authority, C&RT really should confine itself to tasks and actions that fall within its severely limited range of expertise and competence . . . such as running a park or boating lake.