IT WAS COMMERCIAL BOAT SERVICES (CBS) who were engaged to remove the boats caught in the Whitchurch canal breach.
The Chester-based marine business were on site the next day, Janet Friend reports.
Principal contractor
It being engaged by Canal & River Trust as the principal contractor to rescue the three trapped boats, with a spokesman telling The Standard: (Picture by Canal & River Trust.)
“Pacemaker was pulled away from its position hanging over the breach using a heavy-duty winch and was later refloated in January.
“Before Sefton and Ganymede could be removed, steel piling which had been ripped from the wall of the canal needed to be cut away from the boats.
“The boats were reinforced with strong points to attach winches, and the sheer wall of the breach was excavated to create a ramp which the boats could be pulled up.
“As the main contractor to Canal & River Trust for the recovery of boats from the canals, CBS are frequently involved in complex boat lifts including sunken boats and recoveries from hard-to-reach areas.
Founded in 1997
CBS was founded in Chester in 1997 as a sister company to ChesterBoat, which operates sightseeing cruises on the Dee in Chester.
In addition to raising sunken and trapped boats CBS provides safety boat cover and mud rescue for construction and survey work, and for water sports events. It provides work boat and pontoon services and transport for boats.