SURELY WINTER MAINTENANCE for paddles would save all those stoppages, writes James Dudley.
I am writing after my experiences this season with broken paddles that stop me getting the water level as they do not seat properly letting too much water out.
On the Grand Union Canal where I have done most of its length this season together with the Oxford Canal, I have been stopped time and time again by paddles not working properly and just broken off. Yet this never used to happen in former days as I have cruised virtually the whole system in the past 28 years and can't remember having a broken paddle for the first 20 of them.
But as you clearly show they are coming fast and furious now days, and the reason must be poor, or even no maintenance.
So this winter it surely would be a good idea to do a check on paddles and repair those that need it and not have to wait until they break and so stopping us.