Want guidelines on removing sunk boats

NOTWITHSTANDING a CaRT spokesman stating there are only 'a handful of sinking a year', the situation has become such a problem that the industry met with the Trust to establish an accepted procedure for raising the ever increasing number of boats sunk in locks.

It all came to a head with the sinking of the boat in a lock on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Bath (Drunk hirers sank boat) recently where there was divided opinions between CaRT and contractors on how to raise the boat, with the arguments resulting in the waterway being blocked for two weeks.

Two hours

The meeting included the Trust management, Ed Helps of the ABC leisure group and Stephanie Horton of River Canal Rescue, (both pictured) that eventually raised the stricken boat, (RCR raised lock-stricken boat) using its own methods, in just two hours.

The industry want better guidelines from CaRT before the start of the next season to facilitate the quick removal of sunken boats in locks, so contractors can carry out removals, such as that by River Canal Rescue at Bath, without the time wasting recovery using heavy plant and cranes, and administration delays.

New system in place

The industry, realising that lock sinkings are obviously to be expected, especially with the rise in boat hire by people new to the waterways, who little realise the dangers of being caught on the cill and most likely not knowing what to do, want a new system in place before the new season,  so that the re-floating of boats can be pre-approved and so cut down the administrative time required before the actual recovery takes place.

Perhaps the simple instruction to keep the boat forward when descending in a lock would go a long way to prevent so many of the sinkings by boats being caught on the cill, that we have had this year.