YES MY friends, yet another boaters' survey from Canal & River Trust—Its Annual Boaters' Survey.
Coupled with telling its customers 'knowing what you think about the Canal & River Trust is very important to us'.
Therefore it invites you to please take part in our latest survey and gives a link.
Going on to tell—and I like this bit—to help improve our research accuracy.
Accuracy? I'm afraid that this is not something I can trust, not when Allan Richards, through a Freedom of Information request discovered that in one if it's surveys it would appear that boaters have rejected above inflation increases imposed upon them but CRT have decided to falsify the supposedly independent DJS Research report by omitting the slide that shows this.
And though the DJS logo was attached, the research company told it was not involved with the report!
Which doesn't give a lot of confidence. So as for the results. Do I believe 'em?—no way José!
Leave a bit of slack
There were a great many boats torn from their river moorings during the last storm and resulting floods usually caused by lines being so tight they get snapped, or worse, too tight the boat pulled over and sinking.
So many times I have seen those in our old Sawley Marina tied by their middle ropes tight to jetties, so when the floods came, over they go and in goes the water! The picture shows one so tied yet it had moorings that allowed the ropes to rise with the floods, so why also tie by the middle rope tight to the jetties I have never understood.
Discovered
Hopefully, before too long the Loco Lift Bridge on the Huddersfield Broad will be repaired, now that at last the problem stopping the bridge working as been discovered.
At first it was thought its motor was the culprit so that was taken away but found to be okay, but now it is thought it is the clutch that is at fault. But the information from the trust is that it is currently sourcing a replacement which is in Germany, and are looking at repair options;.
Up go the mooring fees
It would seem that some marinas are latching onto the current inflation and upping their mooring fees—but somewhat exaggerated.
One resident at Barton Marina has just received the price list for its 2025 financial year.
He telling this is a rise of around 12.5% or four times the current inflation! he adding:
"It will in fact swallow up entirely the proposed increase in the OAP for 2025....Nice!
"Are the other marinas putting up prices by a similar amount? Liveaboard OAPs are struggling with these and licence fee increases exacerbated by the removal of the WFA for anyone on an income of £12.5k. Getting poorer by the year!"
Though a moorer at Barton, we have purposely left out his name for obvious reasons.
Not swinging
With the closure of the Leeds & Liverpool by its broken New Lane Swing Bridge, as Keith Gudgin tells me, this keeps the number of swing bridges not swinging at two a month.
With Warehouse Swing Bridge also breaking this month and Holmes and Millman swing bridges failing in October.
Victor Swift—telling takes for 24 years