THE ONLY REAL SERVICE that Canal & River Trust gives the boaters for their licence fees is service facilities.
That are of course essential for continuous cruisers, yet here goes another with the Market Drayton Service Facility closed, making it seven closed over the past weeks.
Yet worryingly, no usual reason for its closure other that—and here I quote—'It has not been possible to update the Customer Service Facility refuse site at Market Drayton to meet the requirements of the governments Simpler Recycling legislation'.
So what the hell does that mean?
Whatever, it is, it is extremely worrying to say the least. With these services being closed yesterday, with no prior warning.
At this rate of closures it will not be taking days for continuous cruisers to get to a service point but weeks—providing there are any left!
The trust's reason
So let's have the trust's reason for the closures, it telling that it was that consultation with boaters(!) when it published the Customer Service Facility Policy statement setting out the essential boater customer service facilities it will provide, it announcing:
The essential provision includes a maximum cruising time that we will aim to achieve across our waterways. There are some waterways where very high demand may require a lower maximum cruising time between facilities or additional facilities at existing locations where they are provided.
We’re now beginning the second phase of our review of Customer Service Facility which involves identifying facilities that are not part of the minimum provision.
Then the trust gives boaters and boater groups 'the opportunity to submit an expression of interest in leasing and maintaining existing Customer Service Facility buildings with toilets and showers on a long-term basis'
Make sense of all that! The 'maximum cruising time' is absolutely ridiculous. And then it sounds like we are expected to pay for the services.
Kept that quite
One boater tells me that what with all the canal closures it seems CaRT are not telling us everything, telling—Here on the North Oxford water levels are very low but not just because of the current ‘drought’ as this what we’ve been told by our marina.
The situation is partly due to significantly reduced rainfall but is exacerbated by the pumps at Calcutt locks being out of action and the pumps at Hillmorton locks being out of action last weekend
Funny how CaRT have not mentioned this!
Maintenance
Which leaves me to add, and I have often remarked—it all comes down to maintenance, of which there isn't any.
Things mechanical need regular maintenance but it was stopped when contractors managed to get their claws into things. They like break-downs it seems.
I've often wondered why so many are repaired then a few weeks later need repairing again, and again, swing and lift bridges particularly.
Only today I learn that Warehouse Swing Bridge on the Leeds & Liverpool is out of action again, and this after stopping working twice in July.
Restrictions
I am not going to get bogged down with the many stoppages piling-up, of which you most likely are well aware.
But I will give a mention to the ever altering restrictions that our Keith reports:
Rochdale Canal
No longer will locks 1 to 9 be open from 9am to 3pm as published, but from 10am to 3pm. Then told the locks will then be reinstated in Hebden Bridge and the canal will be closed from 1 to 19 to allow water levels to recover.
Oxford Canal
Somewhat worse on the Oxford Canal with the stoppage from Lock 17 to Lock 18 now to extend to Lock 33.
This came into effect yesterday, Saturday.
Ashton Canal
Though water is coming into the Ashton Canal, and levels are improving, there is not enough for navigation.
So it is still completely closed as not safe to operate the locks.
Rochdale Canal again
Though closed from the 20th June through Manchester, the locks are now closed from 48 to 92.
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal was closed from Napton Junction to Lock 20.
This has now been extended from Napton Junction to Radford Bottom Lock 23.
Coventry Canal
Atherstone Flight is closed including locks 1 to 11. The two Glascote Locks 12 and 13 are also closed.
So that is all of the locks on this canal.
Latest Saturday—The Rochdale further closed with boats grounded between locks 13 and 14 water having 'dropped significantly'.
The cruise
So certainly not looking too good for our cruise next month. We should be fine until we get to before Alrewas, where the Trent feeds the Trent & Mersey Canal. Then what?
But as no major stoppages along that waterway we may be okay as the Coventry, Birmingham & Fazeley and the Staffs & Worcester all feed it. Here's hoping...
Victor Swift—telling takes for 25 years