Towpath Talk January 2015

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Issue 111, January 2015

104 PAGES Season’s greetings to all our readers ELECTRIC VAN TRIAL HELPS CUT CARBON FOOTPRINT P6

A wintry morning besides the winding hole near Wychnor Church on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

MEET THREE FAMILIES WHO’VE CHOSEN A BOATING LIFESTYLE P12

Major tourism award win for holiday boat operators

BOATER BEWARE! COMMON CONS ON THE CUT P58

BRINGING THE VINTAGE TO THE NARROWBOAT

A CANAL holiday has been named Tourism Experience of the Year at the Manchester Tourism awards and will now go forward to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in 2015.

Wandering Duck offers multi-day

Small rise in tolls is approved

P95

BROADS toll payers will benefit from the smallest increase in the authority’s history following the approval of a 1.7% rise as recommended by the Navigation Committee. Committee chairman David Broad said: “We are enhancing our network of free public moorings, other facilities and infrastructure, improving dredging and ensuring our assets are updated.” With no regular Government funding for navigation this improvement and maintenance can only be funded from tolls. Last year’s arrangement to allow the boat hire industry to make staged payments or be awarded a 2% discount if they pay in full on or before April 1 is to continue.

382 BOATS FOR SALE

Starts on

canal boat tours aboard its 69ft narrowboat, for individuals and groups, to experience the canals between Manchester and the Peak District and the beautiful Cheshire countryside of the Macclesfield Canal.

Two-night ‘adventure’ and ‘escape’

P17

Stourport Marina Tel 01299 827 082 Stourport on Severn

PLANS for a £20 million development along the Grand Union Canal in Birmingham have been unveiled by the Canal & River Trust. Wharfdale Park in Tyseley will provide high specification build-to-suit warehouse and manufacturing units ranging from 20,000sq ft to a maximum of 150,000sq ft on a leasehold basis. Demolition to clear the site, which has outline planning consent, is expected to start in early 2015 after remaining tenants have been relocated within the Tyseley area. Prospective occupiers of Wharfdale Park may be eligible for grant assistance and Birmingham City Council will provide guidance on funding availability and eligibility criteria.

Tel 01753 851 717

River Thames, Windsor

Upton Marina

Walton Marina

Tel 01932 221 689

Upton upon Severn

Brundall Bay Marina

Tel 01189 477 770

Tel 01603 717 804

River Thames, Caversham

Boat sales at seven Marinas with over 150 boats for sale

Visit:

Tel 01684 593 111

Walton on Thames

Thames & Kennet Marina

www.tingdene.net

Pyrford Marina

Tel 01932 343 275 River Wey, Surrey

Norfolk Broads

Wandering Duck’s owner-operators Mark and Ruth receive the award from Nick Brooks-Sykes, Marketing Manchester’s director of tourism, left Simon O’Donnell, head of key accounts at MediaCo which sponsored the award for Tourism Experience of the Year. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Canalside industrial estate plan CRT’s Simon Salem to retire

More locations, more choice Racecourse Marina, Windsor

tours are hosted by owner-operators Mark Bratt and Ruth Seneviratne-Bratt, who take care of narrowboat Rakiraki and do all the cooking as well as showing guests how to steer the boat and work the locks.

• Continued on page 2

AFTER more than 26 years’ service, Simon Salem, marketing and fundraising director for the Canal & River Trust, has decided to retire in June 2015. He joined British Waterways as marketing development manager in 1988, having previously worked at London Underground, and rose to become a director. He played a significant role in helping to create, launch and establish CRT and set up its fundraising and volunteering teams. Simon, who is completing a psychology degree, plans to carry out further academic study, continue his voluntary work for the Samaritans and fulfil a lifetime’s ambition to travel the world by train.

2 NEWS

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WELCOME

AS I write, it’s one of the coldest mornings of the winter so far with the threat of snow in more northerly parts later in the week.

By the time you read this, 2015 will almost be upon us and I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all our readers a happy and prosperous new year.

Thoughts will be turning to cruising and holiday plans for next season and there have been reports of up to a 50% increase in bookings for 2015, see the report from the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators AGM on Page 57.

As you will have seen on the front page, there has also been good news for Wandering Duck in the Manchester Tourism awards. And celebrating too is the AngloWelsh Eynsham boat hire base which was named ‘Best on the River’ at a Hoseasons gala award ceremony, more on that next month.

But in the meantime, we have what are usually the coolest of the winter months to contend with and we bring you some winter cruising tips from Norbury Wharf on page 56.

If you have a coal stove, Polly Player shares some advice on avoiding the pitfalls of buying low quality fuel, on page 50, and tackles some other cons for boaters to beware of on page 58.

The stoppage season is in full swing and we have reports on the West Stockwith, Marple and Thornes Lock open days on page 4 and the work parties and volunteers continue apace on pages 10 and 11. And don’t forget to check out What’s New on page 51 where there is plenty of reading matter featured to keep you occupied during the dark evenings.

Keep safe and snug

TOWPATH

TALK

Janet

Editor Janet Richardson jrichardson@mortons.co.uk Publisher Julie Brown Display advertising Nikita Leak nleak@mortons.co.uk Classified advertising Stuart Yule syule@mortons.co.uk Feature advertising Jason Carpenter jcarpenter@mortons.co.uk Editorial design Tracey Barton Divisional ad manager Sue Keily Direct sales executive John Sharratt Group production editor Tim Hartley Production manager Craig Lamb Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole Contact us General queries 01507 529529 help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk News & editorial Tel: 01507 529466 Fax: 01507 529495 editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk Advertising Tel: 01507 524004 Fax: 01507 529499 Published by Mortons Media Group Ltd, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 523456 Fax: 01507 529301 Printed by Mortons Print Ltd. Tel. 01507 523456 Next Issue – January 22, 2015

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Old Turn has a new look

By Peter Underwood

On one side are the office blocks of big banks and upmarket restaurants of Brindley Place, along with the Sea Life Centre, and on the other the International Conference Centre with the NIA on the third side of the triangle.

The impressive refurbishment makes the Barclaycard Arena by far the most eye-catching, especially at night, when it is brightly lit with impressive displays using everything from neon to the latest lasers and LED displays.

It was launched at the start of December with two nights of Michael Buble playing to capacity 14,000 strong crowds at the start of the UK leg of his current world tour.

The Old Turn was originally the split between the two original termini of the Main Line in Birmingham with boats dividing at Old Turn Junction to access wharfs at Newhall Street, or via Broad Street Tunnel to Gas Street Basin and Paradise Wharf.

It’s safe to say the old boatmen would not recognise the area these days and would scratch their heads at the arena’s soaring design and what goes on inside its walls.

BIRMINGHAM’s Old Turn Junction, where the Main Line Canal meets the Birmingham & Fazeley, has a distinctly new look with the launch of the revamped and rebranded National Indoor Arena, now officially the Barclaycard Arena The grey mass of the venue has brooded over the Old Turn, also known as the Deep Cuttings Junction, since 1991.

However, anyone who hasn’t visited the city by canal recently will now see something very much livelier after a £26 million redevelopment of the canalside face of the building to create an entirely new glass façade which houses bars, restaurants and other hospitality areas.

In canal terms, the junction, with its small island formed by an air vent for the railway tunnels running beneath the area, and which was once an industrial hub with metal works, breweries and timber yards, has been the modern core of Birmingham for the past 25 years.

The Barclaycard Arena is one of the busiest large scale indoor sporting and entertainment venues in Europe. Since opening as the National Indoor Arena in 1991, it has staged over 30 different large scale sports events and an extensive variety of entertainment and music – everything from the Eurovision Song Contest to Disney on Ice and Strictly Come Dancing to Motörhead.

It is owned by the NEC Group (Barclays has bought the naming rights for five years) and was the largest indoor arena in the UK when it was built.

The revamp includes creating a showpiece entrance from the canalside, which was not quite complete for the launch night, three sky needle light sculptures and the new, glazed façade fronting the canal.

Sparks flying as restoration appeal for canal boat Keppel hits its cash target ETRURIA Boat Group is celebrating as work starts on the Keppel, the historic canal narrowboat it is restoring to use for education and other community activities along the canals of the Potteries.

Sparks are flying as the rusted sections of the 55-year-old hull are cut out ready to be replaced at Roger Fuller Boatbuilding, Lime Kiln Basin at Stone.

In August, the volunteer group based at Etruria launched its appeal to raise the final £10,000 of the £16,000 project to complete the work to save and restore Keppel, the last of the working canal boats which brought potters’ materials to Stoke along the Trent & Mersey canal from Runcorn and took back coal from Sideaways colliery to Seddon’s Salt Works at Middlewich.

After restoration, the group will use Keppel as a floating classroom, teaching schoolchildren about canals with the Canal & River Trust Explorers education programme and providing community craft resources around north Staffordshire.

In June, a mystery donor gave the Etruria Boat Group a challenge to

match £5000, pound for pound, to achieve the appeal total.

Donations have come in from members of the group, individuals and friends from as far afield as Australia, and also the Trent & Mersey Canal Society generously paid into the appeal.

Two members of the group, Andrew Watts and Elisabeth Beswick-Watts, whose wedding was featured in Towpath Talk’s October edition, asked their guests to give donations to the appeal and raised over £2500.

Local firms The Canal & River Trust hosted the appeal, providing a web page for donors to use and also handling the administration. The Prince’s Regeneration Trust also gave advice to help set the appeal going.

Local firms have helped in the project, Center-Line Curtains of Longport with boat covers, Colorwerx of Stoke with paint and Dean Signs and Graphics of Burslem with signwriting. A retired local vehicle finisher, who wishes to remain anonymous, will paint the cabin sides. Keppel is on the register of National Historic Ships-

UK, which has given grants to help in the preparation of the project.

Andrew Watts, chairman of the Etruria Boat Group, says: “We are going to be very busy getting Keppel ready for the spring and her relaunch at Easter. The boat group is very grateful to all the people, businesses and organisations who have helped in the appeal and will do so much for the boat to get her restored. Thank you to our mystery donor, without whom this would not be possible. We have a lot of hard work still to do.”

Work is now well under way at the Stone boatyard putting in a new bottom and footings. The two boats, Lindsay and Keppel, will be relaunched at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port at Easter in 2015.

Members of the Etruria Boat Group will be working alongside professional staff to get everything finished in time. After this, Keppel will start giving schoolchildren their introduction to the heritage of the canals of north Staffordshire, and will appear at Etruria, Middleport Pottery, Hanley Park and elsewhere to show the canal traditions to new generations of people in the region.

The new glass façade of the Barclaycard Arena on the day of the launch, with (inset) abseiling window cleaners putting the finishing touches. PHOTOS:PETER UNDERWOOD

UPDATED EDITION OF THE BOATER’S HANDBOOK THE Canal & River Trust has updated the Boater’s Handbook, first published in 2002, writes Harry Arnold.

It is for boat owners and holiday hirers and contains lots of getting started tips as well as important information about how to boat safely.

Changes to the content are mainly to detail and emphasis. Information about navigating rivers has been strengthened, particularly relating to navigating in strong stream conditions. Some additional diagrams have also been added to make things as clear as possible.

The CRT highlights key safety messages under headings such as avoiding slips and trips, don’t get crushed, watch out for fire and fumes, not rocking the boat and remembering your life jacket.

CRT marketing director Simon Salem said: “The Boater’s Handbook is an incredibly useful resource for any boater, from novices to old hands alike. It contains a wealth of information about how to boat safely, as well as all the basics that can seem quite mystifying to new boaters.”

Every boater has been sent a copy to their home address during November and hire boat operators have also received it.

If any boater has not updated the CRT on a change of address, they should call customer services on 0303 040 4040 or email customer.services@canalrivertrust.org.uk to ensure they receive their copy A downloadable copy of the handbook, and a video setting out key information, can be found in the boating section at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

• Continued from page 1

Holiday boat operators win major tourism award Mark said: “We invite guests to come on their own and join in with likeminded adventurers, or to travel as a group of friends on our unique canal boat experience. We are really pleased to be running the only tour of this kind, introducing people from all over to the unique world of the UK’s canals.”

Up to eight guests can be accommodated on the boat with its two showers and plenty of room for socialising. Day trips and longer or special interest tours are also available,

as are opportunities to canoe and walk – or to simply relax with a drink from the boat’s honesty bar while the Wandering Duck team show you the hidden gems of the inland waterways.

Wandering Duck is a member of the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators, the association within the British Marine Federation that sets professional standards, enabling passenger navigation and safe guarding the inland waterways.

Guests enjoy steering Wandering Duck’s canal boat, with owner and host Ruth Seneviratne-Bratt, left, on hand to guide them.

NEWS 3

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Man and dog die in canal boat fire

By Bob Naylor

A BOATER and his dog died in an early morning fire aboard a boat on the Kennet & Avon Canal in November.

The wide-beam boat, Rum Lady, moored at Hilperton Marsh Farm near Trowbridge, was burning fiercely when it was spotted shortly before 7.30am on November 25 by a man walking his dog on the towpath.

Firefighters, including the county specialist water rescue team, were quickly on the scene and the man was brought ashore but Jason ‘Badger’ Philips, 42, was declared dead at the scene. It was later discovered that the boater’s dog, Charlie, had also died in the blaze.

Most of the damage visible from the outside of the boat is in the area of the

solid fuel stove and a fire service spokesman said that the investigation would focus on that.

Sixty boaters have died in the past 20 years as a result of a boat fire or carbon monoxide poisoning and Wiltshire Fire Service says many of those were caused by problems with solid fuel stoves and flue pipes.

The need for a working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector — and the need for escape routes that can be opened easily from inside the boat were stressed by Boat Safety Scheme manager, Graham Watts who said: “Just two or three breaths of toxic smoke can cause unconsciousness, especially in the tight confines of boat cabin. Being able to escape in seconds could make a big difference to surviving a boat fire.”

APCO in talks over Tideway hireboat ban

By Harry Arnold

FOLLOWING a minor incident involving a holiday narrowboat, the Port of London Authority (PLA) has decided that these hire craft are classified as ‘commercial’ and subsequently banned them from the Thames Tideway.

Holiday hire narrowboats have always made the short Tideway passage between the Grand Union Canal at Brentford and the Environment Agency’s (EA) non-tidal Thames navigation and sometimes the longer voyage down to the Regent’s Canal at Limehouse.

The PLA now insists that such craft must comply with the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) which lays down construction and operational standards for hire vessels operating on MCA categorised waters (i.e. those ‘not proceeding to sea’).

This is usually applied to charter craft and requires all commercial vessels operating within the geographical boundaries to have a suitably qualified skipper aboard.

There are many other regulations involved, such as freeboard which narrowboats cannot comply with.

The irony is that because of the right of public navigation that allows you to take any sort of privately owned craft on the River Thames, subject to the correct licensing tolls, other narrowboats in this category but of the same construction can cruise the Tideway at will.

Discussions are currently in hand between representatives of the PLA and those of the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators (APCO) and technical officers of the British Marine Federation (BMF) to see if some sort of compromise solution can be reached.

Private narrowboats are okay on the Thames Tideway, but not holiday craft.

Firefighters tackle the blaze which claimed the life of a man and his dog.

PHOTO: BOB NAYLOR:WATERMARX

Help for boaters facing hardship this winter WITH colder weather starting to take a grip, Workplace Matters (WM) has launched a Waterways Hardship fund for boaters.

As part of a range of initiatives to better help boaters in difficulty, the Canal & River Trust signed a Memorandum of Understanding with WM in June 2014.

Operating mainly in the South East, the Waterways Chaplaincy, part of WM, offers help regardless of faith or gender to those in need.

If you’ve been given a winter fuel allowance that you would like to use to help boaters who find themselves facing hardship this winter, there’s a quick and easy way to do it. Just visit the dedicated https://my.give.net/Hardshipfund to help those in need.

A donation will help other boaters in a variety of ways:

● £10 will buy a warm coat or pair of warm boots for an elderly person ● £15 can get a bag of solid fuel ● £25 could supply a replacement gas bottle for a couple who have just had a baby living on an inadequately heated boat ● £40 can cover a call out fee to repair/restore heating for an elderly boater with arthritis ● £140 will buy a one month emergency winter mooring (17m boat) for a boater in need ● A very generous £300 donation can recondition a multi-fuel stove for a terminally ill gentleman.

Any size donation will be very gratefully received. If you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like to reclaim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.

IN BRIEF Magna Carta pageant EVENTS to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta will include a pageant on the River Thames over the weekend of June 13-14, 2015. A flotilla of boats, likely to be led by Royal Row Barge Gloriana, is expected to travel downstream from Bisham Abbey near Marlow to Wraysbury, close to Runnymede, where the treaty was signed and authenticated by the Great Seal on June 15, 1215, when English barons assembled at Runnymede to challenge the authority of King John. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is organising the event in partnership with Thames Alive and Runnymede Borough Council.

Crick show dates THE 16th Crick Boat Show &

Waterways Festival will be held at Crick Marina from May 23-25, 2015.

Over 250 exhibitors are expected with up to 50 new canal boats on show as well as the usual seminars.

Tickets to the event are now on sale, and mooring and camping is also available. The Crick Boat Show 2015 will be open from 10am until 6pm every day except Monday, May 25, when it closes at 5pm.

For more information visit www.crickboatshow.com, call 01283 742977 or visit the Crick Boat Show page on Facebook.

PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

Candles in the water

Work starts on historic Birmingham site

A RIVER twinkled with more than 700 candles as a poignant remembrance of local people who had died, writes Geoff Wood. The candles were released into the River Ouse at York in a 30th anniversary event organised by St Leonard’s Hospice. Supporters watched from the river bank and each candle was sponsored as a gift to the hospice.

Hospice event fundraiser Judy Wilson said: “There was a huge number of people watching and it was a beautiful spectacle to see the candles in the river.”

By Harry Arnold

RENOVATION work has started on the Fiddle & Bone Pub and adjacent Roundhouse site in Ladywood, on the main line of the BCN in central Birmingham.

The pub closed some time ago but has now been taken over by established Birmingham boatyard Sherborne Wharf. Both the pub and Roundhouse arches will be sympathetically restored and refurbished and the exterior canal wall lowered with railings at the current height to open up the view from the canalside.

There will be a new building with boatyard services, including diesel, gas, coal, pump-out and elsan disposal. Showers, laundry and a chandlery will be housed in the arches of the Roundhouse.

When this has been completed and the Fiddle & Bone pub reopened for food and drink – hopefully in early 2015 – Sherborne Wharf will also move its offices and existing passenger boat business here from the nearby Oozells

Work starts at Birmingham’s Fiddle & Bone pub site. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES Street Loop. It will however retain its private moorings on the Loop. The existing site is likely to be redeveloped by the Canal & River Trust (CRT).

The National Trust and CRT are working together to explore future uses of the 1870s horseshoe-shaped Grade II* listed Roundhouse. They are consulting with others, such as Birmingham City Council, on the possibility of redeveloping the building as an urban outdoor hub from which activities can be based and more about Birmingham’s heritage can be discovered.

Pennywort under attack

THE Canal & River Trust has been tackling an outbreak of Floating Pennywort on sections of the River Stort between Bishop’s Stortford and Harlow. The plant, which can cause flooding and kill off native plants and fish, is capable of growing up to 20cm in a day and is able to double its weight in as little as three days. Unlike Himalayan Balsam and Giant Hogweed, it will continue to grow during the winter months unless there is a hard frost.

16

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From rockstar to narrowboat mover For Mike Banks the path to a wonderful new career has been quite a journey Smashing pumpkins to spreadsheets WHEN I left my original home in the Lake District in my 20s (with my best friend and a van full of amps and guitars) back in the late 80s, all I wanted was to be able to live and travel and meet lovely, friendly people.

Attempting to be a rock star seemed to be the best way of doing this – our slightly daft, but admirable, plan at the time – and a quarter of a century later I have eventually arrived at the lifestyle I have always been looking for.

We came quite close back then, our little rock band Scorpio Rising being signed to Sire Records by Seymour Stein, who signed Madonna and The Ramones, and several years of fantastic adventures on tours and features in NME (New Musical Express) etc. We played at Reading Festival, The Marquee and Finsbury Park Festival and on stages with Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Blur, and lots of other wellknown bands of the time in the early 90s.

These things are inevitably short lived, and eventually I had to concede that I’d have to join the normal/real world. Having a little family meant I had to find a way of earning a living and I fumbled my way, like lots of musicians, through lots of jobs.

These included bin man, painter

and decorator, telesales workhorse, con man’s straight man (unwittingly), rally navigator, dodgy internet startups, eventually almost accidentally (having had a brilliant idea and sending an email to a VC investor without any actual expectation anything would actually happen) ending up as a founder of the internet advertising company I worked for in London, as business development director!

Jumping ship

Although earning a good salary in the end, my boss hated me and I felt incredibly unappreciated, even though I made them nearly a million pounds in dividends one year. I always felt that something was seriously missing and eventually when my dad died and left me a

little bit of cash, I couldn’t stand it any more and took the plunge and left my job in search of a better and happier way of living.

I tried living in Holland, Brighton and many other places, then suddenly remembered a very clear dream I had when I was on tour in the band van years and years ago where (in the dream) I lived on a narrowboat, moored under some trees and I thought “I wonder how much it costs to really do that!”.

I found the Apollo Duck website, and there, bizarrely, at the top of the page was the boat from my dream (although blue rather than green), moored under trees as if waiting for me..!

Two weeks later, I had spent the last of my dad’s legacy and was hard at work installing plumbing, ripping out damp floors, puzzling about inverters and stern gland packing, buying insulation in huge sheets from Wickes, wheelbarrowing DIY stuff and tools along muddy towpaths, and shivering to death trying to get to sleep surrounded by tools and offcuts with snow on the roof... under the trees on the Stort.

Beans to boat mover

Mike in his rockstar days.

A few weeks later and we were out on the Lee at Stanstead Abbotts, living off our slightly dodgy leisure batteries, but managing to survive quite well and meeting the kind of friendly people everyone should know!

At this point I was totally out of cash and living day to day on beans on toast irresponsibly

(probably), steadfastly ignoring approaches from internet tech agencies trying to entice me back into the dreaded coal face/rat race.

Luckily one of my kind new friends (Welsh Steve – Southern Region Carriers, coal gas and diesel supplies, King’s CrossHertford) suggested that perhaps I should think about being a boat mover (as I love the slightly random way a narrowboat steers and works).

He explained that many people don’t have the time to move their boats around the country to where they want them to be, and I started to think: “This sounds wonderful.

It’s got to be possible”!

Two weeks later I had started the business, spending a massive £100 in total to get it going. I built my website for free, having seen an ad on TV for Wix free sites, got a £75 free trial from Google, £25 free ads from Facebook and spent three whole days collecting email addresses of brokerages, marinas etc from publications such as Towpath Talk and Canalworld. Two weeks passed without even a call or an email, and I had actually given up and was wondering what to do as I was virtually out of both beans and toast.

Then, both in the same day, I got my first enquiries from my little site www.narrowboat skipper.com and from then I have been really busy with boat moves on the River Wye, Thames, Lee, Stort and the K+A, Grand Union, Coventry Canal, Oxford Canal, Trent &

Narrowboat mover Mike Banks loves being his own boss.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Mersey, Llangollen, Macclesfield Canal, Leeds & Liverpool, Bridgewater… suffice to say my collection of Nicholson’s guides has grown very quickly!

The lovely thing about the job (obviously, the joy of being my own boss, exploring the network, meeting new people, mastering boat handling in all conditions and waterways, the stunning scenery and simple life, being in the open air, all goes without saying) is the wonderful testimonials my clients offer without me asking – what a joy to do work I love, and to be genuinely appreciated.

I even enjoy the challenge of trying to find alternative routes around the many Canal & River Trust stoppages for clients, as (typically for me) I discovered quickly that I had started the business at the very worst time in the year.

So, if any Towpath Talk readers would like help with moving their boat to anywhere on the UK network from someone who genuinely loves and appreciates boats, takes great care to keep them safe and deliver them on time, loves the waterways, and every single aspect of his work, please give me a call!

● Contact Mike Banks on 07732 392632 narrowboatskipper@outlook.com www.narrowboatskipper.com

Are a customer’s expectations too great?

River Canal Rescue managing director Stephanie Horton explains what is and isn’t covered by its membership fees.

SINCE its launch in January 2001 and up until September 2014, breakdown and assistance firm River Canal Rescue has come to the aid of more than 26,000 inland waterways users.

Prior to its formation, those in need of assistance would have had to rely on marinas, boatyards, local suppliers and ‘DIY mechanics’, who often claimed to have more knowledge than they did, or simply try to identify and resolve the problem themselves in order to continue with their journey.

While many boat owners still prefer this option, around 20% opt for RCR membership.

RCR’s ethos is to provide peace of mind for callers who, no matter what or where their situation, receive help from engineers with unrivalled breakdown repair knowledge and experience.

Over the years, customer demand has prompted the firm to extend its breakdown and assistance service to include Replacement Parts Cover, courses, an online chandlery and servicing. A separate division, Canal Contracting, was launched in 2013 providing services that fall outside the remit of membership cover, such as domestic plumbing, electrical work and maintenance.

With engineers and support

staff endeavouring to provide outstanding service, the firm has built an enviable reputation, particularly for fairness and cost effectiveness. This however, says managing director Stephanie Horton, can lead to confusion over what is and isn’t covered by membership fees.

In order to avoid further misunderstandings and address any misconceptions, Stephanie is keen to outline areas where customers are often unclear – leading to great expectations: All parts are covered under Replacement Parts Cover.

Parts not listed in the membership book such as fan belts and filters are not covered. Similarly, if a leak is caused through wear and tear or a part fails due to water ingress, it is classed as a gradual decline and not ‘sudden unforeseen failure’, which is covered.

Bilge pumps and tunnel lights are covered. These do not affect the engine operation and therefore are not classed as a breakdown. We’re happy to assist, but this would be a chargeable visit.

I’m covered if I have an accident, hit something underwater or sink.

Accidental damage due to a third party, underwater obstruction or hitting something is not covered by membership. It is not a

breakdown and should be covered by your insurance policy. RCR is usually the first on site and will always try to assist and advise (our Canal Contracting team works with all major insurance companies to make the claims and repair process as easy as possible).

Everything on the boat’s covered. Membership doesn’t cover anything outside the engine and propulsion system. If the fridge stops working, the lights fail, the shower fails to flow or the domestic water pump won’t turn off, Canal Contracting can assist, but there will be a charge.

Can you change my domestic batteries? It isn’t covered under your RCR membership, but we can help, via Canal Contracting.

All labour costs are covered.

RCR covers up to two hours to attend and rectify a breakdown.

Additional time or return visits are chargeable along with parts unless the repair is covered by Replacement Parts Cover; 85% of all callouts are fixable within the two-hour labour period.

I’m covered for a tow back to my home mooring. We offer two hours’ towing when a vessel cannot be repaired in-situ, taking it to a safe haven such as a mooring, marina or boatyard.

Towing takes time and in 80% of cases we’re able to use an outboard motor to move the vessel. If the owner wishes to go further afield, going beyond the two-hour towing time, charges will be made. And where a tug is used, the boat owner can be liable for the cost of the tug’s return journey.

Why does a diagnosis take time? As there are a number of potential causes to every problem, we have to identify it through a process of elimination.

It’s always best to start with the simplest and least costly element and then work through the system. Sometimes there can be a whole host of issues, which are only identified once one has been solved.

RCR should carry engine spares. There are more than 600 different engines on our system and although most craft have the same base engine, the majority will have different marinised parts and different installations and/or modifications, making it impossible to carry all without a HGV. We carry the majority of common parts and have access to national distributors, but they tend to be contactable between 9 and 5 – so not always immediately available when an emergency arises.

Parts should be available the same day. The majority of replacement parts claims are completed the same/following day. However, where parts are not easily available, we endeavour to deliver and fit them as soon as possible. If parts are obsolete or a custom installation we have to source alternatives and modify them which can take time.

You’ll have the right parts when you arrive. Although we hold engine details for a vessel, often we find the engine we’re asked to help with is different to the information we hold or the parts are standard but modified.

During servicing we try to ensure the right parts are carried by the engineers, but if this isn’t the case, we’ll endeavour to rectify as soon as possible.

Why aren’t I receiving several daily updates re when the engineer’s returning? Staff dedicated to providing this service are likely to be communicating with several boaters at the same time. In order to avoid staff making calls where they don’t have any real information to give – which can be irritating for the customer – we’d rather wait and call when there’s something tangible to share. Before we make that call we’re liaising with parts suppliers, engineers, and couriers.

While you’re here can you sort out this additional problem on my boat? Our engineers will always try to assist, but with other jobs to attend to they often have to concentrate on the most pressing matter that is covered by your RCR membership.

Why can’t an engineer visit in the middle of the night?

Engineers are on standby for emergencies – i.ee when a boat or person is in danger. Health and safety guidelines restrict call-outs if the boat isn’t easily accessible and the breakdown isn’t urgent. For example, we’d ask a person calling for help with a flat battery to wait until the morning, as the boat would have to run its engine for four hours to recharge its battery and failing light makes it very difficult to check electrical issues. Asking

The fan belt on the left is showing wear and tear, while on the right is a new replacement. PHOTO: RCR an engineer to take risks late at night on unlit slippery towpaths can only be justified in a real emergency.

Before joining RCR we used to spend so much on engine maintenance, but now there’s no need to service or maintain our vessel.

Regular engine servicing and boat maintenance is not only good practice, but also it’s a condition of membership.

RCR cover is for emergencies and not boat maintenance.

Stephanie continues: “We’d love to be able to provide the additional services required by our members free of charge, but as a business this wouldn’t be feasible. Keeping costs as competitive as possible and exceeding customer expectations is very important to us, but so too is managing expectations and hence why the scenarios are listed.”

● To find out more about RCR visit www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

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50 PRODUCTS

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Beware of low-quality coal when stocking up for the winter!

Polly Player gives some timely tips about the pitfalls of buying fuel that’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

WHEN you buy your winter coal from one of the various coal boats that serve the network or well-respected canalside chandleries and stockists, you are highly unlikely to get ripped off or fall foul of any of the various tricks that some unscrupulous resellers and merchants are sometimes apt to attempt.

However, with the sheer range of options available when it comes to sourcing your winter coal supply, including bulk deliveries from online firms and smaller private resellers away from the canal, it pays to be aware of the warning signs. If you have spotted a coal deal that seems to be underpriced or simply too good to be true, it probably is; but you may not be aware of just how many different ways there are to pull a swift one when it comes to adulterating coal!

I spoke to a well-known coal boater this month about some of the scams and tricks that unscrupulous merchants may use to increase their profit margins at the expense of their end clients, and what I learned surprised me.

clean and hot, and is a relatively ‘pure’ fuel; assuming that you are buying the real thing. However, as Supertherm’s appearance was originally that of simple round cobbles, it was not difficult in practice for any number of cheaper, lower grade fuels to be bagged and substituted for Supertherm, and sold as such to its end users.

Burnwell, for instance, is a low grade, semi-smokeless fuel from the economy end of the scale, which is not authorised for use in smoke-controlled areas, and is the fuel most commonly substituted for Supertherm by those with their eye on the bottom line and not their client’s satisfaction. The poor performance that then results from burning this bait-andswitch ‘Supertherm’ is commonly blamed on ‘a bad batch’ or other intangibles.

Genuine Supertherm nuggets have an indent mark.

Supertherm is also very hard and almost shiny in appearance, while Burnwell has a gritty feel to it.

The other sign, of course, is the price: if you are being offered Supertherm at well below the rate that anyone else sells it for, the chances are it is something else. Genuine merchants cannot afford to sell the genuine product with a nonexistent or minimal mark-up, so if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Finally, you can tell whether or not you are burning genuine Supertherm by its behaviour; Supertherm is smokeless, Burnwell is not.

How can you avoid the scam?

Supertherm’s genuine manufacturers soon cottoned on to the fact that the product was commonly being substituted with cheaper alternatives, and in order to counteract this, introduced an indent mark onto the genuine product’s nuggets in order to avoid counterfeiting. If the indent is not present, it is not Supertherm, and don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise!

Common smokeless fuel scams and tricks

Supertherm Supertherm is a high-grade branded smokeless coal, which is authorised for use in smoke-controlled areas. It burns

A basic toolkit for boaters Howard Williams is a marine and land electrician with many years’ experience of boat electrics and is the managing director of Boatelec Ltd. In this new series he will deal with an aspect of boat electrics each month.

I THOUGHT it would be good to start by looking at a basic tool kit for boat electrics. This is intended to enable the DIY boater to carry out routine maintenance and fix faults on the 12-volt system. It is not intended for mains use. This can be kept in with your other tools or in a separate small toolbox. Remember to keep it somewhere easy to find in the dark!

Electrician’s screwdrivers as shown in the photo are best. The insulated handle and blade makes short circuits across the batteries or elsewhere much less likely. The more expensive yellow and orange ones intended for professional

How can you avoid the scam?

Burnwell has a gritty feel to it.

Excel Excel is a mid-grade smokeless fuel that is very popular with boaters, being slightly less refined than Supertherm, and with a slightly lower price tag. Excel is also authorised for use in smokecontrolled areas. As with most other smokeless fuels, Excel looks pretty much like any other bag of nuggets, and in particular, looks a lot like a couple of fuels that go under other names, including Excel Glow and Stoveglow.

The bait-and-switch game here is virtually identical to the

Smokeless fuel basics

The modern production of smokeless coal has opened the field up for all sorts of interesting chemistry tricks, as smokeless coal nuggets are uniform in size and appearance, providing the opportunity to adulterate or copy the recipe. Smokeless fuel is comprised of a mixture of coal, tar, cement and aggregate, converted to powder form and then compressed into the uniform nuggets that we all recognise.

While each different brand of smokeless coal is, of course, slightly different in its makeup, alterations to these four core ingredients are where the smokeless coal-based scams tend to arise.

Supertherm/Burnwell scam. Excel Glow and Stoveglow are considered to be near the bottom of the quality ladder of processed fuels, and the nuggets found within any one bag are generally incredibly variable, so that the fuel’s behaviour is also variable and unpredictable, ranging from burning fast and hot to being virtually impossible to light or keep going.

Excel Glow and Stoveglow, like Burnwell, are not authorised for use in smoke-controlled areas.

electricians are good if you can afford them. You will find that many electrical wholesalers and DIY shops sell cheaper, similar looking, ranges which are okay for DIY use. Avoid sets, just get the ones you need.

I have never found small ‘terminal’ screwdrivers very useful. For most applications on a boat you are better with a flat blade screwdriver with a shaft about 100mm long and a tip about 4mm. This is a very useful size.

I would also suggest a bigger flat blade with a 6mm tip and a Pozidrive no2 tip which is often needed to open up panelling etc. Pozidrive no1, Phillips tip and stubbies could also be added, but these are the basics.

Excel looks pretty much like any other bag of nuggets.

Along with screwdrivers, side cutters are used all the time by electricians for cutting and, with care to avoid damaging the cable, for stripping insulation. The ones shown with the black grips are Bahco and are my personal favourite, but are probably too expensive for DIY use. Get the best you can afford and go for ones with plenty of insulation to avoid sparks.

I have also shown a pair made by ‘nws’ with round blades in the jaws for stripping and also two dies for occasional crimping of terminals.

Crimping and terminals are a subject which I will cover in more depth in the future.

I would not normally recommend using adjustable spanners, but for this type of toolkit, and if used carefully, the stubby type shown is very good. They fit a wide variety of nuts and bolts and avoid keeping several spanners. The one shown is made by Hi Tech and has a completely insulated grip which avoids the risk of short circuits, particularly when working on batteries.

Various ‘multi tools’ and engineers’ pliers could be included, but the ones I would always have are snipe nosed or radio pliers as shown. These are great for holding cables and terminals in confined spaces, putting small nuts on to bolts

Unlike Supertherm and Burnwell, Excel and the cheaper alternatives appear virtually identical in the bag, but the cheaper alternatives are slightly more gritty and crumbly, and more likely to have broken nuggets in the bag. Again, if the price is ringing alarm bells with you, this is usually a good indicator too.

While it is relatively uncommon to find other fuels such as Excel Glow substituted outright for Excel, and bagged as such, some merchants will play on the similarity of the names, and attempt to convince buyers that the two fuels are identical or very similar.

Coke People who need a hot-burning coal usually choose anthracite or pet-coke, and the first scam here involves adulterating the bag with the addition of lower-grade fuels to make the weight up.

The second scam is carried out at source, where the nuggets are produced; the coke itself is diluted with hardcore and other worthless waste such as rubble, in order to make up the weight, while minimising the use of the genuine fuel.

How can you avoid the scam?

Lower-grade fuels interspersed with what should be pure coke tend to look shiny and clump/melt together when burnt. The bagged product will also be less brittle and have sharper edges than genuine pet-coke or anthracite.

Coke that has been diluted at source with rubble and hardcore will tend to produce emptier bags when filled and weighed, as the addition of all that rubbish makes up the weight without totally filling the bag in the way that you would normally expect.

and a large number of other tasks.

Care should be taken with the long jaws which can easily short between terminals.

A head torch is always worthwhile leaving hands free and making it possible to see in difficult areas as well as in poor light.

A piece of connector block and some tape as well as a couple of metres of cable (about boat lighting cable diameter) should always be in there. Tape is fraught with difficulty these days as they are changing the PVC. Try and get tape that feels flexible, vinyl-like, sticky and stretchy. Avoid the papery feeling stuff which won’t stretch and doesn’t stick well.

Finally, a selection of fuses of the correct type for your boat.

Remember that those on the engine or around the batteries for bilge pumps or solar panels may well be different types.

A multimeter, is highly desirable and I will cover these next month. If you are uncertain what type to buy, I suggest you wait until then!

TOP RIGHT: A basic toolkit for the DIY boater. This is intended for 12-volt use only. PHOTOS SUPPLIED BOTTOM RIGHT|: An example of screwdriver tips.

Nuggets can be incredibly variable.

The weight trick

Manufacturers and merchants best avoided will also sometimes soak their coal in water before they bag it, in order to reach the bagged weight using less product. The coal itself will look and feel soaking wet, and of course, be very smoky when you first burn it.

It is important to note that bagged coal is, of course, rarely kept under cover, and with the winter weather being what it is, coal that has been in the hold of a coal boat for a few days will soon get wet too!

One simple way to tell if you have fallen foul of the added water scam or if your coal has simply got wet in transit, is to weigh it. Correctly bagged coal will weigh more than the label weight when wet, while deliberately water-soaked coal will still weigh in at the bag’s label weight.

Support your local coal boats and boating businesses Unscrupulous manufacturers, merchants and resellers may be prone to pulling these tricks on the unsuspecting, but merchants and sellers that rely solely or mainly on the boating trade for their income are highly unlikely to shoot themselves in the foot by trying to rip their regular clients off.

Coal boaters and canal side merchants themselves are only too aware of the tricks sometimes plied by others in the trade, and of course, this directly affects their own business and bottom line too when they are undercut by chancers and scam-merchants.

If you support your local coal boats and other boating businesses when it comes to sourcing your winter coal, and take their informed advice on what fuels are best for you, you are unlikely to fall foul of any of the common scams that some other merchants and sellers may attempt in their bid to make a quick buck.

PRODUCTS & REVIEWS 51

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IWAI and the Waterways of Ireland THE Inland Waterways Association was formed in Great Britain in 1946 and in the same year writer L T C Rolt embarked on a circular journey along the Shannon, the Grand and Royal Canals, writes Alison Alderton.

It was a time when Ireland’s waterways were in decline and Rolt later published a colourful portrayal of the trip in his book Green and Silver.

The formation of this association along with Rolt’s book and proposals to replace the Shannon’s lift bridges with fixed spans, limiting craft plying its waters inspired and prompted the formation of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI).

The first official meeting of the IWAI in 1954 attracted some 200 like-minded people who had the foresight to come together with the shared aims of promoting traffic on the rivers and canals, opposing any obstructions and campaigning for the conservation and preservation of working navigations.

It became a great social leveller binding together some unlikely characters sharing a common cause such as founder Harry Rice, a retired British Army colonel and Sean McBride, a dedicated Republican.

Today the IWAI boasts a membership of around 3500 who carry on the work of their predecessors. The commitment of each and every member has resulted in the achievement of many great feats and overcome many challenges which have ensured that boats can still enjoy free access on the inland waterways from Limerick to Beleek and further afield.

In celebration of the

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Canal volunteer turns author Author Brian Cassells with contributor Alison Alderton. PHOTO: ROGER

HARRINGTON HARRINGTO

Association’s 60-year history a new book entitled IWAI and the Waterways of Ireland has been launched at events in Athlone, Dublin and Lisburn. Written and compiled by author and past president of the IWAI Brain Cassells OBE, this has been two years in the creating and contains contributions from IWAI members including Alison Alderton, Ruth Delany and Dick Warner. These reveal fascinating and personal reminisces of the buildings, events, people and waterways which have shaped the IWAI and which if not recorded would eventually be lost in the mists of time.

Giving a detailed insight, this book contains sections on the Association’s most prominent figures, the waterways of Ireland, the individual IWAI branches, its rallies and achievements made over the years. Enhanced by hundreds of photographs it is a lavish publication which can be dipped into time and time again and is a must have for anyone with an interest in Ireland’s wonderful inland waterways.

IWAI and the Waterways of Ireland, published by Cottage Publications is priced at €15 or £12 + P&P and is available through the IWAI bookshop: www.shop.iwai.ie

A stylish bag for your laptop Reviewer: Jason Carpenter

I STILL remember the day when, if you wanted to take your computer with you, it pretty much meant hiring a couple of removal vans to help you transport it. Thankfully, technology has advanced so much now that those days are long gone and we are now able to carry them with us wherever we like and thankfully, there are better ways to do this than using a plastic bag from a discount store...

The be.ez LE Reporter is a sleek and stylish bag designed for MacBook Pro 13in and 15in and Macbook Air 11in. Although I don’t have a Macbook of any shape and size, I do have a 15in laptop and found that there was plenty of space to slide in the laptop with all the leads that accompany it thanks to the two slip pockets on the inside.

A Velcro flap secures your laptop in place and a zipped pocket on the front gives you fast access to documents, books or even the latest copy of Towpath Talk! There is also a pocket on the back which will allow for a small device like a mobile phone or a book.

Not only will the bag keep everything secure, it has a PVC surface and is extremely comfortable thanks to the nylon strap with shoulder pad.

Priced £59.50; available from Amazon.co.uk

And this one’s waterproof Reviewer: Jason Carpenter

IF A one-strap laptop bag doesn’t take your fancy then check out the LE Bag Pro. Again, this is available in two sizes to be compatible with 13in and 15-17in computers and features a plethora of pockets and secret compartments to keep your laptop safe and your other items secure.

You can really tell that there has been a lot of time spent on the development of the LE Pro as it features little ideas that you wouldn’t normally associate with a bag, such as a soft lining on one of the pockets which is designed specifically to dampen the sounds of your keys when they jingle around.

It is little touches like this and the attention to detail that sets apart the LE pro from most laptop bags and is really worth a look. Not only is it enjoyable and comfortable to carry on your shoulders it features another detail that will appeal to us living in the UK and enjoying the waterways… it’s got a raincover!

Priced £90; available from amazon.co.uk

THEY may be tough and hard-working, but the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s volunteer work party has hidden depths.

Roy Stringer has been on the work party for many years, doing a variety of hard manual work such as mixing and barrowing concrete to help build walls and locks. He owns, and is licensed to use, a chainsaw with which he has helped to clear vast amounts of scrub along the canal.

Roy Stringer at work on the Staveley Town Lock. PHOTO: CHESTERFIELD

CANAL TRUST

However, when he gets home and changes out of his working gear, he is transformed into a veritable wordsmith. He has penned several books, the latest of which is called Ruffled Feathers.

When ‘Queasy’ Morgan, a shady nightclub owner, tries to put the screws on an old people’s home, he gets a lot more than he bargained for. Helped by Charlie and Tiny, two of his henchmen with misgivings, the residents retaliate.

But Morgan’s problems don’t end there. When his parrot falls ill – he blames the residents – he’s forced to travel overland to the central African republic of Madoqualand for a cure. En route he almost causes a diplomatic incident in Paris, risks a charge of indecent exposure in Turkey and struggles with a water phobia. To cap it all, an over-sexed wildlife ranger gets the hots for the poor man when he arrives at her isolated ranger station.

Zany and fast moving, Ruffled Feathers presents an alternative snapshot of residential care in the 21st century. But will Morgan return home safely? And what does his parrot think about it all?

Meanwhile, Roy can be seen every Sunday, come rain or shine, at Staveley Basin helping to build the new Staveley Town Lock.

Ruffled Feathers, is available in paperback from Amazon or Lulu.com for £8.99, and as a Kindle download at £1.99.

Must-read guide if you’re heading for the French canals Reviewer: Harry Arnold

THE FACT that Through the French Canals has run to a 13th edition is a recommendation in itself. Since it was initially researched and compiled by the late expert on Continental waterways, Phillip Bristow, in 1970 there has literally been a flood of publications on the French rivers and canals; many of which he also wrote. Some bigger and more lavishly illustrated, some more detailed as guides to individual waterways.

Although you may wish to have one of these for a more intimate look at a navigation, this is the basic standard work that I wouldn’t want to be without; either on the bookshelf for planning a cruise or as a handy-sized instant guide and reference work on the boat or travelling generally in France.

With the death of Phillip Bristow, David Jefferson has kept up his work researching and documenting the changes in each subsequent edition. As he says there have been many changes in both traffic – commercial and pleasure – and particularly in regulations. In its fact-packed 320 pages this book covers virtually all you need to know.

I particularly like the grouping and division of the system into routes and areas. As the title implies it is designed to get you successfully ‘through’ the network, from and to specific destinations. Each route is clearly defined and laid out with the facts on coloured panels and on accompanying maps.

There is a whole comprehensive need-to-know section for the skipper, covering the usual cruising and navigation instructions

such as that on the right type of boat, using locks, bridge and tunnels dimensions and so on. But also lots on being there and living within France, such as a handy vocabulary of shopping and weather forecasting terminology, the cost of living, location of navigation authority offices, public holidays, weights and measures, car hire and getting your mail while abroad.

Even pets are covered: How to get them to and from France and their health while they are there.

Would you know what to do if your dog got a tapeworm? Well this book has the details. And for the wine lover, this new edition lists the local regional varieties. After all, what else do you go to France for? And the quality of the photographs alone will tempt many to take their boat to the location illustrated.

Altogether a great standard work of its type: Not only for those cruising in France but also as a handy guide for visitors by other forms of transport to seek out the delights of the country’s waterways.

Through the French Canals, 13th Edition, by David Jefferson (softback) is published by Adlard Coles Nautical (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc) at £19.99.

ISBN: 978-1-4729-0038-8

A rescue story – the Hereford & Gloucester Canal Reviewer: Gay Armstrong

THE last 35 years have been a time of transformation for the Hereford & Gloucester Canal.

This waterway running through some of the most beautiful countryside in England was described in the late 1970s as being more ‘lost in obscurity’ than any other.

It is now the subject of a leading canal restoration project by the Hereford and Gloucester Canal Trust, and the story of the canal’s history and this ambitious project are told in this fascinating and richly illustrated book.

Rescued from Obscurity by Richard Skeet is published by the trust in softback and is priced £10.

Copies are available from H&GCT chairman Janet Moult jmoult@tiscali.co.uk or via the H&GCT website www.h-g-canal.org.uk with £2 added for post and packing.

ISBN: 978-0-9929441-0-0

Showing the way – the River Avon Reviewer: Gay Armstrong

AN excellent navigation and visitor guide to the River Avon from Tewkesbury to Stratfordupon-Avon comes from the Avon Navigation Trust.

This second edition of The River Avon Visitor and Navigation Guide includes a foreword by canal laureate Jo Bell, in which she describes the Avon as ‘a good-looking charmer with a hundred stories to tell’.

Comprehensive but concise and attractive and userfriendly, the guide is in hardy softback.

Contact the Avon Navigation Trust at office@avonnavigationtrust.org or visit www.avonnavigationtrust.org ISBN: 978-0-9564156-8-4

A journey down the Wisbech Canal A NEW local history book A Pictorial Journey down the Wisbech Canal is a comprehensive record of the canal with many maps and illustrations displaying the history of Fenland water courses.

It includes the digging of the Wisbech Canal, transportation, filling the canal, the Wisbech to Upwell Tram and the Well Stream.

The book features many locations in and around West Norfolk including rare images of Wisbech, Elm, Emneth and Outwell.

The Wisbech Canal featured in the area from 1797 to 1971, its working life ended in 1922.

The author William Smith is a retired site service support engineer who started researching Fenland waterways around 45

years ago. It is his fourth local history book.

His last book, Discovering Upwell, was awarded a certificate of merit by the Cambridgeshire Association for Local History.

A Pictorial Journey down the Wisbech Canal is available from Wisbech Museum and many post offices in the area or online from www.carrillson.co.uk

96 BOAT SAFETY/ON IRISH WATERS with Alison Alderton

Staying safe on your boat This month Clive Penny of the Association of Boat Safety Examiners looks at carbon monoxide and what can be done to minimise the risks to yourself and crew with advice from the Boat Safety Scheme.

EACH year boaters die or are made seriously ill from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Boats are built to keep water out, but this also makes them good containers for gases and fumes.

When carbon-based appliances and engine fuels, such as gas, LPG, coal, wood, paraffin, oil, petrol and diesel, don’t burn completely, CO is produced.

CO build-up in the cabin can occur with one or a mix of these factors: ● with faulty, badly maintained or misused appliances ● exhaust fumes from a boat’s engine or generator ● escaped flue gases from solid fuel stoves ● blocked ventilation or short supply of air – fuels need the right amount of oxygen to burn safely.

The Boat Safety Scheme and CoGDEM have produced a booklet that can be downloaded in PDF format from the ‘Stay Safe’ section of the Boat Safety Scheme website.

Copies are also available to organisations by contacting the Boat Safety Scheme.

Tips to keep you alive

● Install fuel burning appliances properly. ● Maintain appliances and engines routinely. ● Use the equipment correctly. ● Don’t allow engine fumes into the cabin space. ● Deal with problems immediately. ● Don’t allow bodged repairs and maintenance. ● Install a CO alarm. ● Test the alarm routinely. ● Never remove the batteries. ● Know the signs of CO poisoning and how to react.

This article is just an overview of some of the advice available on the boat safety scheme website: www.boatsafetyscheme.org

● All of the articles from this series can be found on my website: www.canalelectrics.com Your local member of the Association of Boat Safety Examiners can be found at www.ABSE.org and will be happy to answer any questions you may have and assist in any way they can.

CoGDEM. Council of Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring www.cogdem.org.uk

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Asian clam found in Longford INVASIVE aquatic species the Asian clam has been discovered in the River Shannon at the ‘hot water’ stretch in Lanesborough, Co Longford.

On discovery, downstream of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) power plant at the top of Lough Ree, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) deployed a rapid response team to erect signs in the location prohibiting angling on this popular fishery.

Like the Zebra mussel, the Asian clam has the ability to become highly invasive in a short period of time and at high densities can alter the food web and compete with native mussel species. The Asian clam has already invaded the River Barrow in Carlow, where it is reported to have caused significant damage.

Amanda Mooney, director for the Shannon River Basin District of IFI, stated: “It is a tremendous shock to discover that this aggressive alien invasive species is present and established in this popular fishery. IFI is responding to this serious development and anglers and other

water users are encouraged to report any sighting of this or other invasive species to us.”

IFI has met with key stakeholder groups and will be working closely with a number of agencies to try to prevent any further spread. Several agencies including, ESB, Waterways Ireland, Roscommon and Longford County Councils among others have expressed their interest in committing funding to aid preventative measures.

Following a detailed scientific survey IFI has revealed that the population of Asian clams has already reached a stage where complete removal is not feasible.

Intensive intervention including dredging will seriously impact the abundance and spawning potential of the population of Asian clams and it is therefore recommended

by IFI that every endeavour is made to kill or remove as many clams as possible from the hot water stretch of river and from the navigation cut at the entrance to Lough Ree. These proposed actions are currently being considered by the relevant

WATERWAYS Ireland has developed an online navigation guide for the Lower Bann for use on computers, tablets and mobile phones.

In a major step change in the presentation of navigation guides for Ireland’s Inland Waterways, Waterways Ireland has, in consultation with user groups, developed, tested and now launched, pilot online navigation guides, designed to provide a convenient alternative to printed navigation guides.

The online guide to navigation has been developed internally within Waterways Ireland using ArcGIS online.

This interactive web mapping application details navigation

Bob Naylor reports on a fire safety exercise which was followed by a real life scenario just a few weeks later, tragically without a happy ending. See story on P3.

An extract from the digital guide to the Lower Bann.

PHOTO:WATERWAYS IRELAND

Looking for views on heritage and wildlife

Having evacuated the trip boat, firefighters tend to a casualty during the simulated exercise.

PHOTO: BOB NAYLOR:WATERMARX

“This stretch of water is a high risk area and we have had a number of boat fires over the years. We do a lot of community safety work with the boating community to try and prevent such incidents from happening but we need to be sure that, should the worst happen, we are as prepared as we can be to deal with it.”

The K&A Canal Trust director of boats, Graham Day, added: “We operate four passenger boats along the canal and we have to be certain that our emergency plans will work if a fire breaks out. We are very grateful to all the services for supporting this training event so enthusiastically.”

IRELAND

agencies and statutory regulatory bodies.

The fishery, which reopened to anglers during November 2014, remains under strict bio-security conditions.

Four disinfection units funded by ESB have been installed along with signage explaining how water users can disinfect efficiently.

Due to the continued presence of the Asian clam the use of keep nets in the area is prohibited for the foreseeable future. ● Inland Fisheries Ireland www.fisheriesireland.ie

Digital navigation guide piloted by Waterways Ireland

Simulated boat fire tests K&A Canal emergency plans THIRTY passengers were helped off the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust’s trip boat Kenavon Venture recently while smoke from a simulated kitchen fire bellowed across the canal and towpath.

Firefighters from Calne and Devizes arrived at Horton, east of Devizes, within minutes of the call and helped passengers get to safety while the ambulance service was there to deal with casualties.

On this occasion most passengers walked off the boat although one was carried off feet first. With all the passengers and crew off the boat, firefighters in breathing apparatus went on board to tackle the blaze.

After the rescue Devizes Fire Station manager Darren Nixon said: “The trust was keen to test its emergency plans in a realistic way and it was an ideal opportunity for us to build on our firefighters’ understanding of the challenges involved with incidents on the canal.

The Asian clam can compete with native mussel species. PHOTO: INLAND FISHERIES

WATERWAYS Ireland is sounding out interested parties, groups and individuals before starting to develop a heritage and biodiversity plan for the waterways in its care.

The survey will close on January 12, 2015, and the public can take part in a number of ways.

A survey can be completed online or downloaded at http://bit.ly/1xLhYb0 and returned to Waterways Ireland, Scarriff, Co Clare, or by visiting a Waterways Ireland office at either Sligo Rd, Enniskillen; Ashtowngate, Navan Rd, Dublin; Drewsborough, Scarriff, Co Clare or Old Dublin Rd, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim and completing a survey there. It should take less than 10 minutes.

Completed questionnaires should be posted to Heritage & Biodiversity Plan Consultation, Waterways Ireland, Dock Road, Drewsborough, Scarriff, Co. Clare.

features such as locks, moorings, weirs, navigation markers and other facilities along the waterway.

These data layers are then overlaid using ArcGIS online web maps. GPS surveys or digitising onscreen using Ordnance Survey Maps have been used to capture the location of features.

The application enables the public to pan around the map, identify features, print maps, switch between base mapping and satellite view and switch on and off layers.

Waterways Ireland will update the maps on an ongoing basis so that the latest navigational information is always available online. Ongoing feedback is welcomed from users to keep the mapping information accurate.

With both the Lower Bann and the Erne System Navigation Guides presently available online, Waterways Ireland is commencing work with user groups on the Shannon and will subsequently cover the remaining waterways.

The Lower Bann Guide is complete and can be viewed on a PC, tablet or smartphone. The maps are available for free on www.waterwaysireland.org by choosing the waterway and then selected the map tab.

In the initial pilot period, broadband access or a Wi-Fi link will be required to use the online navigation guides for the Lower Bann and Erne Systems. Progress is being made on an offline/cached version which will be made available as soon as possible.

It is also planned that the next phase of the online navigation guides will have additional layers of information for waterway and waterside recreational and tourism activity which the user can turn on and off.

In this transition period Waterways Ireland continues to offer a paper product to Waterway users. A comprehensive navigation guide for the Erne System, Shannon-Erne Waterway and Shannon Navigation is for sale at www.shopwaterwaysireland.org for €15/£12.60 and the Lower Bann Guide is also available.

Lakeland Treasures app now available on Android THE free Lakeland Treasures app is now available from the Play Store on Android. Launched in spring 2014 as an iPhone app by Waterways Ireland, in partnership with Fáilte Ireland & the Midlands Regional Authority, the new Android app aims to open up the fun of Lakeland Treasures to a whole new set of people.

Lakeland Treasures is a photo treasure hunt and guide. It is a family fun way to explore 10 of the Midlands’ best known heritage attractions including the world renowned Clonmacnoise, Athlone Castle, Strokestown House, Emo Court & Ardagh Heritage Village.

The Lakeland Treasures app includes over 100 heritage attractions across the region and can be used all year round.

Start anywhere in the Lakelands and the app will take you to the nearest attractions. With clues,

The Lakeland Treasures app is free to download. hints, and a secret to be revealed at the end, it is billed as being fun for all the family, young and old.

The guide section gives the family just enough information on the key heritage features and their beauty to enhance their visit to the Lakelands. The app links to places to eat, stay, and other attractions by closest proximity,

ensuring you and the family are never without fun, entertainment or hospitality even without Wi-Fi cover.

Lakeland Treasures is free to download from the Apple app store and Android Play Store. Follow on Twitter @lakeland treasures, Facebook or watch a video of how it all works on YouTube.

ON IRISH WATERS with Alison Alderton 97

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Walking Watery Ways A canalside path for walkers and cyclists.

➔ Formoreinformation onwatersidewalks visitthefollowing:

Walking at Lough Neagh. PHOTO: LOUGH NEAGH PARTNERSHIP

In the Slieve Bloom mountains.

Alison Alderton explores some walks through the Emerald Isle’s stunning countryside.

AFTER all the over-indulgence during the festive season, heading off for a pleasant walk is likely to be in the forefront of most people’s minds. Not only do the Irish waterways provide

A bird-watching hide at Oxford Island. PHOTO: LOUGH NEAGH

some beautiful cruising grounds, they also offer access to many miles of uninterrupted walks through some stunning countryside, all of which can be enjoyed any time of year.

Serious walkers may wish to consider longer distance paths and Ireland’s canals offer some of the best national waymarked trails. The Grand Canal Way, runs for 117km along the entire length of the canal’s main line from Dublin to Shannon Harbour where it joins the Shannon Navigation. It is well maintained, signposted and offers ample opportunities for diversions allowing loops of varying sizes to be created.

Accessing the shore by dinghy.

The Royal Canal Way stretches for 144km from Dublin to Clondara and is currently being upgraded in part to form a Greenway, a multi-use route catering for cyclists and walkers alike. Those on the water really have the best of both worlds, being able to easily hop on and off their vessel to enjoy a stroll at any point or by mooring where other hinterland trails converge or cross the waterway.

Generally, walks along river navigations cross more rugged terrain but some of these are now being developed into more user friendly pathways. The Barrow Way is a 114km route along a mixture of surviving towpath, tracks and riverside roads, following the course of the picturesque River Barrow from Lowtown in County Kildare to the village of St. Mullins in County Carlow. Waterways Ireland recently revealed plans to adapt the existing grassy track of the towpath with a more durable hard surface which have been met with a mixed reaction.

Many believe this may harm the natural environment of the River

Barrow and are currently campaigning to keep the grassy pathways intact.

For something more strenuous, head for the mountains where there are walks along babbling brooks, infant rivers and streams. The Slieve Bloom mountains sit close to the geographical centre of Ireland and along with the Massif Central in France are the oldest mountains in Europe.

There are plenty of waymarked trails all colour-coded to reflect their relative level of ease. One of the most popular is the Silver River Eco Trail; an easy 7km route taking in some of the finest rock exposures to be found in the region, it follows the course of the Silver River which after joining the River Brosna feeds the mighty River Shannon.

Encircling Lough Neagh, the 190km Loughshore Trail also known as Route 94 of The National Cycle Network consists of country lanes over mainly flat terrain and incorporates 25 major sites of interest including nature reserves, marinas and archaeological features. On the southern shores of the lake is Oxford Island (www.oxfordisland.com) which, following artificial lowering of the lake in the 1850s is now a peninsula. Also a national nature

Fáilte Ireland Walking Site www.discoverireland.ie/walking Irish Trails www.irishtrails.ie Lough Neagh www.discoverloughneagh.com Walk Northern Ireland www.walkni.com Way Marked Ways of Ireland www.walkireland.ie National Parks & Wildlife Service www.npws.ie Waterways Ireland www.waterwaysireland.org

The Grand Canal Way – a national waymarked trail. PHOTOS:ALISON

ALDERTON UNLESS OTHERWISE

reserve, this is a haven for wintering wildfowl such as whooper swans and has four miles of footpaths, five birdwatching hides as well as woodlands, ponds and wildflower meadows.

Country parks offer excellent walking opportunities and many of these are accessible directly from the water. Some even have their own harbours and moorings such as the Lough Key Forest Park on the Boyle Waters, the Portumna Forest Park on the banks of the Shannon’s largest lake Lough Derg, and the Castle Archdale Country Park on Lower Lough Erne. For the more adventurous boater wishing to combine a cruise with a walk offering an insight into the country’s historical heritage, try mooring on the isolated pontoon off Warren Point on Lough Ree and taking a dinghy ashore to access the lost township of Rindoon where there are two looped trails.

A lakeside walk at Warren Point.

Considered to be one of the finest archaeological sites in Ireland, it is littered with ruins all of which have been untouched since being abandoned some 500 years ago and include a church, hospital and the enormous hulk of Rindoon Castle.

As well as the inland waterways, there are miles of unspoilt coastline with cliff paths and coastal trails resulting in the walker being spoilt for choice on this beautiful island of contrasts.

Finally a word of caution – while appealing, walking along any water frontage should be undertaken with care particularly during the winter period, slippery surfaces combined with icy water can result in accidents, being vigilant is paramount.

Shannon Blueway is the first of its kind CREATED by bundling together a number of recreational activities available as a single or multiple visitor experience, the newly launched Shannon Blueway is the first of its kind in Ireland.

Minister Heather Humphreys TD along with actor and producer Carrie Crowley recently joined more than 300 walkers and paddlers at Acres Lake where Waterways Ireland (WI) has developed and built a canoe trail from Drumshanbo through Battlebridge and Leitrim Village to Carrick-on-Shannon as well as developing a series of looped walks adjacent to the Lough Allen Canal.

On opening the new amenity, the minister said: “The Shannon Blueway has the potential to have a very positive impact on employment and the regional economy.

“With the market for off-road adventure tourism growing here in Ireland and internationally, Leitrim is in a prime position to benefit from this trend.”

WI chief executive Dawn Livingstone said that partnership was the key to delivering the Shannon Blueway and said: “Waterways Ireland has invested significantly in creating world beating facilities and services on the Shannon Navigation.

“Through our partnership with the National Trails Office, Canoeing Ireland, Leitrim Tourism and Leitrim County Council an outstanding multiactivity product has been built in the Shannon Blueway.”

The wider Shannon Blueway of which the Drumshanbo to Carrick-onShannon section is part, is at the heart

Minister Heather Humphreys TD and WI chief executive Dawn Livingstone at Acres Lake. PHOTOS:WATERWAYS IRELAND of access to 100km of paddling area, six looped walks, two long distance walks and three heritage trails.

It will ultimately provide access to 14 towns each within an hour’s paddling time and offer a wide range of affordable pursuits in a safe family friendly environment. Options exist for

Paddlers on the Shannon Blueway. combining canoeing, cruising, cycling or walking activities over varying lengths of time to create a flexible customised tourist potential to suit each individual or group.

Future extensions are planned westwards through Lough Key to Boyle, east to connect with the Shannon-Erne Waterway and south down the Shannon towards Roosky.

100 WET WEB

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The Wet Web

Helen Gazeley digs out plenty of advice for growing your own produce.

WHILE the Government tells us economic recovery is under way, the need to cut our outgoings is still foremost for many.

While few will go as far as the residents of Garden Barge Square, Southwark, where even fruit trees flourish, growing one’s own food can make quite a difference and it’s not too early to think about it.

Just how possible is production onboard, though? This is a question answered on Venetian Marina’s blog, which gives helpful advice on pots and what will grow well (www.venetianmarina.co.uk/ narrowboat-blog/2014/04).

A narrowboat at the Mersey Festival last year shows that even a small container will give a useful supply of herbs and lettuce leaves.

Starting small is a good idea for the inexperienced and Alice Griffin’s articles for Permaculture magazine (www.perma culture.co.uk), describing her progress from growing a few radishes to producing her own weed-based fertiliser, offer inspiration. Low Impact Life Onboard reminds us to shift ballast when necessary, to compensate for large soil-filled containers (www.lilo.org.uk/ handbook/growingfood). The comments on these articles are well worth mining for tips from other narrowboaters.

Container growing does have its own particular challenges (feeding and watering among them) and Mark Ridsdell Smith runs Vertical Veg (www.vertical veg.org.uk), a social enterprise dedicated to supporting this niche area of gardening. He offers a regular newsletter and some very useful videos such as Eight Best Herbs for Containers, where you’ll learn about repotting and best picking methods. In fact, if you’d like a bit more of a structured approach, he runs the Vertical Veg Club, a veg growing community with its own Facebook page, exclusive videos, fact sheets and live online sessions, costing from a very reasonable £3 per month (www.theverticalvegclub.com).

Herbs are an obvious candidate

for growing, and a good way to save money on those tiny supermarket packets. The seed company Thompson and Morgan (www.thompson-morgan.com) offers a large number of detailed how-to articles, including How to Grow Herbs and also a useful downloadable pdf: Fruit Vegetables and Herbs for Containers (www.thompsonm o rga n . c o m / p l a nt s- f o rcontainers).

Speaking of supermarket packets, expensive salad bags can easily become a thing of the past with regular sowings of green leaves, and the variety available is far greater than you’ll find on the shelves. For inspiration, Michele Chapman’s Vegplotting blog offers the 52Week Salad Challenge, in which she has lots of information on her experiments in growing saladings throughout the year (vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk), as well as contributions from other gardeners.

If starting from scratch seems just a bit daunting, seed companies now offer plenty of kits to make things easier while you gain experience. Pot Toppers from Mr Fothergill’s (www.mrfothergills.co.uk) are seed mats that you place in the top of a pot and cover lightly with compost, removing the worry of correct spacing. They come in a several varieties, including mixed salad leaves, chives and basil. The company’s Garden Time range includes GroBox Gardens in salad and herb selections, where you plant the

Garden Barge Square, Tower Bridge Moorings, Southwark, opens to the public on Open Squares Weekend in June.

Pot Toppers seed mats remove the need to worry about spacing seeds correctly. box directly into the top of a pot, and attractive windowsill kits in galvanised containers for growing strawberries. Full instructions are included and sowing could start next month.

If you’re eager to get started straight away, then it has to be done indoors. Johnson’s offers a sturdy microgreen growing tray which comes with basil, coriander and rocket, and the company has a range of microgreen seeds to choose from to replenish your stock.

The Grobox plants straight into a pot and all you have to do is water.

Galvanised planters for strawberries come complete with seeds and compost.

➔ Formoreinformation The microgreens growing tray can be reused with a fresh supply of seed.

Do you have a favourite website?

Email Helen at helengazeley@aol.com

Society appeal for help with boat purchase GRANTHAM Canal Society has put out an urgent appeal for help in funding the purchase of weed cutter boat Osberton.

When a rare opportunity presented itself to the society to buy the boat for around £9000, members had to move quickly to secure it, as the timescale was extremely short. It is now appealing for funds to cover this very worthwhile and necessary purchase.

Currently there is a pressing need for weed cutting on the canal, particularly following a long spell of warm weather causing the weed and reeds to become very invasive.

If you can help Grantham Canal Society in this endeavour, particularly if you journey along the towpath or live or work adjacent to the canal, then please visit www.granthamcanal.org – all donations gratefully received, whether large or small.

Weed cutter boat Osberton following its delivery to the Grantham Canal Society. PHOTO SUPPLIED

TALKBACK Respecting the rights of other canal users WHILE I agree that there seems to be a decline in courtesy on the canals, I disagree with some of the other comments (Talkback, Issue 110, December).

Firstly, that there should be some sort of restriction to travelling at night. We have often needed to do so when trading, as do other working boats, such as traders and coal delivery boats. As for a boat passing with no tunnel lamp (there is no such thing as a headlamp on a narrowboat) it is entirely possible that the steerer did not want to inconvenience moored boats by shining a light in their windows. As long as one can see to navigate there is no need to use a bright tunnel light.

Secondly, not everyone wishes to ‘interact’ at locks. I normally do but I respect the right of others to keep to themselves if they wish.

Thirdly to suggest that the canal system should be left to the ‘majority of serious boaters’ is, in my opinion, extremely arrogant. Although we now have a mooring, my wife and I have spent many years travelling and trading on the canals and we continue to live aboard. We consider ourselves serious boaters and neither of us would suggest for one moment that we should receive any preferential treatment in the form of restricting the movement of other boats at any time, day or night.

To go back to my original comment agreeing that some of the courtesy is disappearing from the canals, I would suggest that some of Lynne Smyth-Pigot’s attitudes are an example of some of this discourtesy.

Tom McManus nb Mona Lisa