From The Regional Chairman Page 3 Essex Waterways Update

Essex Waterways Update

Since my last report the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation has remained busy with people coming to canoe, paddleboard, take a trip on one of our trip boats or just visiting for a walk or experience. All this is in addition to our boating customers.

Income from canoe and paddleboard licences continues to increase with much of this being captured by our River Warden on regular patrol. Trip boats Albert at Paper Mill and Blackwater Dawn at Heybridge Basin have been operating both charter trips and ticket trips on a daily basis. We are fortunate to have several really dedicated volunteer skippers and crew that make this possible. Victoria has also been operating charter trips again.

Our trip boat operations have been expanded to operate a new service on the rivers in the centre of Chelmsford. This is a joint venture with One Chelmsford which represents nearly 500 businesses within the City centre to deliver projects and initiatives to ensure that Chelmsford remains the county’s premier destination to live, work and visit. Because of the several low bridges on both rivers a new open boat has been purchased for the venture. This can accommodate 10 -12 passengers and is usually crewed by our volunteer skippers. The aim is to run every day during the school summer holidays and then on weekends while there is a demand. When operating, tickets are sold from an ice cream tricycle in Backnang Square where the trips start. They run down the River Chelmer and then up the River Can through Central Park to the railway viaduct and returning taking about 45 to 50 minutes. The inaugural trip included both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford.

Essex Waterways Update (cont)

The kayak hire at Paper Mill proved popular during the school holidays. On the Navigation it was necessary to close Paper Mill Lock for 5 days to deal with a blown lower gate cill which was making it difficult to operate the lock. Work has continued at Paper Mill with the construction of the new island toilet building which is now weatherproof. An extension to the office is also underway.

At Heybridge Basin the picnic tables provided for visiting boaters have been replaced with eight new benches and additional tables and benches have been built and installed for Kiosk customers. These were built by myself as a volunteer with help from my wife. Meanwhile, Colin Edmond, also a Director volunteered to convert our old weed lifter to a ‘lavender boat’. This involved removing the redundant engine and drive system as well as the hi-ab lifter, cleaning down, painting and installing a new concrete floor and holding tank. The boat will be used to remove grey waste water from the Kiosk and possibly eventually as a pump-out facility for boats in the basin. Volunteers from Ford Motor Co. spent a day at Heybridge Basin and constructed two canoe racks which will provide a new canoe storage facility there.

Last year our dredging programme had to be cancelled due to flood conditions. Our attempts this year to get it underway have already been hampered by the unavailability of contractors previously appointed. We are therefore currently investigating the purchase of a long reach excavator so that we have greater control of our dredging work.

The weather this summer has seen very rapid growth along the tow path which has kept our lengthsmen busy as has weed removal on the Navigation. The lengthsmens work has been assisted by Dan who has joined our team and by several regular volunteers. Floating pennywort is beginning to appear again especially between Hoe Mill and Heybridge Basin. Chelmer Canal Trust volunteer work parties are concentrating on its removal.

In August we managed to have the previously delayed visit from Phil Hornsey, IWA’s new Chief Executive. He visited several of our sites along the waterway meeting some of our staff in the process. He seemed to be impressed with Essex Waterways operation. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the relationship between the two bodies while also planning to move some of the administration work currently carried out at Chesham to our Paper Mill office.

Roy Chandler