The Floater February 2017

February 2017 - Peter Underwood looks at attacks on London boaters by a canal business and local people.

A diatribe by Stephanie Horton, the boss of River Canal Rescue (RCR), which offers a mobile repair service for boaters and an angry letter from a resident of trendy Islington shows some of the pressures now being experienced by London's liveaboard boaters.

Stephanie Horton decided to jump on the bandwagon of claims by some locals that London’s infrastructure was unable to cope with the increasing number of people living on boats.

February 2017 - By Peter Underwood

The Floater takes a look at canal traders – people creating businesses on our canals and rivers. Their numbers are increasing almost daily and the chances are you will see a floating market or a sole trader on the canal at most times of the year. As Peter Underwood reports, our latest traders bring both art and craft to the towpath.

The canals seem to attract those with an artistic eye and people who have an affinity with nature and Morgan and Sue and Sue have created businesses based on both on board their purpose built boat Sunbeam.

February 2017 - Allen Richards investigates

Since the monthly target for the number of paying ‘Friends’ recruited was published in the last annual report the pressure on Chief Executive Richard Parry and fundraising director Sophie Castell is very public – but Allan Richards has been looking at the numbers and it seems targets are still being missed by a mile.​

C&RT has confirmed that it will miss its latest target of having 22,500 ‘Friends’ (regular donors) at the end of its current financial year (2016/17).

February 2017 - Peter Underwood looks at the way work and skills are contracted out by C&RT in ever bigger contracts running for much longer periods.

Replacing skilled staff with contractors is a process that started with British Waterways and has continued under the Canal & River Trust- who have gone a step further by amalgamating contracts so that large swathes of expertise are completely dependent upon a single contractor.

February 2017 - Peter Underwood looks at the latest developments in one boater's fight to improve lock safety on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

February 2017 - Peter Underwood recalls an expedition to the northern waters of the Lancashire Canal.

If the route north through the Bridgewater Canal is cleared in time, many more boaters will be planning to make the crossing of the Ribble Estuary to take a look at the Lanky. About three years ago we made the trip and I made a few videos about the preparation needed, the crossing, the canal and the return journey.

In addition I looked at the un-restored Northern Reaches which have since been adopted by a nerw group of enthusiasts led by Colin Ogden.

February 2017 - Allan Richards and Peter Underwood have been looking at the Canal & River Trust's steady abandonment of in house skills and expertise to external contractors.

How long will it be before the Canal & River Trust is simply a shell organisation with only managers and volunteers working directly for the business and every important function and skill outsourced to contractors?

February 2017 - Peter Underwood reports on the latest plans for Paddington Basin

Anyone who hoped to see the far end of Paddington Basin – closed off for several years by a 'fan' bridge – opened up for mooring after a floating market was held there last year is to be disappointed.

February 2017 - Sue Cawson, a lifetime boater, liveaboard and owner of an historic boat, as well as a member of C&RT's Navigation Committee and a stalwart of the Historic Narrowboat Owners Club reckons she knows a thing or two about boating and argues that traditional techniques can be adapted for modern boating.

So we have challenged her to produce some bite sized bits of advice and a few months ago she wrote about the simple issue of windlasses.