July 2018 - Perhaps boaters, especially experienced, full-time, boaters, are slightly paranoid about attempts to bind them with ever more restrictions – but it does sometimes feel Canal & River Trust is drawing the net of rules ever more tightly. Peter Underwood muses about creeping restrictions on life afloat.

June 2018 - The London Mooring Strategy has finally emerged and in it C&RT refutes the Inland Waterways Association arguments for a change of law saying: “The recent, and projected, growth in boat numbers must therefore be addressed through policy and management of mooring space.” Peter Underwood offers a swift summary of the 47 page document.

More long term moorings, more 14-day moorings, changing some moorings from 14 days to shorter terms, more paid bookable moorings and the promises of more facilities to cope with growing numbers.

June 2018 - On the evening of Tuesday 12 June, a culvert collapsed on a 27 mile lock free pound of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Surrounding farmland was flooded together with property resulting in the closure of part of the canal. The collapse follows another culvert collapse just a few days earlier on the Wyrley & Essington Canal which has also resulted in a closure. As boaters are aware, the Marple flight was closed for many months, reopened for a few days but is now closed again and, of course part of the Middlewich Branch is closed due to embankment failure.

June 2018 - There is a mystery about Liverpool’s link to the canal system and Peter Underwood, who has just spent a year moored in the city’s docks has been trying to get to the bottom of it – without complete success.

The Liverpool Link cost £22m and was opened in March 2009, adding 1.4 miles to the canal system, but bringing a wonderful, friendly and lively city within reach of inland waterways boaters. Lots of boaters love the idea of spending time in the heart of the city but the 46 mooring pontoons in Salthouse Dock are rarely filled.