The Floater April 2017

April 2017 - A 20-hour nightmare jammed in a low tunnel was the start of the cruising season for a boat leaving Hawne Basin on the Birmingham Canal Navigations, as Peter Underwood reports.
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While making their way towards Netherton, and just after entering Gosty Tunnel the boaters found their boat, suddenly and without warning, stopped dead when it became jammed solid by a large log against the tunnel wall.

April 2017 - Huntsman seem to think the rules about horses on towpaths don't apply if you are in hunting pink – Peter Underwood reports.

Horses are banned from most towpaths so when one was apparently invaded several times by the horses and hounds of a hunt – illegally in pursuit of a fox according to anti-hunt protesters – there are serious concerns about public safety.

April 2017 - According to the National Bargee Travellers Association one in three continuously cruising boats have been threatened with the loss of their licence by the Canal & River Trust since it arbitrarily changed its Terms and Conditions in May 2015, writes Peter Underwood.

April 2017 - Ideas that unite boaters and other waterways users and initiatives that present an opportunity to improve navigation are welcomed by boaters – and two new public relations initiatives by the Canal & River Trust deserve a cheer or two, according to Peter Underwood.

It may be a pure PR stunt, but it does have the potential to give towpath users a better appreciation of boaters and boaters the rare chance to feel valued.

C&RT's Boat in Bloom awards offer both instant gratification and the chance to build long-term appreciation.

April 2017 - By Peter Underwood

In the Peak District the Trust has been using volunteers to plant a small orchard on the banks of the Macclesfield Canal, planting 20 semi-mature fruit trees, just south of Macclesfield town, below Sutton Reservoir.

A number of varieties have been planted, including apples, plums, pears and cherries, to create a linear orchard. The Trust was helped in the project by students from Stoke College and members of the Lyme & Sutton Canal Adoption Group, Victoria Anglers, Bosley Locks Adoption Group and the Macclesfield Canal Society.

April 2017 - By Peter Underwood

A childhood on boats brought Rona Hawes back to the canals and a business using her experience and skills in jewellery – and so far it seems to meeting her the expectations of her memories.

Rona Hawes, 61, lives on 'Unfazed' a 10ft x 60ft wide beam boat with her partner Alan Price, 57 and she says: “I'm the maker and he is the enabler!

We asked to to talk about what led to her boating business:

April 2017 - Following the sinking of a boat that was being rented out, apparently through a shared ownership deal, in London, Peter Underwood looks at the growing pressure on the Canal & River Trust to take action.

Heather Deakin and her boyfriend were on a narrowboat, Midnight Diamond, on the River Lea south of Tottenham Lock when the vessel started to take in water. Within minutes it tipped over and was almost completely submerged, and Heather Deakin, 34, a student at the College of Naturopathic Medicine, lost most of her possessions.

April 2017 - A few weeks ago Allan Richards compared management costs of the National Trust and the Canal & River Trust and we asked Floater readers Does the Canal & River Trust have too many highly paid directors?

Hundreds of boaters responded and more than 95 per cent said that they believed there were too many highly paid bosses in C&RT, less than five per cent of respondents disagreed.

April 2017 - The National Bargee Travellers Association is fast becoming the most outspoken and publicly visible boaters' organisation, especially in London where it has just moved into direct, peaceful action against the plans of the Canal & River Trust, Peter Underwood reports.