Has The Floater reached the end of its days?

June 2017 - The Floater reaches 10-15,000 people most days with news about Britain's waterways – most of which won't be found in the commercial canal media, and certainly not from C&RT spin doctors – but it may be about to go out of business, reports Alec Wood.

Founder and editor, Peter Underwood, has been making attempts to organise a seamless takeover of The Floater website (www.TheFloater.org) along with the linked Facebook Page and The Floater Group on Facebook, but the deal has fallen through.

Peter said: “I have been in discussions with a London-based journalist and boater about taking over the editor role, leaving me to make occasional contributions, but a prolonged period of silence from him suggests he is no longer willing to do that.”

As a result, the news organisation may have to close down, unless other boaters are willing to step forward to either edit and write for The Floater or to simply to dramatically increase the flow of articles.

Peter explained: “The situation is simple. I do not want The Floater to sink, I think it is a valuable resource for boaters. However, I am getting older, running out of time, and a book I have had in development for some time is now at the stage where it requires much more of my writing time.

“That means I can no longer give The Floater the time it deserves. In reality I research, write and edit most of the news, with a very valuable contribution from Allan Richards.

I am willing to carry on contributing at a less intensive rate and Allan will continue in his work but one of three things has to happen to free up the time I need.

“Either I simply close The Floater down, or I find someone else to take on the editor role and write some material, or a reasonable number of boaters volunteer to become boater-journalists and guarantee to make regular contributions, so that I don't need to write as much.”

Peter says he will close down The Floater at the end of July if nothing changes. Anyone who wants to prevent that happening, either by becoming the new editor and/or a contributor can contact him at editor@thefloater.org

The Floater is a completely non-profit organisation and depends on volunteer time and Peter emphasises he wants it to stay that way and doesn't want its independence to be compromised by turning it into a commercial organisation.

Photos: (1st) Blackberry Way, home to Peter and his wife for the past 15 years, (2nd) Peter Underwood, Editor of The Floater.