Winter cruisers, between now and Monday 1st August you should be thinking about your winter plans. Why?

Because BW is about to firm up its winter schedule of stoppages, and is inviting you to comment on those plans.

Each winter, British Waterways take the opportunity of reduced cruising activity to concentrate effort on essential repairs and maintenance to the canals. In many cases, to do the work they have to close the navigation for boats.

Last year, for the first time, they encouraged more active involvement of waterway users in planning the timetable of works by publishing their plans on Waterscape.com and inviting feedback on them. Due to the success of the scheme, they are once again inviting you to review the provisional plans prepared by their local works planners, and to help them spot opportunities for better coordination to minimise disruption.

During the first phase (published in May), members of the public were invited to view the proposed stoppages and make comments. Their works planners have now considered all comments received via Waterscape.com on this first phase draft and have made amendments, both in response to these and as a result of updates from project engineers.

Version two of the plans are now available to view online http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/proposed-stoppage and were published last Monday. You will be able to view the original comments on each stoppage and the works planners’ responses. You have until Monday 1st August to post any comments online on version two of the proposed stoppage works. BW then expects to publish the final version during September.

If you don't look now, don't complain later!