Wales and the South West

A very positive meeting at the Crofton Pumping Station was held with Mark Evans, recently appointed as the Waterways Director. I emphasised how pleased NABO was, and indeed most boaters were, that Mark was now in this position, especially as he would be building on his previous excellent work running the K&A & B&T. Mark […]

Thames Navigation Users Forum

On 3rd March, I represented NABO at the above Forum which brings together relevant EA personnel and representatives of a wide cross-section of users of the Thames, including the eight River User Groups (the RUGs) and many other representative groups. Chaired by the Thames Director, Julia Simpson, the very long meeting was valuable and, above […]

Lockage Report for 2019

Lockage Report   CRT has published the annual lockage ranking for 2019 for those locks that are fitted with telemetry. The five most-used locks were in the West Midlands and North West Regions, as was the least-used lock.   Ranking Region Canal Site No lockages 1 West Midlands North Oxford Locks 2 & 3 Hillmorton […]

Boater Reps’ Meeting with CRT

A report from boaters rep, Dave Mendes de Costa. Yesterday the boater representatives on the CRT Council met with Matthew Symmonds (National Boating Manager). Many thanks to everyone who sent me their thoughts. As expected, the main area of discussion was around Covid-19. The tone was positive, there seems to be a desire to support […]

The need for representation

Mike Rodd compares the attitudes of two navigation authorities. Although being on a boat is a good place to self-isolate, if you are not a liveaboard, going to your boat is no longer an option. If you are already on board, CRT and the EA are asking boaters to stop all travel on the waterways, […]

Stay safe

Editor, Peter Fellows, has a wide range of news in these uncertain times. Unsurprisingly, Covid-19 is foremost in most people’s minds and this is reflected in this issue. Mike Rodd has been attending EA and Thames User Group meetings on behalf of NABO. This is in addition to his many other jobs as Chair (such […]

COVID-19 News Boat Safety Scheme Examinations Temporary Suspension

COVID-19 News Boat Safety Scheme Examinations Temporary Suspension Following the most recent announcement from the Prime Minister regarding the UK’s response to the coronavirus crisis, the joint owners of the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) are allowing a temporary extension to safety certificates for those craft requiring an examination in the period until the 14th April. […]