* *

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BOAT OWNERS

 Listening to boat owners, Speaking out for boat owners, Representing boat owners.

  • NABO Home
  • Issues
    • NABO News Chairman's Column
    • NABO News Editorials
    • NABO Responses
    • NABO Reports
    • NABO Regional Reports
    • Current Consultations
    • Other Live Issues
    • Surveys
  • Reference
    • NABO News Index
    • NN Back issues
    • Canal & River Trust
    • EA and others
    • BW (prior to mid 2012)
    • Boat Safety Scheme
    • Web Links
    • Council Agendas and Minutes
    • Boater safety
    • NABO
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Articles
    • NABO Calender
    • Bulletins
  • FAQ
  • Join Us
    • Join Now
      • PayPal payment page
    • Why NABO?
    • Members' Benefits
    • Types of Membership
    • Achievements
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Constitution
    • NABO Privacy Policy
    • NABO Policies
    • Membership form for snail mail
  • Contact Us
  • Member login
img187.jpg
  • You are here:  
  • Home

NABO Home

APPGW meeting

  • Print
Details
Category: Other Live Issues
Published: 15 July 2020
Hits: 316

A meeting of the APPWG was held on 14th May using the Zoom videoconferencing facility. NABO attended as observers – the norm for such meetings. This well-attended meeting was chaired by the APPWG’s Chairman, Michael Fabricant, and very appropriately focused on the need for dedicated financial support for waterways businesses.

The lead speaker was Paul Rodgers, the National Chairman of the IWA, who emphasised that most waterways businesses are highly seasonal and thus are being hit hard by the lockdown, and, unless urgent funding is provided by Government, many will fail. To this end, the IWA, British Marine, CRT and the Broads Authority are calling for the Government to provide targeted support for the inland waterways sector. They are asking for a specific financial aid package, similar to that recently announced for the fishing industry, to allow the navigation authorities to underwrite licence and mooring fees for waterways businesses this year. NABO totally supports this view and has independently approached the Government, essentially supporting this view.

Read more: APPGW meeting

Hard times ahead?

  • Print
Details
Category: NN Chairman's Column
Published: 10 July 2020
Hits: 317

Chair, Mike Rodd is concerned by what he sees in his crystal ball.

In these strange times that we’re living in, our thoughts and prayers are with those tragically affected by Covid-19 and we feel for those who have lost a family member, friend or colleague, or whose livelihood or mental health has been seriously affected.

Nevertheless, even on a smaller scale, I am sure that you are all, like me, totally frustrated by the unfortunate delays in being able to get back on our boats – made worse for those of us who boat in Wales, where the Assembly seems to be continually slightly out of phase with the situation in England. I am looking forward to be able to go and check that our boat is still floating!

Read more: Hard times ahead?

In praise of the coal boats

  • Print
Details
Category: Issues
Published: 10 July 2020
Hits: 343

Mark Tizard celebrates their essential service to boaters.

As a boater with some 35 years’ experience, I have never known a situation where coal boats have been so essential. Whilst all around them movements ground to a halt and marinas closed as the pandemic tightened its grip, it’s the coal boats that kept the system going. These boats have always been the eyes and ears of the waterways, reporting infrastructure faults and dredging issues to CRT. In the pandemic, with the absence of CRT’s furloughed spotters, they were also able to identify vulnerable boaters.

Several of them continued to supply fuel, even though some of their customers suddenly found themselves unable to pay. Boaters remained a community and it’s pleasing to see that several customers contacted their local coal boat and prepaid for a bag of coal or a bottle of gas to be delivered to a boater in need.

Read more: In praise of the coal boats

North West April 2020

  • Print
Details
Category: NABO Regional Reports
Published: 22 May 2020
Hits: 335

I am at Appley Bridge, a suburb of Wigan on the east Lancashire border. There have been signs put up about the limited use of the canal towpath close to me. They have had little effect on towpath footfall as, in my estimation, there is a three- to four-fold increase in its use. A policeman walked along the towpath last Sunday afternoon, but nobody was challenged about their presence on the canal. I have moved to a more secluded spot and I am now getting almost no people coming near the boat. There have been six boats that have passed me, but their direction of travel is possibly to return to their home moorings. I have had three emails from CRT, asking about my position and what services I need to be open. A CRT volunteer has called three times to see how I am. The local community has offered to help with a free electric hook-up and several local people have offered to shop for me (I must be getting old!), and I’m told that, if I need assistance, I should just ask.

Ken Hylins

 

David Fletcher adds: Following a wet February, both March and April have been very dry, particularly in the north. Due to this and some lower levels in reservoirs post-Toddbrook, the Peak Forest, Macclesfield, Huddersfield and Leeds & Liverpool canals are closed for the foreseeable future. The aim is to save water so that, when the system is reopened, we have some water to play with. There has been some comment on social media about a blockage on the feeder to the Peak Forest from Coombes Reservoir. I understand that, although there is a blockage, this is not the only problem and it could take some time to get this flow going again.  The stoppages mean that the coal boats cannot pass and support those liveaboards on these waters.

 

Page 9 of 57

  • ...
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • ...
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • What we are
  • Our history
  • How we operate
  • Policies
  • Membership types
  • Making payments to NABO
  • What we do
  • Why NABO?
  • Current issues for NABO Council
  • NABO News
  • Bulletins
  • Boater safety
  • NABO Clothing
  • Technical
  • Search
  • Contact us

 

Latest News

  • Covid Vaccinations and general medical support.
  • NABO response to CRT’s consultation on congestion in London
  • Management of Thames Moorings by Third Party Contractors
  • NABO responds to the CRT consultation on licence terms
  • New NABO News on line
  • Canals and transatlantic slavery
  • London mooring survey
  • Thames Navigation Users Forum
  • Virtual news from CRT
  • Boating during lockdown
  • A most unusual, but rewarding, year
  • Editorial December 2020
  • NABO writes to MPs in the APPGW
  • Update on the CRT ‘terms’ consultation
  • Response to Thames Moorings Management Proposed Signage

Popular links

  • Contact Us
  • Acts of Parliament
  • Why NABO?
  • Privacy Policy
  • NABO Terms & Conditions
  • THE 2011 NABO CONSTITUTION
  • NABO comments on the recent legal action between NBTA and CRT
  • Membership Categories
  • Legal stuff
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • NABO Constitution
Copyright © 2021 NABO - the National Association of Boat Owners. All Rights Reserved.
Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU General Public License.