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Category: Canal and River Trust
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Mike Rodd and Phil Goulding had their regular meeting with Richard Thomas, Director Wales and South West, on Monday 3rd December at Devizes. Richard had agreed to meet the NABO representatives on a 3-monthly basis and this again proved to be a most valuable session.

Read more: Meeting with Waterways Director for Wales and South West

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Category: Latest News
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As reported in the July issue of NABO News, NABO petitioned to ensure that boaters’ services would be maintained on the Middle Level and that this should be written into the Act. The Middle Level Bill went through the House of Lords’ Parliamentary process and their amendments were considered and agreed by the House of Commons on 16th October. The Bill received Royal Assent and was enacted on 1st November. In response to NABO’s petition, the Middle Level Commissioners wrote to the Lords, undertaking “to spend at least 25% of the annual income received from charges ... on providing facilities on the Nene-Ouse Navigation Link, which meet the current Minimum Standards for the Provision of Facilities for Boaters as published by the Inland Waterways Association ...”.

Boaters on the Middle Level will now have to pay a licence fee, have a BSS certificate and be insured. Details of the Act are available at https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/2017-19/middlelevel.html.

 

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Category: NN Editorials
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Spreading the word

Editor, Peter Fellows, explains NABO’s focus on promotion and recruitment

Part of NABO’s raison d'être is to influence navigation authorities and other organisations for the benefit of boaters. Last month, we clocked up our latest influencing success when the changes we sought to the Middle Level Bill were written into the Act, guaranteeing provision of boater services on the Nene-Ouse Link. The issue at hand is how to communicate what NABO does, and seeks to do, targeting boat owners who are not members. Many boaters, especially younger ones, now get the majority of their waterway-related news and views from social media and other on-line sources. So NABO needs to further adapt the way it communicates in order to reach these boaters. If we can get our messages across effectively, we can hopefully convince many of these boaters that NABO membership will benefit both them and the waterways as a whole. To this end, the Council has made a number of changes. Ken Hylins joined the Council to take a lead on promotion and recruitment, in addition to assisting boaters who are having problems staying on the water. Alison Tuck will develop NABO’s social media presence as Media Officer and Mark Tizard has become the General Secretary, while continuing his roles as Communications Officer and moderating NABO’s Facebook page. We are also updating NABO’s publicity material with a new flyer to hand out to boaters. Boater-to-boater recommendation is one of the most effective recruitment tools. If you can help in letting others know about NABO and the benefits of membership, please get in touch.

Read more: Editorial December 2018

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Category: Boat Safety Scheme
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Following media reports about non-working, imported CO alarms sold on internet shopping sites, the BSS cautioned boaters that choosing the right CO alarm is an especially critical decision, as boats can fill within minutes, sometimes seconds, with lethal levels of the highly toxic gas. The BSS and the Council of Gas Detection and Environment Monitoring (CoGDEM) urge boaters to choose an alarm that has been independently tested and certified by the British Standards Institution (BSI). Look for the Kitemark on the alarm or packaging, or look for the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) Certification Mark. CO alarms certified to BS EN 50291-2 are the best choice for boats, but if you already have a CO alarm that is certified to BS EN 50291, or 50291-1, CoGDEM’s advice is to keep it, test it regularly and choose a unit certified to BS EN 50291-2 when it needs replacing. Some alarms are not recommended for use on boats and a list of recommended alarms that are suitable is available at www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/294453/boat-co-alarms-may-18.pdf