This year, CRT’s winter moorings are divided into eight price bands that reflect each site’s relative attractiveness (location and nearby facilities), level of demand and pricing in line with long-term moorings and private mooring operators. The order has been reversed with Band 1 being the lowest priced and Band 8 the highest. Compared to last year, 64 sites have dropped a price band or have a price freeze and 42 sites have a price rise. Moorings will be available from 1st November to 28th February 2022. You can browse the available sites on the boat licensing website. Permits will be charged at a ‘per metre, per month’ rate, and you can book moorings in increments of one month. A list of sites and prices is at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/winter-moorings. Bookings start on 1st October at 6am on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information, call CRT customer services on 0303 040 4040 or email
John Devonald peers into his crystal ball.
Some of you will have seen NABO’s bulletin on sustainable boating in the future and our decision to push hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as the best solution for boaters. This article is to put some flesh on the bones of the bulletin article and the reasons we have come to this decision. I will mainly be discussing electric and HVO as other potential fuels, like hydrogen and fuel cells, are really just non-starters at present.
Green has become one of the most important topics over the last few years with the Government making promises to cut carbon footprints, plastic waste and emissions. We have seen political demonstrations, the results of climate change in the weather, and the rise of the electric car as the future of motoring in the UK. Inland waterways users are going to be caught up in this spiral towards the green future so we need to try and move this in a direction that we boaters are comfortable with, both in the ‘green’ aspect and the financial implications.
Mark Tizard shares some thoughts on mooring in London.
For several years, CRT sought views via the Boater Relationship Group and subsequently, when this collapsed, it facilitated meetings that resulted in the publication of its London Strategy document in June 2018. This outlined the actions that CRT would take to address congestion in London. A key outcome was improved information and communication for boaters in the area. The principle conclusions were:
What we might be tempted to refer to as a long handled gardening tool with a spatulate metal blade Paul Monahan wants us to call a spade.
The inland waterways have a rich, colourful and expressive vocabulary all of their own, which is an important part of their history. Unfortunately, this is being lost as more and more people use terminology associated with motor-cruisers and sailing boats, or even cars – as in ‘driving’ the boat (as opposed to the horse or steam engine, which would be correct) and ‘parking’. ‘Nearside’ and ‘offside’ are similar imports from the world of wheels; it should be ‘inside’ and ‘outside’, from the position of the towpath, please.
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