Lockdown blues

Editor, Peter Fellows, has spotted inconsistencies in the way that boaters are being treated. Despite it being midwinter with a national lockdown in place – or on reflection, perhaps because of this – I’ve received a bountiful crop of contributions for this issue. Clearly, people are thinking about boating even though they are unable to […]

NABO News 2020

Nabo News – Issue 6 of 2020: 4 Editorial 5 In the Chair : Chairman’s report to the AGM 9 Fly on the wall 11 New NABO Council members 12 News: Boating in lockdown 13 User Groups: Thames User Forum, APPWG: Alternative power sources for boats 14 CRT licence terms and conditions. 16 Boater reputation […]

NABO response to CRT’s consultation on congestion in London

In this paper, NABO is responding to CRT’s recent consultation and Zoom meetings, seeking suggestions from boaters to further address congestion, principally in the London area. 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 […]

Management of Thames Moorings by Third Party Contractors

Thames Recreational Powered Boating Organisations, including the Association of Thames Yacht Clubs, the Dutch Barge Association, the Residential Boat Owners’ Association, the Thames Motor Boaters Association and NABO, have expressed their deep concern about the proposed management of Thames moorings by third party contractors and have now found it necessary to issue the following advisory […]

Canals and transatlantic slavery

In spring 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement spurred CRT into commissioning Dr Jodie Matthews, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield, to undertake literature research into people who had made their wealth through the slave trade and invested the profits in canal building. She also investigated canals that were built specifically to carry […]

London mooring survey

CRT is asking waterway users for ideas on how to address perceived problems caused by large numbers of boats moored on some of London’s waterways, particularly the Paddington Arm, Regent’s Canal, Hertford Union Canal, Limehouse Cut and the Lee Navigation. Since October, it has been holding Zoom virtual consultation meetings to hear ideas and answer questions. The remaining meetings are to […]

Thames Navigation Users Forum

The online meeting of TNUF in October was, rather like the recent NNUF meeting, yet another example of how not to use the available technology – in this case a voice-only system was used, with most users being muted until being asked if they had any queries, following the EA presentations. Those who said they […]

Virtual news from CRT

At a short, combined CRT Council and AGM in November, last year’s annual report and accounts were accepted. Topics of particular note included: Application for renewal of the Defra Grant – which accounts for about a quarter of CRT’s income – will be submitted on 6th December; whilst the Government is under no obligation to […]