news February 2016 Periodic information bulletin for members of Inland Waterways International published in UK at Ingles Manor, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 2RD CANADA – NOVA SCOTIA Shubenacadie revival xciting things are happening along Excavation, inspection and design the southern portion of the Shubenacadie of restoration for the underground ECanal in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, on turbine chamber: The existing lands designated as the ‘Canal Greenway Park’. chamber housed the Scotch The Shubenacadie Canal/Waterway stretches ‘Reaction’ Turbine which powered from Halifax Harbor northward to the Minas a series of shafts, gears and a large Basin on the Bay of Fundy, a distance of diameter cable drum used to haul approximately 70 miles (115 km). Between the a boat cradle and its cargo from harbor and the Minas Basin there is a series Halifax Harbour to Sullivan’s Pond, of seven lakes, the Shubenacadie River and a distance of approximately 450m. infrastructure constructed as part of the canal, including nine locks and two Marine Railways. The intent is to reconstruct, where feasible, Students from the local Community College In 1826 the first attempt to construct the elements of the canal and include them within fabricated the four flutes of the turbine and are canal was begun. It included five locks near a new municipal park setting. Key activities to now working on the centre rotor. Investigations the Halifax Harbor portion of the waterway, date include: are under way to assess options for the gears within the present Canal Greenway Park • Restoration of the underground turbine and cable drum, including 3-D modelling and lands. Faulty construction of some of these chamber (see above photo and caption). styrofoam construction. locks, as well as financial problems, became • Design, construction and installation of a The Shubenacadie Canal Commission has a concern and in 1831 work on the Canal full-scale timber boat cradle on the Greenway been pursuing this landmark project since ceased. Under new management/owners Site. The cradle is 36 ft (11m) long, 12 ft (3.7 m) 1999. IWI congratulates the commission and construction resumed in 1854. This time the high and constructed of primarily 6x6 in (15cm) looks forward to seeing its completion. works included two marine railways, one of and 8x8 in (20 cm) douglas fir timber. Design which replaced the five locks cited above. drawings were based on actual drawings GERMANY The decision to construct the rail systems was produced for a boat cradle on the Morris Canal. made following a visit to the Morris Canal in • Design and construction of the inclined Pressure for Finow Canal New Jersey by the Chief Engineer, Charles plane (marine railway): the boat cradle was transfer to local authorities Fairbanks, who also adopted the method of installed on a section of steel rail placed on what he Federal Government in Berlin has made constructing locks on the Morris Canal. is believed to be the original inclined plane. a uniquely attractive offer to the local For the several years, the Shubenacadie Canal • The Canal Greenway Park, designed by Tauthorities along the 400-year old Finow Commission, along with funding from Halifax the Municipality, will include a central park, Kanal. If they accept to take over ownership and Regional Municipality has been busy carrying stone patio, landscaping, benches and interpre- operation of the canal (excepting the locks at out archeological investigations, concept tive displays. A portion of the Trans-Canada each end), all the canal’s structures will be fully design and final design of the Canal Greenway Trail (hiking and cycling) abutting the park will restored at a cost of no less than €75 million. Park. be included. Works are to be completed in 2016. The association Unser Finowkanal has been A tender is also about to be awarded for a two- very busy in recent months canvasing local storey, heavy timber frame flume house, to mayors and elected council members to be located over the turbine chamber. This will persuade them to accept the offer. include a portion of the elevated timber flume. As one might expect, such a gift does not come Construction will commence in the early spring. without strings attached. And in this case, the Portions of the original tailrace have been condition is an urgency that does not fit well excavated and inspected. A future tender with usual practice in local council decision- will include reconstruction of portions of the making. tailrace, including a mortared brick/stone wall Concerns are increased by the strange secrecy with an attractive, arched opening. The wall was surrounding not only the committee meetings part of the former Starr Manufacturing Plant preparing the local council decisions, but even located on the Canal route. the results of an in-depth study of economic The Shubenacadie Canal Commission is also feasibility of maintaining and operating the planning to reproduce the mechanical infra- canal in the future. It is thought that many politi- structure that powered the turbine/cable drum. cians do not appreciate how attractive the canal and the Mecklenburg/Brandenburg waterways The replica boat cradle built on plans produced by in general have become for waterway tourism, students at the Community College is hoisted on to a and not only for the popular traditional ‘muscle- length of track built on the alignment of the original powered’ activities. Canoes and rowing boats inclined plane. could still use a canal with abandoned locks. IWI ACTIVITIESINLAND WATERWAYS INTERNATIONAL IWI at Düsseldorf Boat Show IWI’s stand at BOOT 2016 in Düsseldorf As we go to press, IWI completes a unique on January 29. From experience, manning its first ever stand left to right: Peter at a major boat show. This is part of the Linssen, trainee Jenny current efforts to boost membership. Ruff, Paul Ayres, David Edwards-May and Council member and Membership Secretary James Newcombe of Paul Ayres led a committee of four Council french-waterways.com members who were present for all or part of the Düsseldorf boat show, Europe’s biggest, from Saturday 22nd to Sunday 31st January. The initiative followed lobbying of the BOOT 2016 organisers by Peter Linssen. As a result, From the Delius Klasing stand we picked up to Kladovo, dinner and night in the Aquastar the director of the show Goetz-Ulf Jungmichel a supply of the German edition of this map, Danube. May 7 visit the archeological museum generously allocated stand space to IWI free added to our stock of publications acquired in Kladovo, then two groups : visits to two of charge. In a letter thanking the organisers, by Transmanche Publications from Internat unique vineyards, one with its cellar in natural president Dave Ballinger commented that ‘this Ltd. Sales were not the purpose of the stand, caves, with lunch and wine-tasting, or a unique was the first larger-scale activity in Germany to but helped to defray costs. adventure driving in a 4WD vehicle up to the promote our organisation’. IWI had previously On January 29 we learned that an agree- craggy cliffs overlooking the Danube gorge at attended the Pâques-Boat show at Saint-Jean- ment had been concluded between waterway Strbac, including some time for walking the trail de-Losne in 2008. tourism professionals in Bourgogne-Franche at the top (picnic lunch only for this group, max Attendance at such an event always produces Comté (the new French region) and VNF at 12 people). Dinner and night in hotel. May 8 a host of new contacts and opportunities, as the national and regional levels, to improve return by boat from Kladovo to Donji Milanovac, well as knowledge about new developments. the situation of the Canal de Bourgogne and then continue by coach to Belgrade, to arriving On the first day, we learned that our member the other central waterways. Mike Gardner- hotel at 20:00. May 9 free time in Belgrade and stand neighbour Linssen Boating Holidays Roberts of Burgundy Cruisers presented details before return flight. Price €650 in twin/double had concluded a joint marketing and sales of the agreement, designed to put an end to rooms, €830 in single rooms. Deposit 40% agreement with Locaboat Holidays (see p.5), the rapid decline in numbers of hire boats and payable on line, www.transmanche.net. while Linssen Yachts (now also welcomed as private boats using the Canal de Bourgogne in a new member) will build the new steel-hulled particular. The system of lock operation with DBA rally in Briare pénichette, putting an end to the 40-year-long boats accompanied by mobile lock-keepers is DBA The Barge Association is holding its main series of models built in GRP. On Tuesday 26th, a the principal difficulty encountered during the annual rally this year in the port of Briare, one of reception was held to mark the introduction of season, since it results in frequent delays. The the most popular on the French waterways. The a new holiday product, the Lagunalonga cruise habit of emptying locks systematically after rally will take place on July 8-10. with skipper and chef Francesco Calzolaio in a boat has been locked upstream, even if a the Venice Lagoon, and a new ‘Traveller’ yacht downstream boat is announced, is also wasteful Welcome to new members designed by Linssen Yachts for its Flanders hire and increases delays. VNF has undertaken to Corporate base, with a bicycle garage in the stern. improve the level of service with existing staff. Aquamatix UK It was a surprise to find on our stand on We welcomed new member Mieke Vleugels Dalslands Kanal AB Sweden the first day a complete box of guides (in who manages the 5-gold-anchor Wetterwille Jachthaven Wetterwille, Loosdrecht Netherlands German) to the E-70 waterway route through yacht harbour at Loosdrecht, and she told Lach GmbH & Co KG Germany Poland, from the Oder at the German border us about developments in the Netherlands, Linssen Yachts Netherlands via Bydgoszcz to Gdansk and the Kurolian where some former navigable routes are being Individual Lagoon.