NABOThe Magazine of the National NewsAssociation of Boat Owners Issue 2 April 2017 PANAMA BOATING A THIRD CANAL AGE? MORE “VOLOCKIES” ON THE CUT 2 The NABO Council Regional Representatives Chair NW Waterways Stella Ridgway Richard Carpenter (details left) NABO News The magazine of the National Association of Boat Owners 07904 091931 North East, Yorkshire and Humber, Shared [email protected] Ownership Rep. Issue 2 April 2017 Vice Chair, NAG (Licensing and Moorings), Howard Anguish Communications Officer, Moorings 01482 669876 Contents NABO Calendar 2017 Mark Tizard [email protected], [email protected] 0203 4639806 London Waterways and NAG (Licensing & Mooring) Council Meetings in 2017: April 22nd, June 10th, [email protected] David Williams 4 Editorial July 22nd (if required), September 2nd, October Treasurer 07813 496208 5 In the Chair 14th, November 11th (includes AGM). Helen Hutt [email protected] 8 News: Boat licensing review, Transfer 07831 682092 South East Council meetings are held at boat clubs in the [email protected] Geoff Wood of EA waterways, Consultation on red diesel, Pennine explorer cruise, NINF Midlands area - see the NABO website for details. Legal Affairs and Continuous Cruising 07968 491118 Members are welcome to attend Council meet- Mike Rodd AGM. CRT mooring prices, Floating [email protected] ings; please just let the Secretary or Chairman Southern Waterways markets. HS2 consultation. Paddington 07831 860199 know in advance (contact details inside cover). [email protected] Andy Colyer Basin developments, CRT contracts, NABO News Editor 07733 364856 Mersey Link update. Peter Fellows Cover photo [email protected] 12 Boating: Earth leakage on boats. 19 High Street, Bonsall, Derbyshire, DE4 2AS Geoffrey Rogerson 13 A stitch in time. This month’s cover photo of the Bratch on the 01629 825267 07768 736593 Midlands Waterways 14 Lending a hand. Staffs and Worcester Canal was taken by editor [email protected] Peter Fellows Webmaster, NAG (Operations) and BSS Rep. Phil Goulding (details left) 16 Another boating world. David S. Fletcher East Midlands Waterways 21 Talking Points: Where do London’s Joan Jamieson Win a year’s free membership by having your 07719 276659 boats come from? photo selected for the front cover of NABO [email protected] 0115 981 2047 22 A third canal age? News. Please email photos as JPEG attachments, Continuous Cruising Rep. [email protected] 26 The Narrowboat Sessions. Phil Goulding West Midlands ideally portrait format with a file size of 2MB or 27 Leeds and Liverpool lock safety. 01271 865340 Alison Tuck larger. [email protected] [email protected] 28 Rotate: Threats to boating on the Floating Traders, Regional Reps Coordinator and Anglian Waterways Falkirk Wheel Next NABO News copy date Boater Liaison Rep. Vacant 30 Letters. I name this boat Paul Howland North Wales & Borders Articles, letters, cartoons and photos are most welcome. Images and photos in JPEG format 07443 635587 David Fletcher (details left) [email protected] Welsh Waterways please. Please email or post your contributions to Minutes Secretary Mike Rodd (details left) Vacant River Severn [email protected] by 29th April 2017 Vacant General Sec, Promotion and Recruitment River Thames Richard Carpenter Graham Paterson Mill House End Farm, Leyland, Lancashire 0118 986 3959 PR26 9HB, [email protected] 07989 441674 or 01772 600886 Dennis Hill NABO News is published by the National Association of Boat Owners [email protected] 07973 638866 PO Box 104, Leyland PR25 9AN Editor: Peter Fellows Production: Chris Pink [email protected] NABO Online Whilst every care is taken to ensure that the contents of this newsletter are factually correct, we accept no liability for any direct Additional Contacts facebook.com/master.nabo or consequential loss arising from any action taken by anyone as a result of reading anything contained in this publication. The Assistant For The Disabled views expressed are not necessarily those of the Association. The products and services advertised in this publication are not Mark Tizard necessarily endorsed by the Association. Ken Hylins Twitter @NABO_Official 07852 911539 CRT Emergency No: 0800 4799947 EA Emergency No: 0800 807060 David Fletcher [email protected] Administration Contact CRT waterway managers at canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/our-regions Sue Burchett NABO News Issue 2 April 2017 [email protected] 4 5 The Editor’s Column In the Chair From dark arts, via 100 feet-wide ‘Bring Out Another Thousand’ locks, to volunteer lock-keepers NABO Chair Stella Ridgway Ridgway gets ready for some springtime maintenance Editor Peter Fellows introduces a packed issue been limited to trips to Bugsworth e emerged from hiberna- In the boating section, Helen Basin to water up, empty the Elsan tion in March and a group Hutt has an expensive clean-out of etc., but in the winter, the canal takes took our shared narrow- her diesel tank, diesel tanks being on a different life. Christmas was Wboat out for the first time something I guess many of us sim- quite busy although we were iced in this year, to introduce a new share- ply forget about, and David Fletcher this year, when nowhere else was up holding family to the joys of the cut. experiences a fascinating world of here. In fact, we had our first experi- Although it was a fine, warm(ish) boating through 100+ feet-wide ence of breaking ice to moor up as day, there were very few moving locks on the Panama Canal, aboard the canal was freezing as we moved. boats—possibly just as well while a 90,000 tonne vessel. Spring is also the time we double- the new family got to grips with the I have also included an article check everything after the winter. tiller! I was surprised at the amount on galvanic isolators for those read- There is work to be done—that in- of floating debris in the Coventry ers, who like me, previously thought stant water heater has seen better Canal, presumably from storm Doris that hull corrosion due to galvanic days. Replacing it means we have to a few weeks before, and we had sev- currents was simply some manifes- pring has finally sprung here dismantle the cupboard that it is in. eral stops to clear the prop. CRT tation of the dark arts. in the Peak District: the birds And should we also replace the gal- contractors had also been out on the Several readers have contrib- are busy building nests; the ley, as the oven is quite old, and is the job, removing large trees that had uted their views in this issue, both Swild garlic is sprouting; lambs fridge as efficient as it could be? The fallen across the canal. in ‘Talking Points’ and in the let- are being born and the ducks and cupboards are looking worn. BOAT In her column, Chair Stella is ters pages: Jim Batty has some fresh geese are mating loudly. My daffodils definitely equals ‘Bring Out Another also emerging from the winter, perspectives on low-impact, online opened this week, the sun shone, and Thousand’. We may even get the boat with a myriad jobs that need doing moorings for residential boaters; for the first time this year we didn’t painted this year, weather permit- come spring. Many Council mem- there are differing views on Scottish need to put the engine on to charge ting, with another undercoat on the bers were otherwise engaged and so Canals’ proposal to turn one of the the batteries as the solar panels had roof—is that five and is that enough? the March meeting was cancelled, caissons on the Falkirk Wheel into enough sunlight to charge them. We I am hoping to get to the User giving Fly on the Wall the day off, a pedestrian viewing platform, thus have noticed an increase in boats Group meetings in Manchester and but there’s been a lot happening at reducing the opportunities for hire passing as folks take their boats out Pennine and I will share reports CRT over the last few weeks—all and private boats to pass between for a weekend cruise or start a spring as they come in. The Partnership reported in this issue: the boat li- the Union and Forth and Clyde journey. This is the time of year that meetings have taken place and the censing review is underway; there Canals and Mark Tizard has some the boat gets a good spring clean, al- six-monthly Canal and River Trust are updates on progress to transfer thoughts on the activities of volun- though I am still waiting for the mud Council meets on 22nd March. I EA’s waterways and the impact of teer lock-keepers. to dissipate before clearing the floor am still hoping to attend, although HS2; price increases on CRT-owned Mark Holdsworth describes the and scrubbing it. Muddy towpaths changing my dialysis slot is a chal- moorings; a new interim head of charity ‘The Narrowboat Sessions’, and dogs equal a constantly muddy lenge. I have had a busy month, back boating, following Mike Grimes’ de- which raises money for Cancer floor and I have been pushing the and forth to the hospital for tests parture at Easter; and developments Research, while promoting unsigned mud around the floor all winter. We to go onto the Transplant Register. at Paddington Basin. musicians. There is also a look at have two Labradors who love swim- Dialysis curtails my ability to travel Plus a government consultation problems with boats hanging up ming, so towels to dry them off are and get to meetings and so we value on red diesel that no-one seems in locks on the L&L Bank Newton constantly drying, no matter what members being able to step in and to have heard about.