The Future of the Waterways
Waterways World publisher Peter Johns explores a key change in boat usage and how this may impact canals and rivers over the next 80 years
I think we face a pivotal time for our waterways (that goes way beyond the recent discussions of Canal & River Trust funding). This article is inspired by a presentation I gave at the 2024 Crick Boat Show - I want to encourage wider debate of radical ideas and hope that this provides some context.
Testing an accessible boat
Is the industry doing enough to make boating accessible? Wheelchair-user Nigel Lincoln reviews specially adapted hire-boat Beatrice.
For the last 30 years, I have had increasing Inclusion Body Myositis, which is a recently diagnosed condition that results in leg muscles and then arm muscles wasting away.
Mental health of moorers
Concerned about the mental health of some of her male moorers, marina owner Tiffany Gale-Haynes has started a hub to encourage support and interaction
‘Life’s better by water’ is the snappy slogan of the Canal & River Trust and while this might be true for much of Britain’s boating community, for some individuals life is certainly not better by water…
A helping hand
Tony Jones describes how a large marina is assisting boating newbies and wonders whether more marinas should be offering greater guidance on becoming a boater
During the winter of 2007 I was moored on the Erewash Canal. I’d been unwell for a few days, waking with a splitting headache and feeling nauseous – an affliction that, thankfully, subsided as the day drew on. At the same time I’d become rather disillusioned with boat life. I didn’t yet know anyone at my new mooring, and my boat was giving me trouble. My diesel heater had stopped working, so I was relying on my solid-fuel stove to heat my boat and that wasn’t working properly either. I was having problems lighting it, and it would belch smoke into the cabin each time I opened the door. When one of the women in the office where I worked said she could smell something burning, I wasn’t surprised when she traced the smokey smell to me.
The Light Fantastic
Saul Pochin, business partner at Leicestershire-based Aten Lighting, offers advice on boat illumination
What’s the best advice or most useful tip you can offer those who are looking for lighting products?
Don’t buy cheap. We often meet people, especially at shows, who tell us they can buy a product we sell much more cheaply online. While that might be technically true, most often these are of a vastly inferior quality. They products might look identical, but more often than not people end up coming back to us to buy a better version when the cheaper one has let them down.