First closure of the year!

ALL us boaters must realise that with a closure already on New Year's Day, it is not setting a good beginning for the state of Canal & River Trust's navigations for the rest of the year!

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal is closed at Jacksons Aqueduct, through the decision to install sheets on the bed of the canal over the aqueduct to slow leakage, with the Trust leaving polypropylene rope attached to the sheets that were installed. Keith Gudgin tells us.

Get caught in propellers

It not realising that this rope can float and so could get caught in boats' propellers, which it has now discovered, with the ropes having to be removed with the sheeting.

This means the aqueduct has to be drained and the leakage attended to properly, with the navigation closed until further notice.

Not a very good start to the the year.