Victor tells they should know 'the method of repair' by now

NAVIGATION on the Weaver is closed—yet again—this time at Saltersford Large Lock owing to a snapped collar strap.

Now of course Canal & River Trust is 'organising a method of repair', that I find difficult to understand.

Why? you may ask.  Because between March and November last year it had no less than seven such failures. So surely it must know now what the 'method of repair' for a gate collar strap is, wouldn't you think?

Here's the list of them.

As expected there seems no urgency to repair the snapped collar strap on Saltersford Lock, for all we are told is that an update of progress will be made next Friday 4th June. 

If that comes to pass and it is actually repaired in a week's time, let's compare it with such work by the Environmental Agency that repaired its broken collar strap—wait for it—in two hours!

Here's the confirmation.

Which makes me wonder

It was before the Inland Waterways Association showed its true colours by joining-up with CaRT that it prompted the Great Ouse Boating Association to campaign to get CaRT to take over the River Great Ouse from the Environmental Agency that at present is responsible for the river.

After the years of ever more increasing stoppages by CaRT and taking so long to undertake repairs—as the couple of links above clearly demonstrate—I wonder if it still wants to be under the authority that takes a week to reinstate navigation when a lock gate collar strap breaks when the agency only takes two hours?

And all those virtually daily stoppages.

Have search the association's website, but can no longer see such a demand, that can only tell me they have learnt a little sense, realising it was well and truly being taken in.

More wondering

This time, wondering just how many of those boaters either stuck in their moorings or unable to get to them by the two and half months stoppage to repair the breach by Beeston Iron Lock on the Shroppie, have turned in their licences and packed it all in.

When the licencing department at CaRT complain of so many wanting recompense for unused parts of their boat licences, it means there's a hell of a lot from all over the system.

Making something of a mockery of 'more boats than ever'. eh?

Is it legal?

Boaters are now getting a warning from CaRT that taking out a licence automatically allows it to do what the hell it wants with their private information.

I think it will discover that under the Data Protection Act it does not, and cannot use any data unless given express permission, and signing for a boat licence cannot be taken as giving that permission.

Victor Swift