Ireland canals and rivers low too

THOUGHT by many as a country having more than its fair share of rain, this year Ireland too has had very little, with warning about navigation on its waterways.

The warning has been issued by Waterways Ireland that deep draughted boats risk grounding as water levels fall, with the advice to keep to the deep channel, and resist cutting corners, Alan Tilbury tells us.

'Squat' effect

Further advice is to proceed at a slow speed that will reduce the 'squat' effect, where the boat tends to sit lower in the water as a consequence of higher speed.

With lower water levels in the canals and rivers, the authority is concerned about the effect of wash, with dry canal and river banks being more susceptible to erosion, another reason to keep speed down.

Lock usage

Of course, as with British Waterways, Waterways Ireland is asking boaters to share locks to conserve water, and to be patient and wait for other boaters to share the lock rather than using locks for sole passages, and of course keep all paddles and gates closed after use.