Where to begin?

I HAVE been watching narrowboatworld as always, and I have tried not to comment on the CaRT, etc, as I said I wanted to give it a year to see how things panned out, but it has not been easy to sit back, writes Dave Carden.

But as Victor says a lot of people I talk to are totally disillusioned or apathetic towards the Inland Waterways Association (including my parents who have been members since c1960 and founder WRG members) and indeed my view is that unless the distance is restored between the authority and the campaigner/user of the navigation the time has come for it to change or dissipate.

Navigation authority first and foremost

The CaRT should (but never will) be a navigation authority first and foremost, and one would hope that now we have the chance of a new chief executive being found who is primarily a navigation orientated person! but I would not put my mortgage on it.

This is precisely why the IWA, the oldest and (at the moment) the largest supposed campaigner to keep the navigation and said authority in check has to be independent. As for Vaughn Welch he is probably a decent man who has realised he has made mistakes, especially if you read his piece in the Navigation recently) but some of the others including a trustee who has been on narrowboatworld arguing and justifying their existence in the face of constructive criticism... I just think they are professional committee members.

Policed properly

As for the mooring consultation, the main thing wrong with it is that if the old system/rules were policed properly by the authority (not getting us to do their dirty work) then people would not have the opportunity to hog and outstay visitor moorings anyway! The other problem as I see it, this is just another load of waffle and valuable time/money wasted which could be spent on dredging etc.!

But this is the whole problem with CaRT, it is just jobs for the boys and gals—too many office staff, but not enough on the bank. And ultimately us navigators are a thorn in its side.