Tough enforcement at Stratford
IT WOULD appear that commercial boats operating on the Avon have been causing problems around Stratford, with the Avon Navigation Trust bringing in drastic new rules to curb them.
The Trust has issued a notice to commercial operators on Stratford Reach following numerous collisions between powered trip boats and unpowered hire boats, Roger Fox tells us, with a Permit to Operate issued by the Trust.
3 mph maximum
The speed limit between Stratford Trinity Lock and the Holiday Inn Canal is reduced to a maximum of 3mph.
The master of every trip boat must have full visibility immediately in front of the boat, and where this is not physically possible should for the full duration of the trip, station a crew member on the bow able to communicate quickly with the skipper or install CCTV so the steerer can see immediately in front of the bow of the boat.
No eating or smoking
It is forbidden for masters/operators or crew to use mobile phones or do anything that may distract them from safe navigation, such as eating or smoking.
As for unpowered boats, they are no longer allowed to use the main navigation arches of either the Tramway or Clopton bridges, but must use the non-navigation arches to the right of the navigation arches.
Unpowered hire craft are only allowed to cross the navigation channel in single file opposite the Avon Boating base at Swans Nest Boat House or above the junction with the Holiday Inn Canal and below the Stratford Rowing Club boundary.
Adequate instruction
All hirers of small hire boats must be given adequate instruction so they can safely navigate and manoeuvre their hire boats. They should also be made aware of all relevant rules of navigation including these conditions. This guidance should be in the form of visual images so that visitors with a poor command of English clearly understand.
And no hire boat should be hired to anyone who is believed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs or clearly not capable of safely navigating a hire boat for whatever reason.