I'D LIKE to echo some of the statements made in the recent articles by James Henry and Ralph Thomason. Their missives certainly struck a chord with me, writes Ralph Freeman.
Here we are almost in May and I've not set off yet for my three seasons cruise! A few years ago I couldn't wait for the stoppages to finish and was off cruising for the Spring/Summer/Autumn early March, returning to base in late October. This year 'marina fever' hasn't struck and there are several reasons for this:
Getting older
The unseasonably cold weather. I'm now 13 years older than when I started on the Cut so standing out on the tiller in a freezing cold wind is not good for my (older) bones. Then there is the fact cruising is no longer the totally carefree eight months 'mooch' it once was.
Not hassle free
There is the reduction in the number of 'out in the sticks' quiet spots as many now have cycle tracks, not towpaths adjacent to my moored boat and just sitting outside in a chair with the dog wandering around can lead to confrontation with the Lycra/Strava/'get out of my way brigade'. The words of the (much missed) Joni Mitchell spring to mind—'They paved paradise and put up a parking lot ....'
Making up rules
Until recently BW/CaRT didn't care about me leaving base for eight months of the year, but now they are claiming I'm in fact a continuous cruiser during the summer, so just moving from my base at Aston Marina to say Tixall Wide and back every month or so is deemed to be illegal despite observing the 48 hours and 14 days rules as applicable.
By the same token 'hiding' on the Birmingham & Fazeley during August is now also against the 'rules' it seems. Of course that's nonsense if you read the various waterways acts, but CaRT now considers itself to be above the Law, Parliament and everyone for that matter, since it has morphed from quango into a 'charity' (in name only methinks).
Those in charge are prepared to waste valuable resources on fatuous court cases in an attempt to prove it can do as it likes as 'my lawyers are better than your lawyers'. In many cases boaters do not have access to expensive legal representation in the first place, hence the suspicion that 'might is right' is the mantra being pursued by CaRT these days.
Out of control
That brings me on to Ralph Thomason's comments about CaRT needing to re-think and re-focus?
It seems to many boaters CaRT is completely out of control and is run for the benefit of it's employees, not it's customers. It's customers i.e. boaters, are treated with contempt and subjected to a barrage of propaganda instead of actually doing it's job i.e. caring for the waterways. It's become very clear of late the policy regarding the waterways is 'let it fail' and if that screws up boater's holidays and creates problems for hire companies due to the many 'emergency' stoppages we are now seeing, then so what?
As long as it means CaRT no longer has to do proper inspections and preventative maintenance as a result, then that's fine by those in Ivory Towers. 'Customer Service' to CaRT means setting up more PR/Customer Care (sic) departments to deal with the complaints and issue ridiculous denials/spin/lies (delete where applicable) to try and cover up their glaring inadequacies in the maintenance department.
Cruise or not to cruise?
So the question is will I be cruising this summer, or do I go camping on small farm-based sites 'in the sticks' ? There I suspect I'm more likely to find the peace, quiet and zero hassle I used to enjoy cruising the canals of the Midlands? The non-cruising option now looks very attractive to me, once the weather warms up of course!