Canals Easter Recovery from Winter Storms

Most of the UK canal system is back in action in time for the Easter Holidays. Canal tow paths, bridges and embankments were damaged and hundreds of trees brought down by the winter storms and boats sunk in the floods.  But with much hard work and the remarkable resilience of the two centuries old canal system it almost all will be open as normal for the Easter Holidays which are, luckily, a little late this year!

Nevertheless, costs are mounting in the areas most affected.  South Wales is seeing the most significant impacts of the extreme weather with the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal alone facing rising costs of £1million with major repairs at Llanfoist due to be finished on the 25th April. However the majority of the canal from Govilon up to Brecon is is unaffected and some late booking Spring hire boats are still available on this beautiful canal, see Canal Junction for a list of hire firms or Hireboats2go for all late booking canal holidays. Navigation is still restricted on some rivers like the Kennet due to high flow rates. The C&RT repair work and clean-up operation is being supported by a national fundraising appeal. To make a donation visit http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/national-appeal

Boat insurer Haven Knox-Johnston estimates more than 8,000 boat owners from across the UK have had to write-off or sustained damage to their craft as a result of the unprecedented ‘weather event’ that took place during December and January.  Claims hotspots include marinas and private moorings on the Medway and Thames and coastal areas of Cornwall, Dorset and Sussex.

The firm reports claims notifications from coastal and inland waterway users are typically for;

• Third-party liabilities whereby a craft has been damaged by another boat,
• Hull and external damage to boats which have been lifted from their moorings by rising water and dropped elsewhere (often on top of each other), once levels recede,
• Internal water and engine damage caused by lines too taut to accommodate water level changes, causing swamping and in cases, total submergence,
• Total losses with craft beyond economical repair as they cannot be accessed or raised,
• Damage due to breaking up finger pontoons and broken swinging moorings.

Haven Knox-Johnston believes it has one of the largest claims teams in the UK and is the only firm to employ an on-site claims specialist whose role is to visit claimants in their locations.

Breakdown and assistance firm River Canal Rescue was also kept busy retrieving sunken, grounded and partially submerged vessels. From January 1 to the end of March, emergency assistance teams helped 43 boat owners on a number of canal and rivers across the UK, including the; Thames, Wey, Kennet & Avon, Leeds & Liverpool, Grand Union, Nene and Gloucester & Sharpness.  These types of rescues would usually be around 20 for the winter period.

The highest number of call-outs, 49%, was for help refloating sunken vessels.  Next came calls to release grounded boats (25%) which were displaced by high water levels and typically dumped elsewhere when river levels subsided. Requests for pump-outs to stabilise listing craft accounted for 21% of call-outs.

RCR Managing Director Stephanie Horton says,

Unfortunately some were washed downstream and submerged or damaged. All call-outs are time critical but in these cases, a swift response can help minimise damage and save a boat from some of the worst effects of the floods. Displaced boats wedged in new and often dangerous locations, craft crashed into bridges (in one case resulting in a sinking), ones overwhelmed with water and vessels in need of refloats were commonplace.  In many cases it’s waiting for that optimum time to undertake the rescue and the earlier we are made aware of stranded boats the easier it is to choose the right time to attempt a rescue.  Whilst this weather event has stretched our teams, we’ve never lost a boat yet and don’t intend to do so now.

To find out more about River Canal Rescue visit www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk or phone 01785 785680.

Damaged craft include;

• Queen of Hearts 70ft Narrow boat sunk at Abingdon
• 28ft Cruiser on river Wey damaged and sunk following a tree fall
• 57ft narrow boat broke mooring in high winds and came to rest against bridge on the Gloucester & Sharpness, and quickly sank due to the water and wind
• 57ft wide beam near Sonning, partial beach and partially sunk
• Three cruisers stranded on bank in Staines in February, another three in March
• 50ft narrow boat partially grounded and partially submerged with the extra challenge of being under a wide beam neighbour
• 70ft narrow boat stranded on the bank
• Cruiser stuck in a tree on Thames
• Four cruisers on the Thames in Staines/Windsor area – submerged and refloated
• Cruiser washed down river and found in Sunbury upside down – on refloat only half of the boat left
• Cruiser at Beal Park and three narrow boats at Reading saved from sinking
• Grounded narrow boat on river Nene
• Partially sunken narrow boat on Trent & Mersey
• Cruiser on Leeds & Liverpool sunk
• Five narrow boats with engines underwater in the London area
• Narrow boat in a garden in Staines
• Café boat sunk on the Kennet & Avon
• Cruiser with hole in the hull in Wallingford

Thanks to River and Canal Rescue for permission to use  images and RCR and Haven Knox-Johnston for information.