Boats sunk in locks have closed canals for weeks whilst plans are made to remove them. In a bid to speed up the time it takes to raise sunken boats and keep the waterways clear, River Canal Rescue has been pre-authorised by the Canal & River Trust to salvage craft, speeding up the Trust’s third-party works process.
RCR, along with Commercial Boat Services, are pre-authorised to work within specified parameters, having provided the CRT with detailed risk assessments and method statements that meet the requirements of the Trust’s health & safety protocols and its third-party works team.
Both parties agreed to pilot the scheme during the summer when RCR attended 21 sinking emergencies – all of which were resolved within 24hrs of the situation arising. This solution says the CRT and RCR, speeds up the recovery process allowing contractors to work on the inland waterways quickly, efficiently and safely, keeping the waterways open and minimising disruption to other boaters, benefiting everyone.
RCR managing director, Stephanie Horton, comments: “This is a very welcome development for us, it means we can cut out the paperwork and get straight to the rescue, rather than wait for approval. In a sinking situation, many boat owners call the fire brigade first, but this can often hinder the salvage operation and create environmental issues through oil, fuel and anti-freeze pollution. Call the CRT first and their teams, working in tandem with us, will take control of the situation. The other key factor is that most insurance companies expect you to take action to mitigate loss in situations like this and a fast recovery reduces the amount of damage a vessel suffers and helps to keep insurance claims low.”
CRT waterways manager (West Midlands), Ian Lane concludes: “The first instinct may be to call a land-based emergency service, and if lives are at threat this may be necessary, but in most cases people should just make things safe and contact us so we can assist where necessary by putting out booms to reduce pollution, manage traffic or close off water feeds or the towpath. Customers then need to decide how they will deal with the boat. Recovery of sunken craft is the responsibility of the boat owner and those in difficulty are free to use their own contractors, but anyone planning to bring plant/lifting equipment onsite or use non-emergency service divers must meet our risk management requirements; otherwise they will not be given permission to raise the vessel. Our top priority is the safety of boat owners and those around them, on water or land.”
Both parties agree the beauty of having pre-authorised contractors is that the process enables work to be undertaken quickly and safely, reducing damage to the craft and the time the canal is affected. The CRT is keen to increase the number of pre-authorised contractors and advises interested parties to call its third-party works team. To find out more, contact the CRT on 0303 040 40 40 or RCR on 01785 785680.
Thanks to RCR for information and images.
