Volunteers wanted to help move workboats

Volunteers will soon be moving Canal and River Trust work boats around the canals and help to keep an eye on them when not in use.

workboat

CRT is taking a new approach to the deployment of its workboat fleet, reorganising the workboats into a nationally managed resource, and has asked The Inland Waterways Association to work with its staff to assist with the inspection and moving of craft. The IWA volunteers will provide the necessary knowledge and skills, as well as the national coverage required for the work.

From April 2016 the Trust intends to organise its workboats centrally to co-ordinate the fleet on a more strategic basis, and craft will be ‘hired’ to the regional maintenance and construction teams.  It is hoped that this will lead to more efficient use of the workboats across the Trust’s different teams and by volunteers, such as IWA’s volunteer work parties. The work will also include IWA volunteers monitoring the condition of craft and reporting any potential issues to the Trust which will then be used to develop programmes of repair work.

In total it has 243 powered craft, 162 hoppers, 53 dinghies and 50 pods, including tugs and dumb barges; both wide and narrow beam. At present craft are allocated under each CRT region or waterways and the utilisation rate of many boats is extremely low. From April next, all workboat details will be held centrally on computer under what will be called ‘Hire Desk’ and ‘hired’ to CRT regional maintenance and construction teams.

IWA will be deploying a team of volunteers nationally across the country and National Chairman, Les Etheridge, comments “Our skilled volunteers will enable the Trust to improve its efficiency and effectiveness in deploying and maintaining its workboat fleet, demonstrating once again the value of IWA members and our commitment to making the waterways better for all users.

Volunteer members of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) will work with CRT on this project and when craft are ‘hired’ they will move them by water to the required location. Some craft will not be on hire for some of the year and whilst standing will also be checked by the volunteers on a regular basis. The IWA will have teams of volunteers across its seven regions and day to day requests from the CRT will be managed by the IWA Head Office. All volunteers will be assessed and the CRT will provide additional training and extra boat handling skills appropriate to the type of craft to me moved. IWA volunteers will always work in pairs will be covered by CRT insurance and operating protocols. Volunteers already routinely use CRT craft on IWA organised work parties.

Thanks to Harry Arnold (Waterway Images) and Canal and River Trust for information in this report and images.

All materials and images © Canal Junction Ltd. Dalton House, 35 Chester St, Wrexham LL13 8AH. No unauthorised reproduction.

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