Boaters’ Update August 2008

Take part in a nationwide survey to assess demand for residential boating
The Residential Boat Owners Association (RBOA) and BW are inviting current and prospective residential boaters to complete a survey to provide information on the demand for living afloat and their preferences for different types of residential moorings.

It asks you to consider the importance of issues such as access, parking and proximity to local services, and gauges attitudes towards facilities such as water, electricity and waste disposal which can either be available on site or, for some, within walking or cruising distance. The survey results will be used by RBOA and BW to publish guidance for developers, marina operators and planning authorities.

Chairman of the RBOA, Rex Walden comments: "Residential moorings bring about many benefits. In addition to assisting with government objectives for new homes, and sustainable, low impact living, residential boating often improves the vibrancy of a waterway, with a round-the-clock, year-long community who provide a helpful human presence.

"When considering proposals for residential berths, it is important that developers and planners understand that residential boats are not 'bricks and mortar' dwellings. We want to make them aware of the considerations and services that will create an appropriate and successful site. There are many types of residential berths and not all need to be fully serviced. There are some good examples of low impact moorings where residents are happy to cruise a short distance for key facilities."

Complete your survey online from Saturday 23 August at www.rboa.org.uk or www.britishwaterways.co.uk/residentialmoorings, or telephone BW's customer service centre on 0845 671 5530 for a printed version of the survey. The survey closes at the end of October 2008.

If you’re taking part in the survey and would also be interested in securing a residential berth you can register your details and preferences for a residential berth online at www.waterscape.com/mooringtenders (select 'residential' in the mooring use box). Alternatively, you can register by post for a small fee – call BW's customer service centre on 0845 671 5530. Although scarce, you will receive notice whenever a BW-managed residential mooring becomes available.

Find out more about the nationwide survey to assess demand for residential boating

The National Festival & Boat Show
The Inland Waterways Association's (IWA) National Festival & Boat Show is taking place this bank holiday weekend at Autherley Junction where the Shropshire Union Canal joins the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, on the outskirts of Wolverhampton.

The show offers something for everyone: new and historic boats, arts and crafts, boat trips, story telling for children, a Victorian funfair, real ales and there also promises to be some great entertainment for football fanatics with Wolverhampton WanderersFC in attendance, plus the Penalty Speed Challenge.

On Monday 25 August come along to the BW Forum in the Festival Theatre from 10am – 11am and put your questions about BW, its stewardship of the waterways and plans for the future to BW’s marketing & customer service director, Simon Salem. The Forum will cover matters that are important to BW customers.

Find out more information about the IWA National Festival & Boat Show

Licence evasion update
In the first seven months of 2008 BW seized 90 unlicensed boats from the waterways. The majority have either been destroyed or sold to recover costs and backdated licence fees. In particular, BW enforcement action has been high in London, the South East and the North West with the numbers of boats seized in the first half of the year already exceeding the numbers seized in the whole of 2007.

Find out more information on licence evasion

'License it or lose it' campaign launch
In addition to BW's enforcement actions, the organisation is also launching a national campaign urging owners of unlicensed boats to 'license it or lose it', which builds on the success of the campaign which was initially launched in the East Midlands. The campaign will be launched IWA National Festival & Boat Show this week.

The campaign highlights that unlicensed boats are increasingly being seized by BW, and then either sold to recover backdated licence fees, or destroyed if they have little or no financial value.

BW's national enforcement manager, Denise Yelland comments: "Although primarily targeted at those who have been trying to evade paying for a licence, the campaign also reminds the nine out of ten 'legal' boaters of the importance of displaying their licence disks. By not displaying a licence unnecessarily diverts our enforcements teams away from their primary task of getting-to-grips with those who aren’t contributing towards the cost of maintaining the waterways."

Pick up your free pair of licence holders at the festival or order by post through the BW Customer Service Centre on 0845 671 5530.

Stoppage programme launched
Hot off the press, BW’s stoppage programme detailing the engineering works it has planned over the winter months is published today. View the winter stoppage programme online. Alternatively, if you would prefer a printed copy to be sent to you, please contact BW’s Customer Service Centre on 0845 671 5530 or email enquiries.hq@britishwaterways.co.uk.
And don’t forget you can also sign up to receive up-to-the-minute stoppages and restrictions online on waterscape.com.

Sign up for stoppage alerts

Idle women wanted
The Waterways Trust and BW are appealing for women who worked on the waterways during the Second World War to come forward to receive formal recognition of their efforts more than 60 years after the conflict ended.

During the war, women volunteered to work on the canals. Wearing a badge with the initials IW to indicate that they were working on the waterways on essential war work, this group of women became known as the Idle Women.

BW’s chairman, Tony Hales, said: "The achievements of this group of women during the war, while small in number, have never been formally recognised. We would now like to rectify this and hope that former Idle Women, or their relatives, will come forward to share their stories and experiences."

The Waterways Trust and BW are having a plaque made to provide a permanent and lasting public recognition of the contribution made by this special group of people during World War II. The plaque will be mounted at the National Waterways Museum Stoke Bruerne.

Former Idle Women, or their families, should contact Justine Lee at The Waterways Trust on 07917 804550 or email justine.lee@thewaterwaystrust.org.uk.

Find out more about Idle Women

BW re-launches website
BW has re-launched its website www.britishwaterways.co.uk. The new look site has been overhauled and the navigation improved so that partners and customers can find their way around more easily. The site has all the usual information you would expect to find such as information about the board, company history, job vacancies and press releases, as well as a business focus providing information on how to partner BW or set up a business on the waterways.

Take a look at BW’s corporate website

Waterway wildlife needs you
BW is asking people to help record the rich array of wildlife on Britain's canals and rivers. The information gathered in the survey will be added to BW’s species database that records biodiversity on the inland waterways and is used to help plan the management of the canals and rivers and the protection of their rich array of wildlife.

Why not download a wildlife survey form and go for a walk along your nearest waterway at lunchtime, after work or during the bank holiday weekend.

Everyone who fills in a survey form will be entered into a prize draw to win a waterscape.com goody bag.

Find out more information about BW’s wildlife survey

The dirty dozen
BW is also highlighting the 12 non-native species most likely to choke its canals, rivers and towpaths and harm native wildlife, in a bid to encourage the public to think again about the environmental impact of the plants and pets they buy and dispose of.

The worst offending plants and animals are: Japanese Knotweed, Australian Swamp Stonecrop, Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam, Water Fern, Floating Pennywort, Chinese Mitten Crab, Red-Eared Terrapin, Mink, Zander, American Signal Crayfish, and Zebra Mussels.

BW’s national ecologist, Chris John said: "Whilst not all non-native species are harmful, many pose real problems to our native wildlife, to boaters and to our historic channels, locks and bridges. With no natural predators to control them they can overwhelm wildlife, channels, banks and towpaths."

Find out more about these 12 non-native species

Waterways Annual Reports published
British Waterways, the Inland Waterways Association and the Inland Waterways Advisory Council have all published their Annual Report in the last month.
View BW’s Annual Report highlights or download the full report
View IWAC’s Annual Report highlights or download the full report
View the IWA’s Annual Report highlights or download the full report

New contact details for customer services
BW’s Customer Service Centre is contactable on a new lo-call number (0845 671 5530). The number which is the same cost as a standard local call from a BT landline will now appear on printed materials and the BW website. The old number (0845 6715530) will remain in service for the foreseeable future.

Register now for the Boaters' Update
To sign up for your free monthly boaters' e-newsletter, simply email your title, first name, surname and postcode to boatersupdate@britishwaterways.co.uk.