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THE advice from the Boat Safety Scheme is to avoid installing a gas refrigerator in a boat, which had been prompted by the withdrawal of Dometic (Electrolux) from the LPG fridge market for inland boats. Despite a great deal of searching, the Boat Safety Scheme people have been unable to discover any other fridge manufacturers providing a product sold as suitable for boat installation. The Dometic had a system that meant it was completely room sealed with a special inlet pipe to the boat's hull. Current LPG caravan fridge models are designed to be installed within a purpose-built enclosure in a caravan or motor home, sealed from the accommodation space and accessible only from outside of the vehicle, thus helping to reduce the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning or gas explosions. Brand new model was unsafeThe Boat Safety Scheme people recently found a brand new LPG caravan fridge at risk of causing a fire because the non-standard installation placed the burner flame very close to the boat's carpet fibres. And because of the home-made extended flue, there was a medium term risk of carbon monoxide poisoning once rust or other deposits fell onto the burner potentially leading to incomplete combustion and resulting carbon monoxide. The manufacturer was concerned to learn about this installation as it believed that the fridge presented a further risk of carbon monoxide poisoning because the appliance was not room-sealed from the accommodation space as required by the product's instructions. Unlikely installer will fit gas 'fridgesIt is now unlikely that a registered gas installer will now agree to fit a gas fridge in a boat, because there are no LPG fridges sold as suitable for boat installation. Competent appliance installation is a key safety consideration and DIY gas appliance installation should be avoided. When selecting a fridge, boaters are advised to follow boat builders and hire operators who have moved exclusively to electric powered refrigeration and there is no doubt that electric units should be regarded as ‘the norm’ on boats. Anyone buying a new fridge should get the best advice from suppliers so owners select the most suitable electric refrigeration appliances for their needs. For owners of boats with existing, old LPG absorption fridges, Graham Watts, BSS manager had this advice: ‘It’s crucial to keep up with servicing and maintenance in order to remain safe from the risk of carbon monoxide. If the flame on your fridge’s burner looks yellow, or appears to be abnormal in any way, you need to have competent advice and not use the appliance until it has been checked over and repaired if necessary. No Boat Safety CertificateNeedless to say there will be no possibility of a Boat Safety Certificate being issued should a non-room sealed gas fridge be installed, meaning of course that the owner will be unable to obtain a boat licence, it being dependent on the certificate. There is great concern about the many old unlicenced residential boats moored by the side of canals, that have unsafe gas fridges, it being the normal choice, being away from any shore power. 27/09 Drastic measures as British Waterways' museums visitor numbers plummetFALLING attendances at the three British Waterways museums, coupled with the onset of winter and the credit crunch are causing drastic measure to be taken to keep them open. The Waterways Trust, which operates the National Waterways Museum yesterday (Tuesday) announced proposals for a reorganisation of its Ellesmere Port site. We are told that not only will staff working hours be subjected to a new structure but staff redundancies will have to be made.
The museum at Ellesmere PortThe proposals are to centre core museum staff at Ellesmere Port, with Gloucester Docks and Stoke Bruerne being managed as satellite operations, and to bring costs in line with resources. Visitor numbers and subsequent income have been declining at the site for a number of years and while considerable effort has been made by all employees to address this, reform is needed to put the museum on a firm business footing and to take the operation into the future. Stuart Gillis, Museum Director, explained: “It is with considerable regret that we envisage a number of redundancies of museum staff at Ellesmere Port. In making this announcement I acknowledge the considerable and valued contribution those who face redundancy have made to the National Waterways Museum, and previously to the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum. The changes will however provide a firm business footing for the museum, enabling us to move forward and to build a strong future for the museum working closely with our staff, partners and stakeholders.” Staff at the museum will this week begin a consultation process which will see the establishment of a new staffing structure with new job descriptions, and where appropriate, flexible working for many people. 24/09 Stourbridge breach—investigations completed but no date set for repairBRITISH Waterways Engineers have now completed a full investigation of the Stourbridge breach site. Early indications suggest that the surges in water levels caused by the Stour flooding in the area of the Stourbridge Town Arm terminus, and due to the extreme weather conditions experienced up to and over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of September, resulted in the breach taking place. Photo: Graham Whorton
However there is no intimation as to when repair will take place, with British Waterways Annabel Smith explaining: "Plans are coming together for a proposal to re-instate the canal at the earliest opportunity. Whilst the construction aspects of this have been identified and are relatively straightforward, access and site dynamics are still being assessed, therefore the full costs of re-reinstatement are not yet available. Until we have clear costs it is not possible to advise when the work might be undertaken." The lock flight above Wordsley Junction is fully reinstated giving navigational options to all in the Stourbridge Town Arm, however, the navigation between Wordsley Junction and Stourton Locks remains closed. Re-wateringSouth of the breach, a dam is now in place close to Middle Bridge. Re-watering this section will be through extraction from the Stour, for which the necessary licence has already been obtained from the Environment Agency. This will also bring back into commission Black Country Narrowboats and the one cruising craft grounded south of the breach. Re-watering will start on Monday 22 September and is hoped to be completed during that week. Assessment is still being undertaken into the integrity of the embankment and condition of the towpath to the north of the breach (South of Wordsley Junction). If, everything is identified as being in an acceptable condition, a dam will be installed just North of the breach itself. This section will then be re-watered and will allow the only remaining craft isolated by the breach to float. This work, if feasible, could take 3 to 4 weeks, although every effort will be made to do this earlier if possible. VandalsA number of incidents of anti-social behaviour in the area have taken place, as reported in narrowboatworld, especially towards boats that have been left stranded by the breach. British Waterways is in consultation with the local police regarding this unacceptable behaviour, to ensure that all reasonable measures are taken to minimise the risk to person or property. Annabel adds: "British Waterways would like offer a note of thanks to its customers for their continued patience and co-operation, during this challenging time." Customers requiring further information should contact British Waterways West Midlands on: 01827 252000. 22/09 British Waterways and biodegradable soapBRITISH Waterways has admitted that once again it has slipped up, this time for stating in its new Terms & Conditions that boaters must now use 'biodegradable' soaps, etc in water that is released into the waterways, Chris Powell has discovered. He was told by 'a nice young lady at British Waterways' that the use of the word 'biodegradable' in the new Terms & Conditions in connection with discharge of grey water was 'an error', but the correct word he tells us wasn't divulged! Chris explains: "Since the introduction of European Directive 648/2004 which came into force in October 2005, it has been mandatory for all detergent/soap containing products sold in the retail market in the European Union to be biodegradable. "For a manufacturer to make a great play of their product being biodegradable is just hype and you only have to look at a recent Which report to see how good (not!) they are." So it was rather pointless British Waterways telling us we must get biodegradable soap, when we were obviously already using it. 22/09 |
Clay dams release boats trapped by breachFOLLOWING the building of clay dams at the breach on the Stourbridge Canal, and water pumped from the Stour into the majority of the canal, apart from the actual breach site, British Waterways has now been able to release all of the trapped boats back onto the network.. Though the two trapped at Stourton have also been released, Stourton Locks will remain closed whilst the works at the breach site continue, to prevent any further water loss. However, local business Black Country Narrow Boats will be allowed passage through the locks every two weeks to ensure access is given to their boating customers. Another clay dam has been completed, allowing the section of the canal from Wordsley to Stourbridge Junction to also be re-watered. The boater trapped within this section, had suffered several serious attacks of vandalism over the past few weeks, but has now been able to continue on his journey up through the Stourbridge Locks. Stourbridge Junction will remain closed to all other boating traffic whilst work at the breach site continues. Though British Waterways is confident that the full reinstatement works will begin shortly, at this stage it cannot confirm the proposed completion date or the costs involved. 27/09 Common Moor canal squatters responsible for thousands spent on clearing their rubbishTHE illegal boats moored at Common Moor at Croxley Green on the Grand Union Canal are costing British Waterways thousands of pounds as their owners dump their rubbish on the banks of the waterway, Alan Tilbury reveals. Literally tons of rubbish was cleared from the area last week in an attempt to clean-up the area, by exasperated British Waterways and council workers..
British Waterways joined forces with Three Rivers District Council to clear the rubbish left by the 'boaters', fridges, bicycles, furniture and even human waste from a stretch of canal bank close to Croxley Green’s Common Moor. It took 30 staff and volunteers two days to clear the massive piles of rubbish from the banks that are used as a dumping ground by a small group of unlicensed boat owners, with boat load after boat load being taken away Murray Geddes, British Waterways’ Regional Business Development Manager, explained: “This year we will spend at least £250,000 clearing illegally dumped rubbish from waterways in the South East, which equates to £1,000 for every mile in our area. “As well as forcing us to divert funds away from more beneficial community work, the persistent actions of this small group of boat owners are putting local wildlife at risk and creating a health hazard and eyesore for local people.” The boats squatting at Common Moor, with their owners paying neither licence or mooring charges, and most certainly without insurance or Boat Safety Certificates, have been a problem for many years, with many asking how they have managed to get away with it for so long. In the past, as now, some of the squatters have been given notice to quit, but there seems little reduction in the number. District council members want the boaters gone and the ground cleaned-up from what is a sensitive area, and warns District Councillor Phil Brading, who is responsible for public services and health: “No one has the right to trespass on council-owned land, particularly near a sensitive site like Croxley Common Moor, which is a local nature reserve and site of special scientific interest. “Residents can help the council in its efforts to protect the environment by reporting any instances of litter and fly-tipping by those people.. All reports will be treated in confidence and acted upon.” 26/06 It's okay to lock your diesel filler capsWITH the soon-to-be astronomical increase in the price of red diesel for boats, many boaters are worried that such an expensive item will be the target for thieves, and the adventurous amongst you have designed and fitted methods of securing your diesel. Photo: Ralph Freeman
The locking device on Grey NomadBut of course, those 'experts' on the forums told that such locking devices would contravene the Boat Safety Scheme regulations. So we forwarded these photographs to the Boat Safety Scheme people, and yesterday (Thursday 25th) Communications Manager, Rob McLean, told us that they realise that boaters in remote locations will have to safeguard their fuel and need to adopt measures to deter would-be thieves. Photo: Sue, No Problem
The locking device on No ProblemThe panel looked at the two, and stated that these are an acceptable solution, for of course they do no interfere with the actual fuel pipe. So it is okay to lock your diesel filler cap. That's official, and Rob tells us a briefing sheet will go to examiners on the topic, so as to make sure such devices will not contravene the regulations. Perhaps the boatbuilding industry will take notice, as it must be much easier to install a device whilst being built than it is afterwards. 26/06 Quick repair at HurlestonPhoto: Brian Holmes
THE photograph shows Hurleston Bottom Lock on the Llangollen yesterday morning (Tuesday), yet by late afternoon, it had been repaired and boats were again passing through. It is well known that the bottom lock of Hurleston Flight is tight, so boaters should take care, but one passing through late on Monday did not, causing an amount of damage, as Brian Holmes reports: "At 8am this morning I found British Waterways people at the bottom lock on Hurleston Flight wondering what to do. Last night a descending boat wedged in the lock and lifted several coping stones and dislodged a row of bricks." Work was started to remove the coping stones and investigate the dislodged brickwork very quickly. Then later, remarks Brian, normal service was resumed as the gang retreat up the path with their digger. Coping stones have been set back from the lock edge and loose brickwork scraped back into a fenced compound. Jim Taylor's men resolve another crisis—thank you. 24/09 Photo: Brian Holmes |
