HANHAM LOCK HELP!
I write as a boat owner who used to love taking my boat up and down the River Avon between Bristol and Bath.
I say 'used' to as Hanahm Lock has been closed due to silt, closed since October 2012. This means that myself and other fellow boat owners are not
able to use this stretch of river due to the Lock being closed.
I pay £500 for my boat license that enables me to use the 10mile stretch
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Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
between Bristol & Bath, but I can't.
Can anybody help that is reading this? I want to use the river and use my
boat!
Comments
by DayOfTue
Friday, March 22 2013, 2:54PM
“Hi Boater I am a boatmaster (MCA licensed skipper) in Bath. I appreciate the problem you outline.
The passenger boat I sometimes drive (voluntary) has difficulty negotiating the cut above Weston Lock due to silting and rubbish. The licence for the trip boat is I believe around £2k/yr! Only once, when the operator threatened to withold payment, in the last ten years has the "Chew Valley" dredger cleared anything ever, to my knowledge.
In Bath above the Canal Turn no one does this at all since it not Canal and River Trust Navigation and the Council do not regulate boats not falling under MCA rules ie less than 12 passengers.
No checks on skippers, boat condition, life saving apparatus etc. You will find self drive hire boats available with no compliance that are offered by a BANES authorised agent! No nominated point of departure, no boundaries, no safety boat (with it own regs), no qualified operator/safety boat skipper etc etc.
Rescue missions and saving boats like these from sinking or getting left suspended from ill advised mooring points were, well, mounting up, more than a dozen just last year alone. And that's just me personally doing the rescuing let alone everyone else.
Reports to the police about anything like this including ordinary boats in jeopardy are forwarded to the Environment Agency who just file them.
Not sure about the current (unpleasant right wing type) rules and enforcement regarding boat dwellers and having to move every 14 days etc but clearly this would not be possible for any boat the wrong side of Hanham lock and not at all if a boat draws too much to navigate Weston Lock Cut.
If maintainence in Bath is a problem - this should be one of the most prestigious moorings in the UK - where the lack of hospitality from authorities is probably legendary, (ask anyone who tried to continue the Bath Festival tradition last year) I sympathise with your chances of getting joy anywhere out in the country.
So sorry I can't offer an actual solution, but I know the Lock Keeper at Hanham has been a really decent sort to us at least, if ever we have needed him. Our Trev!
All I can say is that you are not alone!”