Gently down the stream Editor Peter Fellows sees rivers featuring prominently in this issue. Since the last issue, NABO Council members have had a series of meetings with senior CRT staff and it is refreshing to note that the dialogue has improved since 12 months ago when, as Mike Rodd says in his Chair’s column: […]

Editor, Peter Fellows has a plea for members to help the association operate effectively. As 2019 fades into winter with deluges raising river levels across the country, NABO says farewell to Chair, Stella Ridgway and East Midlands Rep., Joan Jamieson, who we thank for all their work over the years. I have also said goodbye […]

Editor, Peter Fellows, describes some current threats to boating and why you can help NABO. CRT’s Annual Report, published in July, makes for mixed reading: income and expenditure on the waterways were up in all areas over the year, but boater satisfaction declined significantly. CRT attributes this to ‘disruption due to summer water shortages, changes […]

More rubbish Editor Peter Fellows considers the plastics problem. I think most people would welcome CRT’s ‘Plastics Challenge’, launched in June. Visitors to the waterways are being asked to pick up one piece of litter to prevent the half-million plus pieces of plastic entering the sea from UK canals each year.

Warming climate and relationships? Editor Peter Fellows detects changes that could affect boaters both negatively and positively. It’s not yet summer and there are already boating restrictions in place because of damaged or failed infrastructure and low reservoirs, the latter following the lack of winter and spring rainfall after last year’s record-breaking dry summer. In […]

Evidence please Editor Peter Fellows starts surveys of lost facilities and shallow visitor moorings. The warming weather means that many of the estimated 50% of boaters who are leisure cruisers start to gear up for their first outing of the year and the other 50% who live aboard come out of hibernation to enjoy the […]

Spreading the word Editor, Peter Fellows, explains NABO’s focus on promotion and recruitment Part of NABO’s raison d’être is to influence navigation authorities and other organisations for the benefit of boaters. Last month, we clocked up our latest influencing success when the changes we sought to the Middle Level Bill were written into the Act, […]

Consultations, breaches and closures but Editor, Peter Fellows, also notes some wonderful weather and meaningful meetings There’s been a lot happening on the waterways since the last NABO News in July. The summer’s weather has allowed marvellous cruising, but the high temperatures and prolonged drought have also caused problems for CRT’s water management. An article […]

  The three Rs – Rebranding, reorganisation and reactions Editor, Peter Fellows, takes the collective pulse of boaters after the latest changes by CRT. CRT rebranding continues to provoke reactions, with many questioning why signs that are only read by boaters were changed within days of the relaunch ‒ most boaters know what CRT is. […]

Editorial From the Middle Level to the high seas Editor, Peter Fellows has a diverse edition for Spring. I was pleased to see that CRT has suspended the sale of the freehold to Blowers Green Pumphouse (see January’s NABO News), but wish that the relevant advisory groups could review such proposals before they go ahead. […]