Posted by 
Boaters on Lancaster Canal have voiced their concerns and challenges several weeks after a major breach in the network north of Preston.
Part of the embankment and towpath collapsed to the north of the Moons Bridge Marina near Woodplumpton and temporary dams have been put in place following the incident on the weekend of 20-21 July.
Blog Preston asked members of the Lancaster Canal Users Group on Facebook how they felt things had progressed in the weeks following the incident.
Read more: New Miller Park floodgates go in as Environment Agency gives flood defence scheme update
Alex Shaw told us that he had been informed by the Canal and River Trust (CRT) that CRT that were ‘looking into installing a horizontal coffer dam‘ and ‘floating boats through the breach’.
The Canal and River Trust (CRT) confirmed this was correct. In its online update, CRT said it was planning to ‘set up a longitudinal dam around the breach area’. It said this ‘would allow boats currently stuck north of the dam to pass through to the south and vice versa’.
But Alex said he would not be using this option as he did not feel it was safe.
He added: “The options we have are to pay to have the boat transported to Garstang (approximately £1,200), or looking for moorings elsewhere on the canal system.
“If I wanted to retain my mooring in Garstang I would need to pay for that plus the cost of any temporary moorings, estimate £1,500, as returning is dependant on the canal being fixed and the Ribble Link operational.
“We don’t live aboard and need to return home very soon. All in all a very unsatisfactory outcome with little or no support from CRT.”
For Mark Carmody, the problems on the canal were hampering his plans to sell his boat.
He said: “I was selling my boat and spent money on advertising [but] how can I sell a boat with no water in the canal. No discount on fees. Stuck in the mud at bridge 30.”
And it was a similarly frustrating situation for Craig Randall, who said: “I can’t safely cruise in our cruiser.
“So all the time and money we’ve spent getting our boat to a good standard and licensing this year has worked out quite expensive for the time we’ve had so far.”
William Blank claimed that bureaucracy could be the issue.
He added: “The problem is red tape and overthinking the repairs. Years ago it would of been done straightaway so no more damage [was] done on other parts of canal.”
But CRT said things were progressing well in its bid to fix the embankment, with teams drawing up plans to rebuild it and ecology surveys all now complete.
It said it was ‘gearing up to start installing the access paths’ to the site this week, which it claimed would take about four weeks to complete due to the distance covered and fencing required to ‘keep livestock in the adjacent fields safe’.
And it said that water levels in the canal, which are a major concern for many boaters, were a priority for CRT.
It said: “Our contractors have adjusted the pumping, which has helped raise water levels south of the dam, while our operations team has been diligently monitoring the levels north of the dam to ensure we’re getting the best flow from Killington Reservoir.
“Work will continue over the next week to raise the canal levels north of the breach, but getting the levels back to normal will take some time. Consequently, the Glasson flight will need to remain closed next week to help us increase the levels.”
Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.
Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines
