Friday 15 May 2020

Craning continues ...

Monday (11th) and the Prime Minister informs us that some sanctions will be lifted this week ... we will await to hear from the Canal and River Trust and the Environment Agency as to how it will effect us.




Tuesday here at Hambleden Marina they're into the second week of craning the cruisers back into the water


There we are!
The bankside behind us is looking pretty now






Final day of craning on Wednesday (13th) ...









and the Mill Stream is now chock a block ... very different from what we usually see ...









when I took a short walk towards Medmenham to blow the cobwebs away
From the river end of the mill stream
and where those cruiser used to be.

CRT and the EA have lifted sanctions on water sports from today ...
and at 6:45 here comes the first ... a canoeing angler!

We understand that live-aboard boaters can still only cruise for essential reasons but that this may change in early June depending on whether the 'R' rate continues to fall apparently.  We have also had an email from the marina today to all its customers ...

"As you will know from our previous email we have continued with our start of season craning plans so we can be ready for when the river reopens for leisure use.

The Environment Agency guidance emailed to river users today does not allow the use of the river for leisure boating yet.

We can confirm that the marina is now open for customers to visit their boats (but not use the river). Please ensure that whilst at the marina the 2 metre distancing rules are followed and please if possible avoid the use of our sanitation facilities.

Currently with our winter storers we have more boats than we have space, but rest assured that these extra boats will be leaving as soon as they reasonably can once the river restrictions ease."

It leaves us in no doubt that we will have to move on when the River Thames is fully open again.  

Communication from the Environment Agency advises us that there are still problems at a number of locks which need to be fixed before they can be used by boaters, and that weirs etc., need to inspected, but give no indication of when any of this may happen.

We shall have to wait and see.

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