Coronavirus and Boating Update from CRT

Coronavirus and Boating

Over the weekend the Government updated the guidance for people who are at higher risk from coronavirus. If you are in a higher risk category you are strongly advised to remain in isolation at home for 12 weeks. If you are in one of these categories, live on a boat, and will be remaining in isolation, please contact us to let us know. If you require support or assistance we will try to help where we can.

Our priority remains to support the national effort to keep people safe and help fight the pandemic, and strictly follow Government advice. Please take the time to read the latest Government guidance on social distancing.

The Government advice is to stay at home and not to visit holiday homes and campsites so as not to add pressure onto local services in these remote areas. Please consider this guidance when making decisions about visiting boats that are not your main residence.

In light of growing concerns, we are asking people to please be aware of how busy their local towpaths are, and in particular where boats are moored against the towpath.

Where towpaths are likely to be busy, our advice to people now is to restrict their use, and only to use those towpaths that are local to them, are quiet, and are largely free of moored boats.

Please exercise your judgement and always strictly follow the Government advice on social distancing. We hope that we can all resume normal use of all our waterways and towpaths once the national crisis is over.

We are keeping our website updated with the latest information.

Our phone lines may be busier than usual so please contact us via our webform in the first instance. If you need more immediate assistance our Customer Service Team is on 03030 40 40 40.

Stay safe during these unprecedented times,
Canal & River Trust

Coronavirus and Boating Update

Following the most recent announcement from the Prime Minister regarding the UK’s response to the coronavirus crisis, we are asking leisure boaters to stop all non-essential travel. As a result, and to help those who live-aboard (along with those who would need to travel to their boat in order to move it) we are suspending the requirement to move every 14 days. The suspension will be kept under review in line with revised government guidance, applying initially until 14 April.

We ask everyone to be considerate and make sure at least a minimal amount of essential movement is maintained to keep vital boater facilities and services accessible to those that need them. We will continue to maintain boater facilities and pump out cards are available from our online shop. (We will be urgently reviewing the implications for face-to-face sale of pump out cards and facilities keys from our public offices).

Colleagues whose roles are critical to the safe management of the waterways, for example those managing water levels, those carrying out statutory inspections of canal structures, ensuring essential facilities for boaters are available etc will continue their day to day work.

We will be doing whatever we can to support our customers and protect the waterways so we can return to enjoying them fully when the crisis is over. We will keep the situation under active review and update you in line with changing circumstances and guidance.

Thank you for your patience and forbearance and please stay safe during these unprecedented times.

Richard Parry
Chief Executive
Canal & River Trust

Coronavirus and Boating

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