10 mins and then she was on the bottom.

From the rooftops of the buildings opposite the river, builders spotted a narrow boat whose stern appeared to be sinking, but by the time they got down and raised the alarm the vessel had already sunk to the gunnels. L R Harris at Syston quickly notified the owner and obtained a pump, in order to try and rescue the boat. 

When the owner returned unfortunately it was already too late to rescue his beloved parrots, and although he waded waist deep in freezing water it was obvious that the cages were well below the water. As a live abound the owner had taken great care of the boat and only recently had a hull survey completed. Everyone was at a loss to explain the cause of the sinking, other than the heavy and persistent rain fall over the past few days.  

LR Harris battled all day to try to raise the boat but to no avail and as light faded they called RCR to see if their rescue team were available.  With the light gone the team were prepped to attend the following day and armed with 4 pumps hoped to get her refloated.

RCR’s team immediately set to with the pumps, but after several hours were still not making the headway they had expected. More water was appearing than disappearing! Searching the vessel they found a number of vents, and the owner notified them of a couple more on the outside of his boat. By blocking these they started to gain momentum but still water was pouring and the source could not be located.

Working in freezing temperatures and waist deep in water for hours, and with work not progressing as it should the team called a halt. When they did it took only 28secs for her to sink back to her previous position. The following day, having discussed possibilities and options, they returned to site to try again. This time they removed sodden items from the boat to reduce weight, blocked holes and vents, and used a winch to assist in lifting the stern. With the help of local boaters and all pumps working at full capacity within a few hours the boat finally came up.

Unfortunately she was still taking on a large amount of water and at risk of sinking again, so the team took the option of grounding her in LR Harris pound. This where the rest of the heavy items could be removed so that she can be hoisted out of the water and a full investigation as to the cause undertaken.

LR Harris staff and the local boaters supplied ample warm drinks and helped keep everyone’s spirits high despite the circumstances, and with a strong community spirit are committed to helping the owner get back on his feet.

Stranded Dutch Barge

River Canals Rescue’s specialist rescue team were called out to see if they could help the owner of a Dutch Barge which, due to severe flooding, had become stranded on land as the flood waters receded.

Mrs Brooksmith, the owner of the barge, was informed by EA that, due to flood waters raising the river levels by over 4ft, her boat had floated free of its moorings and come to rest across the back gardens of two waterside properties in Wansford, Cambridgeshire.

The intense rainfall had caused an unexpected and unusual rise in river levels and as a result many vessels were stranded. However the 70ft wide beam Dutch barge looked to present the biggest challenge. As waters receded and the river began to return to normal specialists were brought in and the cost of the rescue started to escalate quickly.

EA suggested the Mrs Brooksmith called Canal Contracting and RCR to see if their specialist team could come up with any alternative ideas. Having carried out an initial investigation it was clear that due to the boats location, and the access to the front of the house, there was impossible for a crane to gain access to the vessel on the village side. The pasture land opposite was saturated and would not hold a crane even with track laid across the two fields unless they waited until the land had drained and dried out considerably.

With the water receding  the possibility of getting the vessel refloated were not improving, the best option was to attempt to pull the boat back in to the river. However, with no water under her and a sodden field opposite it was going to take a miracle. Trevor the CEO was in attendance at the rescue and his experience and expertise quickly thought of a possible solution, and with the help of local contractor Jim Boulton they set to work. 

First they removed the scaffolding and old mooring material out of the way to stop any damage to the vessel when it re-entered the water, and then located and organised for a Unimog plant vehicle to attend site. As one of the only vehicles that could deal with the saturated terrain, and one which also had the pulling power needed, the Unimog made quick work of hauling the bow in to the water, it was then simply a case of repositioning to allow the boat to enter the water safely.

Once reafloated the boat was checked over for damage and moved to a temporary mooring for safety until the river was once more navigable. The kind assistance of local residences and the caretaker of the land was instrumental in the successful rescue.

RCR Responds to River Nene emergency

River Canal Rescue were recently called to help in the rescue of a sunken narrowboat on River Nene. RCR undertook the rescue after extensive discussions with the environment agency, surveyors and contractors for the crane lift, and a team of divers. With all parties having visited the site and looked at the number of scenarios and complications the best course of action was decided upon. 

This particular rescue had many complications that meant that only a few options were viable partly because the river bank had been eroded and the road was no longer stable. This ruled out use of a crane. In addition divers and bags could not be used due to the flow of water and where the boat is wedged. Although the rescue could have been delayed until the water receded it was felt that due to the boats position, and the impact this would have on the bank and local flooding, it was felt that if the opportunity arose to rescue the boat that it should be undertaken as quickly as possible 

The water levels had to be reduced and the boat emptied in order to inspect, and if necessary repair the suspected hull damage before the boat could be re-floated. EA reduced the water levels, by closing the upstream sluices and opening the Ditchford sluice. Two 4 inch pumps were employed which emptied the boat within 45 minutes, but each time the water level was dropped, to allow the back of the boat to be completely emptied, boats moored nearby demanded that the rescue be stopped to allow the water levels to be increased due to risks to their own boats.

The boat was emptied four separate times and was inches from success, but hampered by un-forecast torrential rain which caused the water levels to increase rapidly and, due to localised flooding upstream the rescue had to be halted. In addition, the cold and physical stress of the work involved had left all staff at risk of hyperthermia.

Another rescue attempt was made when the weather forecast was for blue skies and the river levels started to recede. All parties were confident of an opportunity to complete the complicated salvage operation.

EA had made it very clear that due to the erosion of the bank, and the problem it had created in managing the flood levels both upstream and downstream, that one way or another the operation had to be completed over the weekend.

All parties involved were put on standby from Friday though to Sunday to ensure should the weather turn they were available at short notice to attend site.  EA worked closely with RCR to ensure that the obstacles faced on the previous attempt would not hamper the salvage operations. Additional mooring posts were installed and all boats moored in the local vicinity were asked to relocate, and given notice of the intensions to reduce water levels. EA worked to reduce levels in the section and manage the flow throughout Northamptonshire prior to the attempt.

RCR’s rescue team were on site from 9am and after setting up their operations, and cordoning off their working area set to work pumping out the boat and clearing all of the debris, loose furniture and submerged obstacles from inside the boat.

The plan was to reduce water levels, to lessen the amount of water entering the vessel and holding the stern down.  During this operation the boat was pumped out, quickly reaching the floor levels pipes had to be inserted in to the bilges and eventually in to the engine compartment. 

If this attempt did not result in the vessel re-floating then it was over to plan B.  This involved employing the use of flotation bags, to assist in getting the stern to lift. However this in itself presented many challenges and therefore was not the first option.  

It has been anticipated that by 12.30 the boat would re-float if it was going to and at 12pm up she came, and as anticipated there was no hull breach evident. As agreed with EA the boat continued to be pumped out whilst river levels were increased, and the sluice gates closed to stop any flow of water. The boat was heavily listing due to sodden fixtures…all of which were on one side of the vessel. The engineers moved as many  ‘movable ‘ objects as possible to offset this and continue pumping until there was only a small amount of water left in the bilges.

With the help of EA staff and the very long ropes that had been used to secure the vessel throughout its ordeal the boat was hauled to the pontoon to moor. A temporary bilge pump was installed to keep the boat afloat, and the boat made secure. 

It is worth mentioning that RCR have a rescue team trained specifically for these events, and this is the first one that has ‘thwarted’ our efforts, but it was more the external effects than our own that hindered the success of the  rescue. On reviewing our rescues this year, RCR have saved 21 boats from total loss, from the river Trent to the River Thames & Avon, and the UK canal system…most costs are less than £2k for the rescue but on average are saving £50k + of boat. If RCR can get to a boat before it becomes totally submerged we can usually save it within hours, in this case the boat was already submerged and Health and Safety had to take priority as the damage was already done.

Dramatic rescue on the River Soar

RCR have been involved in the dramatic rescue of a narrowboat on the River Soar at Ratclife in Nottinghamshire which saw their boat got caught by the current in the swollen river. The stretch on which the boat became stuck was a backwater taking excess water from the canal and, due to the recent heavy rain, was expected to rise even further during the hours shortly after the incident.

Thankfully the boat came to rest on the edge of the wear but this was directly under a concrete bridge. The result was just a few inches of clearance between the boat roof and the bridge. With levels continuing to rise the situation was likely to only get worse.

The fire brigade attended to rescue the crew on board, and RCR received a call from Nottingham fire brigade Chief, Mr Brambley, to ask if RCR could assist? RCR arranged for a tug and local contractors Redhill to attend whilst a rescue team were scrambled. When the team arrived Redhill had already got ropes on to the boat and brought in a JCB to help pull the boat. Due to the heavy rain and resulting high water levels the current was so strong the tug had little chance of pulling the boat on its own. The RCR team coordinated the rescue and manoeuvred the vessel whilst the tug and JCB took the strain.

As can be seen in the photos the weir is on a sharp bend off the main river, and with poor access the job was split in to two halves. Firstly, the aim was to get the boat off the weir, which was accomplished in stages. Weeds hampered the rescue and grounded the vessel on a number of occasions. but finally the boat was free of the weir and the bridge and was moored up for the night. Unfortunately the tug too had a few issues and with a fouled prop and had to be moored up as well.

The following day the rescue team and Redhill marine retuned to site and, after negotiation with local farmers, were able to get access (via the field) to the tow path on the main river. As there were approx’ 100mtrs between the boat and the towpath, the team used some novel techniques to string a rope between the two. By employing a tractor they then pulled, first the tug and then the vessel backwards against the current on to the main waterways. - a 5 hr exercise! The whole rescue involved a lot of planning and H&S assessments before the maneuver could take place.

Finally the boat was cruised back to Redhill’s moorings, but just in the nick of time as within an hour the river levels had risen by over a foot. It was then clear that if the boat had not been rescued it would have ended up either in the garden of the house adjacent, wedged under the bridge or down the weir.

The St John’s ambulance were on site taking care of the boat owners, and BW personnel assisted by closing the waterways and towpath to ensure that the rescue could be completed.  The whole event caught the attention of the BBC’s local news team who filmed a report that was published on the BBC’s news website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-18736335

Busy summer for RCR.

Summer 2011 may not have been the sunniest on record but for River Canal Rescue it’s certainly been the busiest.

Over the period from March to the end of August 2011 RCR received 40% more calls than over the same period last year. This increase in demand underlined RCR’s recent recruitment drive which saw two more engineers out on the road. Despite this the company are still looking for another engineer to cover London and the K&A, and with boat traffic expected to increase in the area on the run up to the 2012 Olympics, the new member of the team could be busy .

During the 2011 summer season over 200 calls were made for cable problems, 180 battery related and 125 were fuel problems (including running out of fuel all together). It’s felt that one of the reasons for boater experiencing problems this year is the economic situation. With money being in short supply it’s thought that an increasing number of boaters are skipping their boats regular service. In addition with many people opting to take a boat holiday rather than go abroad, if the vessel has not been used regularly the essential repairs may have been overlooked with the result that more boats are experiencing breaking down. With boatyards reporting an increase in “repair rather than replace” jobs it could well be the case that boaters are cutting back.

In these harsh economic times it’s easy to see why this happens but as RCR’s MD, Stephanie Horton commented recently, “it really is false economy to cut back on servicing and repairs, and as has happened in a number of cases, can result in a serious accident or damage when something fails at a critical time” Stephanie added, “we are always looking for ways to help our member deal with some of the simpler issues and we have produced a Breakdown Advice sheet which can help owners identify and sort our many simple problems, so if anyone would like a copy please drop us a line at enquiries@rivercanalrescue.co.uk and we’ll happily send you a copy.”

With prevention always being better than a cure it’s worth dropping RCR a line to pick up a copy of the advice sheet or for more information on RCR’s range of services visit their website at www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

Two new engineers join the RCR team.

Two new engineers have been recruited to the RCR field engineers team help meet the increasing demands for canal side assistance.

Steve Hill, has been a mechanical fitter and brings over 20yrs of experience to his role with RCR. His knowledge on petrol and diesel engines and his ability to use true engineering skills to deal with problems, rather than just 'fit new parts', makes him ideal for the job. His happy and cheerful outgoing personality has already made him one of the new favourites for members in Fens and Midlands which are his main areas.

 

Tom Walker has already completed a college course in mechanicals and has been using his skills in a number of related environments. He's shown an aptitude for the marine environment and has the right attitude when dealing with people. Tom was selected form a number of candidates as our new apprentice and although he will be going thought the same training and college courses during his apprenticeship, there will be an opportunity for him to complete early because of his past experience. To date he is already showing that he has the skills and attitude to make a first class RCR engineer.

More dramatic rescues for RCR.

River Canal Rescue have been involved in yet more dramatic rescues recently. To start with the owner of a 43ft boat called for help after getting caught by the current whilst turning. As a result he ended up wedged sideways on to a bridge on the Avon at Eckington Br. West Midlands Fire and Rescue rescued the crew but by the time they got the crew off the boat the water was lapping at the gunwale.

RCR scrambled the rescue team who arrived on site approx 3.30 together with a contractor who had a Land Rover which was attached to the boat. However, unfortunately every time they tried to pull the boat against the current it started to drag the Land Rover back. So back up was called in from York which arrived at 6pm together with other team members.

The boat stern was grounded on the far bank, with it’s bow wedged against the bridge by the force of the river water (which was in flood) resulting in the boat being at a 30 degree angle. The decision was taken to attempt the rescue in two stages so, with a safely line to the bridge and two engineers on-board, the first stage began. This was to pull the boat by the stern towards the opposite bank using a line which was rigged to the Land Rover. After a number of attempts the boat was beached bow first on to the opposite shore with it’s stern wedged against the bridge.

The second stage was to reposition the Land Rover and with a shorter rope swing the stern away for the centre of the river towards the shore and use the engine power to reverse the boat to the small jetty. During a number of attempts the rope snapped, not helped by operating in the dark, the engineers knew that time was now of the essence as the boat was in serious danger of capsizing. Due to the angle it had been sitting at for several hours the outlets had been under water and as a result water had been pouring in and filing up the boat. Finally using the engine power and the Land Rover the boat was finally dragged around and secured to the jetty.

Onboard the bilges were working overtime and loosing the battle to keep the boat afloat, more bridge pumps were installed but the water was still rising. A quick decision was taken and in order to right the listing boat all personnel had to get onboard on the opposite side and use there combined weight to even the boat and lift the submerged outlets clear of the river. A small winch was rigged up to the shore to try and keep the boat level, and after two hours of pumping the boat was finally level, free of water and safe.

At 4.30 the following day RCR received another call from a 57ft boat unbelievably in the exact same location but wedged horizontally against the bridge. The only access via boat or a ladder from the bridge. RCR alerted the rescue services to remove the boaters from the vessel for their own safety. When the engineers arrived on site at approximately 6pm they set to work assessing the situation and preparing for the rescue. The boaters were looked after by the St Johns ambulance team who had been contacted by the fire brigade after RCR explined that the rescue could take several hours. The rescue team having undertaken a rescue the previous day were quickly at work and by following the same procedure - pulling the boat backwards and using the engine power to reverse the boat they got it onto the jetty. The boaters from the previous rescue were still moored up on the jetty waiting for the river waters to recede, and this has to be moved up to make space for the second boat!

It’s worth noting that RCR charges for rescues but over the last year they have rescued 12 boats from critical situations which would have resulted in capsizing or loss of the whole boat. Stephanie Horton MD said “It’s also worth noting that from an insurance point of view a boater must undertake as many measures as possible to mitigate loss or potential loss, and that generally charges for recovery, lifting and rescue of a boat from these dangerous situations are covered by your insurance policies, however taking unnecessary risks can invalidate your insurance claim, so always assess if venturing out on to a river in flood is a sensible action; if your jorney can be avoided then don’t risk it”.

A minimum of three engineers would be dispatched for all rescue activities and RCR’s thanks go to engineers, Trevor Forman for both, Kerry Horton for both, Pete Baker for both, Pete Barnett for 1st, Aaron Forman for both, Mike Adams (contractor) for 1st.

Notorious submerged wall catches another boater out on the River Trent

Sunday morning (21st Nov) a 57ft narrow boat and its crew left Torksey lock to travel to Newark, however shortly after leaving Torksey, disaster struck and the crew found the engine lacked power. As a result they were not making headway but luckily a fellow boat managed to tow them to the pontoons at Dunham Br. After taking a break they decided to carry on and, having passed under the A57 bridge, they headed to a tight ‘s’ bend in the river. The boat navigated the first right hand bend successfully but as they reached the second bend they lost drive again and suddenly found themselves grounded.

They were in relatively deep water and there were no signs of an obstruction but try as they might they were wedged tightly and could not escape…. It was at this point that the engine cut out and they could not re start it. As time went by they realised that the tide was going out leaving them even more stranded on the unknown obstacle. The captain contacted BW [British Waterways] who, after some discussion, agreed to send out a tug to assist them. Unfortunately with the tide going out it was not going to be easy and with the tide only due to turn at 8pm could have been a long and dangerous wait.

The captain then contacted RCR (the AA of waterways) to see if they could send an engineer out to get the engine running. RCR received a call at approximately 11.30am, and although they offer a Join on The Spot membership this option was not available because the boat was inaccessible. RCR have a fully trained rescue team trained by the RLNI to undertake water rescues; as in the past they have had to rescue a number of boats in precarious situations on the river Trent.

The captain was offered the option of the rescue team attending, and the potential scenarios that might occur, including possible capsizing of the vessel and the need to get the captain and crew off the vessel whist the engineers attended to the engine.

Working on a river is dangerous and combining this with freeing a vessel as the tide rises can put lives and boats at risk. RCR dispatched their rescue team of three personnel (K.Horton, P.Barnet, & T.Forman) to undertaken the rescue of the boat. They were equipped with a small rib, to get to the vessel, and essential safety equipment to ensure minimal risk to personnel.

The tide was dropping rapidly so the aim was to get a rescue boat in the water as soon as possible so that the engineers could get aboard the narrowboat and assess the situation. The engineers arrived on site at 1.30pm.

Having attended three previous rescues in this particular location the engineers were confident that the obstacle that had grounded the vessel would be a stone wall which extends in to the Trent on the bend. The wall is present to reduce bank corrosion but, as it is unmarked it presents a serious obstacle if a boater decides to cut a corner. The engineers launched the vessel at Dunham Bridge and set off to locate the stranded vessel.

When the engineers arrived at the vessel it was clear that there would be no possibility of towing the boat off the wall and although there was no immanent danger to the crew the decision was taken to get them off the vessel to ensure their safely and allow the engineers to work on the engine without any distractions. The BW tug arrived on the scene at approx 2.15pm, but with no possibility of pulling the boat without damage they moored up at the pontoons and waited to see if they were needed once the tide started to rise.

The engineers worked for 4 hours to get the engine running, removing several litres of water from the fuel tank, and fitting a new fuel pump which had also failed. The fuel tank was treated with Marine 16 additive to remove any additional water and also kill any diesel bug that might be developing. Finally at 6pm the engine was successfully started. Unfortunately with the boat completely stranded the only thing everyone could do was wait for the tide to turn at 8pm.

At approximate 8.30pm the decision was taken to use the BW tug to pull the boat free rather than waiting for the tide to rise high enough to re-float. The BW crew executed this with obvious experience and once free of the wall the engine was fired up and the boat turned and cruised up to the pontoons to be reunited with its owners. The engineers loaded up the rescue boat and finally headed home after a job well done.

We don't just rescue boats!

Ralph Kitts one of RCR's southern engineers was patrolling his local area in Watford and decided to pop down the towpath to check on a few of the local boaters and see how things were going. On arrival at the moorings at Coxley Common Moor on the GU he stopped to chat to some of the boaters and have a cup of tea. At some point during the conversation he heard a large splash, and thinking it was possibly a fish or bird, he popped his head round the boat and noticed a large red jacket floating in the canal on the opposite side.

He quickly realised that the jacket contained someone and that as they were unmoving were probably unconscious. The route around to the opposite side was a long trek and it would take too long to get around to the man in time..... So without hesitation he leapt in to the water and waded across to the body. Having reached the victim he managed to turn them around and in doing so realised that the elderly gentleman had a heavy rucksack on his back which was hampering the rescue. Luckily a number of workmen noticed him struggling and came over to lend a hand pulling the unconscious man out of the water and onto the towpath.

As the gentleman was revived an ambulance was called and the gentleman, who was approximate 70yrs old, was taken to Watford General hospital.

Ralph although very wet and cold headed back to his van to head home for a change of cloths and a warm drink. 

Well done Ralph!

From River Canal Rescue

IWA Launches New Tailored Boat Insurance Scheme With Built in Breakdown Membership

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has teamed up with both Navigators & General and River Canal Rescue to enable an insurance facility that it believes is unique to the market, with the added benefit that every policy taken out and subsequently renewed helps IWA, and so helps our charitable work for the waterways.

Our tailored inland waterway insurance policies cover loss and damage to your vessel, protect against legal claims, pay out for injury and damage caused to other property and provide the additional security of inclusive breakdown membership.

Key policy features

The policy incorporates many features that are unique including:

• Membership to River Canal Rescue breakdown (which can be upgraded at additional cost)   

• Dedicated insurance cover for owners who permanently live aboard their boats (Additional cost) - Personal public liability

• Marina benefits

• Medical expenses cover

• £3 million pounds third party cover

Speaking on behalf of IWA, Neil Edwards, chief executive, said:

“IWA currently arranges insurance for over 170 of IWA’s corporate members, including most waterways societies and trusts, many boat clubs, community boat groups, navigation authorities, educational, industrial archaeological, waterways leisure and heritage bodies, museums and a wide range of other non-profit making organisations.  This is something that IWA has done as a non-profit making service for over 35 years, and has helped save many thousands of pounds from waterways insurance bills.  IWA’s experience in insurance matters led us to believe that something advantageous could be put in place for private boat owners too.  We believe that our partnership with Navigators & General, a leading pleasure craft insurer, and with River Canal Rescue, the foremost boat breakdown organisation, makes this scheme a market-leading proposition, and one which provides additional financial benefit to IWA that will allow it to further its charitable work for the waterways.”

For more information please go to: http://www.waterways.org.uk/support_us/boat_insurance

Midnight Boat Rescue on the River Trent.

The following is a report on the dramatic rescue of a stranded boat. The rescue was not easy but was successfully concluded as can be seen below.

Late on Friday 21st Jan a 57ft narrowboat and its crew left Torksey lock to travel to Newark using the river Trent which, although swollen, was navigable. The crew hoped to make it to their destination before dark however, approximately 45 mins in to the journey, and having passed under the A57 bridge, they headed to a tight 's' bend in the river. They navigated the first right hand bend successfully but as they reach the second bend they lost drive and suddenly found themselves grounded.

They were in relatively deep water and there were no signs of an obstruction but try as they might they were wedged tightly and could not escape…. as time went by they realised that the tide was going out leaving them even more stranded.  As the river dropped it revealed a submerged wall to be the unknown obstacle.

With no road access or mooring locations for miles they contacted the emergency services who dispatched Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire fire brigades. When they arrived on site the decision was taken to remove the crew from the boat and get them to safety. British Waterways was then contacted to see if they could assist in getting to the vessel before the next high tide at 1am in order to refloat it.

Unfortunately BW were unable to put together the required team, and suggested that RCR (the AA of waterways) was called in. RCR received a call at approximately 8.30pm, and although the boater was not a member, and this is not an event covered by their membership, they mobilised a crew to attend.

Working at night on a river in flood and combining this with a rising high tide encompasses many dangers and the decision was taken to dispatch three personnel (K.Horton, P.Barnet, & T.Forman) to undertake the rescue of the boat in a 4 x 4 Landover to ensure they could get to the isolated location.

The tide was due to start running at 10.30 and the aim was to get a rescue boat in the water before this so that the engineers could get aboard the narrow boat and assess the situation.

Having used satellite images to identify exactly where the boat was located and the off road tracks that led to it, they headed though North Clifton to the river, and launched the rescue boat. The Land Rover picked up the dirt track and began to follow the river aiming to meet at the boats remote location. Unfortunately the fire rescue vehicles and a combination of heavy rain resulted in a very poor driving conditions and the engineers finished the journey on foot.

The boat had been equipped with blue flashing beacons to warn of its presence by the fire brigade and was easily located. Once the engineers arrived at the boat, and secured it with ropes, they checked the engine was running smoothly and then with the tide starting to rise they began the delicate task of releasing the boat from the wall, with the guide ropes ready should the tide try to twist or roll the boat.

At approximate 11.30 the engineer called to say the boat was free and had been successfully turned around and was cruising up to the floating pontoon at Durham Bridge (A57). The engineer was on this and was to pick up the crew from the St Johns Ambulance van where they were being cared for after their ordeal.

By 11.50 the crew were finally reunited with there vessel and the engineers loaded up the rescue boat and finally headed home after a job well done.

News updates.

You may have noticed that we've added two new news items to this blog covering the new project with Adverc and the increased levels of interest in our maintenance courses (if you've not seen them look below this post). But we would also like to hear from you the customer if you have an interesting story or recent incident that others might like to hear about.

It's easy to let us know about these, all you need to do is visit the testimonials page of our website which you can access from here.

We look forward to hearing from you.

A testimonial by a tested member!

In late May we received a call, or should we say 'calls' from a very unlucky member who, over the next few days, had a number of problems - all of which we were able to help out with. The following report is by Jean Jones which we hope you will find interesting.

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My name is Jean Jones and I would like to submit the following testimonial:

We joined RCR hoping we would never have to call them, but better safe than sorry!

Two days into our holiday the fan belt broke, we called [RCR] and Stephanie sent Shaun to our rescue. It turned out to be caused by a seized alternator, after 'popping off' to get the new part it was quickly and efficiently installed.

Off we go again, next day the second belt snapped, this time the water pump had seized, again Stephanie sent Shaun and again he replaced the item quickly and efficiently.

We could not believe how friendly and efficient the whole organisation could be. Have the RAC/AA ever offered to bring you supplies when on a call out or to let your family know you have broken down?

Off we go again.

Botterham staircase lock...when my husband went to the upper lock to release the water, the fender caught on something and the boat was in danger of sinking. Trying to get free a six inch hole was ripped in the fuel tank and 30 gallons of fuel disappeared down the canal.

Other boaters helped us to pull the boat out of the lock and I again called Stephanie (by this time on first name terms) She told me not to worry. She organised everything, called the British Waterway team, the Environmental Health and sent Shaun to help us. Everyone was fantastic.

We thought our holiday was over, but Shaun would not let that happen. He climbed into the canal (up to his armpits) syphoned off the remaining 20 galls of fuel into jerry cans brought by BW, sealed the hole with a bed pillow in a black bag (you could say he went the extra

fathom to help us). After this he placed the jerrycan under our floor boards and rigged up the engine so we could drive the boat.

Stephanie organized Industrial Boats in Brewood to crane the boat out and weld a patch. (Not just a quick patch but a really professional job, they even 'blacked' the area)

On the last part of the journey to the boat yard the engine started surging, we thought 'oh no, not more trouble'. The boatyard fitter could not come for 24hours. We were worried by this time that we would not get back to our moorings in time to get to work. Stephanie said

'don't worry we will take you back by car if necessary'.

RCR to the rescue again Jay came out to replace the fuel feed diverted by Shaun, cleared all the filters and we sailed home with no more problems.

We can not praise RCR, Stephanie, Shaun and Jay enough.

Thank You, Thank you.

Jean Jones

RCR on a mission!

River Canal Rescue, the organisation which provides National Breakdown and Recovery for boat owners on the UK inland waterways, today revealed that it has embarked on a mission. Their aim is to increase the boating communities awareness of water safety and boating maintenance issues on the UK waterways.

A recent Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) review, which looked at incidents and issues faced by organisations like the RYA and the RLNI, revealed that the general lack of awareness about water safety needed to be addressed urgently. The RNLI also reported that the number of preventable incidents, where poor maintenance and mechanical breakdown resulted in a 'rescue' situation, were increasing, thus putting added strain on an important emergency resource.

Through their network of engineers RCR will be launching a program of practical demonstrations and presentations to highlight some of these important issues. All across the UK their engineers will give presentations on lifesaving safety information, essential boat maintenance tips and provide guidance on the best tools to carry aboard. This network of engineers has also been expanded with the addition of a number of new young faces to the team. Being aware of the lack of training opportunities for youngsters to obtain qualifications in the marine industry, RCR embarked on a training program which includes two years at college and four with a senior engineer, proving it’s not just Sir Alan Sugar who’s looking for an apprentice!

The information provided to course attendees is also available in note format and a special feature will be available each month on the RCR web site. Stephanie Horton, managing Director of RCR said recently "Ignorance is no excuse, lives are being put at risk and RCR is doing everything in its power to increase awareness and ease the pressure on such an essential emergency service".

To book a talk, receive a free information booklet or find out more please contact RCR head office on 0870 2078021.

Harral Brokerage Services and River Canal Rescue - a major new collaboration

As a result of a major new collaboration, Harral Brokerage Service and River Canal Rescue are now working together with the aim to provide safe and comfortable cruising.

These two major names in the boating world have gone into partnership to ensure that the top quality boats, sold at Harral brokerages, are covered by RCR Bronze memberships. As a result this will ensure boaters, who make a purchase from Harral Brokerages, not only receive a high quality boat to sail away, but also have peace of mind should anything unexpected occur. In addition people who choose to sell their boat with Harral Brokerages will not only receive a professional, friendly service, but also an extra selling point for their vessel.

With RCR membership, gone will be the days when things like a fouled propeller will stop you in your tracks. Instead of waiting around trying to find someone who can help, then having to pay call out fees, hourly rates and travel time, you will make one free phone call. All arrangements will be made for you and there will be no call out charges, hourly or travel rates. River Canal Rescue’s aim is to be at all breakdowns within three hours. In 96% of cases they are able to get you moving within two hours. If a problem turns out to be terminal they are able to organise for a registered contractor to take on the work. In the event of the vessel needing to be recovered they will arrange for you to be towed to the nearest safe haven within two hours.

With a beautiful boat from Harral Brokerage Services, the gorgeous scenery of our British waterways and the peace of mind knowing you and your boat are in good hands, how can you go wrong?

For more information please contact Lauren McCabe, Marketing Coordinator on 0871 200 8021 or email lauren@rivercanalrescue.co.uk