A pipe may do something for a man, but nothing for a boat!

On the 13 May (Friday the 13th May!!) RCR engineer Pete Baker (our Midlands engineer) was called to Headwind, owned by Peter Daleman. Peter's boat had lost power and something was wrapped around the prop. The boat was on the Stratford canal and as a result of the engineers investigations it was found that approx 50 mtrs of rubber piping had got tangled around the prop.

It took Pete a number hours to remove it as there was no easy access via the weed hatch. As a result he had to climb under the boards to get access to weed hatch cover and, laying horizontally, reach into the weed hatch retrieve the rubber and feed it though the hatch, past himself and into the boat.

The boats owner had already managed to clear half of the pipe but the rest was down to Pete. The only question remaining is, how did it get there? Oh! and who's Pete's little helper?

Canal Contracting.

Canal Contracting is a company that was set up by River Canal Rescue to provide all the services that RCR don’t - it’s a simple a concept as that. The thinking behind it being that by using the team behind RCR a customer can be assured of a first class service and the right person carrying out the work needed and using the correct spares etc. 

Having work carried out on your boat can provide it’s own headaches - who is best qualified to carry out the work safely, where do I get the right spares and, importantly, will the work be guaranteed? Even if these questions are answered there is always the issue of the time it takes to organise all this and to ensure it all happens at the right place at the right time. However now that Canal Contracting is in place all of these questions can be answered by making one phone call. By giving CC a call and providing them with all the details of what work you want carried out they can provide you with a no obligation quotation to supply and organise and arrange all the work needed, be that an engine replacement, a new battery management system or plumbing. The work is done at a time to suit you and it’s all guaranteed.

But it’s one thing to put this service in place, it’s quite another for it all to work and for customers to be happy with the service they’ve had, so we’ve asked a few of the customers who’ve already used the service for their feedback. 

Once such customer was Mr Stuart of Scotland who’s 18 year old 33ft boat normally moored in Edinburgh, needed some upgrading. A new battery management system and a new fridge-freezer were needed but finding a contractor and supplier in Scotland isn’t easy. Canal craft of this type are fewer in number on the lowland canals and as a result so too are the engineers. However as Mr Stuart said a call to Canal Contracting “took all the pressure off me”. He went on to describe the service as “absolutely fantastic” and very much took Paul at his word when he said “leave it with me” as up until that point the job of finding a contractor had been far from easy. Having had all the work completed he can only describe himself as “delighted”.

Another satisfied customer is Barry Lewis who describes himself as “very pleased with the service” He goes on to say that using CC “has made my life easier, and when work has been required it has taken the hassle out of finding someone.” To underline his satisfaction with the service he’s had Barry has recommended Canal Contracting and River Canal Rescue to a number of boaters” to which all either company can say is ‘thanks very much!’

So it would seem that the concept of Canal Contracting is not only proving to be of interest to a growing number of boaters but (and more importantly) it’s proving to be of great value too.

For more information on Canal Contracting visit the River Canal Rescue website and click on the Canal Contracting link at www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

Boat Shed teams up with RCR.

If you’ve ever looked for a boat on the internet you can’t fail to have noticed Boat Shed, the highly successful online brokerage and sales site. So when it came to deciding who to work along side Boat Shed was an obvious choice. RCR recognised that customers, who wanted to sell their boat, wanted a service that was quick and easy and didn’t involve moving their boat to a new location. And above all, in these difficult financial times, they need a service that is good value for money.

The result is a new boat sales service that offers a full-brokerage service with a No Sale, No Fee policy and one that allows you to list your boat elsewhere as well! Some of the key features of the new service include a specialisation in Inland waterways second hand boats. Up to 80 detailed photos to go with a comprehensive write up with full information about your boat. Placement on our the new RCR Boat Sales Web Site and listing on over 60 other boat sales web sites. 

As part of this new service River Canal Rescue will supply a free two months of cover on all boats sold (terms & conditions apply). It’s also worth noting that if you are already a RCR member you can transfer your RCR membership to the new owner, providing them with a little more security when they buy, alternatively you can move it to your new vessel when you find the right boat. 

So now you can buy and sell a boat using RCR and Boat Shed’s new service and provide both you and your customer with the security of an RCR membership. In today’s tough market place this has to be a major advantage.

To visit the new website go to the RCR website at www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk and click on Boat Sales.