River Canal Rescue says its number of general callouts for electrical, fuel and engine issues, flat batteries, over-heating and gear box failures, is likely to reach an all-time high by the end of the year. Figures up to 30 September are already 3318, ahead of 3235, logged for 2021, and 2850 in 2020.
RCR says the rise is due to the high number of people unable to visit and maintain their boats during lockdown, resulting in minor niggles now becoming larger problems.
RCR managing director, Stephanie Horton, comments: “Figures are currently an unseasonable high and we still have a couple of months to go. It’s worth noting that only 14% of callouts were attended by contractors this year, partially due to their availability, but also in response to customer feedback that they prefer an RCR engineer to attend their boats.
“Considering how busy we have been, it’s likely 2022 will be one of the highest callout attendances on record. The good weather, new fuel issues, specifically ‘sticky fuel’, and the need for boaters to get out and about have all lead to lots of boats on the network.”
RCR’s Canal Contracting service has also arranged 455 visits this year, to undertake a variety of work, including: plumbing and electrical installations, gearbox replacements, inverter, solar installations and general engine maintenance as well as 90 rescue jobs.
So what are the top 10 parts that have broken down so far this year, why do they fail and how much do they cost to replace?
Water pumps - 43 replacements due to seal failures, wear & tear, impeller break up and sheared components; morse controllers - 41 replacements due to wear& tear; engine mounts - 30 replacements due to hitting underwater obstacles, wear & tear, age, rubber degrading, misalignment and bolts shearing, came just outside the top 10.
Stephanie concludes: “This list demonstrates why our Replacement Parts Cover is important as it covers the most common parts that need replacing. RPC also has an excess of £50 so covers items that have a higher value.”
To find out more about River Canal Rescue visit www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk