WaterNav is the UK’s only free mapping and route planning tool that works offline – giving peace of mind to thousands of boaters who have been reliant on an internet connection, via wifi or mobile data, to arrange and track journeys across the inland waterway network.

Funded and developed by River Canal Rescue (RCR), the breakdown company is committed to making the app completely FREE for its lifetime; there are no catches or gimmicks, sign up or hidden charges, and its full functionality is open to everyone.  All users need to do is create an account.

Other routing planning providers only function using the internet (problematic for boaters in areas where signal is traditionally an issue), so RCR’s dedicated programmers looked to NASA to develop an offline solution.

Lead software developer, Brandon Briggs, comments: “NASA uses certain software and algorithms to direct and monitor its robots on internet-free Mars, so we thought why not develop a similar system for the UK inland waterway system.  We adopted a route planning algorithm, which uses a dot matrix system, to reference all the canals and rivers in the UK, and we will not stop there.”

Launched last year, WaterNav’s new updates now enable users to plan and specify their journey length/time or preferred routes etc, taking into account locks, points of interest and canal/river information etc, and be directed to the nearest available mooring/marina at journey’s end.

Brandon continues: “We are continually developing the app and taking onboard feedback from users, so don’t be surprised if we regularly ask users to update their version.”

 All UK waterways, mapping and route planning are incorporated into a single app and there’s also a help/SOS function linked to RCR HQ, for boaters who require assistance. Plotting the user’s position within a 5m radius has proved invaluable in emergency situations or when cruising on rivers with no access.

WaterNav has around 10,000 users and the figure is growing because it’s simple to set up and use. Access via Google Play or the App Store, register as a user and download the maps. After this, the app can be used offline.

Moving forward, additional community features are being developed for online users. “Boaters will be able to flag up any problems or issues they come across, such as debris in the waterways, lock closures, busy hot spots or pubs that may have closed down etc,” explains Brandon.  “This information, together with CRT notifications, will be shared on the app once verified, and to do this, we’re working on an automated moderating system.”

RCR managing director, Stephanie Horton, adds: “We’re planning to add some really exciting features to WaterNav over the coming year, to encourage new interest from the younger generation, help share some of the amazing features on our canals and rivers and build the community spirit our UK waterways are synonymous with. Funding this app means we are giving something back too, and helping reconnect the community.”

Angel Community Canal Boat Trust, a charity based in Islington, has been providing day and residential boat trips for community groups on its boat Angel II of Islington for over 40 years.

Recently we provided free trips for an especially deserving group. After hearing of their work in raising funds to supply trauma kits to send to their countrymen on the front line we were proud to be joined by the 1st London Plast, a Ukrainian scout group.

Over a very warm and pleasant weekend in June we were joined by 48 cubs, scouts and leaders who took to the canal like the proverbial ducks to water, of which we saw many during our trip.
Split into 4 groups each enjoyed a 3-hour trip between Islington and Little Venice, learning about our historic canal system and how to operate the canal locks, as well as enjoying the wildlife along the route.

Their voices rang out with song throughout the trip bringing smiles and cheers of encouragement from passers-by on the tow path and they made particular use of the acoustics in Islington Tunnel.

After a combined picnic and games session our return journeys were just as tuneful with several enthusiastic renditions of Ukraine’s winning Eurovision hit.

Skipper Phil Gavigan said “the strength to carry on through adversity should be an example to us all. Several of these young people have had to flee their war-torn homeland leaving family and friends behind”.

One of the leaders said “We loved everything. Thank you for making the children smile - the children said it was such a happy day, ‘the best day ever’ “.

1. It's not hard work when it is fun. 2. The signed flag presented to Angel II of Islington by some very happy scouts.

To find out what funding may be available for your community group visit our website  or contact our skipper.

Both of us have always embraced the hippie culture, but Pete was lucky enough to experience some of the best of the festivals of the 1970’s before they became more commercialised and mainstream such as Glastonbury, Knebworth, The Elephant Fayre, Womad, Glastonbury Greenfields, Blackbush and Stonehenge. One of these was the Watchfield Free Festival in 1975, which replaced the Windsor Free Festival, where you could get a free meal in return for helping to serve food & wash up and watch bands such as 'Gong' and 'Hawkwind'. Supposed to last for 9 days, it was eventually wound up 16 days later as nobody wanted it to end - well, except for the locals and the police!!!

My own festival initiation and first proper Hippie gathering was at age 14, when I and my friend persuaded my friend's very liberal mum to drive us to the Stonehenge festival and my friend's mum waited in the car for us until we were ready to leave as the sun rose! “

building our own brand

In March 2020 we went to India with the intention of sourcing stock. We had reached a point where we wanted to directly connect with and create relationships with supply partners. The style of clothes & bags that the Hippie Boat sells are made in India, Nepal, Thailand and Tibet and we had been buying wholesale, since we started up in 2015 from small UK Fair Trade registered companies, all of whom have their own supply partners.

However, lots of other small UK businesses selling festival and ethnic style clothing, also buy from these companies and due to the fair trade & handmade nature of the items, popular lines sell out quickly and we couldn’t always source more when we wanted them. We knew that the choice of clothing available in India would be huge, enabling us to diversify and work directly with small manufacturers and suppliers ourselves.

It was a very successful trip and we are really happy and excited to have formed ongoing and mutually beneficial relationships as well as friendships with with small family run manufacturing businesses & sole traders who share our ethics. These are based in Goa, Pushkar and Delhi. It is definitely a good feeling to be able to put a face to the products that we have sourced, to know that everything is handmade to order, that we have paid a fair price to the people doing the hard work and also know that we can take some active responsibility, in a small way, for the human and environmental cost of clothing by choosing cleaner and longer lasting fabrics such as Organic Cotton, rayon, hemp, bamboo and recycled sari fabrics.

We do still buy stock from the UK wholesale partners that we started out with, but we are also developing more and more of our own lines of clothing, working with designers and expert pattern cutters (mainly via WhatsApp) and we now have our own ‘Hippie Boat - Free Spirited Fashion since 2016’ label and have registered our trademark.

Please visit our Website, and follow our Facebook page or Instagram account for up to date location information. If we are not going to be in your area in the near future, we are always very happy to post out to you on Wednesday or Thursday of each week.

We look forward to providing you with a customer focussed shopping experience
Jules & Pete

Alison Saunders, wife of Mike, vicar of Hungerford, has been appointed Senior
Waterways Chaplain of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Waterways chaplains work across the nation’s inland waterways to support boaters in need, helping to resolve a wide range of issues from access to benefits and healthcare to being a listening ear and companion to the lonely and anxious. Chaplains are committed to walking one mile of their towpath each week but most walk much more than that. They are happy to chat to anyone they meet, whether it be boaters, fishermen, cyclists or other walkers, and to help in any and every way they can, if asked.

There are about ten chaplains along the length of the Kennet and Avon. Ali says, “I
would love to see more Waterways Chaplains along the canal, to support boaters and all who use the waterway in any capacity, raising awareness of its potential and the challenges for those who live on it.”

She can be contacted by email or by phone 01488 208341.

Aqueduct Marina builds green credentials with Bilgeaway  

Aqueduct Marina, based on the Shropshire Union Canal near Nantwich, is encouraging customers to install River Canal Rescue’s Bilgeaway filter on their narrowboats.

The Marina, a fervent advocate of environmentally-friendly solutions, now stocks Bilgeaway in its chandlery and is promoting the filter to its 147 mooring and 90 hard-standing users, external customers and those buying boats through its brokerage service.

Aqueduct hopes this move takes it one step closer to picking up the UK’s first Inland ‘Clean Marina’ award.

The Marina is already involved in a number of initiatives, including The Green Blue and Clean Marinas, and recently launched its own Greener Marina scheme - a customer communication programme which aims to develop a culture of environmental awareness between staff and customers, helping it gain Cleaner Marina status.

Bilgeaway is described as the world’s ‘first’ environmentally-friendly filtration system. It uses a non-toxic solution to remove contaminants from dirty bilge water, preventing waterway pollution, which are then rendered non-reactive, leaving environmentally-friendly contents in a cartridge for disposal. The housing can be re-used.

The product’s a ‘first’ because while other filter systems trap hydrocarbons, they fail to de-contaminate them, transferring the disposal problem elsewhere (typically a landfill site causing further land-based contamination).

Marina and operations director, Phil Langley, comments: “We are already trying to encourage customers to reduce pollution, emissions and their impact on the environment, and are doing this by promoting the use of solar panels and eco-friendly products.”

RCR managing director, Stephanie Horton, agrees: “Everyone has a responsibility to do their bit and if all boats had a filter installed, in 10 years’ time the waterways environment could look completely different. We’d have clearer canals and rivers and the oil slicks in marinas and harbours would be a thing of the past.”

To find out more visit Bilgeaway and Aqueduct Marina websites.

I was born and brought up in the English seaside town of Hastings, many miles from the nearest navigable canal. I have always been drawn to the sea and joined the local Sea cadets when I was thirteen. We had a small fleet of retired Royal Navy boats that we had to launch from the shingle beach at Bulverhythe.

Most of my summer holidays were spent at the “Unit” where we were given an almost free rein to find ourselves and hopefully learn by our mistakes. We had a 27ft Montague-rigged whaler which we once sailed to Rye, fourteen miles away for a camping weekend, a couple of RNSA dinghies and the boats that I loved the best, the dories. These were designed as beach landing boats and were crewed with four pulling oars and a steering oar.

I was fairly light in those days - someone said I was too light for heavy work and too heavy for light work and so I invariably landed the role of coxswain. They were fantastic surf boats, being rounded at both ends rather like an elongated coracle, and we would spend hours going in and out over the waves.

We had to drag the boats down the shingle on greased slides to get afloat, which when the tide was out would involve 50 or 60 yards across the sand. On one occasion when I was steering, I saw an enormous roller approaching. I couldn’t say anything to the crew who of course had their backs to the wave, as I didn’t want to distract them. All I could do was to encourage them to “pull up hard” and fight with my steering oar to hit the wave square on the bow.

On the bow oar was a guy called Chris who was older and bigger than the rest of us. He was a Petty Officer (probably eighteen at the time) and an “old” hand. In hindsight I think he might have been better suited to rowing aft but hind-sight and all that… As the wave tumbled towards the boat it towered above us over six feet high. The bow lifted and Chris went up in the air with it. The boat reared up and then crashed back down with a thump leaving Chris suspended in mid-air, oar still firmly grasped in his hands.

Then the immovable object and the irresistible force kicked in and the inevitable happened as the boat began to rise up again, gravity took over and Chris came crashing back down. He hit the thwart with such a force that it split in two and left him sprawled on the bottom boards, legs in the air bravely still clutching his oar which was pointing to the sky.

It was as much as I could do to keep the boat heading into the waves as I now had two oars pulling on the port side against just one functioning to starboard. By the grace of God, and I like to think a little bit of good seamanship, we survived the next couple of breakers intact before I managed to turn the boat around in a trough and head back for the beach.

I should add here that not one of us was wearing a life-jacket. I was fifteen and although we didn’t properly understand the implications at the time, we had been allowed a valuable freedom to test ourselves and I think it gave us confidence and character which stood us in good stead for the rest of our lives.

Most of my contemporaries from those days went on to make a success of their lives. One gave up a life at sea as a Master Mariner and then became a GP and lifeboat doctor. Another was a senior captain with BP Tankers, one a Pilot guiding cruise ships through the Alaskan Fiords and yet another became an engine room artificer in nuclear submarines.

Unfortunately because of the nanny state and the dreaded H&S, protective parents and compensation culture, amongst other things, kids don’t have that option anymore. They have substituted real-life adventure with make believe computer games and I phones.

I was thirty before I discovered that there was an extensive and fascinating network of over 2000 miles of canals in Britain. We hired a boat from the little-known village of North Kilworth in Leicestershire in 1976. Our friends Marion and Malcolm from Southampton had joined the local canal society and found out all about it and we travelled with them and our kids who were five and six at the time to pick up the boat in Marion’s Ford Anglia, which she called Bruce! We were starting on an unforgettable week of discovery and adventure around the canals of the Midlands that would leave a lasting impression and hook me for life.

We certainly had an eventful week. Tanya, aged 6 at the time was stung by a bee, Mark (5) fell in near Rugby, we had a complete double mattress wound around the prop in Birmingham, and were aground overnight stuck alongside a camping boat full of Boy Scouts in a remote spot somewhere between Leamington Spa and Braunston. It was that remote that it took Malcolm and I half an hour to walk to the nearest pub! This was in 1976 and I have to say that things in a lot of areas have improved since then, although a lot more have worsened, but that’s another story.

In spite of all this I developed a love and fascination with canals which has never left me. I was eventually able to buy my own narrowboat in 1986 and was lucky enough to fulfil another long-term ambition in 1998 when I acquired the beautiful replica Dutch Luxemotor, Saul Trader.

I had always had an urge to write, and once started a book about preserved railways but for various reasons it never got finished. With the advent of Kindle and Amazon, self-publishing has become a lot easier. I think it has opened up endless opportunities for would-be authors, some good and some maybe not so good. I think grammar, punctuation and spelling accuracy are important and I try to make sure my writing is thoroughly checked. Somebody commented after reading my first book that it was “written in the vernacular.” Well sorry - it was actually written in the study.

It is a long and sometime laborious process, but infinitely worthwhile and fun. I often have a chuckle myself at some of my jokes, and I hope that you do too. The initial object of the exercise was to record my travels for my own benefit. Kindle has made it possible to spread the news further afield and I can only hope that my readers will also find some enjoyment from my ramblings and learn a little about the lore of the cut.

The Saul Trader books are available to buy in print or electronically. Visit Keith's shop for more information on each book and to buy. You can also find out about another of Keith's books which is currently in the pipeline!

My name is Joseph and I live on a Widebeam named H2O with my father Steve. We have lived on the boat since July 2021 and are continuous cruisers; prior to that we lived in Newark On Trent. My dad has always loved boats and fishing, in fact if he's by water he is happy. I on the other hand was a typical teenager who enjoyed playing on my games console, meeting with my friends and doing all of the normal things an 18 year old would do.

So it was a bit of a shock when my dad suggested moving onto a boat. It was a lot of turmoil selling the house and getting rid of so much of the stuff you accumulate when living in a house. At that time I also had the added pressure of my A Levels, but we muddled through. Whilst all that was happening the boat was being built to my dad's design. He had planned it all out before we even had a boat builder, so he would go up to Manchester every week to check on its progress, and I would be at home either taking exams or revising for them.

So the day actually arrived, the boat was launched and we moved on, I hadn't seen the boat for months, so when I actually saw it completed for the first time in the water I thought it was great.
We were a bit nervous when it came to moving it for the first time out of Whilton Marina where it was launched, but when we actually were out on the cut I thought it was brilliant. I enjoy the peace and quiet of a country mooring, long walks with my dog Leo and nights on the boat with the log burner, I think I am turning into my dad!

After a couple of months getting used to canal life , we decided we wanted to start some sort of business. I had noticed that my dad would scribble things down in a notepad, about the moorings we found, the diesel we purchased, what the Wi-Fi was like etc. and was always rummaging through his pad trying to find where he had written something. And that's what gave me the idea of producing a Logbook and Journey Planner.

I produced a draft copy and let my dad fill it in as we travelled, to see what sections needed to be added or edited. Then, when we were both happy with it we looked for a way of printing and publishing it.

After sorting out the printing & publishing aspect, we published my book through Amazon and my dad made a Facebook post telling fellow boaters about it. We had a great response from the community and the book began to sell. In the first week it was the No 3 best selling book in the boating section on Amazon!
​
The Narrowboat Logbook and Journey Planner contains sections to record your
travels on our waterways. Initially there is a section to record the boat's details, such
as overall dimensions, engine & gearbox model, fuel, waste & water tank capacity.
Then licence and Insurance details and renewal dates. There is a Diesel Log for recording Fuel Purchases, followed by a Propane Gas Log.

The next section is the Travel Planner and Log, which allows you to plan your route
for the day's travels and highlight Water Points, Elsan, Moorings and Shops on the
way. There are spaces for 120 travelling days.

The following section is the Pre Travel Check List: the daily reminders of things to check before casting off. There are also sections for recording contact details of Friends On The Canal and Places of Interest.

Finally there are Notes Pages and Useful Contact Details, such as CRT, RCR and Environment Agency.

Over the following few months I produced a series of books for the Boating Community, both for Narrowboats and Wide beams, and the response has been great.

My most recent publication has been The Boater's One Pot Cookbook and for that one again I asked my dad to ask fellow boaters on Facebook for their favourite recipes and again the response was amazing.

We are at present on the Grand Union heading north and the weather makes you feel spring is really on the way. It's nice to see boats moving again and a few more smiles on people's faces after the tough few years we have had.

If you do see us out on the cut, do give us a wave!

Rustins Limited are delighted to announce they acquired Peek Polish in March 2022 and are excited to have Peek as part of their group of brands.

Rustins Head of Sales, Ian Slater, said of the news "We are excited about the acquisition of Peek. This high quality, multi surface premium polish available in a range of sizes with its eye-catching
packaging that would stand out on any shelf. We look forward to combined administration and
logistics to make it easier for merchants to stock Peek Polish and our sales team look forward to
meeting Peek customers."

Robert Peek added "I had no doubt in my mind that Rustins was the right company to carry Peek
Polish forward. Rustins and Peek have family-owned traditions that supply high quality products to
both tradesperson and household customers. I wish them every success in the future."

www.rustins.ltd
www.peekpolish.co.uk
Contact: Vince McDonagh
VMcdonagh@rustins.co.uk
+44 20 8450 4666

One of Britain’s best known canal holiday operators has unveiled a brand revamp and a new range of hand-built boats to reflect soaring levels of interest from families in narrowboat breaks.

Black Prince Holidays, which operates canal breaks from nine bases across the UK, will be investing more than one million pounds over the next year on the new Signature range of narrowboats, as well as developing a new website and updating its signage and team uniforms with a sleek, modern look.

Following two summers of record bookings, Black Prince’s boat-building team has crafted a narrowboat to appeal specifically to modern families. The new layout features a larger kitchen area with more worktop space, multiple USB sockets and wireless charging pads, plus black-out blinds and bespoke mattresses for comfortable nights.

Black Prince worked with Devon-based interior design agency PHI Concepts to develop a fresh take on narrowboat interiors and transform the traditional style into something fresh and modern.

The new boat launches first at Black Prince’s Stoke Prior base in Worcestershire, and Napton in Warwickshire, and will be immediately recognisable with its sleek royal blue exterior and clean lines.

The design style has been used across the company’s website, signage, livery and team uniforms, which can be seen on waterways across the UK.

Leighton Jones, operations manager at Black Prince says the developments have been inspired by feedback from guests: “Narrowboats have a very traditional image, but over the past two years we’ve attracted a new generation of families and we felt it was right to develop a boat that appeals directly to them.

“Our new brand reflects all this, without losing the links to history and quality that people associate with Black Prince.”

For more information and to book, visit: Black Prince

Facilities to allow electric vehicle users to recharge their cars are appearing in many locations across the country. To help meet the demand, Aqueduct Marina have recently had four charging stations installed at their Cheshire location.

These new Rolec charging units, operated by VendElectric, provide Electric Vehicle users with an opportunity to recharge at 22kW via a type 2 connector. As with many other charging stations, visitors need to download the VendElectric app to allow them to use the charger that will be accessible to the general public seven days a week, 9.00am - 5.00pm, and to marina, caravan and boat customers 24hrs day. Anyone visiting their boat or simply calling in to enjoy a coffee or meal in the marina’s café can use these new chargers.

The installation of the new chargers is part of Aqueduct’s aim of becoming more environmentally friendly, with plans underway to reduce their carbon footprint even further. Robert Parton, MD of Aqueduct Marina, said, “electric car charging points feel like Wi-Fi connectivity 15 years ago, which at that time was not an essential requirement, but rapidly became the primary requirement of all customers to the marina. I expect electric car charging will soon become a must-have.”