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Hello and welcome to the first autumnal edition of the newsletter for 2026, with the nights starting to draw in, the leaves dropping off the trees, and Christmas items appearing on the supermarket shelves.
In good news this month, water levels should begin to return to normal, and lock restrictions start to be lifted, now that it's a bit more rainy. That's just in time for everything to shut down for the winter maintenance programme!
Winter is actually a magical time on the canals, if you overlook the muddy and slippery towpaths. Smoke gently billowing from stoves, a particular type of calm stillness on the waters, fewer boats moving around. I wonder if "El Niño" is going to freeze the waters over this year? I'll try to get some footage if so.
Cheers
David |
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*** News from the canal world. Send press releases (about canal topics!) to newsletter@cruisingthecut.co.uk *** |
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The State of Things
The Canal & River Trust has published its annual report & accounts for 2025 - 26, a period which was dominated by droughts.
Yet despite the UK’s warmest and sunniest year on record - and the driest spring since 1974 - the Trust says it was able to keep over 80% of the network open and operational this year.
The report also says the Trust completed more than £55 million of major infrastructure projects, spent around £29 million upgrading reservoirs, removed over 75,000 tonnes of muck by dredging, and completed 137 large-scale winter maintenance projects.
The charity says it also increased investment in dredging, vegetation management, lock repairs and customer service facilities. It also published, and is now acting upon, the report and recommendations of an independent Commission which examined how waterways are used by boaters today.
Income from donations and legacies rose to £10.3 million, while the number of regular supporters rose to over 38,000. Volunteers contributed 776,242 hours to care for the waterways.
The Trust also secured additional public funding. The Welsh Government announced it would contribute to increased costs of water supply for the Mon & Brec canal over the next five years, while DEFRA announced an extra £6.5 million for projects to build resilience across the network.
The full Annual Report & Accounts 2025/26 is available at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/annual-report-and-accounts
Meanwhile, the Trust’s Annual Public Meeting will take place online at 2pm on Tuesday 20 October 2026, providing an opportunity to hear more about the charity’s work. Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing annualpublicmeeting@canalrivertrust.org.uk.
Panel Show
Over a thousand people have applied to be part of the Canal & River Trust's new "Citizens' Boater Panel", with just 40 spaces available.
The idea is for the group to design a new licensing system for boaters, after which a public consultation will be opened on those proposals.
The panel is being chosen to reflect the diversity of the boating community, including different boating lifestyles, backgrounds and experiences.
The proposals should account for how different licensing arrangements and navigation requirements affect people's day-to-day lives. The group will draft and test consultation questions, and try to ensure the consultation is fair, balanced and easy to understand.
More information can be seen at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/boating-news-and-views/boating-news/boater-consultation-to-launch-in-december-2026/apply-for-our-citizens-boater-panel
I like to move it, move it.
The temporary suspension of the requirement for canal boats to move every 14 days is to be lifted on 1 October 2026, with monitoring to recommence on 15th.
The measure was put in place to help conserve water during the summer drought.
But while water levels across the network are beginning to recover, there are still water-saving restrictions and closures in place in some areas and the CRT advises you check your route before you travel, at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/notices-and-stoppages
They say there's no need to contact them if you can't move because of a stoppage as they take these into account when looking at movement patterns.
And they're asking everyone to be water-conscious when using locks: sharing where possible and shutting the paddles afterwards. There's an online contact form to alert CRT if you notice unusually low water levels: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/contact-us/form
Finally, if you have a disability, access needs, or are otherwise experiencing difficulties because of drought-related restrictions, they suggest you contact them on welfare.mailbox@canalrivertrust.org.uk or 0303 040 4040. |
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My recent videos
Just sneaking in as this edition of the newsletter goes to press is the update on Twiggy that I promised last month, whereby I paint gel and flowcoats onto the transom, officially marking it as 'watertight' (well, sort of). There's a bit of refining still to do, as you will see.
Before that was an interesting video showing a purely solar-driven electric river boat, designed for easy deployment and no-fuss fun. The boat was a prototype and we had glorious sunshine for the trip on the River Thames so it will be interesting to see how the eventual production boats are developed from this concept.
And starting the month off was part 2 (with part 1 having been in the prior month) of a trip I made to Braunston in the middle of August, counting boat traffic as I went, to illustrate how busy the canals get in peak season. There certainly were a lot of them!
Click the links below to watch the videos (or go direct to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@CruisingTheCut/videos). |
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What am I up to?
I've already been back to Twiggy since gelcoating the transom, in order to - believe it or not - drill a hole in the transom! The splash deck where the outboard motor is bolted needs a way to drain, and there used to be a hole so now there's a new one, which I have lined with epoxy to stop any water dripping into the wood core and rotting it out again (I have no intentions ever of doing another transom replacement). That video will be coming soon.
Also mentioned in last month's newsletter was a day spent afloat with my old friend and former work colleague Derek, who's come up all the way from Kent with his friend and narrowboat fan Julian. The pair spent a day aboard enjoying a trip on Gentian in the last of the summer sunshine, so of course I stuck a camera in their face to make a video of it.
The two collaboration videos I talked about last time have definitely gone away, though hopefully one of them is merely postponed for a while. Time will tell.
Other than that, I will definitely need to move inside Twiggy and get the interior sorted now the weather's a bit less conducive for exterior work, and I will also do a video revealing the new cushions for Gentian, as and when they turn up. |
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My recommendation for a YouTube channel to watch this month hinges on an age-old marmite choice: Mac user or not? If not, this one's not for you but if you do use Apple's computers, then may I suggest a browse of a fairly new channel called Mostly Mac.
This is a no-nonsense, very drily and amusingly presented set of videos about the best and most productive ways to use your Mac, without any shouty, over the top fanboying that you see on other Mac channels. It's definitely a breath of fresh air compared to the norm.
Have a look at https://www.youtube.com/@mostly_mac |
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Into the dusty archive...
Ever since I began the refurbishment of Twiggy, there has been a small but steady stream of commenters on the videos saying how I'll get bored of it or should give it up and I have steadfastly denied any such feelings.
However, that is certainly not to say that there aren't times when I look at the project, and the time I seem to find available for it (which is inexplicably little, despite having a calendar I set for myself!), and get a little gloomy about the end never being in sight.
So this month's dive into memory lane (memory stream?) is to the video that prompted me to buy Twiggy in the first place, where I went to see a lovely lady who owned a similar Microplus boat, and we just had a lovely day buzzing up and down the River Soar in Leicestershire.
That video can be seen at https://cruisingthecut.co.uk/2023/10/22/vlog-314-tangerine-dream/ and dates from October 2023 - three years ago precisely! |
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Final Thoughts
With autumn now here and winter drawing ever closer, my comfort while spending long evenings and nighttimes inside the boat is ever more important. Especially at my old age.
I am very pleased therefore, to have recently ordered all-new cushions for every seat on Gentian, made with three layers of foam for extra softness when sitting as well as, hopefully, a much better night's sleep.
I have been told the cushions are nearly ready to collect - I could have had them posted but it was cheaper to go and get them myself - so they should be appearing on a video sometime in November, I hope!
No doubt everyone will hold an opinion on the colour (!) but I shall keep you in suspense on that front until they are in my possession, though I will confirm they are not bright orange.
Regards
David |
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