A boat which blocked off the Rochdale Canal for days has finally been removed from the waterway.
The boat, reported to be ‘sunken’ by the Canal & River Trust, saw navigation officially stopped on the Rochdale Canal between Failsworth and Manchester from Tuesday, September 19.
It was re-opened nearly a week later after one pragmatic boater took matters in to his own hands and helped to move the boat, which he assessed had not sunk but was merely waterlogged.
John Secker, aged 67, managed to pull the boat out of the way on a 6.8-mile 10-hour ‘epic’ journey from Chadderton to New Islington Marina.
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Now, the Canal & River Trust, which manages the Rochdale Canal, has released an update on the situation.
After advising canal users that the ‘sunken craft’ had been moved from its location at Lock 74 on September 25, the organisation has now advised that the sunken boat has been removed from within the waterway entirely.
The update, posted at around 4pm on Thursday, September 28, reads: “We are pleased to advise the sunken boat has now been removed from within the navigation.”
A series of weeks-long closures have frustrated boaters this year. A broken gate in Manchester city centre and a blown cill in Miles Platting meant boaters couldn’t reach the city centre until earlier this month, following weeks of closures.
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In August, the Canal & River Trust said it ‘shared boaters’ frustrations’ with the issues occurring on the canal, adding that government cuts would increase the challenge of managing the waterway.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it ‘recognised the benefits’ of canals and that it had been discussing with the charity ways to increase income from other sources.
Following more than two weeks of closure from late May to early June, the Rochdale Canal saw months of subsequent overlapping closures, with broken gates, paddles, sunken boats, and blown cills adding to a chaotic summer.
The canal has also been used as a dumping ground by vandals targeting the Firwood Community Woodland.
Some boaters have even called the waterway the dirtiest they've encountered, with one cruiser vowing that he would "never again" attempt the canal.
The Rochdale Canal was fully opened in 1804 and was used to carry cargo, including coal, agricultural produce, and materials for the region’s bustling textile industry.
However, by the 1950s, commercial carrying had virtually finished and the canal, which was still in private hands, closed.
The canal was restored decades later, with the full canal re-opened in 2002.
Prior to 2012, the canal was managed by British Waterways, which was wholly owned by the government.
However, this was replaced by the Canal & River Trust charity in July 2012.
According to the government, its policy is that the Canal & River Trust should become "progressively more self-sufficient financially".
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