Poet Jo Bell, a long-time boat dweller and industrial archaeologist, has teamed up with fellow poets Roy Fisher and Ian McMillan, and artist Peter Coates, to bring poetry to Britain’s historic waterways.  Locklines is part of a wider partnership between the Canal & River Trust and Arts Council England, which aims to attract more people to the waterways as visitors while surprising and delighting existing communities through exciting and innovative art projects.

Peter Coates will be working with Canal & River Trust craftsmen to carve and inlay poetry into four locks during routine repair works this winter.  The project, developed by Kate Maddison and Rick Faulkner of Chrysalis Arts, encourages people to stop and take a closer look at the canals that they live on or alongside, or explore in their leisure time.

on the new Cropredy Marina, unanimously approved earlier this year by the Cherwell District Council, and situated on the southern Oxford Canal to the north of the village, has recently begun. Experienced waterway contractors, Greenford Ltd, have been appointed to carry out the work and will have the marina’s northern basin, including all services, fully operational and ready to receive boats by April 1 2013.

The new marina will offer quality services at an affordable price, in beautiful tranquil, landscaped surroundings, just 5 miles from Banbury. It lies within walking distance of the attractive village of Cropredy, with its well-stocked general store, two popular pubs, a medical centre, and many other amenities. 

The St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival is taking place during the Mayor’s Thames Festival this weekend (Saturday 8th – Sunday 9th September 2012).

A selection of classic and historic vessels will be moored in the central marina of St Katharine Docks, London’s most historic marina, for the weekend.

34 vessels are participating in The St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival. Thames Bawley boats including a vessel built in the 1800s that formerly worked under sail alone, a steam tug, Bermudian sloops, and wooden river cruisers, are just some of the types of vessels taking part.

The FIRST EVER swim relay crossing from Guernsey in the Channel Islands to South Devon in England called the Great Big Monster Sea Swim (GBMSS) is announced today.  

The five man team; Paul, Karl, John, Bruce and Jon will swim the non-stop relay from 21-23 September 2012 and attempt to make the crossing in only 42 hours whilst raising funds for Teenage Cancer Trust.  

The Great Big Monster Sea Swim is completely unique and will involve a wide ranging team, from Medics and Skippers to Kayakers and Physiotherapists. The aim is to raise over £100,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust through a range of initiatives as part of the Sanofi 1000 mile challenge.

At the end of 2012 the RYA will withdraw as a Notified Body for the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) and the Personal Protective Equipment Directive after nearly 10 years as a successful Notified Body.
 
First introduced in 1998 the RCD was brought in as a trade directive to ensure that all boats built and imported into the European Union were built and sold above a minimum set of standards. Once implemented, the RYA’s involvement as a Notified Body looked to provide manufacturers with a less daunting option than a Classification Society and at a more reasonable cost, as well as allowing the RYA hands on experience with the standards prescribed within the RCD and the ability to assess and influence those standards.