Boat Chat’s mission is ‘Helping People Understand Boats Better’. It contains a mixture of maritime news, boat maintenance advice, marine surveying tips, product reviews and other boat related stuff.

To help Boat Chat keep delivering maritime value to your inbox for free please show us your appreciation and support by

Buying us a beer

To help Boat Chat grow, please forward this email to your friends, colleagues and contacts who have an interest in boats.

Intro

In this edition of Boat Chat:

• Maritime News - Hurricanes and Fire

• Boat Chat Focus - Dire Predictions For UK Canal Network

• In Other News(letters) - Boat Buyers Are Changing, So Must We

• Surveyor’s Top Tip - Clear Your Scuppers

• YouTube Video - Blocked Scuppers Cause Corrosion

• Great Kit Ideas

TLDR:

As weather patterns change the UK’s cherished canal network is under increasing threat.

Maritime News

UK Braces For Hurricane Rachel

The UK is bracing itself for Rachel Reeves to deliver her next budget on November 26th. Plenty of leaks, drips and hints bouncing around in the media all intended to either scare, reassure or prepare us for what is to come. It has been an odd year for me as a surveyor of small craft. The market has been neither up nor down, hot nor cold, busy nor quiet. It has felt as though the country’s boat owners and buyers are constantly in two minds whether to sell or buy. There is a distinct lack of certainty and if history teaches us anything, it is that economies dislike uncertainty.

Superyachts Destroyed In Marina Fire

In the early hours of November 13th a fire broke out in Marina Zeas, near the port of Piraeus, Greece. Local reports suggest the fire started on a day trip sailing boat called ‘Mirasol’ before spreading to other vessels nearby. The 43m superyacht ‘Sanctuary’ is reported to be among the casualties. No fatalities reported at this time.

In a classic case of lightning never strikes twice…. An almost identical incident occurred at Marina Zeas in August 2024.

Boat Chat Focus - It Never Rains But It Pours

Boat Chat was signposted by Robert Parton (Chairman at British Marine) to a rather depressing update from the Inland Waterways Association.

Following the Climate Change Committee’s warning to government to prepare for 2°C  warming by 2050, the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has produced a first-of-its-kind map revealing the likely impact of 2°C  degrees warming on Britain’s 5,000-mile network of canals and navigable rivers, as well as other risks.

There are several bodies responsible for managing the UK’s canals, the largest being the Canal & Rivers Trust followed by the Environment Agency along with smaller more local organisations. An almost universal factor limiting their ability to maintain their rivers and canals is a lack of available funding.

Overlaid on top of the financial challenges are the changing weather patterns affecting the UK. In simple terms our winters are getting wetter and our summers are getting drier. The UK’s climate has often been described as ‘good enough for Goldilocks’, not too hot or cold and not too wet or dry. But that is starting to change and the canal network, largely based on Victorian designs, is struggling to cope every year.

The collapse of the Bridgewater Canal in January 2025 was perhaps the most dramatic illustration of the impact of our changing weather. The Bridgewater Canal was not at risk due to a lack of funding, but was the victim of very heavy rainfall. Plans are well underway to repair the damage and it is hoped to reopen for navigation in December 2026. So far the bill is around £400,000.

Less dramatic but equally damaging are the extended closures of many canals due to a lack of water following the driest Spring on record. This has had a direct impact on boat owners, marine operators, brokers and the canal side leisure industry.

Whilst a lack of water can close a canal so can too much water. Heavy rainfall causes river levels and flow rate to increase, often making the river unnavigable. When such conditions exist, authorities close the river or canal with red ‘Canal Closed’ signs (described as being ‘on red boards’). Last winter the River Thames was on red boards for around 5 months.

As a final thought, the competition for our water has never been greater. Agriculture, industry and domestic demands are all growing whilst our reservoir capacity hasn’t increased for over 30 years (the last reservoir to open was Carsington Reservoir in Derbyshire in 1992). Plans are underway to build nine new reservoirs by 2050 but so far construction has only started on one, Havant Thicket Reservoir in Portsmouth, scheduled for completion in 2029.

In Other News(letters)…

Boat Chat likes to read newsletters outside of the maritime industry to find thoughts and stories that resonate. A recent piece in the Fintech Takes newsletter titled ‘A New Roadmap For Building Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)’ by Alex Johnson on September 30th caught the eye. Whilst written for a FinTech audience it has real read across to the maritime world, especially for Boat Brokers, Surveyors, Maintainers and all who write about boats.

The core of the article is that the offering we make needs to be tailored to match the life stage of our Clients. From young professionals to retired grandparents, the bespoke approach helps maximise the LTV of the Client. I find this to be true given the spectrum of my survey Clients ranging from younger adults looking to buy their first boat to experienced sailors upgrading for the fourth time. Getting the language, tempo and content right certainly helps get my message across clearly. Well worth a read:

The Free Newsletter Fintech Execs Actually Read

Most coverage tells you what happened. Fintech Takes is the free newsletter that tells you why it matters. Each week, I break down the trends, deals, and regulatory shifts shaping the industry — minus the spin. Clear analysis, smart context, and a little humor so you actually enjoy reading it.

Sign Up Free

Surveyor’s Top Tip for this month - Scuppers help get rainwater off your boat and back into the river or sea. Overtime they always accumulate dirt and debris and when they block your vessel is at risk of flooding or sinking. My Surveyor’s Top Tip for this Autumn, direct a hose pipe water jet into your scuppers to make sure they are clear and flow freely.

Boat Chat Growth

Boat Chat Newsletter continues to grow well and now has over 800 subscribers across all platforms.

Alongside that, the White Hat Marine Surveying YouTube channel (2,400 subscribers don’t you know?) continues to upload videos for boat owners, brokers and surveyors all aimed at:

‘Helping People Understand Boats Better’

In a recent video David Pestridge found thinned steel on a narrowboat caused by rainwater collecting in the engine space in turn caused by blocked scuppers (there’s a theme developing here…)

Great Kit Ideas

With the boating season drawing to a close for many and the C word only a few shopping weeks away, why not treat yourself to some new gear for the boat owners or marine surveyors in your life? I have put together several collections on Kit.Co which are all personally recommended items and most of which I own.

From boat safety equipment to books about sailing and the tools and books a marine surveyor needs; there really is something for everyone!

Boaty Terminology

Scupper - Pipes built into the ship’s hull to allow any collected rain or sea water to drain overboard

How You Can Support Boat Chat

To help Boat Chat keep delivering maritime value to your inbox for free please show us your appreciation and support by Buying us a beer

We did mention that Boat Chat was FREE didn’t we?

And Finally…. 👍🏻

Please don’t forget to share this newsletter with your friends, colleagues and contacts who have an interest in boats. If you have any great ideas for future content you think would be good or want to discuss collaboration opportunities, please throw Boat Chat a line at:

[email protected]

And Finally, Finally…

Please note that any links to products in this newsletter are typically Amazon Affiliate Links which may earn Boat Chat a small commission should you buy them using the link (this does not affect the price you pay).