Boats stranded by canal collapse lifted clear

Several narrowboats trapped by a canal collapse have finally been lifted out so that they can rejoin the canal network.

A large hole appeared in the bank of the Llangollen Canal near Whitchurch, Shropshire, on 22 December, causing its water to drain into a nearby field.

Two boats fell into the breach and others were trapped when sections of the canal had to be closed off.

In a highly anticipated operation, a 90ft (27.4m) crane and several haulage teams worked to remove eight boats from Whitchurch marina so they could be transported by lorry to the Aqueduct Marina near Crewe on Wednesday.

For the families affected, it meant returning to a sense of normality.

"The scariest moment was seeing it hang over the edge of the precipice and any second it could have slid down and would have been in a bit more of a mess than it is at the moment, " Paul Stowe, the owner of Pacemaker.

"Inside it was a mess because it had tipped over to 45 degrees at one point so everything that was on one side of the boat wanted to go to the other side."

Looking ahead to being back on his vessel, Stowe added: "Sleeping onboard will be interesting but we will take a lot more care about where we moor now, high embankments may not be on the list of places to moor any more."

The operation included lifting a fuel boat into Whitchurch to help service the boats that remain in the marina.

Three more boats are set to be lifted on Thursday.

A major incident was declared when the hole emerged shortly after 04:00 GMT.

Around 50 firefighters were called to the scene but no injuries were reported.

The Canal and River Trust was able to refill parts of the canal on either side, allowing other stranded boats to be re-floated.

Andrew Taylor, pub head chef and owner of the Olive and Majestic told the BBC: "I'm a lot happier now, I was a bit worried that the cables were going to snap and [the boats] would drop.

Reflecting on being trapped over the last few weeks he added: "The services that you've got are very limited on that section of canal, we needed to move off so I can be closer to work.

His wife Diane Taylor said: "The past few weeks have been a bit boring because we're used to cruising every two to three days but we've been stuck here."

A fundraiser to help those affected by the canal breach amassed more than £101,000 in donations, with many boaters praising the community spirit of those who rallied around to help.

For Whitchurch Marina, a boat hire company, the impact on business is expected to be significant.

Site manager, Jason Rouse, said: "People on boats have that lifestyle because they want to be free and able to roam and if they can't they struggle a bit.

"It's too early to say how it has affected business but it will affect us as passing traffic is almost zero so the sooner it's repaired, the better."

On the Cheshire side of the mission, Lee Smith has been helping to ensure the lifted boats were safely able to rejoin the waterways.

He told the BBC: "It's a much bigger scale than what we're used to but the team are working together really well to get the boats off the trailers and into the water.

"It's such a tragedy, so that's why we're doing this, to help [the boaters] and be as hospitable as possible."

"It's been a fantastic show of community spirit, the moorers that live on the marina are all coming out and chatting to the boat owners that have been a part of this tragedy. The boating world is quite close-knit and everyone helps each other out."

Phil Langley, managing director of Aqueduct Marina said: "For our team to be a part of this in a positive way and hopefully reduce the stress and strain people in what is already a difficult situation is something that we're very proud of.

"This is people's homes, it's their pride and joy or it might be that they use the boat for a holiday so they look forward to it all year round. So we have to take our care and attention like we do all the time."

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