River Canal Rescue has published its 2021 statistics and reports it responded to 171 major incidents during the year with emergency situations either involving submerged, partially sunken or grounded craft, plus salvage work.
The figure is 25 per cent lower than the 231 incidents River Canal Rescue reported in 2020, which the organisation says is primarily due to a reduction in boat use until lockdown restrictions eased in June 2021. Between June and December however, there was a peak in call-outs which continued into January 2022, due to mild weather and boaters wanting to make the most of what was left of their cruising year.
In contrast, the number of general call-outs, such as electrical, fuel and engine issues, flat batteries, overheating and gear box failures, rose to 3,235, over 13 per cent up from 2,850 in 2020. River Canal Rescue says the rise is due to the high number of people unable to visit and maintain their boats during lockdown, resulting in minor niggles becoming larger problems.
Its subsidiary, Key Diesels, which fits and supplies new and refurbished engines nationwide, undertook 75 jobs to replace engines and completed 45 head gasket jobs and 20 strip/repair jobs for customers’ engines. In total, Key Diesels sold 95 engines, comprising 25 new, 40 refurbished and 20 remanufactured models.
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