A Weighty Question

Reader's Letters & Queries: NarrowBoat, Summer 2014

One of the good aspects of NarrowBoat is that, for me still new to canals, you include articles that I am completely ignorant of. In Spring 2014 NB it is the weighing machines. From Stephen Rowson’s article it is obvious why they were introduced for boats carrying cargo, but was there a need for boats built for maintenance, dredging, icebreaking etc to be weighed? The article indicates not, but I would be interested to know and I am sure the answer is with one of your readers. I compliment you on the presentation of the magazine and the quality of the pictures and trust there will be many more articles to widen my knowledge of the history of inland waterways. C. G. Thorne, Budleigh Salterton, Devon,The Editor replies: I am delighted that you are finding NarrowBoat of such interest, and hope you will continue to do so. I am fairly certain that the answer to your question is ‘no’. The boats were weighed so as to accurately assess the tolls that needed to be paid. …