This is a petition to show the license makers at the Canal Trust that there are many sailing and motor vessels that would like to access the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal from the Bristol Channel as part of their cruising options.

For this to become realistic for most boat owners, there needs to be a free structure that suits short term and weekend visits and not just long term users of the Canal network.

As an example, for a 35ft boat at the moment you would be faced with a £20 per day in Canal Trust License fee and then £25 each way in the lock. For most, the £90 charge makes the trip unrealistic. The current licenses only work out very reasonable for boats spending over 1 week in the canal system.

Our proposal would be that a cost effective license is created for visiting yachts just on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal section which includes the locking fees in one payment.