Background Objective is to refresh the Canal & River Trust s understanding of the experiences, opinion, behaviours and preferences of licenced boaters Methodology Online survey conducted in March 2016-1,024 responses: 223 continuous cruisers 801 home mooring 13% response rate
Around half say they use their boat to cruise the waterways in their leisure time Down from almost two thirds in 2011 Q31: Which of the following options best describes how you use your boat most of the time? Base: Boat owners 2016 n=1,024
Hiring a boat for a holiday 22 15 16-44yrs 5 Residential Leisure 15 28 Continuous cruiser Home mooring 5 24 Always been interested in boats 14 26 10 10 18 8 15 If offered me a home and lifestyle I wanted 14 11 39 29 1 38 11 Always enjoyed spending time by canals and rivers Going out on a boat with family, friends or work mates Wanted to travel the country by boat Visiting canals and rivers when I was younger 12 11 9 5 It offered me an affordable home 5 8 Coastal boating experience 2 7 It offered me a home in a convenient location 2 6 Watching boats going through locks etc. 1 14 Reading books, newspapers or magazines or watching 1 Reading books, newspapers or magazines or watching 1 12 14 Boat trips with school or youth group Visiting a boat show To start a business from a boat 12 0 02 9 Most Important 15 22 20 30 9 4 5 7 13 1 3 1 1 1 - - 2 9 15 7 14 9 8 4 6 10 1 1 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 9 12 7 11 14 8 4 5 9 5 2 2-2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - <1 1 <1
2013 2014 2016 6 5 5 29 39 43 46 39 41 20 17 10 Know very well Know a fair amount Know just a little Heard of but know nothing about / don t really know well at all
2013 2014 2016 5 7 9 41 41 45 42 33 27 9 15 4 14 5 Very favourable Mainly favourable Neither favourable or unfavourable Mainly unfavourable Very unfavourable No opinion
2013 2014 7 7 2016 10 34 36 40 43 34 26 14 19 4 20 4 Would speak highly of without being asked Would speak highly of if asked Would be neutral about if asked Would be critical of if asked Would be critical of without being asked No opinion
Age Type of use Aged 16-44 (10%) 46 Leisure (52%) 19 Perm. home (26%) 33 Aged 45-54 (16%) 28 Second home (13%) 30 Holiday home (6%) 17 Aged 55+ (74%) 21 Temp. home (2%) 27 Q8: To what extent would you speak positively or critically about the Canal & River Trust? Base: Boat owners 2016 n=1,024
All who would speak POSITIVELY about the Canal & River Trust Excellent service from local staff / good service to telephone queries (14%) Increased activity/ increased maintenance works/obvious work is being undertaken (12%) The Trust is moving in the right direction general - (10%) Doing a good job - general (15%) Noticeable improvement in communications (9%) The Trust isn t taking proper care of the canals, e.g. many canals are still awaiting repairs (28%) Not enough control users aren t abiding to rules, e.g. licences not being checked (11%) All who would speak CRITICALLY about the Canal & River Trust The Trust isn t taking proper care of the moorings/lack of facilities, e.g. clean water supplies (9%) Too much focus on non-boating aspects of canals, e.g. trying to please cyclists etc.(17%) Persecution/ harassment of boaters (19%) The administration is out of touch with the needs of members (16%)
More boaters trust us to look after the waterways than in 2014. I trust the Canal & River Trust to look after the waterways Disagree strongly (1) Disagree slightly (2) 2014 2016 9 9 12 11 21 17 2 3 4 3 Most positivity amongst leisure users, males and those aged 55 or over Neither agree nor disagree (3) Slightly agree (4) Strongly agree (5) 38 20 34 29 6 6 6 6 MEAN: 3.47 3.63
The Canal & River Trust prioritises its spending on what I feel is most needed 2014 2016 The Canal & River Trust values the views of the people who boat on its waterways 2014 2016 Improvement in perceptions that we reflect the needs of boaters % 19 16 18 22 25 31 12 14 16 14 22 21 Disagree strongly (1) Disagree slightly (2) Neither agree nor disagree (3) 33 32 Slightly agree (4) 20 29 Strongly agree (5) MEAN 10 11 2.80 3.01 17 18 3.28 3.25
More boaters said they were satisfied with their experiences over the past year. 2013 2016 Very satisfied (5) 32 37 Quite satisfied (4) % 32 64 31 68 Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (3) Quite dissatisfied (2) 16 13 11 13 10 6 Very dissatisfied (1) Don't Know MEAN: 3.6 3.8
Satisfaction is lower amongst those who said their boat is their permanent home Scores have dropped over the past year % MEAN: 40 34 38 28 31 31 38 16 32 17 12 14 13 13 29 10 14 13 12 5 8 10 4 5 11 Leisure cruiser Any residential Holiday home Temporary home 13 38 42 Second home 31 Permanent home 3.9 3.7 4.1 3.3 3.9 3.6 Very satisfied (5) Slightly satisfied (4) Neither/nor (3) Slightly dissatisfied (2) Very dissatisfied (1) MEAN 2013: 3.9 3.8 4.2 3.9 3.8 3.8 CAUTION: Low base sizes (Holiday home, Temporary home, Other)
Overall upkeep is a key driver of advocacy A quarter of boaters still rate this as less than 5 out of 10 2014 2016 20 24 Net: 8-10 51 51 Net: 5-7 Net: 1-4 28 25 Don't know MEAN: 5.6 5.9
Both residential and leisure boaters perceive an improvement in upkeep Although greater amongst those using their boat for leisure Overall upkeep of waterways 26 22 18 24 26 22 Net: 8-10 % 51 50 61 43 55 45 Net: 5-7 Net: 1-4 23 26 20 29 19 31 Don t know MEAN: Leisure cruiser Any residential Holiday home Temporary home Second home Permanent home 6.1 5.7 6.0 5.6 6.1 5.5 MEAN 2014: CAUTION: Low base sizes (Holiday home, Temporary home) 5.7 5.5
Overall upkeep rated most positively by boaters in S.Wales & Severn and Central Shires and least positively in Manchester & Pennine and North East Overall upkeep of waterways 5.90 5.80 5.35 4.94 6.24 6.05 6.43 5.94 6.72 5.75 5.76 5.65 5.45 All (1024) North West (111) North East (43) Manchester & Pennine (48) Wales and Borders (65) West Midlands (152) Central Shires (97) East Midlands (99) South Wales & Severn (40) South East (164) Kennet & Avon (87) London (118) Continuous Cruiser (223)
Ease of finding space to moor up 4 Visitor moorings Happiness with mooring times Always easy 37 41 80 23 Very happy Usually easy Fairly happy Sometimes easy 57 Not happy Rarely easy 37 Not applicable % Never easy Not applicable 11 6 5 17 29% London 28% K&A 15 5 22% Continuous Cruiser 33% Aged 16-44 26% London
Notable driver of advocacy Perceptions have improved since 2014 Fairness of licensing fee system 2014 2016 Net: 8-10 29 36 Net: 5-7 Net: 1-4 37 41 No opinion 24 14 10 9 MEAN: 5.8 6.6
% Rating of boat licence renewal experience 2008 2009 2011 2013 2016 Excellent Good 30 32 34 41 Net: 8-10 Just ok 72 Net: 5-7 Poor Very poor Don't know 43 43 50 46 15 15 3 12 3 9 12 15 11 2 Net: 1-4 Don't know MEAN: 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.2 8.0 CAUTION: Different scale used from 2016 (10 point) Held licence for 0-2 years 8.3
Further analysis of the survey responses Focus on London with the mooring strategy Longer term plans for enforcement Focus on areas where customers are less satisfied Continued emphasis on maintenance and investment in the waterways infrastructure Plan longer term review of licensing