----- Original Message ----- From: "John Slee" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 12:04 AM Subject: [canals-list] Re: Ribble Link and Liverpool Link
> He rang up the Ribble Link line today and found that although he > could be fitted in at the end of this month there wasn't an available > space > to return until the end of September, which would be too late for him to > return down South where he is based for the winter. On the basis that if the weather prevents a sailing on one particular day, they allow more than the usual number across the Ribble Link, would BW allow him to tack on to a crossing at the last minute? It does seem to me that BW need to be a little more flexible about their booking system - trying to help the punters, rather than keeping the booking system simple for their office staff. > He was also hoping to do the Liverpool Link but has found > that is also fully booked. Is the Liverpool Link really booked solid, or just on the dates he suggested? The problem could be BW's booking system, or the lack of understanding of the Wigan Staff? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We did the Ribble link a few months ago and long before the trip, we had to change our dates. The date we wanted to come back was fully booked so I took the next booking. I phoned again a week or so later to ask if I could be put on a waiting list for the preferred date and as re had been cancellation we got the date we wanted It is maybe worth asking if your Dad could be put on a waiting list. Also, several weeks after we did the trip, I got a phone call from Harry at tarleton one evening asking where our boat was as we were booked to go out the next day. That was our original date which I had changed but the office hadn't taken me off the list. This presumably prevented another boat form going that day. While we were on the Lancaster, we met a chap who had been there since last autumn. He said that he had been booked to come back on the last trip last year but weather prevented the trip taking place. He said he had been offered no alternative. I would have thought that in the circumstances, BW would have arranged an extra trip for boats stranded on the \Lancaster. Mind you, the chap had enjoyed his winter on the Lanky so maybe he hadn't pushed too hard to get back Ann
