Osberton & Otter

 

Osberton & Otter – Weed clearing boats

 

Weed growth is a feature of many canals, including the Grantham, and our volunteers work to manage it using our current weed boat “Otter”. Otter arrived with GCS in 2020 and works on the canal between Stenwith and the A1 near Grantham. The boat operates with a hydraulic arm that is able to be lowered into the water to scoop up weed and then deposit it in a suitable location. Like many mechanical items, Otter comes with some technical challenges and requires regular maintenance to remain in working order. We aim to have Otter in operation as much as possible during late Spring and the Summer months, but this is not always possible.

Prior to Otter GCS owned a more sophisticated weedboat; “Osberton”. Although a more capable vessel, Osberton was more complex and difficult to keep in operation.  We traded the boat for one more suitable for our needs: Otter.