I'm on a French canal, and I wish we had a continuous cruising status. It would keep canals alive, force boats to be maintained in working condition, and drive

I'm on a French canal, and I wish we had a continuous cruising status. It would keep canals alive, force boats to be maintained in working condition, and drive off most people who see liveaboard boats as an alternative to a flat. Unfortunately, I'm sure French civil services would fail to enforce it, and we'd end up with the kind of floating shacks described in the article. Actually, we already have many of them, and they're already powerless to get rid of them.