I enjoyed the article on narrowboating (After five years on a narrowboat, I’ve finally reached the end of the canal network, 17 February), as a regular walker of canal towpaths (and also hailing from north-west Lancashire). But the picture of the author relaxing in front of his wood-burning stove reminded me that this is the heating method of choice for most canal boat owners, so I suppose that those of them who are regular Guardian readers will still be agonising over another recent article (Wood-burning stoves largely offset fall in particulate pollution from roads in UK, 14 February).
And, given that most canal boats are powered by diesel engines, are there any words of comfort and advice that you can offer them now that their green transport credentials have taken another knock?
Frank Keightley
Old, Northamptonshire
