One early scheme, conceived by Cornish engineer John Edyvean, aimed at distributing Welsh coal from the port as far inland as Calstock on the River Tamar.

[6] The project: The main line of the canal ran south east from Bude to Druxton Wharf near Launceston, with an easterly branch to Blagdonmoor, beyond Holsworthy.

The tub boats were designed to use the main part of the system, and they generally made the transit from the harbour at Bude, or from Helebridge if trans-shipping from coastal vessels there.

The main line to Druxton Wharf, near Launceston, negotiated three descending inclined planes as it followed the southerly course of the River Tamar.

The full bucket had to be heavy enough to pull a loaded tub boat up the 1 in 41⁄2 gradient as well as overcoming friction, and Green calculated that a weight of about fifteen tons was necessary.

This was successful, and the bucket raised a boat up the plane in about four minutes, which was about one half of the time taken when the 16 horsepower (12 kW) standby steam engine was used.

Once engaged with the continuous chain, it would have been impracticable to stop the motion momentarily while the wheels were guided to the rail channels; but no record is available as to how this was achieved.

In addition, serious problems with the state of the newly finished works were discovered, although in the circumstances of a locally promoted scheme with novel technological aspects, the canal as built was better engineered than it might have been.

The chains on the inclined planes were constantly breaking, the rails broke, and other mechanical failures were frequent, and physical damage from careless boat handling was also common.

On the feeder branch and on the lower part of the Launceston main line, the alignment is indicated on current Ordnance Survey maps.

Most of the planned projects were completed by 31 March 2009, which was also the date on which North Cornwall District Council ceased to exist: the partners in the project expressed the hope that the new Unitary Authority would complete the three unfinished elements: raising Rodd's bridge, providing slipways at each end of the canal, and re-connecting it to Helebridge Wharf.

Contractors removed the gate the following morning, and four-tonne concrete pipes were placed in the canal basin to dissipate the power of waves coming in from the sea.

A temporary dam was constructed at Falcon Bridge, and a team of anglers and staff from the Environment Agency rescued the fish population before it was swept out to sea.

[7] Main line Bude to Launceston Holsworthy Branch Feeder from Lower Tamar Lake Download coordinates as: Route details extracted from 1885 OS maps.