Portable Craft

[gemmaze]

I have looked on the CRT site in regards to portable craft but wondered if anyone has real world experience and met any problems or had any difficulties with CRT interpretations of what is considered a portable craft on paper?

Am I right in thinking it’s up to 18 foot in length and must be able to be lifted in and out of the water by two people?

Is there a beam restriction on this too?

The customer service staff don’t really have an answer other than what’s on the site.

Thanks.

Edited June 12, 2020 by gemmaze

[WJM]

Just join the UK canoeing governing body - British Canoeing. An individual membership licenses you for all UK waters.

 

https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/news/2020/waterway-licence-explained

 

 

 

[gemmaze]

11 minutes ago, WJM said:

Just join the UK canoeing governing body - British Canoeing. An individual membership licenses you for all UK waters.

 

https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/news/2020/waterway-licence-explained

 

 

 

Even if it’s a large punt?

thanks.

[WJM]

I don't know. You could always ask them. The worst that could happen is they might call you a punt!

[magpie patrick]

The only defintion I can see is portable powered craft, which must be under 5m long 16 feet) and have an engine less than 4hp 

 

The unpowered craft don't seem to be defined as portable or by length, although claiming a 70 foot grand union butty as a kayak may be problematic

[WJM]

The shortest canoe that I have is 5.2m

[Bod]

11 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

The only defintion I can see is portable powered craft, which must be under 5m long 16 feet) and have an engine less than 4hp 

 

The unpowered craft don't seem to be defined as portable or by length, although claiming a 70 foot grand union butty as a kayak may be problematic

Just get a big paddle!

 

Bod.

[TheBiscuits]

6 hours ago, gemmaze said:

Am I right in thinking it’s up to 18 foot in length and must be able to be lifted in and out of the water by two people?

Is there a beam restriction on this too?

 

From memory the definition is "able to be lifted in and out of the water by it's usual crew with no mechanical assistance" not 2 people.

 

Looked it up:  ‘Portable’ means the boat’s normal crew can, without mechanical help, launch the boat and take it out of the water

 

A rowing eight is a lot longer than 18 feet, but nobody would dispute it as a portable unpowered.

 

5 hours ago, WJM said:

Just join the UK canoeing governing body - British Canoeing. An individual membership licenses you for all UK waters.

 

https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/news/2020/waterway-licence-explained

 

 

Just be aware of the difference - a BCU / Canoe England membership licences you in any paddlecraft on the water and the boat can't be stored on the water.

 

An individual licence for the boat allows it to be left on the water and allows anyone to use that one boat.

 

Also note that if you get a big boat you can put a tender on it's licence for free, subject to some restrictions (< 3m/10 feet, must say Tender To : Name of Boat, only supposed to be used in sight of big boat)

[TheBiscuits]

31 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

 

The unpowered craft don't seem to be defined as portable or by length, although claiming a 70 foot grand union butty as a kayak may be problematic

 

If you want to be picky, which we usually do, a boat that is normally towed by another boat is classed as Powered.

 

That being said, if the usual crew of a butty is 0 or 1 people and that person can lift the butty out of the water on their own without a crane, I'd not argue with them!

[gemmaze]

On 12/06/2020 at 18:40, TheBiscuits said:

 

From memory the definition is "able to be lifted in and out of the water by it's usual crew with no mechanical assistance" not 2 people.

 

Looked it up:  ‘Portable’ means the boat’s normal crew can, without mechanical help, launch the boat and take it out of the water

 

A rowing eight is a lot longer than 18 feet, but nobody would dispute it as a portable unpowered.

 

 

Just be aware of the difference - a BCU / Canoe England membership licences you in any paddlecraft on the water and the boat can't be stored on the water.

 

An individual licence for the boat allows it to be left on the water and allows anyone to use that one boat.

 

Also note that if you get a big boat you can put a tender on it's licence for free, subject to some restrictions (< 3m/10 feet, must say Tender To : Name of Boat, only supposed to be used in sight of big boat)

Thanks, without wishing to be padantic is storing and mooring the same thing?

For example camping under a tarp on a portable craft?

thanks.

[TheBiscuits]

18 minutes ago, gemmaze said:

Thanks, without wishing to be padantic is storing and mooring the same thing?

For example camping under a tarp on a portable craft?

thanks.

 

I think you'll need a CRT licence not just BCU membership for that, as you would be leaving the boat on the water for an extended period.  With a canoe people generally turn up with it on a car roof, paddle around for a bit then load it back onto the car and go home a few hours later.

 

You'd probably get away with doing it a few times, but as the licence for the boat is very similar price to the BCU membership for an adult you may as well get the right one for what you want to do.

[gemmaze]

7 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

I think you'll need a CRT licence not just BCU membership for that, as you would be leaving the boat on the water for an extended period.  With a canoe people generally turn up with it on a car roof, paddle around for a bit then load it back onto the car and go home a few hours later.

 

You'd probably get away with doing it a few times, but as the licence for the boat is very similar price to the BCU membership for an adult you may as well get the right one for what you want to do.

Thanks, yes thats my thinking too hence my original question about a portable craft because I would be taking her in and out, when I take her on lakes for example in Wales we sometimes camp on the water near the shore or beach up and camp there.

Without wishing to sound disrespectful to the customer service staff at CRT they dont seem to know know what to do other that to try and sell me a license for a boat without a permenant mooring.

My boat is essentially a 16 foot punt with a vardo top if I choose to carry the top for camping.

I will have to make some more enquiries and perhaps speak with the head enforcement guy in my neck of the woods.

[gemmaze]

Ahh yes now I see having looked at the licensing information.

Its basically an unpowered craft up to 16' 5'' so thats 53.68 a year.