Bubblebuster Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 Now I am living near the idyllic Monmouth and Brecon canal I have been thinking of getting a little boat along with an electric engine to do some lazy days exploring - but should it be an inflatable, or something rigid like a conventional dinghy given that it might snag and puncture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Bubblebuster said: Now I am living near the idyllic Monmouth and Brecon canal I have been thinking of getting a little boat along with an electric engine to do some lazy days exploring - but should it be an inflatable, or something rigid like a conventional dinghy given that it might snag and puncture. Or a folding boat of some description Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubblebuster Posted July 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 Been considering those as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 4 minutes ago, Bubblebuster said: Been considering those as well. Have a look on https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/ For reviews of inflatable and folding canoes And solid canoes as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigmatic Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 I'm told when it comes to inflatables, the advantage of a £10 lilo from B&M is that when you hit something underwater you only lose £10. And possibly your dignity, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 A small hard grp dinghy will always go through the water better than an inflatable, with perhaps the exception of a rigid inflatable,and will easily take an outboard motor. Transportation of a hard dinghy may be more of a problem without road trailer or roof bars. I favour the hypalon Avon dinghies which can be picked up second hand from ebay etc. They are pretty tough, and last for decades,though the valves tend to fail eventually. Also worth considering the humble kayak or Canadian canoe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Todd Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 and it still needs a licence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 23 minutes ago, Mike Todd said: and it still needs a licence! But if it is an un-powered canoe you can join the BCU and the membership covers you for using the canals and 3rd party insurance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Davis Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Tonka said: But if it is an un-powered canoe you can join the BCU and the membership covers you for using the canals and 3rd party insurance The OP says it would have an electric outboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 9 hours ago, Graham Davis said: The OP says it would have an electric outboard! Oops. If he lives in Wales then it is not the BCU but the Welsh Canoe Association ha needs to join for the un-powered licence. If it is going to be powered then you will need a CRT licence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 9 hours ago, Graham Davis said: The OP says it would have an electric outboard! And the daft thing, is that if it has an electric outboard powered by a battery in the boat it has an 'electrical system' on board, so needs a Boat Safety Certificate. But if it has a small petrol outboard with integral fuel tank, it doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 3 minutes ago, David Mack said: And the daft thing, is that if it has an electric outboard powered by a battery in the boat it has an 'electrical system' on board, so needs a Boat Safety Certificate. But if it has a small petrol outboard with integral fuel tank, it doesn't. Does it have to be 4 stroke ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbobs Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 OP, have you seen these folding boats? https://nestawayboats.com/shop/portabote-fold-flat-boats/ They seem to get reasonable reviews… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 2 minutes ago, Jimbobs said: OP, have you seen these folding boats? https://nestawayboats.com/shop/portabote-fold-flat-boats/ They seem to get reasonable reviews… https://www.seahopperfoldingboats.com/ Is what we used to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 12 hours ago, Mike Todd said: and it still needs a licence! As there is no such licence as 'portable powered', even a little dinghy with 2hp outboard falls into the lowest size class of powered boat which is anything up to 18' long. Current short term/ visitor licence prices are (from 0m to less than 5.5m Up to 18' 0") £138.42 (30 day explorer) £110.74 (month) £35.48 (week). Add on a BSS if electric powered (AIUI), add on insurance and it starts to look a lot more expensive than just paddling a kayak on a BCU membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 2 minutes ago, BilgePump said: As there is no such licence as 'portable powered', even a little dinghy with 2hp outboard falls into the lowest size class of powered boat which is anything up to 18' long. Current short term/ visitor licence prices are (from 0m to less than 5.5m Up to 18' 0") £138.42 (30 day explorer) £110.74 (month) £35.48 (week). Add on a BSS if electric powered (AIUI), add on insurance and it starts to look a lot more expensive than just paddling a kayak on a BCU membership. Why is the 30 day explorer £138.42 and a month licence £110.74. What is the difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 1 minute ago, Tonka said: Why is the 30 day explorer £138.42 and a month licence £110.74. What is the difference You can use the thirty days whenever during the course of the year. Month is for a month of consecutive days from licence start date Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 Our 30 day 'explorer' licence is only available to trailable boats and visitors with a home mooring on another non Canal & River Trust navigation. Your explorer licence gives you up to 30 days use, which you can use at any time within 12 months of issue. The days do not need to be consecutive. Simply keep a record of each day your boat is on the water (we may ask to see a copy of your records). You can only buy these licences online. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/licence-your-boat/short-term-visitor-licences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 6 minutes ago, David Mack said: Our 30 day 'explorer' licence is only available to trailable boats and visitors with a home mooring on another non Canal & River Trust navigation. And, he will have a 'home mooring' at his home : He can be a CCer : the Board are satisfied that a mooring or other place where the vessel can reasonably be kept and may lawfully be left will be available for the vessel, whether on an inland waterway or elsewhere; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 (edited) 8 minutes ago, David Mack said: Our 30 day 'explorer' licence is only available to trailable boats and visitors with a home mooring on another non Canal & River Trust navigation. Your explorer licence gives you up to 30 days use, which you can use at any time within 12 months of issue. The days do not need to be consecutive. Simply keep a record of each day your boat is on the water (we may ask to see a copy of your records). You can only buy these licences online. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/licence-your-boat/short-term-visitor-licences The explorer licence states it is for trailable boats having a home mooring on another non CRT navigation. Which implies it would not cover you if you keep the boat at home £47 a year for Welsh Canoe Association on the water membership which includes the licence and 3rd party insurance. Plus a magazine and discounts. Just need to paddle but think of all the health benefit Edited July 22, 2023 by Tonka Spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 14 minutes ago, Tonka said: The explorer licence states it is for trailable boats having a home mooring on another non CRT navigation. Which implies it would not cover you if you keep the boat at home On the short term licence page it states 'These licences are for small, unpowered or trailed boats and larger boats visiting our waterways for a short time from other navigations or coastal waters.' That would cover a small powered dinghy lifted in for individual days and taken home, a trailboat cabin cruiser dropped in via slipway for a week's cruising or a bigger boat coming from a non CaRT waterway to cruise CaRT's waters for a month. I'd forgotten that there is the option with short term licences to self-declare the safety of the vessel. An actual BSS cert isn't necessary. This is what I did when I first put my 19' boat on CaRT waters. At the time iirc there was a max of 56 days per year on short term like this but can't find a reference now. I never had to tell them where a home mooring was until I got the BSS sorted, paid for a long term licence and a towpath mooring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbobs Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 (edited) 27 minutes ago, Tonka said: The explorer licence states it is for trailable boats having a home mooring on another non CRT navigation. Which implies it would not cover you if you keep the boat at home I think you might be reading that wrong - I’m reading it as a licence for EITHER trailable boats OR for boats with a non-CRT mooring. My understanding is that this is exactly the licence you need if you keep a boat at home. Edited July 22, 2023 by Jimbobs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 2 minutes ago, Jimbobs said: I think you might be reading that wrong - I’m reading it as a licence for EITHER trailable boats OR for boats with a non-CRT mooring. My understanding is that this is exactly the licence you need if you keep a boat at home. I was reading it the way Dave Mack posted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 57 minutes ago, Tonka said: I was reading it the way Dave Mack posted it. And what I posted from the CRT website says "Our 30 day 'explorer' licence is only available to trailable boats and visitors with a home mooring on another non Canal & River Trust navigation." So the 30 day explorer licence is available to 2 classes of boats: - trailable boats - visitors with a home mooring on another non CRT navigation To be eligible for the licence you have to be in one of those two classes, but not necessarily both. 1 hour ago, BilgePump said: That would cover a small powered dinghy lifted in for individual days and taken home, But would it cover a small powered dinghy that is lifted in for individual days, but otherwise kept on the roof of the owners larger (and long-term licenced) boat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 1 hour ago, David Mack said: But would it cover a small powered dinghy that is lifted in for individual days, but otherwise kept on the roof of the owners larger (and long-term licenced) boat? Interesting point. I'd hope so on the basis that it is on something that is in the water but not in the water itself. It is being stored out of the water when not in use. I'm thinking along the lines of an old car being moved on a trailer behind a fully taxed, insured and MOT passed car. As long as its wheels aren't on the road the car being towed doesn't need tax or MOT itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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