BW Audit

[Big COL]

Last Sunday a BW official was at our marina, when challenged as to the nature of his visit on a Sunday, he said " BW are doing a full audit of all boats on their waterways" Has anyone else seen or heard about this.

[David Schweizer]

Last Sunday a BW official was at our marina, when challenged as to the nature of his visit on a Sunday, he said " BW are doing a full audit of all boats on their waterways" Has anyone else seen or heard about this.

Yes when i was moored in Braunston, BW undertook an audit and because they couldn't find me on my official mooring over a three month period, they wrote to me asking where I was keeping the boat. I didn't reply, as I was out cruising all summer. I never heard from them again.

[Nige]

Last Sunday a BW official was at our marina, when challenged as to the nature of his visit on a Sunday, he said " BW are doing a full audit of all boats on their waterways" Has anyone else seen or heard about this.

 

 

Don't know if this was the same thing, but last Friday (4th Nov), while I was waiting on board for a new modular sofa, a BW Inspector came round our moorings checking all the license disks etc. I felt quite flattered as he asked me if my boat was new !!!!! (Launched 1971 so I hardly think so !!). But at least he was pleasant and not the power hungry type like some seem to be.

Nige

[Keeping Up]

Last Sunday a BW official was at our marina, when challenged as to the nature of his visit on a Sunday, he said " BW are doing a full audit of all boats on their waterways" Has anyone else seen or heard about this.

Surprised you hadn't heard, it was quite well publicised; last week was a nationwide BW blitz on unlicensed boats.

[Eugene Baston]

Hi everyone

 

The chap at your marina on Sunday was taking part in a national boat check of all the craft on our waterways. This is part of a crack down on those on the Cut who are continually intent on breaching BW’s licence terms and conditions.

 

 

Checking is taking place this week and it’s not just patrol staff that are out there. BW has got its office staff to join in too (as I post this, those on the Regent’s Canal can look out of the window and you’ll probably see Simon Salem, BW’s marketing and customer service director taking part)!

 

 

The idea is to confirm which boats are on our waterways and where, and then to use our computer records to identify and target those without a licence. The idea is to put more and earlier emphasis on identifying non-payers from our computer system – this is more cost effective than walking the towpath on an ad hoc basis, and we expect to reveal the results of this revised approach in the near future.

 

 

I hope you agree it's a good idea. At the end of the day, licence evaders are only stealing from the waterways and this willnot be allowed to continue.

 

 

Eugene

[jollyroger]

I am in full agreement, why should we subsidise the non payers, if you get all that is due from them, the rest of us should be looking forward to a reduction in our licence fee.

With more putting into the pot, each should pay less

Wishfull thinking??????

[dor]

Eugene:

 

Why can't BW learn a trick or two from DVLA?

 

1: An equivalent of SORN declaration: If you don't renew your licence and haven't given a good reason why not (e.g. boat out of the water) then you get fined.

 

2: You MUST display your licence. BW's excuse when questioned about the number of boats not displaying licences is that "well, most of them are licenced, they just aren't displaying it". So, if it is a requirement that a valid licence must be display then slap a fine on them if they don't.

[lymmranger]

Well Eugene I am shocked...

 

Are there about to be redundancies in BW?

 

Are you due a ministerial revue?

 

Surely you are not suggesting a lurch towards common sense/efficiency?

 

How long has BW been in existance?

 

And only now you try the revolutionary approach of actually walking the banks to check how many boats are on the waterways and of them how many are licensed???

 

Have we the public not been telling you this for years???

 

I wonder how many "Tax in the post" notices you come across???

 

Well I need to sit down now, mind you there will be plenty of room to moor round here for a while now !

 

 

 

[DHutch]

An equivalent of SORN declaration

Eould that be SOCN then?

 

But anyway, this has come up before, its maddness, the thing is, even if you dont have a liesence, know one does anything about it!!

- Not may people drive without a tax disk, becuase if they did, becuase not only are they are quite likly to get court, if they do, they will get suitable punishment.

- Where as if you dont have a waterways leisence, they just send you a stropy letter and hope you pay up. (unless your REALLY bad, and then you get a nice little sticker...)

- It doesnt help that half the time you dont even get liecense when you pay for it and end up spending 3months crusing around with nothing but your letter of conformantion becuase CW still havnt got you liecense to you!

 

 

Daniel

[Maffi]

................................... he said " BW are doing a full audit of all boats on their waterways" Has anyone else seen or heard about this.

 

I can't quite understand how checking boats in marinas will tell BW much about boats on their waterways. From what I have seen those that 'overstay' and don't have licences displayed rarely if ever moor in a marina.

 

Yes when i was moored in Braunston, BW undertook an audit and because they couldn't find me on my official mooring over a three month period, they wrote to me asking where I was keeping the boat. I didn't reply, as I was out cruising all summer. I never heard from them again.

 

Big Brother comes to mind. What were they doing checking up on your boat for a three month period. Is it a requirement that boaters report to BW when they are going to be away for a spell?

[Big COL]

I can't quite understand how checking boats in marinas will tell BW much about boats on their waterways. From what I have seen those that 'overstay' and don't have licences displayed rarely if ever moor in a marina.

 

Maffi

I did say "all their waterways", this I understood to be the canals, arms, and marinas. Which should just about record all boats on BW's waterways.

[Curly]

I for one am glad to see BW checking licences. Are you going to publish the results of this exercise?

Edited November 11, 2005 by Curly

[DHutch]

I for one am glad to see BW checking licences. Are you going to publish the results of this exercise?

Yeah, deffonatly.

- The sooner they get a decent system sorted the better, im all for it!

 

And yeah, i would be nice if we could see the results.

 

 

Daniel

[Eugene Baston]

The results certainly will be published. Keep an eye out for further details of what else we've got up our sleeve for the new year too - the days of "I've got a licence but I don't bother displaying it" are numbered, for starters!

 

Eugene

[Breals]

Phew! Glad I got my mooring permit through today, or it looks like I'd have copped it! Although I did apply two months ago...

Edited November 11, 2005 by Breals

[alan_fincher]

The results certainly will be published. Keep an eye out for further details of what else we've got up our sleeve for the new year too - the days of "I've got a licence but I don't bother displaying it" are numbered, for starters!

 

Eugene

I must admit I've never paid too much notice to displayed licences, but having seen this thread before I took a 5 mile walk down the canal, my eye was drawn towards the various boats I passed.

 

I noticed that there were a substantial proportion where although a licence was displayed it was 1, 2 or 3 months out of date.

 

As these were not boats on permanent moorings, it can't simply be a case of "I haven't been to the boat since replacement arrived". I suppose arguably a few of these could be people who have been cruising for some months, and haven't been "home" to collect it from the mat, (or wherever they pick their mail up from if continuous cruisers).

 

As there is a discount for prompt payment, I can't see people who do buy licences regularly waiting until its out of date to replace it, (and presumably paying more).

 

So is BW REALLY that tardy in getting replacement licences out, or is there some other explanation?

 

I have to say in my own experience, having just bought a boat, BW handled everything within a few days of me sending the paperwork in. As there was a change of ownership, it's presumably the harder case - a renewal should be less work surely?

 

So why the discrepancy beween the service I experienced, and other people claiming to be waiting weeks ?

 

Perhaps Eugene would like to explain ?

[Guest st170dw]

There was a man on his bike yesterday on the Shroppie checking licenses between Brewood and Autherley. I suspect he was a member of the office staff - he didn't look comfy on his bike - nor did his assistant, she was about 1/2 mile behind him!

[DHutch]

I suspect he was a member of the office staff.

- he didn't look comfy on his bike, nor did his assistant, she was about 1/2 mile behind him!

- Im sure they where loving that then!

[Nige]

I must admit I've never paid too much notice to displayed licences, but having seen this thread before I took a 5 mile walk down the canal, my eye was drawn towards the various boats I passed.

 

I noticed that there were a substantial proportion where although a licence was displayed it was 1, 2 or 3 months out of date.

 

As these were not boats on permanent moorings, it can't simply be a case of "I haven't been to the boat since replacement arrived". I suppose arguably a few of these could be people who have been cruising for some months, and haven't been "home" to collect it from the mat, (or wherever they pick their mail up from if continuous cruisers).

 

As there is a discount for prompt payment, I can't see people who do buy licences regularly waiting until its out of date to replace it, (and presumably paying more).

 

So is BW REALLY that tardy in getting replacement licences out, or is there some other explanation?

 

I have to say in my own experience, having just bought a boat, BW handled everything within a few days of me sending the paperwork in. As there was a change of ownership, it's presumably the harder case - a renewal should be less work surely?

 

So why the discrepancy beween the service I experienced, and other people claiming to be waiting weeks ?

 

Perhaps Eugene would like to explain ?

 

 

I wish they were that quick in sorting my paperwork out ! I bought my boat in Early September and had all the paperwork in the first week of that month. Im still waiting for license, any acknowledgement of my change of ownership details and my mooring.................

[Guest]

BW really need to put their house in order, then by all means catch the licence dodgers. I sold a boat about eighteen months ago and the new owner has never renewed the licence. I have passed it on a number of occasions in various places. I wonder if he bothered to insure it for third party liability? Will he renew the safety certificate?

[DHutch]

I sold a boat about eighteen months ago and the new owner has never renewed the licence. I have passed it on a number of occasions in various places. I wonder if he bothered to insure it for third party liability? Will he renew the safety certificate?

Its terrable isnt it.

- And the worst part is, where then left to pay there way.

 

It like the trains, ive done lot of travaling by train in the last 6weeks, and its shocking.

- I always aim to buy a ticket, becuase im that sort of person.

- But you really wonder why you both, the number i times ive done the whole journey home and back (lufbra-to-crewe) without anyone even checking my ticket is insine

- I payed over £40 to go lufbra-Northalerton return, and out out of the 5 trains i got one, only once did i have my ticket checked! - It just donsnt help me to be law-abliding does it. - Theres another £40 of my loan gone for 'nothing'

 

 

Daniel

[Richard Lacy]

There was a man on his bike yesterday on the Shroppie checking licenses between Brewood and Autherley. I suspect he was a member of the office staff - he didn't look comfy on his bike - nor did his assistant, she was about 1/2 mile behind him!

 

 

Actually they are also boaters . I did the next section , very few without valid licences , only one "application in the post" . What the biggest problem was was to identify those that were not displaying name or index number and were on the off side , especially those just in grey primer or red oxide livery . So those were photographed as were any not displaying a valid licence and all the information passed on to the patrol section for further investigation . Interestingly quite a few new licences and index numbers appeared in the next few days !!!

[gaggle]

the leeds liverpool has seen plenty of bw activity lately re-licences on display,the number of boats that seem to have "gone cruising"is unbelievable.

 

i dont know how many unlicenced boats were also on unpaid for moorings but certainly full moorings now seem to have space available.

 

plenty of stickers or notices can be seen on remaining boats also.

 

one bw chap advised me to slow down as i passed him while he was climbing aboard one boat with his sticker,

i was moving with the engine on tickover.

he must have been from the office staff and unsure of his footing going aboard.

 

anyway them that get in about sweat over non licence payers can now give a bit of credit to bw for trying,it might kill them to give any credit to anyone,but they might give it.