BW Efficiency

[Minos]

It seems that their records state my boat is six inches shorter than I thought it was.

 

They've sent me a £27 refund on my licence fee.

 

 

(By the way - don't tell Circe! She'll spend it on shoes!)

[Guest]

It seems that their records state my boat is six inches shorter than I thought it was.

 

They've sent me a £27 refund on my licence fee.

 

 

(By the way - don't tell Circe! She'll spend it on shoes!)

 

Just how did that come to light??

[Circe]

Nope - BW will have to do better than that for shoe shopping

[Minos]

I bought the boat this spring, and the brokerage had rounded up the length (I dont know why. Presumably to make it look good on the brochure, but probably because they didn't check their facts... The sellers knew the boat size to the inch.)

 

I checked the fees on the BW website and sent a cheque.

 

Got home today to find a remittance for overpayment. Apparently my boat is shorter than the broker said.

 

Given that the brokerage managed to make a complete fool of themselves to us and the seller, I'm tempted to make an issue about this - Misrepresentation Act 1967 and all that.

 

Just for a laugh, of course...

Edited September 4, 2011 by Minos

[casper ghost]

Last year my dad paid for his licence by card. They took the wrong amount and said they would correct this. On the next Bank statement they had now taken the correct amount but failed to refund the wrong amount... So, this year my dad paid by cheque, which after confirming that they had received it they then lost it. It then took ages for them to check that he would still get the discount for paying early even though it was of course now late. Not sure how he'll pay next year...

Casp'

[nbfiresprite]

 

Given that the brokerage managed to make a complete fool of themselves to us and the seller, I'm tempted to make an issue about this - Misrepresentation Act 1967 and all that.

 

 

 

The current one is section 2 of Fraud 2006 (Fraud by false representation)The maximum sentence is 10 years imprisonment and unlimited fines.

 

Firesprite

 

In the wet and windy Fens

[Bob18]

How to pay next year?

 

Coin of the realm using the smallest possible, legal, denomination

 

 

 

 

 

(There used to be a maximum transaction value that could be paid in pennies)

[FadeToScarlet]

If you go onto EA waters, your boat automatically grows by 18 inches or so.

 

They count fenders as part of boat length, BW don't.

[mayalld]

How to pay next year?

 

Coin of the realm using the smallest possible, legal, denomination

 

 

 

 

 

(There used to be a maximum transaction value that could be paid in pennies)

 

 

And there still is;

 

Pound coins and 2 pound coins are legal tender for any amount.

 

50p/20p maximum of £10

10p/5p maximum of £5

2p/1p maximum of 20p

 

Bank of England notes are legal tender in England and Wales, but NOT in Scotland or Northern Ireland. There are no notes (not even Scottish or NI notes) that are Legal Tender in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

 

If you go onto EA waters, your boat automatically grows by 18 inches or so.

 

They count fenders as part of boat length, BW don't.

 

The BW licence application form says;

 

Length (including fenders) in metres (correct to one decimal place):

[alan_fincher]

If you go onto EA waters, your boat automatically grows by 18 inches or so.

 

They count fenders as part of boat length, BW don't.

Incorrect, I'm afraid......

 

You should include overall length over the greatest extremity, whether it be rudder tip, or fenders, when quoting a length for BW purposes.

 

My personal advice though......

 

We have one allegedly 50 foot boat, and one allegedly 40 foot boat, both already licensed when bought. Boats are not always their quoted length, and I have quickly decided to keep the tape measure away from both of ours!

[Minos]

My personal advice though......

 

We have one allegedly 50 foot boat, and one allegedly 40 foot boat, both already licensed when bought. Boats are not always their quoted length, and I have quickly decided to keep the tape measure away from both of ours!

I couldn't agree more. BW's records are official enough for me, and I for one have no intention of challenging them.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

I am reminded of a friend who became concerned with BW's attitude to CC's and has declared his 60 foot boat as being removed from the waterways when not in use.

 

As far as I know, it only comes out of the water for blacking!

 

However, he does have a Bond three wheeler (with a Villiers 197cc two stroke engine)kept in a lock up in Manchester and assures me he has a trailer.......

[debbifiggy]

Incorrect, I'm afraid......

 

You should include overall length over the greatest extremity, whether it be rudder tip, or fenders, when quoting a length for BW purposes.

 

My personal advice though......

 

We have one allegedly 50 foot boat, and one allegedly 40 foot boat, both already licensed when bought. Boats are not always their quoted length, and I have quickly decided to keep the tape measure away from both of ours!

 

You should also include bike racks off the back end of a cruiser stern, motorbike racks (i've seen on that extends the boat length by over 70 cm) bow sprites (pulpit rails too) and other bits and pieces. With most boats it's the hull that's 50, 55 57 60 or whatever foot but the overall boat length is longer especially when you start including rudders, fenders, buttons and stuff.

 

To be honest, don't get stressed about it. Probably the only time someone is going to get a tape measure out is the original boat builder (you would hope wouldn't you?) and the BW mooring manager when you've bid on the BW auction system for a slot that should fit your boat but strangely you can't get into it Obvious boat length differences are quickly spotted on the bank. I do remember someone who tried to licence a 65ft boat as 45 or so foot ....

 

The BW licence terms and conditions do say that you should declare your boat overall length including all the gubbins but ..... I know a lot of people don't, don't know or don't care, whether or not it is factually or morally correct. That's down to the individual and not for me to judge unless it's glaringly obvious that someone is pulling a fast one by 10 foot or more.

 

D

[by'eck]

The sailing yacht I bought had two documented lengths, 46 feet as shown on builders certificate & 48 feet after the previous owner had grafted on the factory sugar scoop bathing platform.

 

I registered it as per builders certificate & had no issues with marina fee's despite a pedantic American lady in Panama insisting on it being measured for hurricane season storage. She considerately let me hold the end of the tape measure

[smudge837]

 

 

despite a pedantic American lady in Panama insisting on it being measured for hurricane season storage. She considerately let me hold the end of the tape measure

 

That is the best thing i have read in a while. What little film i have running through my head.

 

Have fun

 

Smudge

[alan_fincher]

The BW licence terms and conditions do say that you should declare your boat overall length including all the gubbins but ..... I know a lot of people don't, don't know or don't care, whether or not it is factually or morally correct. That's down to the individual and not for me to judge unless it's glaringly obvious that someone is pulling a fast one by 10 foot or more.

My take is rather that if you buy, in good faith a boat quoted as a certain length, and when you go to re-license it, you find BW already have the same length recorded, and have been licensing it as such, it is not unreasonable to assume that is the length it actually is.

 

Actually, in my experience, it is remarkably difficult to measure the length of a narrow boat with total accuracy. You not only have to get it against a reliable flat bit of towpath, unless you have a very long measure, you really do have to lash it up tightly, if it is not to move by a certain amount, if you are trying to measure it "5 meters at a time", and keep moving the tape measure up.

 

I am reminded of a friend who became concerned with BW's attitude to CC's and has declared his 60 foot boat as being removed from the waterways when not in use.

 

As far as I know, it only comes out of the water for blacking!

I firmly remember that when my late brother Pete tried to licence his newly acquired butty in the 1970s, BW were having one of those moments when their system couldn't actually cope with the concept of a 71' 6" long steel boat that didn't have an engine in it, (or alternatively the person he was dealing with couldn't actually cope with the concept of a 71' 6" long steel boat that didn't have an engine in it - not sure which!).

 

He was sent a form that was clearly intended for rowing boats and canoes, and seriously had to tick the box about whether he needed to use the locks, or intended to carry the boat around them.

[casper ghost]

Last year my dad paid for his licence by card. They took the wrong amount and said they would correct this. On the next Bank statement they had now taken the correct amount but failed to refund the wrong amount... So, this year my dad paid by cheque, which after confirming that they had received it they then lost it. It then took ages for them to check that he would still get the discount for paying early even though it was of course now late. Not sure how he'll pay next year...

Casp'

Would you believe BW have just phoned my Dad to say they have now lost his second cheque!! They are going to have a look for it in the post room and get back to him.

Are they totally incompetent? I think so..

Casp'

[WotEver]

Pound coins and 2 pound coins are legal tender for any amount.

 

50p/20p maximum of £10

We have a gallon Hennessey bottle in which we are saving 20p pieces. Every night if I have any 20p pieces in my pocket, in they go. We have been doing this for over 16 years. It's nearly up to the part where it starts to narrow towards the neck. It's almost too heavy to pick up (in fact, SWMBO can't pick it up). I guess it will still be several months before it's full.

 

I wonder how much will be in there.

 

Tony