"National Boat Count"

[matt]

I mailed BW about something today and got an automated reply - "I will assisting with the National Boat Count in the weeks beginning 6th and 13th November so will only be in the office on an infrequent basis."

 

I've just googled it and it looks like they did one last year too - does anyone know more about this?

 

 

Matt (almost back to base for winter now)

[bottle]

Yes...........................................................................it is to catch the licence dodgers.

[Moley]

does anyone know more about this?

Only what I've read on Narrowboatworld

This is how they found Cragdale.

 

Quote Eugene:

"The villains have picked the wrong week to steal the boat. Dozens of colleagues are currently on the ‘towpath beat’, engaged in a week-long exercise to record the status of all 29,000 vessels on the inland waterways network. We do this every year to ensure licences are all fully paid up, and it just so happens our annual Boat Check Week is underway right now!"

Edited November 9, 2006 by Moley

[Liam]

Hi Matt,

 

This was copied from Narrowboatworld.com... and is an explanation on how they found Cragdale... (see other thread)

 

Copied from Narrowboatworld.com..

 

Eugene Baston, British Waterways External Relations Manager exclaimed:

 

"The villains have picked the wrong week to speak the boat. Dozens of colleagues are currently on "towpath beat", engaged in a week-long excercise to record the status of all 29,000 vessels on the inland waterways network. We do this every year to ensure licenses are fully paid up, and it just so happens that our annual boat check week is underway right now!"

[John Orentas]

Yes a bit like doing a stock check in a factory, they prised a lot of BW staff away from their desks and they say that they covered every yard of the system in that week. A sensible idea, it is all very well having automated control of licensing but at the end of the day you have got to get out there and see what is actually going on.

 

Perhaps in future years they could expand the idea and do a bit of a condition survey at the same time (or perhps they do).

Edited November 9, 2006 by John Orentas

[Chris-B]

Yes...........................................................................it is to catch the licence dodgers.

 

As the BW patrol boat was going up the GU Cowley section the "dossers" were all one lock ahead going North !!

Once they had stopped for the evening most returned to "Their Moorings "

Chris B

[matt]

Yes a bit like doing a stock check in a factory, they prised a lot of BW staff away from their desks and they say that they covered every yard of the system in that week.

 

Excellent, it should give them a good idea of any dangerously bad towpaths too (although I have to commend BW for condition of the towpaths in the North West).

[bottle]

 

As the BW patrol boat was going up the GU Cowley section the "dossers" were all one lock ahead going North !!

Once they had stopped for the evening most returned to "Their Moorings "

Chris B

 

Perhaps Eugene could pass this on

[Eugene Baston]

Thanks, already done folks.

 

In reality they are already within the evasion system.

 

No escape!

 

Eugene

[alan_fincher]

Thanks, already done folks.

 

In reality they are already within the evasion system.

 

No escape!

 

Eugene

Eugene,

 

Was it the same boat count last year that resulted in those figures you published about the percentage of boats on the system that were unlicenced ?

 

Since then there has been considerable publicity about BW clamping down on licence evasion, and getting significant numbers to pay up. (There have presumably been significant costs to BW in so doing?).

 

There is also occasional publicity about removal of boats from the system, (although in practice those numbers are probably insignificant in terms of overall figures, I would imagine?).

 

And, if so, do you anticipate that published numbers are likely to see a significant improvement over last year's statistics, please ?

 

Regards,

 

Alan

[Supermalc]

I had a trip to my boat today, now moored at Chapel Hill, just off the Witham, and saw our friendly (to me) patrol officer. He was recording boats, even the ones moored on the Kyme, which is EA, so no licence etc. required.

 

I was surprised, until I read about the national survey on here.

 

The 'season' here is 7 months. April until November, the period they raise the lower Witham and allow mooring at Boston. I now have a tidal mooring at Boston, and was hoping to licence for two 3 month periods, using my tidal mooring in July, however ......... foiled again as it is the same rip off as a 6 month and 1 month fee. Just have to wait and see what happens next year. The Kyme is only really available for boating in April, due to weed, so I might just do my boating up there until May.

[rog guiver]

How about BW actually using this exercise to take action on every boat that doesn't show a licence.

 

It's the lack of displayed licences on the system that gets me. It's a requirement.

 

Perhaps BW should also impose a service charge for checking boats not showing a licence. It might encourage everyone that has a licence to display it.

[bramley]

there was a topic a few years back about displayed licances, and there was a fair few people, saying they dont display there licance as they dont feel they need too. and it all got a bit heated...

 

he says sitting here with his licence that ran out in august this year in his window.... im in a privatre marinia

 

sorry about spelling beers me had plents

[fuzzyduck]

I think I have a one week licence in the window dated september,

 

Ditto