Do I NEED A BOAT LICENSE or NOT?

[magnetman]

This is my third go, and hopefully this won't cause aggrevation (bound to).

 

BW don't enforce 'liveaboard actions' because they are scared witless of local councils.

 

why pay for a mooring and a boat license when the cash could be spent on beer or mushrooms (oh no, they're free).

 

I know why, just wanted to get some other views.

[tomsk]

This is my third go, and hopefully this won't cause aggrevation (bound to).

 

BW don't enforce 'liveaboard actions' because they are scared witless of local councils.

 

why pay for a mooring and a boat license when the cash could be spent on beer or mushrooms (oh no, they're free).

 

I know why, just wanted to get some other views.

 

To contribute to the upkeep of the system you are using as your home?

[Supermalc]

Same old story. I went to work, bought a house, wore myself out and left to live on nowt. So if I didn't pay my licence, etc. they can take my house.

 

Whereas, if I'd been a doley waster, lived in a rented house, got evicted, lived in a bus in a wood, or a boat, I wouldn't have to pay a bean.

[magnetman]

To contribute to the upkeep of the system you are using as your home?

 

Yes, I do like being afloat. No broadband on the free moorings.

[tomsk]

Yes, I do like being afloat. No broadband on the free moorings.

 

You would appear to be a master of the non-sequiture

[magnetman]

You would appear to be a master of the non-sequiture

 

funny you should say that. This is cheaper and somewhat more effective than a shrink. Yes, I had noticed that getting mobile internet was cheaper than a mooring...

????

[fender.]

This is my third go, and hopefully this won't cause aggrevation (bound to).

 

BW don't enforce 'liveaboard actions' because they are scared witless of local councils.

 

why pay for a mooring and a boat license when the cash could be spent on beer or mushrooms (oh no, they're free).

 

I know why, just wanted to get some other views.

 

Of course people need to pay licences but when we get this sort of sh*t as the likes from Victor and etc (dont his Bermuda holiday pics make u want to throw up?) and rabble from all sorts of rich boaters saying why this boater dont pay and why that boater dont and not look into the deeper details of perhaps why people can't or wont pay, and what possible other alternatives might help the situation etc then we're stil onto a hiding for nothing. British Waterways was well publicised as its intentions to take the bull by the horns 30 years ago (yes THIRTY years ago) and stil it cant get its act properly together. People glowingly speak of the several thousands recovered from Section eights etc, but WHAT abotu the thousands, the millions, BW never bothered to recovered in the last 30 years??? If BW cant get its act together in even 30 years then what do one expect from it? legilsation has now caught up so far that homes are precious and the eveiction of anyone whatever home they have is now bound by law. BW's simple lack of action has brought all this upon itself. The only way now is to have some far reaching insight and completely new ways to absolve the situation and to try and encourage better take up or use social funds to help pay for those who CANT afford licences. Not to keep rabble rouseing because it gets nowhere!

[tomsk]

Of course people need to pay licences but when we get this sort of sh*t as the likes from Victor and etc (dont his Bermuda holiday pics make u want to throw up?) and rabble from all sorts of rich boaters saying why this boater dont pay and why that boater dont and not look into the deeper details of perhaps why people can't or wont pay, and what possible other alternatives might help the situation etc then we're stil onto a hiding for nothing. British Waterways was well publicised as its intentions to take the bull by the horns 30 years ago (yes THIRTY years ago) and stil it cant get its act properly together. People glowingly speak of the several thousands recovered from Section eights etc, but WHAT abotu the thousands, the millions, BW never bothered to recovered in the last 30 years??? If BW cant get its act together in even 30 years then what do one expect from it? legilsation has now caught up so far that homes are precious and the eveiction of anyone whatever home they have is now bound by law. BW's simple lack of action has brought all this upon itself. The only way now is to have some far reaching insight and completely new ways to absolve the situation and to try and encourage better take up or use social funds to help pay for those who CANT afford licences. Not to keep rabble rouseing because it gets nowhere!

 

Sorry I am completely lost...Give me a bearing a sextant and the pole star and I'll meet you at Ushant

[magnetman]

hopefully this won't cause aggrevation (bound to).

 

SORRY.

[Supermalc]

Anyway, as I've said before, there are alternatives. I've found one. Can go boating almost as before for 30quid all in if I want.

 

And just to remind you. I met a liveaboard widebeam 60fter, and his charge for the year, inclusive was TEN POUNDS.

 

BW only own HALF the waterways. Use the other half.

[magnetman]

Anyway, as I've said before, there are alternatives. I've found one. Can go boating almost as before for 30quid all in if I want.

 

And just to remind you. I met a liveaboard widebeam 60fter, and his charge for the year, inclusive was TEN POUNDS.

 

BW only own HALF the waterways. Use the other half.

 

 

middle levels, there was this bloke at March who when i asked him about moorings said 'I get away with it'.

Trouble is if everyone did that the commissioners might notice a bit of a wallet enhancing opportunity and we wouldn't 'get away with it' for long.

[fender.]

Sorry I am completely lost...Give me a bearing a sextant and the pole star and I'll meet you at Ushant

 

No probs I'll just wait till you've collapsed your wave function!

[tomsk]

No probs I'll just wait till you've collapsed your wave function!

 

? Is that something to do with 'lectrics?

[Supermalc]

middle levels, there was this bloke at March who when i asked him about moorings said 'I get away with it'.

Trouble is if everyone did that the commissioners might notice a bit of a wallet enhancing opportunity and we wouldn't 'get away with it' for long.

 

But I'm not talking about 'getting away with it' ..... it's legit.

[Crazy Scheme]

They certainly don't 'get away with it' round here on the River Lee. I saw them reposses and tow away at least six boats this summer. They are always always checking, the patrol boat is often here and you only have to moor your boat somewhere other than you're supposed to and you get a phonecall sharpish.

Anyway, if no-one paid, I'm sure we'd soon all be grounded in a very very long narrow puddle

[NB Alnwick]

If we worked (which we don't) for BW - we might just think about reading this thread . . .

[fender.]

Anyway, if no-one paid, I'm sure we'd soon all be grounded in a very very long narrow puddle

 

The POINT is BW made a vow over 30 years ago to deal with this problem. Any problems that exist now is entirely because BW is lazy and incompetent, and it has let events run past it so that the onus now on the emphasis of housing rights. Whether BW likes it or not and whether it wants to be a social landlord or not., the fact is BW has now to respect and abide by a whole host of new laws that be designed to protect people and their homes. Yeah actually what Andy Bell's doing with his patrol boat on the Lee amount to nothing much when one considers the millions BW have failed to collect in over 30 years.

 

People can now sue BW for removing their homes, and BW didnt even progress to re-educate or to reassess the situation before it got out of hand. It only began to do something when these rich moanies in shiny new please dont scratch my boats kick up a storm. And just thinking on - its possible the DEFRA cuts wouldnt be so severe now! There might even have been some more money to improve the canals. Lots of people point blame at unlicensed boats, and even CC's etc etc but do not see the complete picture ever.

 

The amount unpaid in licenses in 30 years MUST total to something like a lengthy spell of probaly say 3 years where every single boat on the canal did not pay a single licence fee (if everyone were to decide not pay up!) and thats a lot of money

[Carrie]

I would say that the day we decide to work together to clear the canals of rubbish (including dead sheep!), learn how to repair and look after lock gates and share information freely about waterways issues is the day when we should stop paying a licence. Bring it on - I'm up for it!

[Supermalc]

I would say that the day we decide to work together to clear the canals of rubbish (including dead sheep!), learn how to repair and look after lock gates and share information freely about waterways issues is the day when we should stop paying a licence. Bring it on - I'm up for it!

 

Yes, but Carrie, that's common sense; it wouldn't pay for 80 managers per area to have a cushy job on £40,000 to £100,000 a year of the pretence of checking to see if boats are licensed.

[fender.]

I would say that the day we decide to work together to clear the canals of rubbish (including dead sheep!), learn how to repair and look after lock gates and share information freely about waterways issues is the day when we should stop paying a licence. Bring it on - I'm up for it!

 

Its a great idea at least everyone has fun and gets to know the workings of a canal - and just how difficult they really are to maintain (and how so having little investment doesnt really help to keep them in pritsine condition) and as most of us started on the canals way back in the 60's and 70's as volunteers restoring them and learnt so much about them, its something that should deffo be reintorduced.

[bottle]

Carrie's idea is very good but in this 'modern' world of, health and safety, risk assessment, adequate training, safety gear, I do not think it would be allowed.

 

The WRG have had to do a lot of training, risk assessment etc. cannot just turn up and swing a pick or shovel any more.

[GRPCruiserman]

There is a river near here where you can moor for nothing, and you don't need a licence or insurance or anything, but the wall you moor to is about 60 foot above the highest tide and the ladders are VERY old, and there is no security whatsoever.

 

The last boat left the moorings about 5 year ago after a couple of sinkages, and no-one moors there any more.

 

I do know of pretty secure tidal moorings for about £80 a year, though. £30 a month gets you good, secure moorings on another river, with good tidal access. No licence required.

 

Also The Bridgewater Canal is a lot cheaper than BW, and VERY pretty in many places.

 

It all depends where you want to be.

 

I will, when I find a boat, be using the BW Waterway Explorer licence which gives you 30 days for £67 a year. Keep the boat in the driveway, so no mooring fees, and pick slipways carefully. I know of a cracker in a boatyard with secure parking for about £5, the most I've ever paid was £30 and that was because it was the week before the National and there wasn't another slipway for miles. They did let me leave the boat there on the trailer for a week and the empty trailer for another week though. Some slipways are completely free as well.

 

Windermere has got cheaper, or at least not increased in price as much as the canals. There was a mass exodus off Windermere inthe early 1990s as the costs went up and canals were cheap, but as canals have rocketed in price, Windermere is no longer an expensive option. Also moorings are now easy to get as the speed limit has killed the place and no one goes any more. This makes it very quiet as well.

Edited December 21, 2006 by GRPCruiserman

[redfastlad]

Yes, but Carrie, that's common sense; it wouldn't pay for 80 managers per area to have a cushy job on £40,000 to £100,000 a year of the pretence of checking to see if boats are licensed.

[redfastlad]

Go to Nottingham and see the wonderful offices of BW in the city next to the canal then take a stroll along the towpath and see all the liveaboard water gypsies,oh yes unlicensed and proud of it,so under the very noses of BW this is happening year in year out,cruise a little further up the trent and Beeston is usually full of em you cant even get on the lock moorings for them and yes not a license to be seen,then plod on up to the cranfleet section where you get a mouthy lock keeper who has maybe 10/12 boats in his section unlicensed and this is year in year out on the take springs to my mind eh? and when i asked to emergency moor in the flood he wouldnt let me into cranfleet but im only a licensed boat so maybe i wouldnt fit in eh.BW stands for BLOODY WANKERS.and i havent even started on the keeper at Hazleford who is second only to Hitler,who believes cutting grass is more important than anserwing the radio to oncomming boats and opening locks,try mooring there its stallag 17 still musnt grumble eh its England and we must pay for everthing we do.

[carlt]

You don't really like boating do you lad?