Online Boat Licence Checker

[DpEndofShalo]

We purchased a 30 day explorer licence for the canal system last September. Our boat is kept on the River Thames and licenced yearly through the Environment Agency. As we are in Oxford, we knew we would be on the canals for a couple of weeks at the minimum to a months time at maximum in the year up to September 2017. The explorer licence is perfect for us.

 

What is not so perfect is being reported to the CRT as being unlicenced. When I put my own number through the checker, sure enough, the system does not recognise the number and it asks me to fill in the details of where this boat was sighted. Me being me, I have reported myself and in the commentary section, cut and pasted the copy of the licence email they sent to me when we bought the licence last September. This is the first we are using the licence.

 

A gentleman with a clipboard who looked official but stated he was not employed by CRT knocked on our boat to ask about our licence. I showed the emails and he looked at me like I had an elbow growing out of my forehead and told me I should get in touch with CRT or I would keep having this problem.

 

1. Has anyone else experienced this.

2. Are there really people who are not being paid, running around checking everyones licences and then when shown proof of one, looking at you like you are making the whole thing up. Am I obliged to explain myself to these people.

3. How can it possibly be that a number that CRT gave me and is on the plates they sent and the licence I paid for, not recognised by their system.

 

Frustrated

Alison

[widebeamboy]

After having taken his picture I'd have been entertaining said gentleman with a few words, one of which would have been off. I am sure some more sensible replies will follow shortly.

[Dave Payne]

Do you have thirty day tickets as apposed to one licence?

[Leo No2]

Alison

 

I volunteer for CRT and chair a group that would be also interested in finding out what's happening.

 

If you could post your boat index number I'll request CRT look at what's happening or alternatively get your post count up to 5 (then you can use the PM system - I think it is 5 anyway) and we can discuss 'off line'.

 

Dave Payne - last time I had an explorer licence (and it was a few years ago) the process was a kind of calendar on an A4 sheet on which you marked off the days you were on CRT waters - not sure if it is the same still.

 

Edited to add: Alternatively please e-mail enquiries.southeast@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Edited January 26, 2017 by Leo No2

[PaulG]

We purchased a 30 day explorer licence for the canal system last September. Our boat is kept on the River Thames and licenced yearly through the Environment Agency. As we are in Oxford, we knew we would be on the canals for a couple of weeks at the minimum to a months time at maximum in the year up to September 2017. The explorer licence is perfect for us.

 

What is not so perfect is being reported to the CRT as being unlicenced. When I put my own number through the checker, sure enough, the system does not recognise the number and it asks me to fill in the details of where this boat was sighted. Me being me, I have reported myself and in the commentary section, cut and pasted the copy of the licence email they sent to me when we bought the licence last September. This is the first we are using the licence.

 

A gentleman with a clipboard who looked official but stated he was not employed by CRT knocked on our boat to ask about our licence. I showed the emails and he looked at me like I had an elbow growing out of my forehead and told me I should get in touch with CRT or I would keep having this problem.

 

1. Has anyone else experienced this.

2. Are there really people who are not being paid, running around checking everyones licences and then when shown proof of one, looking at you like you are making the whole thing up. Am I obliged to explain myself to these people.

3. How can it possibly be that a number that CRT gave me and is on the plates they sent and the licence I paid for, not recognised by their system.

 

Frustrated

Alison

I bought a 30-day explorer licence last year.

All I received back was an email to acknowledge the payment and a PDF file with a load of squares on it that an 11-year-old could have knocked up on a computer in 30-seconds flat.

I queried this with CRT and they confirmed that the document that they sent was not the licence. It was merely an aid to keeping track of our usage. They also confirmed that they do not issue any form of licence.

I have kept a copy of their email on my boat just in case.

 

I've only used 4 days so far, and passed though manned locks on the Severn with no enquiries at all about our licence status. I therefore concluded that the lockies have access to the relevant licence information, as the policy on the Severn is "no licence, no pass".

 

One would assume that if the lockies can check licence status, then so could an "official" licence checking person.

Therefore any enquires about our licence status in the future will be met with an invitation to "go forth and multiply".

 

Personally I could not care less if the enquirer is "official" or not. If CRT saw any need to check for a paper licence, they should/would have issued me with one.

[DpEndofShalo]

I dont mind sharing my registration number 524286 and if you go and check it.... sure enough.. not recognised.

I appreciate that we all need to pay for our licence but offering a service to check things that doesnt work, defeats the entire purpose.

 

Id love to know if you get anywhere finding out the issue

[PaulG]

I dont mind sharing my registration number 524286 and if you go and check it.... sure enough.. not recognised.

I appreciate that we all need to pay for our licence but offering a service to check things that doesnt work, defeats the entire purpose.

 

Id love to know if you get anywhere finding out the issue

If it makes you feel any better, I just tried putting my own boat number into their online checker, and it came up as "not recognised" and asked for a sighting report.

Their system could be busy during the summer when we hit CRT waters again ...

[alan_fincher]

Unless I'm misunderstanding, then if you buy a 30 day explorer licence, then you are only licensed to be on CRT waters on those days that you choose to use one of your days of credit.

 

If you use 30 days in a year, then by implication for 335 days of the year you do not have a boat licensed to be on CRT waters.

 

There is no way an on-line license checker can know if it's one of those rare days you have a boat on CRT waters, therefore I for one am not overly surprised that the system treats you as not having a permanent current CRT licence.

Edited January 26, 2017 by alan_fincher

[ditchcrawler]

Unless I'm misunderstanding, then if you buy a 30 day explorer licence, then you are only licensed to be on CRT waters on those days that you choose to use one of your days of credit.

 

If you use 30 days in a year, then by implication for 335 days of the year you do not have a boat licensed to be on CRT waters.

 

There is no way an on-line license checker can know if it's one of those rare days you have a boat on CRT waters, therefore I for one am not overly surprised that the system treats you as not having a permanent current CRT licence.

I go along with that. CRT the people who count know you are licensed on a temporary basis, It matters not to the bissybody who reports you. Out of interest the only place I could think your licence would be checked by a non CRT person would be Thrupp, if on the Oxford Canal as the club monitors the moorings there. But I don't think they would be authorised to challenge you on it.

[nebulae]

Not sure if lockies on the Severn are authorised to refuse a locking any more?. This used to be the case,but I understand they are not expected to confront boaters now,as they are not paid to place themselves in a threatend position.? As they are part time,seasonal,why should they.?

[PaulG]

Unless I'm misunderstanding, then if you buy a 30 day explorer licence, then you are only licensed to be on CRT waters on those days that you choose to use one of your days of credit.

 

If you use 30 days in a year, then by implication for 335 days of the year you do not have a boat licensed to be on CRT waters.

 

There is no way an on-line license checker can know if it's one of those rare days you have a boat on CRT waters, therefore I for one am not overly surprised that the system treats you as not having a permanent current CRT licence.

I don't think it is beyond the ingenuity of man to include 30-day licence details in the online system.

Not sure if lockies on the Severn are authorised to refuse a locking any more?. This used to be the case,but I understand they are not expected to confront boaters now,as they are not paid to place themselves in a threatend position.? As they are part time,seasonal,why should they.?

The River Severn Navigation Guide states that:

"Please note that you will not be allowed passage through the River Severn locks without a valid, CRT River Licence for your craft"

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/refresh/media/thumbnail/27339-new-river-severn-navigation-guide-april-2016.pdf

[NilesMI]

I would concur with the

 

There is no way an on-line license checker can know if it's one of those rare days you have a boat on CRT waters, therefore I for one am not overly surprised that the system treats you as not having a permanent current CRT licence.

 

Exactly.

 

The concern you have should not be about the on-line licence checker, but with the "gentleman with a clipboard who looked official but stated he was not employed by CRT".

 

He may just be a sad character who likes wandering round with a clipboard annoying people. Alternatively he could be someone who has more malign intent and I certainly wouldn't be sharing emails with him if he knocked on my boat. I'd be considering whether to report his suspicious behaviour to the police, frankly.

[dor]

I would concur with the

 

 

Exactly.

 

The concern you have should not be about the on-line licence checker, but with the "gentleman with a clipboard who looked official but stated he was not employed by CRT".

 

He may just be a sad character who likes wandering round with a clipboard annoying people. Alternatively he could be someone who has more malign intent and I certainly wouldn't be sharing emails with him if he knocked on my boat. I'd be considering whether to report his suspicious behaviour to the police, frankly.

 

I very much doubt he was anything to do with C&RT as they use online data recorders and checkers. Clipboards went out a while ago.

[Nightwatch]

If, I had a 30 day thingy. I pop into CRT waters for a couple of days. Because I'm a bit forgetful, I don't fill in the little squares on my CRT supplied record sheet. Therefore I instantly have 32 days.

 

Am I correct in my assumption?

[NilesMI]

Am I correct in my assumption?

 

No. You still have 30 days.

 

Meanwhile, your unlicensed boat will have spent 2 days on CRT water.

[Robbo]

We purchased a 30 day explorer licence for the canal system last September. Our boat is kept on the River Thames and licenced yearly through the Environment Agency. As we are in Oxford, we knew we would be on the canals for a couple of weeks at the minimum to a months time at maximum in the year up to September 2017. The explorer licence is perfect for us.

 

What is not so perfect is being reported to the CRT as being unlicenced. When I put my own number through the checker, sure enough, the system does not recognise the number and it asks me to fill in the details of where this boat was sighted. Me being me, I have reported myself and in the commentary section, cut and pasted the copy of the licence email they sent to me when we bought the licence last September. This is the first we are using the licence.

 

A gentleman with a clipboard who looked official but stated he was not employed by CRT knocked on our boat to ask about our licence. I showed the emails and he looked at me like I had an elbow growing out of my forehead and told me I should get in touch with CRT or I would keep having this problem.

 

1. Has anyone else experienced this.

2. Are there really people who are not being paid, running around checking everyones licences and then when shown proof of one, looking at you like you are making the whole thing up. Am I obliged to explain myself to these people.

3. How can it possibly be that a number that CRT gave me and is on the plates they sent and the licence I paid for, not recognised by their system.

 

Frustrated

Alison

It's not your problem, it's CRT's. If anyone official asks, tell them they are mistaken and should check their records. Give them no details other than the boats number to check. Do everything in writing not at your doorstep.

 

If anyone official asks to see your license, check for ID first to make sure they are from CRT.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Robbo

[mayalld]

I don't think it is beyond the ingenuity of man to include 30-day licence details in the online system.

 

 

I think that you misunderstand the licence that the OP has.

 

It isn't a 30 day licence that has a start and end date.

 

Rather, it is (effectively) a book of 30 1-day licences that the OP can use as and when, and that they don't have to tell CRT when they use them.

 

How could the online system possibly know whether a boat is licenced on a particular day?

[ditchcrawler]

 

I think that you misunderstand the licence that the OP has.

 

It isn't a 30 day licence that has a start and end date.

 

Rather, it is (effectively) a book of 30 1-day licences that the OP can use as and when, and that they don't have to tell CRT when they use them.

 

How could the online system possibly know whether a boat is licenced on a particular day?

And would it be worth the trouble or expense.

[Leo No2]

I think that you misunderstand the licence that the OP has.

 

It isn't a 30 day licence that has a start and end date.

 

Rather, it is (effectively) a book of 30 1-day licences that the OP can use as and when, and that they don't have to tell CRT when they use them.

 

How could the online system possibly know whether a boat is licenced on a particular day?

Dave you are 100% correct having had a number of them when based on the Wey but visiting London and such places. A very useful licence for those who are not based on CRT waters but does require a certain degree of honesty in ticking off the dates you are on CRT waters but then I suppose you could get caught out quite easily.

[alan_fincher]

Out of interest the only place I could think your licence would be checked by a non CRT person would be Thrupp, if on the Oxford Canal as the club monitors the moorings there. But I don't think they would be authorised to challenge you on it.

 

Not so. CRT are making ever increased use of Moorings Rangers, (or whatever the latest name is), who are volunteers, not CRT staff. Not just Thrupp in the South East, but also Stoke Bruerne, Foxton, Braunston, Batchworth, Marsworth (possibly still?), and an ever increasing numbers of locations throughout Milton Keynes.

 

They are empowered by CRT to record, but should not be challenging a boater on their situation - only peranent CRT staff should be doing that.

 

I very much doubt he was anything to do with C&RT as they use online data recorders and checkers. Clipboards went out a while ago.

 

As I understand it, a lot of the volunteers do only take paper records as they do their walk about, and only log them into a system later. A CRT staff member would, however, definitely be using a hand hld device.

 

I forgot to say the volunteers should be in at least CRT sweatshirt and with badge. Anybody not at least badged up as acting for CRT, and prepared to show ID robably is a busybody, and in no way official - There are certainly some about!

[David Mack]

 

I think that you misunderstand the licence that the OP has.

 

It isn't a 30 day licence that has a start and end date.

 

Rather, it is (effectively) a book of 30 1-day licences that the OP can use as and when, and that they don't have to tell CRT when they use them.

 

How could the online system possibly know whether a boat is licenced on a particular day?

But it could know that you have been issued with an Explorer Licence valid until x date.

[Naughty Cal]

But it could know that you have been issued with an Explorer Licence valid until x date.

But there isn't a date attached to the 30x1 day tickets.

[Pie Eater]

I am sure that explorer licences must be used within 12 months of the first date of use.

 

Steve

[Victor Vectis]

A gentleman with a clipboard who looked official but stated he was not employed by CRT knocked on our boat to ask about our licence.

I bet he was wearing a high viz tabbard.

 

Peaked caps are sooooooooo last century.

[David Mack]

But there isn't a date attached to the 30x1 day tickets.

The 30 days have to be used within one year, so the end date after which the are no longer valid can be shown.