Are the number of boats not displaying name or Index number increasing?

[nbfiresprite]

It does seem that the number of boats not displaying a name or index number are on the increase, To night moored on March Town moorings are nine boats, only one with a name and index number displayed, Two of the others with just Gold licences on display, the rest are Bargee Travellers who have been here for months. It seems to be the same elsewhere. 

[rusty69]

Do you need to display a number on the ml? 

Edited September 5, 2017 by rusty69

[Nightwatch]

I think so. Not overwhelmingly, I do see more, I notice as I like to see if I've seen the boat else where in our travels.

[Chop!]

Have you got a mooring OK? Are any of said boats hassling you? Why are you bothered by what other boats are or are not doing?

Just steer your boat, enjoy your time, mind your own business... ;0)

[Naughty Cal]

It does seem to be an increasing trend. Not just amongst the scruffy boat brigade either.

[Boat&Bikes]

Don't know, to busy boating and enjoying life.

Ian.

[Athy]

Rusty's point is well made. Here on the Middle Level we don't need to display index numbers because there are no index numbers. It should therefore come as no surprise that boats aren't displaying one.

[nbfiresprite]

It has long be a requirement for boats to display a name on the Middle Level. It is also in the vested interest of everyone that all boats display a name and where required a valid index number. They who don't have something to hide, be it no insurance, BSSC or licence. They want to make it harder to be traced.  It is not just on the Middle Level that I'am seeing a increasing number of boats with no index number or name.

If your boat gets damage or you are injured by one of these boats with no name or index number. You are going to have a hard time with chasing them for costs. Any witnesses can read a name or index number, but most are unlikely to describe in any great detail the boat other than its colour. Last year I was T-boned by a Red Springer as I come out of the upper gate on to the Northampton Washlands, No name or index number which had been painted out.  I was unable track the owner, which caused a dent in my own insurance to repair the damage.      

As for the March town moorings (36 hours) 2/3 now taking up with long term over stayer's which the council are having a hard time removing them.

 

[Athy]

7 hours ago, nbfiresprite said:

It has long be a requirement for boats to display a name on the Middle Level. It is also in the vested interest of everyone that all boats display a name and where required a valid index number. They who don't have something to hide,

But if they operate solely on the Middle Level, they do not need to display an index number because the MLC do not issue index numbers. If they go outside those waters, they will of course need an EA one. I don't know how many boats always stay within ML waters - it's a quite extensive cruising area, if not invariably an exciting one.

[blackrose]

It seems a fairly pointless exercise to canvas a boat forum about whether the numbers of such boats are increasing (or decreasing) as without proper statistical data all you will get is heresay and the anecdotes of a handful of respondents which is never going to be representative. On the other hand, if it's just an excuse for another moan carry on by all means if that's your thing.

Edited September 6, 2017 by blackrose

[Athy]

6 minutes ago, blackrose said:

It seems a fairly pointless exercise to canvas a boat forum about whether the numbers of such boats are increasing (or decreasing) as without proper statistical data all you will get is heresay and the anecdotes of a handful of respondents which is never going to be representative. On the other hand, if it's just an excuse for another moan carry on by all means if that's your thing.

I do not think that Mr.Sprite is a noted moaner; perhaps your last comment is on the harsh side.

[alan_fincher]

11 minutes ago, Athy said:

I do not think that Mr.Sprite is a noted moaner; perhaps your last comment is on the harsh side.

It does however seem odd to bang on about the lack of index numbers on a waterway where they are not a requirement.

As part of my volunteer role I regularly hear complaint that CRT should take action about just how many "scruffy" boats there are on their waters.  However if you check the bye-laws or even the licence T&Cs, not being "scruffy" isn't actually a requirement, however much some people might wish that it were.
 

[rusty69]

7 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It does however seem odd to bang on about the lack of index numbers on a waterway where they are not a requirement.

Which i was implying in my first response 

[Athy]

7 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It does however seem odd to bang on about the lack of index numbers on a waterway where they are not a requirement.

As part of my volunteer role I regularly hear complaint that CRT should take action about just how many "scruffy" boats there are on their waters.  However if you check the bye-laws or even the licence T&Cs, not being "scruffy" isn't actually a requirement, however much some people might wish that it were.
 

I quite agree - but not behaving oddly isn't a requirement for being a boater either!

[Naughty Cal]

9 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It does however seem odd to bang on about the lack of index numbers on a waterway where they are not a requirement.

As part of my volunteer role I regularly hear complaint that CRT should take action about just how many "scruffy" boats there are on their waters.  However if you check the bye-laws or even the licence T&Cs, not being "scruffy" isn't actually a requirement, however much some people might wish that it were.
 

To be fair to the OP he did say index number or name not just index number.

[Athy]

Yes, he did - and I have learned from his post, as I did not know that boats on the ML were supposed to display a name. Were that rule rigidly enforced, we might see a sudden increase in the number of 'Kingfisher's or, perhaps more appropriately, 'Narrow Escape's.

[alan_fincher]

And then of course on CRT waters you get the anomaly that these days CRT say quite firmly that there is no need to display a name, but the underlying bye-laws say there is.

You could say CRT are condoning breaking the bye-laws!

[Athy]

2 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

And then of course on CRT waters you get the anomaly that these days CRT say quite firmly that there is no need to display a name, but the underlying bye-laws say there is.

You could say CRT are condoning breaking the bye-laws!

From previous correspondence on these pages, it seems that CART's staff are divided about 50/50 on whether a licence (which includes the name as well as the number) must be displayed or not. Left hand/ right hand, bum/ elbow...

[Machpoint005]

For some years my boat's name and number were clearly displayed on the licence (both sides of the boat) but nowhere else. Do the ML requirements say how big the name has to be?

[rusty69]

12 hours ago, nbfiresprite said:

 I was unable track the owner, which caused a dent in my own insurance to repair the damage.  

How come? If you and he were both present at the time. 

[peterboat]

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

How come? If you and he were both present at the time. 

I think the Springer escaped at high speed and deployed a smoke screen

[nbfiresprite]

1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

How come? If you and he were both present at the time. 

You find that people who don't have insurance tend not to stop to exchange insurance details. All I received instead from her was a load of foul language. I was unable to give chase, as she had shoved me on to the sandbank that forms between the main channel and the lock channel.  The two witnesses on the north bank were only able to state that it was a red boat with no name and what she looked like. Which is not a lot to work with.

1 hour ago, Machpoint005 said:

For some years my boat's name and number were clearly displayed on the licence (both sides of the boat) but nowhere else. Do the ML requirements say how big the name has to be?

Only that it can be clearly read from the bank-side while the boat is in mid channel. The fine for not displaying is still only 40 shillings (£2) which in 1862 was a great amount. 

Edited September 6, 2017 by nbfiresprite

[rusty69]

1 hour ago, nbfiresprite said:

You find that people who don't have insurance tend not to stop to exchange insurance details. All I received instead from her was a load of foul language. I was unable to give chase, as she had shoved me on to the sandbank that forms between the main channel and the lock channel.  The two witnesses on the north bank were only able to state that it was a red boat with no name and what she looked like. Which is not a lot to work with.

Sorry to hear that. The displaying of a name and index number on this vessel may have been no benefit anyway, if as you suspect no insurance was in place. 

[nbfiresprite]

4 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Sorry to hear that. The displaying of a name and index number on this vessel may have been no benefit anyway, if as you suspect no insurance was in place. 

That may be so, but a name and index number would be a starting point of a paper trail and make the witness statement more useful. After all there will be some record of who brought it. The old owners would in most cases make sure that the reg details were updated or end up getting the blame for any wrong doing, if they did not. The same as you would do with a car.

[ditchcrawler]

On 05/09/2017 at 19:40, Chop! said:

Have you got a mooring OK? Are any of said boats hassling you? Why are you bothered by what other boats are or are not doing?

Just steer your boat, enjoy your time, mind your own business... ;0)

That's what people said about all the boats moored on the Thames and not going anywhere, now because of that councils are banning mooring for all boater, same on the Bridgwater when they nipped off down there for a few months at a time and spoilt it for the rest.

The ones you say don't bother about eventually spoil it for the rest