7 day visitor licence

[stuartbaggs]

Can I just turn up at a lock (by foot) to buy a visitor licence for a set period?

I need one for next week (Monday to Sunday) but boat is not on river yet but I am within walking distance of a lock.

Do they take cash?

 

[capnfishy]

Err, no, you have to have your boat with you so the lock keeper can verify you are buying the correct licence. Just go to the nearest lock once you get afloat.

 

[capnfishy]

And yes, they take cash.

 

[Alpha22]

I assume this would be the same if entering the Thames at Teddington from the sea?
I have an Anglian EA licence and I believe I get 2 weeks free on the Thames.... They would issue my Thames licence at Teddington I assume.

 

[mlines]

Err, no, you have to have your boat with you so the lock keeper can verify you are buying the correct licence. Just go to the nearest lock once you get afloat.

Err - no you dont. I have done exactly that a couple of times and other times simply rang the EA and did it over the phone and received the licence by email a couple of hours later.

 

[stuartbaggs]

Err - no you dont. I have done exactly that a couple of times and other times simply rang the EA and did it over the phone and received the licence by email a couple of hours later.

doh

 

[capnfishy]

I answered the question as posed. Yes, you can phone the boat registration team as well, but that wasn't asked.

 

[capnfishy]

And they dont take cash over the phone.

 

[Chill]

Yawn

 

[mlines]

I answered the question as posed. Yes, you can phone the boat registration team as well, but that wasn't asked.

You said you needed to have your boat with you.

 

[capnfishy]

You do need your boat with if you wish to buy a licence at a lock but there are other ways to get one.

 

[mlines]

Well as I said, on two occasions now I have purchased a licence at a lock without my boat being there. Usually purchased the day before putting the boat in the river.

 

[capnfishy]

Therein lies the problem with the level of trained knowledge amongst permanent and summer lock staff. What I advised is correct but no matter, we have far greater challenges to deal with than legal pedantry. Enjoy your boating, however you buy your licence.

 

[mlines]

Yes, I guess the permanent lock keeper did not understand the rules.

 

[lenten]

i have walked up to a lock and bought a day licence---sunbury--no boat---no problem

 

[boatone]

Therein lies the problem with the level of trained knowledge amongst permanent and summer lock staff. What I advised is correct but no matter, we have far greater challenges to deal with than legal pedantry. Enjoy your boating, however you buy your licence.

Legal pedantry? Surely what is more likely is that those who should know are showing a casual (relaxed?) attitude to the procedures? A printed copy at the lock would help, not to mention making it easier to find such info on the website.
lets face it, the registration process is hardly robust - what chance someone underdeclaring will actually be detected?

 

[teddington_lock]

Imagine you rock up to a lock sans boat ...

How long is your boat says the lock keeper ( your boat is 30 feet by 9 )

15 by 6 says you .... Naughty naughty.

If lock staff are selling you SPR licences without seeing your boat , they they are dead wrong to do so. Fact.

Splitting hairs and arguing over the minutiae doesn't help. As mentioned by another poster , this is ( should ) be the difference in knowledge between seasonal staff and permanent staff. It would be interesting to see who sold you your licence at sunbury Lenten as sunbury has no permanent resident lock keeper. It is manned solely by reliefs and during the summer months certainly a large proportion will be seasonal staff due to there being very few actual permanent relief staff nowadays.

 

[mlines]

How do the people on the phone see your boat?

 

[lenten]

hi teddington---was going to trailer boat to lo sunbury lock but road seemed to be getting narrower so walked last 1/4 mile---shame there is no permanent lockeeper---years ago delivered 2 ton of coal from the thames conservancy yard to the lock by punt----thames conservacy definition of a punt ---steel--40x10 feet---punted by a scaffold pole--all was going slowly and calmly until the lock gates opened and a gaggle of hire boats appeared----boating chaos but somehow no collisons---lockeeper gave me one of his spare uniform jackets---my first and only punting experience---no lifejacket---walking along the foot wide sides of the punt---surprisingly easy and great fun

 

[teddington_lock]

How do the people on the phone see your boat?

And herein lies the rub ... It's open to abuse by people who think 'I'll just tell a little porkie , it's a few more pints down the pub'

The amount of scammers I dealt with over the years , telling me lies about the size of their boat was unreal. I know my boats so would catch them out most of the time ... So, your Fairline 30 is just 6 foot wide sir ? Really sir ? I think it's a bit more than that... Let's put down 10.

It's money being pinched from the EA. which could be spent on looking after the river. They're kidding no one but themselves and making life more difficult for the rest of us.