BSS and Thames Licence

Jennifern, if you are looking for a BSS examiner I can recommend Roger Wells. Search for jollyrogermarineservices all one word or his mobile is 07774 789699. No connection other than he did my last BSS survey and was very helpful in terms of not just saying no but explaining what was required and how to achieve it.

HF
 
rafiki_ said:
If you look at the BSC regs there should be no way the black water can discharge into the river.
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Where does it say that in the BSC Regs? This is a Thames EA requirement not a BSC Requirement. The EA Anglian Region has no such requirement and the vast majority of cruisers discharge their sea toilets direct into the river. Holding tanks are rare in the Anglian Region, but not quite as rare as EA pumpouts!!!

Personally, I have a chemical toilet on board but all boats here get through the BSS ok.
 
Seems like the original poster might well have done a runner - and if they have I don't blame them.
Being confronted with such a draconian process for obtaining a licence on first arrival is not in anyones best interest.

The problem with the boat safety examination is that it is an unpredictable process and, whilst fairly straightforward in its requirements, can reveal issues which require quite a lot of work to comply. I had a problem with my boat when I brought it up from Plymouth because the fuel filler hose did not descend to the tank top in a continuously downwards flow. Near the point of entry to the tank it curved back up again very slightly which allowed a small amount of diesel to be trapped in the hose. Cost me many hours and quite a few bob to get a new hose sorted and fitted.

The only way to comply with the EA requirements and be able to use your boat as soon as you pay for a licence is not to apply for the licence until you have the BSC in your sticky mitt.
If arriving at point of entry to the river and obtaining a visitors licence is not an option then you either need to get the BSC before you arrive or pay for a full licence and accept that you can't use the boat until you have the BSC.

A visiting boat buys a "Short Period Registration" - note, NOT a visitors licence - licence and signs a declaration with no check on compliance. If that its acceptable then why should such short period registration be denied to an intended new resident to assist with the process of becoming compliant?
 
Because it is becoming a thames based boat , it isn't visiting , and suggesting that we do otherwise is incorrect.

Lets , for arguments sake , say that the boat we sell a visitors licence to becomes an itinerant boat , then we have the headache of tracking down who it is , who owns it , then we have to serve an unregistered report on it . All this uses up precious money , that is in short supply.

All this can be solved by just issuing an UR at point of entry , there's nothing draconian about it I'm afraid.

I'm well aware of he correct term for a visitors licence thank you , I use the generic term 'visitors licence' to avoid using too many acronyms.
 
This has got nothing to do with itinerant boats. Its got everything to do with providing a customer friendly approach to licensing and making it easy for newcomers to become compliant and start enjoying the river.
Not everyone is a potential licence evader.
 
But you can't have one rule for one and one for the other.

What is the problem with receiving an unregistered report at point of entry ? We do many each month , and few and far between are the people who complain.

It is easy for newcomers to be compliant , they receive a report , they have a grace period to have the work done and then licence it. If they don't have the work done within the grace period , they can still licence it but will receive a red licence showing that they have paid but cannot use the boat as the work has not been done. When it is eventually done , they can exchange their red licence for a full annual.

I can't see how that is unfair ?
 
It is easy for newcomers to be compliant , they receive a report , they have a grace period to have the work done and then licence it.
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How long is the "grace period" ?

If you issue " many each month" for what reason are they issued? How many subsequently take out a full licence?

Incidentally, I am not taking issue with you, personally, but with the process that you are required to enforce.
 
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Im not sure , you would need to speak to craft reg about it.

Without going off on a tangent and going back to my explanation above though , does the process seem unfair ?
 
Its not so much a question of fairness but of commercial reality and expediency.

New boat to river arrives at Teddington and is permitted to buy up to 3 x 30 day consecutive short term registrations - EA gets the dosh, boat owner gets to use the river and, if intending to become a Thames annual has up to 90 days to get BSC sorted and apply for a full licence. Otherwise has to depart through your hallowed portals at the end of 90 days.
 
teddington_lock said:
does the process seem unfair ?
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Coming at this from the position that I only have the information I have read in the thread and worked in the public sector for 32 years, it strikes me that the process has been written with the expectation that people bringing a boat fresh to the Thames are there to abuse the system and will not be totally honest about their intentions. The public sector tends to think the worst of people and develops processes accordingly.
I think B1 has a very valid argument for encouraging boats to the river by offering them the opportunity to use the boat while still having the time to sort out the BSC. After all, it is the case that craft on the river with a visitors licence do not have to have a BSC. At least here the OP has declared their intention and made the position clear.

I use a caravan site and sometimes when arriving on spec they will ask if I am going to put the awning up. If the weather is unsettled I dont always want to use it; while pondering this question the guy said look, just pay for a pitch and if you put up the awning come and pay the difference, so I did, and I did.

HF
 
rafiki_ said:
I'm pretty sure that this is a mistake by the inspector. If you look at the BSC regs there should be no way the black water can discharge into the river. The OP is better using a chemical toilet, and removing the sea toilet.
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No its not a mistake.
A sea toilet has a seacock valve so it complies.
Wheter the toilet can or should be used legally or otherwise is another matter.
Fortunately there are toilets ashore at most places where we stop so its not a problem.
 
MartynG said:
No its not a mistake.
A sea toilet has a seacock valve so it complies.
Wheter the toilet can or should be used legally or otherwise is another matter.
Fortunately there are toilets ashore at most places where we stop so its not a problem.
Click to expand...

The Thames Inspectors when they existed used to wire seal the toilet seacocks closed( easy on a gate valve more dificult on the lever ball valves). Its removal would clearly be apparent at the next inspection. Not sure what they do now.
 
We can seal sea toilets at Tedders , we have the wire sealing kit. Does rely on people's honesty as they come through though when we ask if their toilet pumps overboard.
 
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