EA Visiting Marinas

[Wavey]

I don't think carrying a valid license is a condition of the berthing agreement with MDL (although it's a while since I've actually read it) and I'm sure all marinas and anyone else who rents moorings would take the view it's not their job to police licensing. Certainly the lack of a license won't prohibit you from getting insurance.

 

[BG1]

Should have gone to Specsavers.

Popped down to the boat at Bray this afternoon. I was amazed at the number of tickets stuck on boats. Imagine my absolute horror when I found one stuck on my pride and joy.
Now for the record, my boat has never been unlicenced in all the years I've owned her, even have a direct debit in place.

I imediatley phoned the number given on the form and spoke to a guy, probably in Peterborough. I explained the boat is licenced. He phoned the enforcement officer who said he couldn't see a licence. I explained I have tinted windows and he should have spent a little more time checking before issuing tickets, or even checking his laptop for registration.

The instructions for displaying a licence state it should be placed on a forward facing window, and that is exactly where it is. Further more, he also stuck a ticket on my dinghy that is in davits and not even on the water! Also licenced by the way.

Now I'm all for finding the fee dodgers, but when I pay over £650 a year and get a ticket through incompetence of the EA staff, I get annoyed.

Does anyone know how to remove the sticky ticket material, particularly from hypalon.

 

[TrueBlue]

Popped down to the boat at Bray this afternoon. I was amazed at the number of tickets stuck on boats. Imagine my absolute horror when I found one stuck on my pride and joy.
Now for the record, my boat has never been unlicenced in all the years I've owned her, even have a direct debit in place.

I imediatley phoned the number given on the form and spoke to a guy, probably in Peterborough. I explained the boat is licenced. He phoned the enforcement officer who said he couldn't see a licence. I explained I have tinted windows and he should have spent a little more time checking before issuing tickets, or even checking his laptop for registration.
The instructions for displaying a licence state it should be placed on a forward facing window, and that is exactly where it is. Further more, he also stuck a ticket on my dinghy that is in davits and not even on the water! Also licenced by the way.

Now I'm all for finding the fee dodgers, but when I pay over £650 a year and get a ticket through incompetence of the EA staff, I get annoyed.

Does anyone know how to remove the sticky ticket material, particularly from hypalon.

.

On such a mission there's not a lot of time to do more than a cursory glance - targets - you know.

Yes it must be annoying to be named and shamed, but shouldn't it be more satisfaction for you to know that the chaps are trying to do their job??



What's the wording on the ticket? IIRC it used to be a gentle warning (insofar as any governmental statement could be construed as "gentle"...) to get a licence if you don't have one.

Somebody up the EA management tree told me that compliance staff don't have laptops and certainly couldn't lug one around whilst clambering over boats.

Dinghies - have the rules changed or is it a try on I wonder (perhaps volunteer staff?? (OOOhh) ?

 

[dash300]

I wonder what proportion of "boats moored at the bottom of the garden" are also unlicensed. The comment about the olde Broom 30 struck a cord as the one outside Penton hasn't turned a prop in the best part of 20 years. I'd bet any money it's been unlicensed for the same length of time. There's a few more on that stretch that would fall into the category of unloved, uncared for and therefore, in all probability, unlicensed.

Passing the said Broom yesterday it is now displaying a license, I suspect the first it has had for many years[/QUOTE]

So it must have had valid insurance and a boat safety cert. at least

 

[CJL]

Does anyone know how to remove the sticky ticket material, particularly from hypalon.

Try Rib Shine or if your feeling tight try Traffic Film Remover

CJL

 

[boatone]

Passing the said Broom yesterday it is now displaying a license, I suspect the first it has had for many years

So it must have had valid insurance and a boat safety cert. at least[/QUOTE]

Insurance yes, but possible they may have a dispensation for time to meet BSS. If this is the case I think licence will be a different colour (red?) and they will not be permitted to "use" the boat until it has BSS.

 

[boatone]

Dinghies - have the rules changed or is it a try on I wonder (perhaps volunteer staff?? (OOOhh) ?

No rules change as far as i am aware. In any case, enforcement work must be done by warranted staff so not volunteers.

 

[dash300]

So it must have had valid insurance and a boat safety cert. at least

Insurance yes, but possible they may have a dispensation for time to meet BSS. If this is the case I think licence will be a different colour (red?) and they will not be permitted to "use" the boat until it has BSS.[/QUOTE]

Ah, yes. Is the Red licence so loved by some, of a limited duration and is it charged at a reduced rate?

 

[boatone]

Insurance yes, but possible they may have a dispensation for time to meet BSS. If this is the case I think licence will be a different colour (red?) and they will not be permitted to "use" the boat until it has BSS.

Ah, yes. Is the Red licence so loved by some, of a limited duration and is it charged at a reduced rate?[/QUOTE]

Limited duration, yes - I think for a maximum 12 months or maybe even just until end of current year. Reduced rate of charge , NO - full rate.

If BSS not accomplished within the time period then, I think I am right in saying, the boat must be removed from the water and cannot then be licensed until it complies.

 

[bradtarga34]

I look forward to them making a visit to the moorings next to The Anglers pub in Walton-on-Thames, a particularly putrid boat called Pepper Pots having no license at all showing, and a number of others as well, will be glad to see them sorted out... Seems to be so many end of garden jobs as well without licensees as well, so hopefully they will get to them all, a site where you could report unlicensed boats would be handy.

 

[ADLS]

Im a little suprised that a boat has to have a river licence to sit in a marina, surely a marina is private property. Yes of course you do need a licence to navigate the river.

So if I buy a boat from the marina or get it trucked in and floated in the marina and decide I dont wont to use it for a year, for whatever reason I still need a river licence.
If I have a riverside property and lift the boat out, do I need a licence?
Mind you I cant see the difference in having your boat berthed in a private marina off the main navigation route or having it ashore.

I fully agree that all boats ON the river should be licenced.

 

[mikemanor]

Im a little suprised that a boat has to have a river licence to sit in a marina, surely a marina is private property. .

And the Secretary of State agreed with you! But the EA have done it anyway. It can't be long before this is challenged in a court.

See paras 6 and 7 below:

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/rural/documents/countryside/waterways-twa-decision.pdf

 

[joejo]

So it must have had valid insurance and a boat safety cert. at least

Insurance yes, but possible they may have a dispensation for time to meet BSS. If this is the case I think licence will be a different colour (red?) and they will not be permitted to "use" the boat until it has BSS.[/QUOTE]


It was an orange license

 

[oldgit]

Private water or Public water.

The water that your boat floats in remarkably does not have some sort of magical power to keep itself separate from the ordinary oiks public water outside the marina.
It is exactly the same as the stuff in the navigation which needs to be carefully managed at considerable expence from public funds with a small token additional amount extracted from curiously reluctant boat owners.
The simplest way to remove your boat from being obliged to pay the licence fee is either,put it ashore or fill in the entrance from the marina to the Thames .......job done !

 

[Chill]

I believe that boats on the sales pontoon do not have to have a licence so the number of unlicenced boats in the Racecourse could be well over 50

 

[watson1959]

They'll have a whale of a time at T&K: just had a wander whilst waiting for a mate to arrive....

 

[rosssavage]

Got a friend who earned his BSS inspectors ticket earlier this year. He thinks it's his birthday and Christmas rolled into one!

 

[Telephant]

EA now busy on the Upper Thames

Just had a chat with two EA patrol lads at Shillingford, they are out and about checking licences - so far today they have checked 170 boats from Oxford down to Shillingford ....

I saw an EA launch travelling by Tadpole Bridge (near the Trout Inn, Buckland Marsh, near Faringdon, Oxon) this evening and there are two boats moored there that received warning notices this very afternoon.

It is therefore obvious that the EA are not just checking certain sections but instead they are working through the whole length of the river. No-one can escape......

 

[No Regrets]

Correct!

They realised that insufficient resources paled into insignificance compared to hundreds of river licences revenue. Now they can check them, they're doing every boat afloat!

Apparently, from a trusted source, the stats so far are:

MDL bertholders 5% evasion

Tingdene. 20% evasion

So it's likely that liveaboards are not playing fair and not only screwing us over in terms of bank side mooring spaces but costing us money too.

No surprise really...

 

[dash300]

So it's likely that liveaboards are not playing fair and not only screwing us over in terms of bank side mooring spaces but costing us money too.

No surprise really...[/QUOTE]

As well as polluting the river with noctunal tank dumping.