Visitor licensing requirements?

Leighb

Leighb

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Hi,

We are planning to visit the Thames later this year and cruise up the non tidal river, previously having been as far as St Katherine Docks many times but no further on account of a sticky up thing. :D

What licences are needed? What sort of cost for a 9 m boat and are there time limits on length of visit?

I have tried looking on the EA website but failed to find anything useful on this topic.

TIA
 
Here's a link to the charges:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/river-thames-boat-registration-charges

Here's a link to other forms and information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/river-thames-boat-registration-and-application-forms#boat-registration-(licence)-forms

There are different types of short stay licenses available. It really depends on how long you want to go up there. You will also need to at least take a look at the BSS and take steps if you have to. Things which are important are holding tank for any toilets, if not they need to be blocked off.
 
You won't get very far with a mast (even getting to Richmond will be a problem and depth will also be an issue almost everywhere, unless you can raise your keel.
If you can lower the mast, raise the keel and motor on an outboard, then it's well worth the trip:encouragement:
 
Actionmat said:
You won't get very far with a mast (even getting to Richmond will be a problem and depth will also be an issue almost everywhere, unless you can raise your keel.
If you can lower the mast, raise the keel and motor on an outboard, then it's well worth the trip:encouragement:
Click to expand...
He has moved to the dark side. No sticky up thing.
 
Thanks for the links, very helpful, the boat came from the Thames and has a current BSS. However it has a normal sea toilet and no holding tank, is that not covered by the BSS scheme, perhaps not, as I suppose "Safety" is not involved? I suppose we will have to get a Porta Potti, ho hum more expense!!

Presumably the previous owner either ignored the rules or never used the toilet altho' it certainly looked "used" when we bought her. :ambivalence:
 
As an outsider. .................
Basically its dead simple,and the only worry will be getting there.
There really is no D Trump or rabid "Brexiteer" border force itching to practice their waterboarding skills on you and your loved ones.
Just turn up and tell the helpful lock staff how long to you want to stay and they will work out for you the best combination of passes for the least money.You can always add days if you want to.
To give an idea of how relaxed things are,you may well be asked to transit lock,find a mooring in the EA moorings just upstream and wander back down to office after chilling out and having a cup of tea.
Most folks stop at the Teddington mooring overnight to catch their breath after the journey round.
Also ideal to arrive back there night before exit, check tides/weather forecast for estuary/ Barrier times
and check your raw water filter(s) for Thames weed and leaves etc.
Hearing your overheat alarm go off as you open the throttles near Chiswick is amost interesting exerience.
Where do you stop.:)
 
oldgit said:
As an outsider. .................
Basically its dead simple,and the only worry will be getting there.
There really is no D Trump or rabid "Brexiteer" border force itching to practice their waterboarding skills on you and your loved ones.
Just turn up and tell the helpful lock staff how long to you want to stay and they will work out for you the best combination of passes for the least money.You can always add days if you want to.
To give an idea of how relaxed things are,you may well be asked to transit lock,find a mooring in the EA moorings just upstream and wander back down to office after chilling out and having a cup of tea.
Most folks stop at the Teddington mooring overnight to catch their breath after the journey round.
Also ideal to arrive back there night before exit, check tides/weather forecast for estuary/ Barrier times
and check your raw water filter(s) for Thames weed and leaves etc.
Hearing your overheat alarm go off as you open the throttles near Chiswick is amost interesting exerience.
Where do you stop.:)
Click to expand...

Many thanks for that helpful info. Do you know if there is a maximum timespan for a visitor licence? I could not find a mention of one in the various websites.
 
I usually go on the River on one month tickets on my barge which is kept on a canal. As I understand it you can buy as many as you want but they are comparatively expensive. After a bit it becomes more sensible to buy a yearly license specially if you have a BS certificate anyway.

You will need 3rd party insurance. Nobody will check the toilet you will be asked to sign a form which says you do not discharge overboard .
 
Feel sure locals can bring you up the speed on this but is there not a time limit where after so many days you must have a BSC.
Not sure how many times you could exit Teddington then return and start all over again as a visitor.
Well worth the effort,the most historic river in the world and far more interesting than some sweaty location down in the "MED".
 
Actionmat said:
Thanks for the warning. I've yet to visit the MEDway, but I bow down to your superior knowledge:D
Click to expand...


Was actually thinking of something a little further south than that.
Always been a mystery to me why anybody would want to spend one half of day shuffling across some vast remote car park,resisting spending any money on foul overpriced coffee while bored out of your mind in a horrifically expensive shopping mall only to spend the next four hours inhaling every communicable disease known to man with the added bonus of DVT thrown in for good measure.
You then have go ten rounds with the girl trying to earn a living flogging vastly useless and dodgy extra car insurance having handed over your card while they swipe a few thousand euros,just so they can hit you with claim on your return for several scratches put on the car by the 15 year old valeting boy.
Tank full or empty Sir !
We will hit your card for a full tank and refund anything left on your return or we can merely charge you 4 times the going rate to refill it .
You then have to go to the captainerre to find out exactly how much they charged to damage the clips on your covers while giving it a feeble waterless wash.You pay your moorings fees plus another 20% due to the collapse of the pound.
None of the jobs you asked to done while you are away will have been carried out by the way.This means the plotter is still not working and the A/C still blows warm air.
You spend most of your week sweltering in the heat hiding under the canopies while waiting for the wind to drop and the ability to get out of your berth without damaging the gel coat on the boat either side of you.
You fill up at £1,50 a litre.Plus the extra 20 % since Brexit.
At the Cala ....having dropped the hook a dozen times to get a hold you spent he rest of the day worrying about who you are going to hit due the Cala being jammed full of other UK boats all enjoying the lifestyle.
You could go for a swim...............shame about those jellyfish.
When the temp finally drops to bearable you decide to go home, a glance out to sea confirms the wind has picked out,it always does, and you are going to be fixing up the ceiling panels in the cabin again and trying to work out which wire goes where on the light fitting.
An interesting bum clenching ride back and you get most of the muck off the boat bought aboard by the stern line.
Then attempt to get as many clips as possible secured/some of the zips nearly do up as well.
Up at the crack of dawn to fight through the city commutor traffic around the airport and eventually find the car drop off point and wait while some eagle eyed hombre checks every centimetre of the under tray and spare wheel.
Then you only have to drag your sorry bum across the concourse into the departures hall and join the 200 strong line of semi pissed holidaymakers all going your way for the next four hours.
You might be lucky and you plane home might have left Gatwick on its way back to you,it is more probably is still on its way to Gatwick
TBC.

Whats not to like :)
 
Last edited:
He said he has a BSS certificate.
I always thought there was a limit to the number of visitors licenses but was told last year by a lock keeper just buy more and more according to what you require.

Thats if you stay on the EA section anyway.

It would get very expensive and I expect something about the BSS would come up at some stage to avoid the loophole situation.

Good point :)
 
Outinthedinghy said:
He said he has a BSS certificate.
I always thought there was a limit to the number of visitors licenses but was told last year by a lock keeper just buy more and more according to what you require.

Thats if you stay on the EA section anyway.

It would get very expensive and I expect something about the BSS would come up at some stage to avoid the loophole situation.

Good point :)
Click to expand...

Same here - I had a quick look at the EA site and found no mention of the previous limits.
Perhaps someone in EA Towers has realised that it's more important to get the money in that restricting how often you can visit.
From the boaters point of view it's much better to estimate how long you need 'up front' - 3 days licence is more expensive than a weekly.
 
oldgit said:
Was actually thinking of something a little further south than that.
Always been a mystery to me why anybody would want to spend one half of day shuffling across some vast remote car park,resisting spending any money on foul overpriced coffee while bored out of your mind in a horrifically expensive shopping mall only to spend the next four hours inhaling every communicable disease known to man with the added bonus of DVT thrown in for good measure.
You then have go ten rounds with the girl trying to earn a living flogging vastly useless and dodgy extra car insurance having handed over your card while they swipe a few thousand euros,just so they can hit you with claim on your return for several scratches put on the car by the 15 year old valeting boy.
Tank full or empty Sir !
We will hit your card for a full tank and refund anything left on your return or we can merely charge you 4 times the going rate to refill it .
You then have to go to the captainerre to find out exactly how much they charged to damage the clips on your covers while giving it a feeble waterless wash.You pay your moorings fees plus another 20% due to the collapse of the pound.
None of the jobs you asked to done while you are away will have been carried out by the way.This means the plotter is still not working and the A/C still blows warm air.
You spend most of your week sweltering in the heat hiding under the canopies while waiting for the wind to drop and the ability to get out of your berth without damaging the gel coat on the boat either side of you.
You fill up at £1,50 a litre.Plus the extra 20 % since Brexit.
At the Cala ....having dropped the hook a dozen times to get a hold you spent he rest of the day worrying about who you are going to hit due the Cala being jammed full of other UK boats all enjoying the lifestyle.
You could go for a swim...............shame about those jellyfish.
When the temp finally drops to bearable you decide to go home, a glance out to sea confirms the wind has picked out,it always does, and you are going to be fixing up the ceiling panels in the cabin again and trying to work out which wire goes where on the light fitting.
An interesting bum clenching ride back and you get most of the muck off the boat bought aboard by the stern line.
Then attempt to get as many clips as possible secured/some of the zips nearly do up as well.
Up at the crack of dawn to fight through the city commutor traffic around the airport and eventually find the car drop off point and wait while some eagle eyed hombre checks every centimetre of the under tray and spare wheel.
Then you only have to drag your sorry bum across the concourse into the departures hall and join the 200 strong line of semi pissed holidaymakers all going your way for the next four hours.
You might be lucky and you plane home might have left Gatwick on its way back to you,it is more probably is still on its way to Gatwick
TBC.

Whats not to like :)
Click to expand...

Best post I've read in here in a long long time. Hilarious given all the stuff you read on the other forum. Keep up the good work!
 
JorgeinLondon said:
Best post I've read in here in a long long time. Hilarious given all the stuff you read on the other forum. Keep up the good work!
Click to expand...

Ask me nicely and will even tell you the downsides.
Must also remember that having dissed the UK, used the standard "weather excuse" when announcing proudly of your intending departure of the UK for sunnier climes, having spent fortune relocating to a reclaimed el pantano marina where the previous inhabitants ie bichos cannot believe their luck with all the new free meals around, you are hardly likely to announce you want to get on the first plane home.:)
 
Last edited:
The concept is that a means of preventing discharge will remind people not to use the facility if it will result in polluting the waterway.
Is a closeable valve fitted in the discharge line of any toilet appliance or toilet holding tank with overboard discharge?
What it aplies to: Check all toilets and toilet holding tanks for the presence of an overboard discharge line.

If present, check for the presence and condition of a closeable valve installed in the discharge line.

The criteria to be met: - All toilets and toilet holding tanks having an overboard discharge line must have a closeable valve fitted in the discharge line.

The valve and connections must be complete and leak-free.

Additional information and pointers: NOTE – valves must not be operated.

NOTE – the diverter valves to toilet holding tanks not capable of being discharged overboard satisfy this check.

NOTE – discharge outlets having a ‘tools-to-remove’ cap, and overboard discharge lines from toilet holding tanks discharged solely by shore-side pumping arrangements, are not subject to this check.

Examiner action – if toilet waste is determined to be escaping into the watercourse contact the BSS Office and take the relevant actions described in Appendix B (i.e. alert the BSS and navigation authority, issue a warning notice). If the arrangements inevitably result in toilet waste discharging overboard contact the BSS Office.
 
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