Self drive boats
If you want to use a boat or other craft on the UK's rivers and canals,
you must register, buy a licence or pay a toll to the appropriate navigation
authority for that waterway. Hire boats are licensed by the hire company, but
you may want to use the boat on a waterway that it is not licensed for. If this
is your plan you should consult the company first.
If you already know you need to pay for a British Waterways licence or an Environmental
Agency registration, you can now do this online on the waterscape
website.
Pleasure boat licence
If
you wish to be in charge of or navigate a pleasure boat or vessel for the purpose
of carrying passengers for hire, you must obtain the appropriate licence from
the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Small Passenger Vessel Code Survey
Certificate and the boat must be maintained to these standards.
The
Council's Licensing Division issue pleasure boat licences for vessels
carrying no
more than 12 passengers
and which are under 24 metres in length, on voyages that are at no time outside
categorised waters (i.e. waters not regarded as 'sea').
Please
note: pleasure boat operators who wish to go outside categorised waters or carry
more than 12 passengers on boats which are over 24 metres in length should contact
the Maritime
and Coastguard Agency for advice.
The
applicant must:
-
Have
full knowledge of all statutory rules, regulations and byelaws applicable
to navigation on all waters for which the licence is required.
-
Hold
a current Full Boatmans Licence
-
Have
insurance to cover
the boat, liability to passengers and third parties to a minimum of £2,000,000
-
Hold
a Current Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Small Passenger Vessel Code
Survey Certificate.
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Restricted
boatman's licence
The
restricted licence relates only to the taking charge of boats from the ‘shore',
this
includes:
-
Having
full knowledge of all statutory rules, regulations and byelaws applicable
to navigation on all waters for which the licence is required
-
Hold
a current Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) ML5 Medical Certificate completed
by their own General Practitioner
-
The
applicant must not suffer from any disease or physical disability which
could affect his or her fitness to assist in the charge of pleasure boats
let for hire
-
You
must be 18 years of age or over.
*see
below for application form and guidance
Full
boatman's licence
The
full boatman's licence enables the holder to take charge of and navigate
boats on the water, including the carriage of passengers for hire. To obtain
a Full Boatman's Licence, the following requirements must be met:
-
Have
full knowledge of all statutory rules, regulations and byelaws applicable
to navigation on all waters for which the licence is required
-
Hold
a current Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) ML5 Medical Certificate
completed by their own General Practitioner
-
The
applicant must not suffer from any disease or physical disability which
could affect his or her fitness to operate and be in charge of pleasure
boats let for hire
-
Be
over 18 years of age.
)
)
)
Licences
are issued yearly and are not transferable nor can they be back dated. The
council may suspend or revoke a licence at any time if it feels that this is
necessary in the interests of the public.
Note:
Licensing Act 2003
If
alcohol or regulated entertainment is provided on board to passengers then a
Premises Licence is required under the above Act. Contact the Licensing Division
for further details. It is an offence under s.136 of the above Act, to
provide alcohol for sale or supply without the provision of a Premises Licence
or Temporary Event Notice in place.