A Beginner's Guide to Boating on Inland Waterways

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A Beginner’s Guide To Boating
On Inland Waterways

Take to the water with
British Waterways and the National Rivers Authority

With well over 4,000 km (2,500 miles) of rivers and canals to explore, from the south west of England up to Scotland, our inland waterways offer plenty of variety for both the casual boater and the dedicated enthusiast.

If you have ever experienced the pleasures of 'messing about on boats', you will know what a wealth of scenery and heritage inland waterways open up to us, and the unique perspective they provide.

Boating is fun and easy. This pack is designed to help you get afloat if you are thinking about buying a boat.

Amongst other useful information, it includes details of:

Navigation Authorities

British Waterways (BW) and the National Rivers Authority (NRA), which is to become part of the new Environment Agency for England and Wales on 1 April 1996, manage most of our navigable rivers and canals.

We are responsible for maintaining the waterways and locks, providing services for boaters and we licence and manage boats.

There are more than 20 smaller navigation authorities across the country. We have included information on some of these smaller organisations.

Licences and Moorings

We tell you everything you need to know from, how to apply for a licence to how to find a permanent mooring or simply a place for «* provide some useful hints on buying a boat, includi r, ...V; 'r 1 builders, loans, insurance and the Boat Safety Sch::

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EKVIRONMENT AGENCY

Useful addresses

A detailed list of useful organisations and contacts

:: : n a t io n a l l ib r a r y '& ■

suggested some books we think will help you get t

i n f o r m a t i o n s e r v ic e

Happy boating!

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Guildbourne House, Chatsworth Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN 11 1LD

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

1 Owning a Boat

Buying a Boat

With such a va s t.ra nge of boa ts a va ila ble to s uit every price range ,
. choos ing a boa t can be quite a tricky bus ine s s ! Many people hire a boa t for a holida y before com m itting the mse lve s (for holida y inform a tion tele phone 0345 626252). Conta cting or joining a loca l club can a ls o give you a he lpful s ta rt. BW and NRA office s can provide lis ts of loca l clubs . Local inform a tion about ma ximum cra ft dime ns ions , speed lim its etc. for diffe re nt na viga tions is a va ila ble from BW and NRA office s .

Second Hand Boats

If you are a firs t tim e buyer, you may be looking for a second hand boa t. These are a va ila ble through boatya rds, brokers and by priva te sale. One' of the best places to s ta rt looking is in the m onthly boa ting ma ga zine s , from newsagents or by s ubs cription (see sheet 4 * Useful Addre s s e s ). Waterways World publis he s a bookle t e ntitle d “The New Inla nd Boa t Owner’s Book” which covers a wide range of useful inform a tion for the firs t tim e boat buyer.

Once you have found the boat you are looking for, you should a rra nge for a prope r ins pe ction by a surve yor re cognise d under the Boat S a fe ty Scheme (inform a tion on the Scheme is- include d on sheet 3) be fore you put in an offer or comple te the deal. As an inde pe nde nt advise r, the surve yor will check the boa t's condition, s pe cifica tions and va lua tion and ensure tha t the cra ft complie s with the Boat Safety Scheme s ta nda rds .

A new scheme, orga nis e d by the Britis h Marine Indus trie s Fe de ra tion (BMIF), called Boa tma rk has been set up to a ct as both a de te rre nt to boa t the ft and to prote ct a ga ins t fra udule nt sale of boats - so it is worth che cking with the m before you buy a boa t to see if the boat is re gis te re d. There is a le a fle t-a bout the scheme in this pack. Once you have bought a boa t you can have it marke d with an unique Hull Ide ntifica tion Num be r and re gis te re d unde r the Boa tma rk system.

New Boats
If you de cide to have a boa t built s pe cia lly for you, tra de orga nis a tions such as the Canal Boat Builde rs As s ocia tion (CBA) and BMIF (see s he e t 4 - Useful Addre s s e s ) will be able to provide the names of re puta ble companie s. The free bookle t “How to Buy a Narrow Boat” is publis he d for the CBA by BMIF. “The New Inla nd Boat Owner’s Book” (re fe rre d to e a rlie r) also include s useful inform a tion if you are building your own boa t or having one b u ilt for you.
Whoe ve r is b u ild in g your boa t, do ensure tha t the requirements of the Boa t S a fe ty S che me are complie d with. It is also worthwhile having your b o a t m a rke d a nd re gis te re d unde r the Boatmark scheme (see enclosed le a fle t for, de ta ils ).

S ha re d Boa t o wn e rs h ip

S ha re d owne rs hip sche mes offer a good option if you do not want to ma ke the fina ncia l com m itm e nt to purchase a boat. Several companie s offe r th is type of service, and the advertise ment sections of boating m a ga zine s a re good place s to look for more informa tion.

G e ttin g a loa n

Boa ts ca n be e xpe nsive and few of us are lucky enough to have the cash a va ila ble to purcha s e a cra ft outright. But ra the r than saving long te rm fo r you r boa t, you m ight wa nt to cons ide r a loan package as a means of g e ttin g a floa t s oone r ra the r than la te r. There are a number of options

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a pe rs ona l loa n through a high street bank or building society.

However, the boa t its e lf will not usually be accepted as security. You will need the re fore to find some other way to secure the loan.

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fina nce house s - it is pos s ible to get a loan for your boat from a

fina nce house s pe cia lis ing in packages for inla nd waterways boa ts . Look in boa ting magazines for informa tion and a dve rtis e m e nts .

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m a rina s , boa tya rds or boat builde rs often have agreements with

fina nce hous e s and will help in ge tting a loan.

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broke rs * some inde pe nde nt brokers specialise in boat loans.

In s u ra n ce
We would s tro n g ly a dvis e anyone buying a boat to have it insured. As with a ca r, the ve ry m inim um should be some kind of third pa rty cover which will s a fe gua rd you as the owner, or the person who is in charge of yo u r boa t, in the event of a cla im a ga ins t you for damage or injury. In a d d itio n , you s hould ins ure your boat against loss or damage and provide cove r fo r the safety of the crew.

On wa te rs ma na ge d by Britis h Waterways third pa rty insurance will be ‘ com p uls ory. See sheet 3.1 * Lice nsing your boat with Britis h Waterways fo r m ore de ta ils .

Ins ura nce com pa nie s and broke rs will advise you on this ma tte r. The b e s t pla ce to s ta rt looking for those s pe cia lising in marine coverage for. in la n d wa te rwa ys is in boa ting magazines. You will find tha t many boa tya rds , m a rina s etc. provide insura nce packages.

2 Navigation Authorities

Britis h Waterways (BW) and the Na tional Rivers Authority (NRA) ma na ge m os t of our na viga ble rive rs and canals. We are re s pons ible for m a inta ining the waterways, providing services for boate rs and we lice nce and manage boa ting.

For ge ne ral inform a tion conta ct:
Britis h Waterways Cus tome r Services Willow Grange Church Road Watford WD1 3QA Tel: 01923 226422 Fax: 01923 201300

Na tiona l Rivers Authority Na viga tion S ection Rivers House Wa te rside Drive Aztec West Almonds bury Bris tol BS12 4UD Tel: 01454 624400 Fax: 01454 624409

This pack a lso include s a map showing the loca tion of the waterways mana ge d by BW and NRA.

2.1 British Waterways

Britis h Wa te rwa ys ma na ge s and ca re s for over 3 000 km (2 000 mile s ) of ca na ls a nd rive rs and cons e rve s the h is to ric buildings , s tructure s and la nds ca pe s which ble nd to cre a te the unique environme nt of the inla nd wa te rwa ys. Our work involve s e ns uring tha t our waterways are safe places for pe ople to enjoy, which include s m a inta ining the locks, bridge s, towing paths and ca na l be ds. We a ls o look a fte r the s urrounding area, wildlife and buildings which are a ll conne cte d with our ca na ls and rivers. We aim to take care of all of the se things in a way which will provide the gre a te st be ne fit and e njoyme nt for the pe ople who us e our ca na ls and rive rs - how and in the future .

Britis h Wa te rwa ys - Re giona l Addre s s e s
Britis h Waterways Midla nds & South West

P e e l’s Wharf

Britis h Wa te rwa ys S cotla nd

Canal House
Lichfie ld S tre e t Fazeley
Apple cros s S tre e t Glasgow
Tamworth
G4 9SP

S ta ffords hire B78 3QZ
Tel: 0141 332 69 36 Fax: 0141 331 1688
Tel: 01827 252000 Fax: 01827 288071

Britis h Wa te rwa ys North We s t
Britis h Waterways S outh

Na viga tion Road Northwich
Brindle y House Corne r Hall
Che shire CW8 1BH
Lawn Lane
Tel: 01 606 74321

Fax: 01 606 87 1471
Hemel Hempstead He rtfords hire HP3 9YT Tel: 01442 235400 Fax: 01442 234932

Britis h Wa te rwa ys North Ea st

1 Dock S tre e t Leeds LS I 1HH Tel: 0113 281 6800 Fax: 01 13 281 6886

2.2 National Rivers Authority

The rive rs managed by the Na tiona l Rivers Authority (NRA) contra s t gre a tly with each othe r, from re mote fe nla nd rive rs in East Anglia to the gra nd River Tha me s which s tre tche s from the Cotswolds to the City of London. Steeped in his tory and winding the ir way through some of England's mos t be a utiful countrys ide , these rive rs provide a hos t of re cre a tiona l opportunitie s , but are a lso im porta nt ha bita ts for ma ny types offis h, anima ls, birds and pla nts .

The NRA works to m a inta in and improve these waterways and the ir fa cilitie s for use by the public. The rive rs for which the NRA is the navigation a u thority are in its Anglia n, Thames and S outhe rn Regions, and na viga tion staff in the re le va nt Regional offices will be happy to give advice and local inform a tion.

Na tiona l Rive rs Authority - Re giona l Addre sse s Na tiona l Rive rs Authority • Anglia n Region

Kingfis he r House Goldha y Way Orton Goldhay P e te rborough PE2 5ZR, Tel: 01733 371811 Fax: 01733 231840
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Na tiona l Rive rs Authority - S outhe rn Region

Guildbourne House Cha ts worth Road Worthing West Sussex BN11 1LD Tel: 01903 820692 Fax: 01903 821832

Na tiona l Rive rs Authority - Tha me s Region

Kings Meadow House Kings Meadow Road Reading RG1 8DQ Tel: 01 734 535000 Fax: 01734 500388

The Environme nt Agency - business as usual for boaters

On 1 April 1996, the NRA will become pa rt of the new Environment Agency for Engla nd a nd Wales. All the functions of the NRA, including its re s pons ibilitie s for na viga tion, will be tra ns fe rre d to the new Agency, where they will continue as de s cribe d here.

It will be bus ine s s as usua l for boa te rs and the informa tion in this pack will re m a in re le va nt when the Environme nt Agency comes into being.

2.3 Inland Navigation Authorities

In a ddition to Britis h Waterways and the Na tiona l Rivers Authority, the re are a numbe r of othe r s ma lle r na vigation a uthoritie s with re s pons ibility for some inla nd wa te rwa ys .The main na vigations outs ide BW or NRA.

River Avon (Bris tol)

Ha rbour Ma s te r's Office P ort of Bris to l Au th o rity Unde rfa ll Yard

Bridgewater Canal

Ma nche s te r S hip Ca na l La nd & P la nning Divis ion Qua y West

The Driffield Navigation

The Driffie ld Na vig a tio n Ltd Re gis tra tion De ta ils Mr D G Madin
Tra fford Wha rf Road Ma nche s te r
73 Gre en Lane Tickton
C um be rla nd Road Bris tol

M17 1PL

Be ve rle y

Avon

HU17 7RH

BS1 6XG

Te l: (0 1 6 1 )8 7 2 2411

Tel: (01964) 5 4 3 1 2 4

Te l: (0 1 7 7 )9 2 6 4 79 7

(Ha nha m Lock to Avonm outh)

Droitwich Canals

Droitwich Ca na ls Tru s t 1 Ha mpton Road Droitwich

River Cam
River Avon (Warwickshire)

Lowe r Avon Na viga tion Trus t Mill Wha rf
River Cam Cons e rva ncy Arche r & Arche r Ma rke t P la ce

Ely

Mill La ne

Worcs.

Ca mbridge

WR9 9 PA

Wyre P iddle

P e rs hore

Ca mbs.

Tel: (01905) 7 7 4 2 2 5

Worcs.

C B74Q N

WR10 2JF Te l: (0 1 3 8 6 ) 552 5 17 (Te wke s bury to Eve s ha m)
(0 1 3 5 3 )6 6 2 2 0 3 (Ca m bridge to Bo ttis h a m )

Exeter Ship Canal

Exe te r City C ouncil Canal Basin Haven Road Exe te r

Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation
Upper Avon Navigation Trust

Bridge 63

Devon

Ha rvington

Che lm e r & Bla ckwa te r Nav. Ltd EX2 8DU

Eve s ha m Worcs. Tel: (0 1 3 8 6 ) 8 7 0 5 2 6 (Eve s ha m to S tra tfo rd )
P a pe r Mill Lock Little Ba ddow Che lm s ford Essex CM3 4BF Te l: (0 1 2 4 5 ) 225 5 20
Tel: (0 1 39 2 ) 7 4 3 0 6
.

River Foss

York City Council Engine e ring S e rvice s 9 S t Le ona rds P la ce York Y01 2ET Tel: (01904) 6 1 3 1 6 1

Basingstoke Canal

Ba s ings toke Ca na l Auth o rity Mytch e tt P la ce Road Mytch e tt

River Dee

S urre y GU16 6DD Te l: (0 1 2 5 2 ) 3 7 0 0 7 3
Che s te r City Council Town Ha ll

Grand Western Canal

Devon County C ouncil Engine e ring & P la nn in g De pt County Hall
Che s te r Che s hire C H I2 H N

Beverley Beck

Be ve rle y Borough Council

Te l: (0 1 2 4 4 ) 4 0 1 4 4

The Ha ll

Exe te r

La irga te , Be ve rle y North Hum be rs ide HU17 8HL
(Alm e re fe rry to Che s te r We ir) Devon
EX2 4QQ Tel: (01884) 2 5 4 0 7 2
Tel: (0 1 4 8 2 ) 8 8 2 2 5 5

River Humber

As s ocia te d B ritis h P orts PO Box 1

Norfolk & Suffolk Broads

Broa ds Auth o rity Thom a s Ha rve y Hous e 18 Colga te Norwich Norfolk

Stroudwater Navigation

Compa ny of P ro p rie to rs Rockie s Old G louce s te r Road Uppe r Ra ndwick S troud
P o rt Hous e C o rp o ra tio n Roa d Hu ll HU9 5P Q

Te l: (0 1 4 8 2 ) 2 7 1 7 1

NR3 1BQ

Glos.

Te l: (0 1 6 0 3 ) 6 1 0 7 3 4

GL6 6JN

Lake Windermere

La ke Wa rde ns La ke Adm in . O ffice Fe rry Na b Bowne s s -o n -W in d e rm e re C u m b ria LA23 3J H Te l: (0 1 5 3 9 4 ) 4 2 7 5 3
Tel: (0 1 4 5 3 ) 762781

River Ouse (Yorkshire)

As s ocia te d Britis h P orts PO Box 1 P ort House C orpora tion Road Hull

River Tees Barrage

Te e s s ide De ve lopm e nt Corpora tion Dune din Hous e Rive rside Qua y S tockton-on-Te e s Cle ve la nd
HU95P Q Tel: (0 1 4 8 2 ) 27171

Lydney Canal

Ha rb o u r M a s te r’s O ffice Lydne y Docks Lydne y
(Tre nt Fa lls to S ke lton Bridge ) TS17 6BJ
Tel: (0 1 6 4 4 2 ) 6 3 3 2 7 2
Linton Lock Com m is s ione rs l-3 W h e e lg a te Ma lton North Yorks. Y017 0HT
G lo u c e s te rs h ire

Tennant Canal

Port Te nna nt Co. 49 Ma nse l S tre e t Swansea SA1 5TB Tel: (0 1 7 9 2 ) 55891

Manchester Ship Canal

Ma n c h e s te r S h ip Ca na l Co. Ha rb o u r O ffice Q ue e n E liza be th li Dock E a s tha m
(Widdington Ings to S wa le ' Na b)

Rochdale Canal

Rochda le Ca nal Compa ny 75 Da le S tre e t Ma nche s te r
W irra l L62 OBB Te l: (0 1 5 1 )3 2 7 1461

River Trent

As s ocia te d Britis h P orts PO Box 1 P ort Hous e

M l 2HG

Corpora tion Road

Hull

River Mersey

Me rs e y Docks & Ha rb o u r Boa rdTe l: (0 1 6 1 ) 236 2456

(Ma nche s te r 9 Locks )

Dock O ffice

Live rpo o l
HU95P Q Tel: (0 1 4 8 2 ) 27171

Rochdale Canal

Rochda le Ca nal Tru s t Rochda le Ca nal Works hop C a llis Mill Cha rle s Town He bde n Bridge
L3 1BZ Te l. (0 1 5 1 ) 2 3 6 6 0 1 0

River Wey

Na tiona l Trus t Da phune Wha rf Wha rf Road Guildford

Middle Level Navigations

M id d le Le ve l C o m m is s io n e rs M id d le Le ve l O ffice s

Da rtfo rd Roa d

We st Yorks hire

S urre y

Te l: (0 1 4 2 2 ) 8 4 4 9 9 0 (Re s tore d S e ction)
Ma rch C a m bs .
G UI4R R Tel: (0 1 4 8 3 ) 6 1 3 8 9
P E15 8AF

Sleaford Navigation

S le a ford Na viga tion S ocie ty 10 Che lm e r Close North Hyke ha m Lincoln

Witham Navigable Drains

Witha m & Fourth Dis tric t Inte rna l Dra ina ge Boa rd 47 Norfolk S tre e t Boston Lincs. PE21 6PP Tel: (0 1 2 0 5 ) 3 1 0 0 9 9
Te l: (0 1 3 5 4 ) 5 3 2 3 2

Neath Canal

Ne a th Ca na l P ro je ct C a na ls O ffic e r Ne a th Bo ro u g h C ouncil C ivic C e ntre
LN6 8TH Te l: (0 1 5 2 2 )6 8 9 4 6 0 (Kym e Eau)
•
Ne a th We s t G la m orga n S A11 3QA Te l: (0 1 6 3 9 ) 5 5 2 8 2

3 Licences and Moorings

G e tting a lice nce

Every boa t on an inla nd waterway m us t be licensed a nd/or re gis te re d with the re le va nt na viga tion a uthority. To do this you will have to pay a fee.

Some re s e rvoirs have spe cia l licence a rra nge me nts gra nting e xclus ive s a iling rights to clubs ; so club me mbe rs do not need a separate licence. BW and the NRA can te ll you where the se special licence a rra nge me nts a pply.

The mone y you pay in lice nce fees is spe nt dire ctly on ma inta ining and im proving waterways and on providing fa cilitie s for boa t users such as sewage dis pos a l, wa te r s upply and e le ctricity cha rging points.