Please see the attached notice regarding the leisure craft conservancy licence fee and instructions on how to apply on-line.
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Medway and Swale Boating Association
The voice of boating on the tidal Medway and Swale
If a vessel is already registered ie had a licence in 2022 will Peel send out a renewal request or does the vessel owner have to start again ?
I didn’t receive a renewal so tried to log on their site. I’d forgotten my password and their ‘forgotten password’ link wouldn’t work. Started again from scratch using same email address for new account. When logged in it showed my previous two years purchases. …. Still got to print out your own License disc though it seems. Be nice if they sent one out with a free Tide booklet rather than asking £1.99 to post it.
Dear Richard,
I have just flagged the issue of the forgotten password not working with Peel Ports.
I will let you know as soon as I hear back
I have to agree especially about the tide tables. Last year I only got my new boat back to the Medway in August but still bought a licence – maybe this year I’ll wait to get “pulled” then buy a licence
Out of interest, I have reviewed these documents to see if there was anything about visitors to the Peel Ports area.
I am based in the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority and as far as I am aware there is no requirement for any form of registration. Beyond Teddington, I believe there is, however, this will be a different authority.
Presumably, visitors do not need a licence and pay something within marina/berthing fees?
Nick, I’ve been in several meetings with Peel Ports to persuade them to reform the conservancy licence but had little success. It’s still as clear as mud which vessels “use the river”. Most of the boats in the locked-in marinas (Gillingham non-tidal part and Chatham MDL) never move so they do not need to pay, though small boats moored in creeks need to pay twice, once for the privilege of laying their own mooring and again for a conservancy licence. I’ve raised the question of visitors, trailer sailers etc but answer came there none. The fee is going up by ONLY 14.2% (RPI), even more if you pay after 1st April, and we are expected to be grateful! Currently only a tiny minority of boaters bother with the licence and I expect this to reduce further unless my proposals are listened to. Tony MSBA Webmaster
So, from what you are saying, there is not a requirement for visitors to have a licence…
Nick, that’s not what I’m saying at all. Any vessel USING the port (except dinghies under 5.1m) is required to have a licence. However this is clearly not expected in practice.
Keep up the good work Tony.
As an honest bloke I’ll probably renew my licence as I don’t want the hassle of being stopped and then having to do it BUT I’m sure many will wait to be pulled.
I guess there has to be some charge to pay for work done on the river but for it to be fair and kept to the lowest cost everyone should be paying so it should be policed in a more serious way by Peel Ports.
It should be easy for them to deal with the Marina berth holders as they could request information from Lock movements. Then the various Yacht Clubs that have moorings in the river could be made to give details of those using them (If they don’t already do so) surely this would get more users paying the fee and make it cheaper.
In the summer its fairly obvious where craft are being launched from and an officers could be on watch to collect Fees.
I’m happ to pay my share but don’t like to see large increases when many aren’t paying
All sounds ideal but officers cost and so does extracting money from folk, especially when they can’t be tracked down. Far better to be divisive and get the people to police by propergating the myth that more fee payers equals low or reduced fees. Its a nice thought but monopolies don’t work like that. I really don’t think Peel Ports can be asked. On the upper Thames (Environment Agency) all boats pay (dearly) regardless of use wether or not you are in a Marina. The only exception is if you can prove the vessel has no engine whereupon a discount is available. However, the Upper Thames has a lot more to offer the boater than the Medway and an army of Lock keepers/officers bought and paid for with powers to detain. A similar system on the Medway would almost certainly result in a huge increase in fees with little or no extra benefit to the boater. An extra thought, any new found ability to enforce charges could encourage Peel Ports to invest in all tide landings with amenities (perish the thought) and a corresponding hike in licence fees! With deep pocketed investors looking at all areas of the country, the River Medway could easily end up as another Hamble, (and probably will eventually) a pretty but very expensive theme park. Be careful what you wish for.