Boat owner charged for lacking a licence on the River Thames
26 July 2010
A boat owner has been fined after failing to register his boat despite reminders and warnings.
Mark Thomas Smith, 33, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court for navigating his boat without a valid licence. The court ordered Mr Smith to pay compensation in respect of the full year’s licence fee of £242.56 for 2009, a fine of £50 and £60 in costs to the Environment Agency, along with a Victim Surcharge of £15, totalling £367.56.
The Court heard that Mr Smith’s 8.2 metre boat, known as Blues III, was spotted moored in Reading without a valid boat licence on 29 November 2009. Mr Smith was booked as ‘unregistered’ and interviewed by Environment Agency Waterways staff. He admitted he was aware his boat needed to be licensed and that he had been on Environment Agency waters for more than two months. Mr Smith also confirmed he had been challenged by Environment Agency lock keepers on a number of occasions and had failed to license the vessel.
Matt Strange, an Environment Agency Waterways Officer, said: “Since coming on to the non-tidal River Thames Mr Smith had been given regular reminders of the need to register his boat and was also given advice on how to do so.
“We are pleased with the fines that have been handed out. The income we raise from boat registration is very important for the community and the environment. It contributes directly to improving and maintaining waterway structures such as locks and lay-bys, as well as providing facilities like visitor moorings, water points, rubbish and sewage disposal and electric boat charging hook-ups.
“It is vital that we continue to invest in our waterways to create and maintain a good quality environment that people can enjoy for years to come. We are pleased that courts issue fines such as this to those who continue to flout the boating rules".
You cannot use a boat on the non-tidal River Thames without it first being registered with the Environment Agency. This applies to all types of pleasure craft, including motor cruisers, sailing boats, narrow boats and unpowered vessels, such as canoes or rowing boats.
An annual fee is payable upon registration and covers the period 1 January to 31 December. A licence plate is then issued which must be displayed on the vessel. Visiting boats also need to be registered to cover the period of the visit.
Anyone taking up boating should make themselves aware of the rules, regulations and general code of river behaviour. This information can be found in the our publication ‘A user’s guide to the River Thames’ which can be picked up at locks or downloaded from www.visitthames.co.uk.
Checks are carried out at all lock sites and during regular patrols along the River. The Environment Agency regularly prosecutes those who do not pay their way.
Editor's Notes
Mr Smith was charged under the following, which were in force at the time of the offence:- The Thames Registration Byelaws 1953 [part II s5] - Failure to display a valid registration plate on a vessel being used on the River Thames. Thames Conservancy Act 1966 [section 9] - Failure to have a registration certificate for a vessel being used on the River Thames. As of 6 April 2010 the law governing boat registration and registration conditions for Environment Agency waterways falls under the, The Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010. There are arrangements in place for the transitional period and customers registered in 2010 should not notice any change during their current period of registration. For further information & details please visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/waterwaysorder
Questions? Comments?
For all media enquiries please call: 0118 953 5555. For information on licencing visit www.visitthames.co.uk/boating