Customer services

The job of our industrious customer services team at British Waterways is to help with enquiries from customers who live, work and play on and around our canals and rivers.

Answering up to 4,000 calls and responding to 1,500 emails a month the team is kept busy from 0800 until 1800 Monday to Friday.

The majority of enquiries that the team receives relate to boat licensing and moorings. Before contacting the team please take a look through the FAQs below.

Licensing

I've recently had my boat examined by a Boat Safety Examiner and don't know what to do with the certificate.

British Waterways still requires your blue copy of the Boat Safety Certificate and this should be posted to:
Boat Licensing team,
PO Box 162,
Leeds,
LS9 1AX.
If you need to get the details to us quickly we will accept a fax copy or you can scan the certificate and email it to enquiries.hq@britishwaterways.co.uk provided the quality is good enough - we may request the original blue copy if not.

Can I still buy a licence if I don't have a home mooring?

Yes you can, if your boat is removed from the water when it is not cruising or you intend to use the boat to cruise continuously (travelling around the network without staying in one place for more than 14 days, or less where indicated). However, this is not a suitable option if you have commitments, such as work, family or school, in one place as you must be engaged in a genuine, progressive journey around the network and it is your responsibility to satisfy us that you meet this requirement. Please read our Mooring Guidance for Continuous Cruisers to make sure that this is the best decision for you.

My licence is due for renewal but my current Boat Safety Certificate has expired. What should I do?

British Waterways has obligations to the safety of all our customers. Therefore we cannot re-licence a boat that does not have a valid Boat Safety Certificate. We must be sure that the boat's equipment is safe and compliant.

You will not be able to renew your licence without first supplying us with a copy of your Boat Safety Certificate; this will prevent you from claiming our prompt payment discount if it is not included with your complete application before the start date of your new licence.

Remember, you can renew your Boat Safety certificate up to two months before expiry without losing the current end date.

Who can buy a short term visitor licence and how long are they valid for?

These licences are for small, unpowered or trailed boats and larger vessels visiting BW waterways for short periods from other navigations or coastal waters. They are not available for boats floating in marinas or moorings connected to BW waters, with the exception of 'Rivers Only' licence holders wishing to extend their licence to cover a short term cruise on Canals. These licences cover periods of one day, one week, and one month along with a Thirty Day Explorer licence. The explorer licence gives you up to thirty days use of all our Waterways in England and Wales at any time within twelve months of issue date - the days do not need to be consecutive.

It's important to remember that the Short Term Visitor Licences do not include free passage through the Anderton Lift, Standedge Tunnel or Ribble Link. The costs for these licences can be found on the Short Term Visitor Licence fee sheet.

What is your prompt payment discount and how do I qualify for it?

If you renew your boat licence in advance of the start date of your next licence you qualify for a lower fee (10% discount on the standard fee). To qualify we must receive (either by British Waterways or one of our Licensing Agents) your payment and correctly completed application along with any necessary enclosures before the start date of the licence. This discount is only available if full payment is made in advance so it's not applicable to licences paid for in instalments.

My boat no longer belongs to me/is in the water how do I claim a refund on my licence?

You may be entitled to a refund on the unused portion of your licence. In order to claim a refund you should return both your licence discs along with a completed transfer of ownership/off water declaration form and post them to:
Boat Licensing Team,
PO Box 162,
Leeds,
LS9 1AX.

To work out whether you are eligible for a refund you should look at page 22 of our general terms and conditions for boat licences.

I've sold my boat and don't know what information BW needs?

If you have sold your boat you need to complete our Transfer of Ownership form and send it to:
Boat Licensing Team,
PO Box 162,
Leeds,
LS9 1AX.

Remember that we need to know if you have transferred the boat with its licence discs. If you would like a refund on the unused portion you must return both the licence discs to us with the form.

I've just bought a boat and it's got a licence but I'm not sure what to do when it runs out?

Usually the previous owner will have sent us a transfer of ownership form to tell us that he's sold the boat. When we receive this we put a block on the boat so that the old owner doesn't get reminders to renew the licence for a boat that they no longer own. However, we do not update the new owner's details from this document because they do not always continue to keep the boat on our waters. Before the current licence expires you will have to complete an application form and return it, along with payment and any other relevant paperwork, to our:
Boat Licensing Team,
PO Box 162,
Leeds,
LS9 1AX.

You will not be able to purchase your first licence over the phone or using our on-line system. Remember to read through our General Terms and Conditions for Boat Licences.

I usually receive a discount on my licence fee but I can't see it listed on my renewal document, how do I know that it's been applied?

Our renewal documents no longer display a breakdown of the discounts applied. However, if you have always received a discount it will still be applied this year. It's easiest to check that you have your discount by comparing the price on your renewal with the standard fee for your boat length.

I own a canoe/kayak/dinghy do I need to buy a licence for it and if so how much will it cost and where do I buy it from?

You do need a licence in order to use any vessel on our waters, even a canoe or kayak. However, if you are a member of the British Canoe Union then you are already covered and do not require an additional licence from British Waterways. Usually, a short term visitor licence is the most appropriate for this type of use. The final row of the short term visitor licence fee sheet is applicable as your canoe/kayak/dinghy is 'portable unpowered'.

I've seen some unlicensed boat whilst cruising and would like to report them, who should I speak to?

You should use our online boat checker to log your sightings. The boat checker will let you know whether the boat you've sighted has a valid licence (or not) and each fully completed form will be logged in our 'sightings' database and assigned a priority for action. Unfortunately, there isn't anything we can do without the Index number.

Can I buy my licence in person at your head office?

It's no longer possible to apply for your licence in person at our head office in Watford. You can still apply for your licence in person at our office in Milton Keynes. Alternatively you can call 01923 201120 or apply online at http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/license-it/choosing-and-buying-a-licence/applying-for-a-licence.

Moorings

I'm interested in purchasing a British Waterways' winter mooring this year and am not sure how to do this.

An email update will be sent to all registered users of the www.bwmooringvacancies.com website later in the year. If you are not already registered on this website we recommend that you do this now - it's very straightforward.

However, you can also keep checking this website as updates will put on the homepage as soon as they are available. Unfortunately, the information on winter moorings for 2011/12 is not currently available so we aren't to tell you which spaces will be released yet.

How can I get a long term mooring for my boat?

There are hundreds of mooring sites across Britain - from fully serviced marinas to simple spots on the towpath. Finding one should be an immediate priority once you've decided to buy a boat, because until you have agreed a mooring, your new boat will have to remain on dry land or comply with out guidance for Continuous Cruisers. British Waterways advertises vacancies on its own directly managed long term mooring sites at www.bwmooringvacancies.com. Vacancies are advertised for 14 days using an open auction system. Once you have a mooring you can let us know by completing our Notification of Home Mooring form and sending it to: Boat Licensing Team, PO Box 162, Leeds, LS9 1AX.

I'd like to find a British Waterways managed mooring for sale in my area but don't know where to start.

All of BW's long term mooring vacancies are allocated using an online auction system; found at www.bwmooringvacancies.com. If you would like to be notified as soon as a vacancy is published on the website for auction you can register on the website and 'save a search' to your profile.
To save a search:

1. Select 'Search Mooring Vacancies' from the menu on the left hand side
2. Select 'Search mooring vacancies using different options' from the three options given
3. Choose your requirements in the search engine and submit the search
4. Click the 'Save this search' button which will appear in the search box
5. Name your search

You will need to follow these steps for each search you wish to save. Your search will be saved in 'My Profile', 'My Searches' where you will be able to select the option of receiving email notifications for your saved searches. Please ensure you save the option you select.

I own a property which backs onto a canal. How do I get permission to moor a boat against it?

British Waterways will normally permit you to moor a single boat at the end of your canalside garden, subject to payment of a fee for the exclusive use of the water space. You need to complete our End of Garden Application Form and return it to:
Central Moorings Administrator,
British Waterways,
64 Clarendon Road,
Watford,
Hertfordshire,
WD17 1DA
along with a non-refundable administration fee of £75 plus VAT.

If the garden/land has been used as a mooring previously then the previous owner should ensure that a copy of our permit of approval is transferred to the new owner or tenant of the property. We will require sight of this if we receive an application for a mooring permit from the new occupant.

How much will I pay per year for an end of garden mooring?

The price payable for the permit is set by reference to the mooring fees for simple online moorings in the area, whether supplied by BW or private operators. A benchmark site is identified and a price discount applied to account for the fact that BW provides the water space but not the access to it from the land or any facilities at the site. The discount is normally of the order of 50%.

Miscellaneous

I would like to work for British Waterways but don't know how to apply.

You can find all the latest information on vacancies within British Waterways and you can register your interest in working for us at www.britishwaterways.co.uk/working-for-us

I would like to scatter ashes at a favourite place along the canal but don't know whether this is allowed.

Scattering ashes on British Waterways' canals and rivers is generally permitted subject to the following conditions, which also accord with EA requirements:

• The specific site selected should not be near any buildings, people fishing, moorings or marinas, or areas of high public circulation or observation
• The ashes should be scattered discretely, out of sight of onlookers
• Tributes such as wreaths or other personal items should not be placed in the water with the ashes or left on the canal bank (they may contain metal or plastic parts which can cause litter and harm to wildlife)
• If ashes are to be scattered on the canal bank, they should be lightly scattered over the ground in an area which is well away from areas that are used routinely by the public (i.e. well away from the towpath, locksides, picnic areas, etc.) and should be scattered on calm days so that ashes do not affect people living or working nearby
• If ashes are to be scattered on the canal, they should be scattered as close to the surface of the water as possible and should be scattered on calm days so that ashes do not affect people living or working nearby

You may also want to speak to the local waterway office directly

I'd like to use my bicycle on the towpaths, is there anything I should do first?

You'll need to read our towpath code of conduct and then download a 'Cycle Permit'

I've heard that occasionally you need to close canals, how do I find out whether this is going to affect my journey?

Occasionally, canals, rivers and towpaths are closed for maintenance work. We list all stoppages on British Waterways and Environment Agency navigations as soon as they are notified to us, but emergency work may cause sudden closures. You can sign up to receive automatic stoppage email alerts and check for current stoppages at /things-to-do/boating/stoppages.

I own a property which backs onto your canal/river and there's overhanging vegetation in my garden, who do I speak to about that?

Our local waterway offices are responsible for the vegetation management and maintenance of the canals and rivers. You can find the contact details for your closest waterway office at www.britishwaterways.co.uk/contact-us

My boat has broken down and I'm not sure what to do?

If you are unable to move your boat for mechanical reasons just let our customer services team know, either by telephone to 01923 201120 or by emailing enquiries.hq@britishwaterways.co.uk who will pass the message on to the local enforcement manager. Please make sure that you have your index number and location to hand. We may also need to get a contact number from you.

Who should I contact?

If your question hasn't been answered by our FAQs you will need to get in touch with our customer services team. However, if you need to contact us about a local issue such as overgrown trees, rubbish in the canal, damaged lock walls or anything else affecting a particular area then your local office should be able to assist you. You can check which British Waterways area you're in by looking at our waterways map.

Local office details

For any other issues you will need to contact our customer services team at head office in Watford. If you're calling us about your customer account (boat licence or mooring) please make sure you have your customer number or boat index number to hand. Likewise, if you're emailing us please make sure you include your customer number or boat index number, which will help the team find your details and respond to your query.

British Waterways enquiries

Other useful numbers

This page is currently under development and we will soon be adding a self-service customer enquiries form. If you have any suggestions for us please let us know by emailing feedback@waterscape.com.