Like many Canadians, I grew up around boats. With many weeks every year spent at a log cabin on a lake, powerboats were simply taken for granted, and many of us drove them from a relatively young age. In addition, people like my wife and I took swimming lessons, including life saving courses and boating qualifications.

So, I mention this to make it clear that I am relatively experienced on water and with boats. What I have no experience of, however, is how any of that would translate to the UK, and using a powerboat on coastal waters. Are there laws that govern boat use? Do people have to train and earn a license? His boat use restricted in some way? Like sticking it boating lanes, or boating zones?

Sorry for the ignorant questions, but I would be very interested in knowing what the boating ‘culture’ here is like. After 1 years of living here, I’m finally getting interested!

I see the bureaucrats coming …

They will probably arrest you for polluting the water with your Canadian powerboats. 😆

Oh ya … they don’t like rich powerboat foreigner you know.

Don’t forget to speak to them in a very strong Canadian or American accent. (both sound the same to them) 😆

no laws really regarding ownership

some restrictions in ports etc as to what you can and cannot do

also you’d be daft to go out without a vhf and lifejackets but really there are practically no restrictions

there’s practically no rules apart from a speed limit and pass on the right and give way to sail* where motor boating on the norfolk broads is concerned. Drunk in charge of a boat is pretty common too, floating gin palaces for the most part or a way of getting to the next pub.

*optional

Usage of a VHF radio will require you to get a licence, although it is not an offence to use it unlicenced in an emergency.

Rule of the road to be adhered to. Some ports require 3rd party insurance minimum on your vessel. No qualifications required.

More common sense than legislation. Some local rules, speed limits on some rivers and the like. Licence to use VHF.

No qualifications or license required to own a boat and take your friends and family out off shore. But if you want to use a radio for safety you must have a license or face £5000 fine and/or 6 months inside. Go figure 😐

No, not really – except as mentioned where there are actually specified boating lanes or in harbours. Pretty much an unlicensed free for all apart from that.

I own a VHF which I take with me sea kayaking, but have no licence – not really an issue for the reason I carry it (though I have read the book and know proper radio procedure – if you follow that there’s no way they’d ever catch you for being unlicensed, as it’s only illegal to transmit without one, not to own a radio).

Tidal waters are open to all, unless you’re within the boundary of a port, in which case there will probably be regulations. Launching from a public slipway is free, private slipways may charge.

VHF radio needs, legally,
(a) a licence for the radio itself, can be obtained free from http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radiocommunication-licences/ships-radio/
(b) a certificate of competence for the person using the radio – need to take a course and an exam, various organisations such as RYA run these.
If you use a radio for safety purposes only, and use proper radio procedure, it’s unlikely that you’d be prosecuted. If you chat to your friends on Ch16 it would be a different story.

Coastguard are generally helpful. In the south, there are so many boats they are not usually interested in you logging your trip. In Scotland and N England, they will often appreciate a call with plans and another when you’re back safe.

While you don’t need a licence for a boat, I personally feel it’s good form, if you go on the sea regularly, to take out a subscription to the RNLI (Lifeboat service, run by volunteers and donation, not Government).

Distress flares are easy to buy but difficult to dispose of when out of date. I carry a PLB and VHF and will probably not buy new flares when mine get too far past their date.

You can pretty much buy a boat and set off into the wide blue sea with no restrictions. What could possibly go wrong? 😆

In case there is any confusion I have one of those – it is as you say free.

(b) a certificate of competence for the person using the radio – need to take a course and an exam, various organisations such as RYA run these.
If you use a radio for safety purposes only, and use proper radio procedure, it’s unlikely that you’d be prosecuted. If you chat to your friends on Ch16 it would be a different story.

Only because chatting to friends on CH16 isn’t proper procedure – I’d hope they would crack down on that – if you use proper procedure on a different channel how would they ever know whether you have a certificate? I do still plan to get myself qualified some time, but it’s not high on my list of priorities given I’ve never wanted to transmit (being billy no mates).

Distress flares are easy to buy but difficult to dispose of when out of date. I carry a PLB and VHF and will probably not buy new flares when mine get too far past their date.

I have loads of out of date ones – keep meaning to let some off on 5th November.

No qualifications or license required to own a boat and take your friends and family out off shore. But if you want to use a radio for safety you must have a license or face £5000 fine and/or 6 months inside. Go figure

It’s actually quite fair and reasonable.

Due to the way VHF works, its feasible for idiots to block other users from making genuine calls. You want to take your friends and family offshore – your choice and theirs, and your issue if it goes wrong. But causing problems for other people is a different matter, so quite rightly use of VHF is regulated.

aracer – I am licensed and called in a minor issue with a goat (long story) to Brixham coastguard who took contact details. They followed up by phone as well. No idea if they checked my status, but for the sake if a day and £90 I think it is worth getting it done. I also have dsc on my handset, license is required for this.

Don’t forget to speak to them in a very strong Canadian or American accent. (both sound the same to them)

For the record, I’m always respectful of whether an ‘American’ might actually be Canadian and always ask first. Same goes for New Zealander/Australian, I imagine it’s a bit irritating.

I share a power Ski boat with friends and there are no restrictions other than speed limits in some estuary areas and lane discipline in areas. We don’t have VHF radio, because we don’t venture off shore. Sensible things apply, like lanyard engine cut off etc, but not compulsory. There’s a ski specific ski boat driver award that’s worth doing for insurance discount, but not compulsory. as said, there’s not much to restrict you from buying and driving.

As posted above you don’t need a licence to own and use a boat, you can buy one and set off for the south pole if you so want.

Yes there are rules of the road and restrictions in both harbours and at sea. There are many books you can buy or websites, suggest you start with the RYA. Obvious suggestion is to get down to a club nearby to where you are interested in sailing/boating and speak to the members there.

By the way I don’t know if Canada has the same red/green channel marking system as the US but in the UK you keep the red bouys to you port side, green to your starboard side when coming into a harbour – ie opposite way round to the US. Other than that most regulations are shared and the Col. Regs are international.

whatever you’re doing, 3rd party insurance is cheap and well worth it.

I raced dingy when I was younger and, back then, £2,500,000 was compulsory (mid 90s). I suspect it’s much higher now but still not much cash.

I’d highly recommend a RYA powerboating course. Even if it’s just a refresher.

@Saxon if you do want a boat it’s a buyers market. One factor is that versus the US marina charges are substantially higher as is the cost of fuel assuming you go the power route.

Best £10 you could spend is the Col Regs book – RYA do a flip book which is really handy. If you’re going to play in the sea it’ll be invaluable and stop you being pulled out in many shiny pieces of the bow thruster on a Malasyian container ship. 🙂

RYA poweboat courses are worth going on. Kinda like the difference between knowing how the accelerator and clutch work on a car, and how to actualy drive it in traffic and park it.

But legaly there’s not much to stop you buying a boat and using it. The RYA actively blocks any proposals to make even their own courses mandatory.

Owning and using a boat in the UK can be like owning and using a big hole in the ground that swallows all your money. Be prepared for all things boaty to cost more than what you may be used to in N. America.

A friend of mine has a Swallowboat Bayraider, which he tows all over the UK and launches, including to Scotland where he uses it around inner Hebridean waters. It’s a fantastically safe, stable and flexible craft with 300 kgs of water ballast, oars and an outboard. Two weekends ago we sailed it up Ullswater and back and apart from being the coldest I’ve been since I gave up motorcycling, I had a ball. No permit is needed for any of this, just common sense and experience.

@globalti – lovely !

In know the OP mentioned coastal waters, where there are no access restrictions, only possible fees for launching from private land. But note if you choose to use inland waters there can be more restrictions on access. Some places, like the Lake District NP has restrictions and permitting on some lakes to restrict numbers and/or for water quality purposes. A lot of our reservoirs are operated by water companies and powered craft, and in some cases non-powered craft, cannot be used on them. To use our canal and river network like the Norfolk Broads, access needs to have been granted (by British Waterways or a National Park Authority or the riparian owners) for the type of craft you intend to use and you need to have third party insurance which you can usually get through membership of an appropirate body (BCA, RYA). Whereas access on tidal waters (below HW mark on an OS map) is unrestricted as long as you follow the speed limits and buoys particularly within harbours / estuaries. There has also been a real push to educate people on invasive aquatic species by leisure users moving boats around the country, but I am sure you are aware of all that from your experience in Canada.

Have fun!

I don’t think you’ll find those are compulsory either.