canoe - do I need a licence?

[RB Will]

Hi all. I am thinking about buying an inflatable canoe to paddle around in during the summer. I am near the Cotswold water park and know the lakes there ask you to pay one off fees or memberships to use them which is fine.

Do I need to get any sort of licence to put the canoe in a river? eg the Thames at Lechlade? Or can I just plonk it in and paddle away?

[mcdjl]

RB Will said:

Hi all. I am thinking about buying an inflatable canoe to paddle around in during the summer. I am near the Cotswold water park and know the lakes there ask you to pay one off fees or memberships to use them which is fine.

Do I need to get any sort of licence to put the canoe in a river? eg the Thames at Lechlade? Or can I just plonk it in and paddle away?

Theoretically you need a British waterways licence to paddle on canals/ navigable rivers. Practically/realistically you don't. Non-navigable rivers it basically comes down to the land owner, so as a rule of thumb unless you can see a sign saying not to its probably alright really. If it isn't a fisher man will soon tell you. Above Lechlade it might not be officially navigable, so find a local canoe club and check The BCU can help you out...

[RB Will]

Thank you. I was just unsure if they were classified as a proper boat.

[Simpo Two]

The EA requires all vessels to be licensed in their areas (River Nene/Great Ouse etc). Though as said, for a canoe, I'd wing it and if some bloke with a reflective jacket and clipboard comes along, just say sorry and leg it.

[MOTORVATOR]

I can vouch for Simpo being the board expert on anything less than waist deep.

[Eric Mc]

You probably don't need a licence for Panama.

[AnotherClarkey]

If you join the BCU or whatever they are called now (Canoe England?) you get a licence to use BW canals + the Thames and some other rivers. It is a pretty good deal.

[Ayahuasca]

Eric Mc said:

You probably don't need a licence for Panama.

Correct, you don't.