Short visit toll

[macroft1]

Hi there.

I've had my boat on a dry berth since the beginning of August and so far I've launched it twice. Once for 5 nights and once for 2 nights 3 weeks later.

Up to now I've bought two short visit tolls at £27.60 each. Both for 7 days. So I've paid for 14 nights but only used 7.

I shall be launching the boat this weekend for one night only but will have to buy another £27.60s worth of toll.

I know it's not a great deal of money but in two weeks time I shall be using the boat for the last time this year for a week and another toll will be required. So that's 4 tolls in total for 28 days but only 15 days use!!

Do I just have to pay up and keep quiet or is there any way round it?

Perhaps someone with the same situation as me could confirm?

Thanks in advance.

Regards.

Mark.

[dnks34]

Hi Mark, unfortunatley I think you have answered your own question!! 

But if you do find a loophole please let me know :-)

[Viking23]

Sounds like most boat owners on the forum, you pay a years toll, ie 52 weeks, and many only use their boat for 6 weeks.

OK, the boat is probably on a private marina mooring during those other weeks.

The best value for money, is to pay the full year toll, and get out a bit more, easier said than done.

lol

 

[macroft1]

It's just a shame you can't pay by the day.

[JennyMorgan]

Wait until you see a Ranger & pay him, if you don't see one . . . . . . . . . . 

[quo vadis]

If you don't see one leave the money by a mooring / electricity post

[macroft1]

I wasn't aware that you can pay the rangers.

I like to be legal and above board but in a situation like this when I've already paid for double the time that I've used I wouldn't feel bad if I didn't see a ranger!!

[JennyMorgan]

You can pay the Rangers, according to the BA itself. You might have to search around for one, bit like 'ladies of the night', so I'm told, never find one when you want one.

[macroft1]

Try putting a small tent up at the side of your boat - a ranger suddenly appears!!

[senator]

I would go the Ranger route, having said that we have been stopped a few times this year as our tolls are in the little side window rather than stuck on the boat due to still needing to cut and polish the bit they will go on.

You are lucky that you will not want to launch again as 28 days toll is the most you can have in any toll year without paying your full annual toll. At least you get what you have already paid back against it.

[macroft1]

I was summoned by a passing ranger in Horning but waved on when he saw my short visit number on the stern.

The thing that got me was he didn't get close enough to read the expiry date!!!

[dnks34]

The rangers might have onboard access to some sort of database so I imagine all the details will be there under each toll number......i regurlarly seem to see a Ranger......being the suspicious type I wonder if im being followed  

[MBA Marine]

Cloning cars used to be quite a big thing (maybe still is) copying the number plate of the same make model and colour, I would be amazed if a few boats have not had the same treatment  and the toll plaques are fairly basic looking things and I would think one with better computing skills than I could make their own.  

Would be a very illegal practice and I strongly recommend that nobody tries it.

[dnks34]

I know for a fact that theres atleast one northern hire yard that once played the cloning game, they may well still do that i dont know.  Wether it was deliberate or not I never discovered but when they ended up with 2 of their boats moored next to eachother on the same Toll number it couldnt really be missed.  

[wombat nee blownup]

I am actually surprised how little in colour they change. one from perhaps four years ago or a faded one could resemble an up to date one. As well as a colour change perhaps the expiry date should be in great big bold numerals. Would there be too much work and drain on the toll payers to change the system so its like the vehicle ones i.e. let the payee toll their boat for twelve months as and whenever, meaning that there may be less reason for someone to try and get away with it for a few months because its been out of the water or something. Might not the revenue then collected surpass the costs of the extra work involved? Works fine for millions of motor vehicles. 

[Boaters]

I was working on the boat when a ranger came round inspecting tolls and I explained that I had paid over the phone but the disks  had not arrived .He returned from his launch and confirmed he had checked on his laptop and all was well. 

[senator]

All boats should be tolled by the owner for the owner. If you tolled for 12 months from the date you started with refunds of the balance of full months on declaration of sale. Your name is logged against the toll, making cloning more difficult, and EVERYONE would have to pay their fair share of the toll pot, instead of those that bring new boats onto the system subsidising those that don't.

How anyone can argue that there should be a charge levied for when people do not own a boat is ridiculous.

 

[Viking23]

Cloning cars used to be quite a big thing (maybe still is) copying the number plate of the same make model and colour, I would be amazed if a few boats have not had the same treatment  and the toll plaques are fairly basic looking things and I would think one with better computing skills than I could make their own.  

Would be a very illegal practice and I strongly recommend that nobody tries it.

On the canals, cloning is a big issue, and once a year, all available staff are employed to do a licence check on the whole system, within a 48 hour period. They knew where the boats were, and how fast they can travel, and since they are on a limited route, not very difficult to start prosecuting owners.

I gave one of the rangers a lift once, and he explained it to me, as they have to drive to a section, and then walk the tow path.