One of the great things about boating is the freedom to tie up almost anywhere. But with around 35,000 boats sharing 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, some rules to fairly share the mooring space are helpful.
These rules are set out in your licence terms and conditions – and mooring time limits apply to all boats - no matter what type of licence you have.
Please respect the time limits
Whether you are a continuous cruiser or cruising away from your home mooring, everyone's boat licence includes permission to tie up for a short time along the towpath. These are either:
- 14 days (no longer)
- 7 days
- 48 hours
- or whatever length of time the sign along the towpath shows if you're at a visitor mooring
Share the mooring space
If you need to stay somewhere longer, please be sensitive to other boaters' short term mooring needs and if need be, find a home mooring.
Tell us if you have an emergency
If you need to stay longer because your boat's broken down, you've had an incident or accident or become ill, please contact your local boat licence customer support officer or contact us using our web contact form to request an extended stay.