From June 2024 an advisory letter will be sent with every renewed licence instead of just being sent with new licence applications. The communication, sent by email where possible, will include important information about the licence requirements, our Guidance for Boaters Without a Home Mooring, the welfare support available to boaters, answers to the most-asked questions, and guidance on maintaining a cruising log.
From the same date, we will stop sending a midpoint reminder about cruising patterns. These reminders often have limited impact, can cause confusion, and are costly to administer.
There are no changes to what boaters are required to do to meet the terms of their boat licence.
Understanding the requirements
Matthew Aymes, our national customer support manager at, said: “It is important for boaters to have the information they need to help them understand the requirements of the boat licence, including how the Trust interprets the legal requirement to ‘bona fide’ navigate.
“The information pack we’ll be sending out with every boat licence will provide a comprehensive overview of the requirements, as well as useful advice for boaters on how to access support and ways they can easily keep a cruising record of their travels.
“We are committed to helping boats stay on the water and hope this additional information leads to increased clarity around cruising requirements. In addition, our boat licence customer support team will be on hand to answer any questions, and we ask anyone struggling or unsure of their cruising obligations to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Restricted licenses
From June 2024, for those boaters whose cruising patterns do not meet the licence requirements, we will offer a single six-month restricted licence to give them the time to meet the terms of their licence. A second restricted period will be offered in only the most exceptional of cases.
We will also be reducing the number of letters sent to boats on restricted licences, incorporating the information into its existing processes. The changes will take effect from January 2024.
Vouchers
Unredeemed £600 Vouchers for continuous cruisers will expire on 5 December 2023 The last £600 energy support vouchers for continuous cruisers are set to expire at midnight on 5 December 2023 when the current scheme closes. Vouchers cannot be redeemed or re-issued past this point. If you do not redeem your voucher by then, you will not be able to access this support.
If your voucher has already expired, please contact [email protected] urgently - and no later than 10am on 4 December - to enable DESNZ to re-issue your voucher before the scheme closes.
If redeeming your voucher in person in-store, you can find your nearest PayPoint retailer here https://consumer.paypoint.com/afp. If you have difficulties redeeming at a store, please call PayPoint’s customer service on 0330 400 0002. If you need any additional help redeeming your voucher, please contact [email protected]
