How long will our boats be off-limits?

UNDER present restrictions we are only allowed from home for limited reasons and it is illegal to go on holiday.

The only reasons allowed for travel are such as exercise, essential shopping and work that cannot be done from home, and we cannot stay overnight on our boats.

'Too soon' to book an holiday

And now we are warned by the government that it is 'too soon' to book a holiday in the UK or abroad.

During this lockdown you cannot stay overnight anywhere outside your main residence unless you have a 'reasonable excuse' for doing so, meaning that only those whose boat is their home are allowed on the water, with the proviso that they do not travel other than for essential purposes, and there is little knowledge as to when this will alter.

Boat licence fees

Which makes the possibility of our using our boats in the immediate future most unlikely, so if we are not allowed to use our boats and the law is quite clear that you cannot be charged for a service you do not receive, it is about time Canal & River Trust and the Environmental Agency made an announcement on their waiving of boat licence fees, as occurred in last year's early lockdown.