Hi From Kent

[PeterMorgan]

Good Morning All.

Quick email to introduce myself. I'm from Kent and my wife & I are returning to inflatable boating after a gap of about 30 years. We still had a little 6hp Yamaha outboard stored in the shed and it started up with fresh fuel and a quick visit to a local marine engineer and a very reasonable £90 outlay had her pumping water healthily. I'm currently trying to get my head around licencing and insurance requirements (dislike both) and looking at every stretch of water thinking "how can we get it in there?". We bought a S/H Prowave 3.6M off ebay and picked up yesterday. It's currently sitting inflated in the living room...
We'll be using this site as a regular reference point - thanks in advance

Peter

[beamishken]

Welcome to the site
With regards to licencing / insurance if your in the sea technically you need neither some slips and marinas / harbours will have their own rules as will inland lakes and rivers but each is different
If your totally new then a powerboat 2 course is kind of the recommended minimum
But I've never been asked to produce one in 40 years boating
Insurance is pretty cheap and asked for a little more often but again most places just ask that you have it but odd ones will ask to view it
Do your homework before you turn up somewhere so your not disappointed
Boatlaunch website is good starting place for launching facilities
Although a sib you can get in pretty much anywhere

[PeterMorgan]

Thanks Ken. It would be useful to find out all the 'private right of navigation' non regulated rivers so will continue searching
Peter

[Fenlander]

Welcome Peter.

Was your previous sibbing on inland waters or the sea?

Worth getting insurance as it's very cheap for your type/value of craft.... you never know when the unexpected might make you very pleased to have liability cover.

Re registration costs they vary greatly but if they are a requirement on the nearest and most pleasureable bit of water the overall costs of sibbing are so low compared to other activities I'd just get a licence and enjoy the outings.

No idea re costs but is this waterway any good as it's near to you... http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/bodium-...tml#post762237 ??

[PeterMorgan]

Hi Fenlander - thanks for your advice - previously only River Medway (non tidal) and Norfolk Broads - old outfit used to squeeze in the boot of my Vauxhall Viva!

I know of the Bodiam stretch (River Rother) and have joined in with that thread's discussions. It's a free bit of river (non regulated) and probably where I'll start. Work getting in the way at the moment and it's a bit cold and miserable to venture out today !

Cheers

Peter

[Fenlander]

Sorry Peter I'd only looked quickly at that thread and not at the posters names.

Re insurance many of us with smaller craft use Craftinsure online. You can get the policy sorted in about 5mins online, pay and receive the documents e-mailed straight to you. You would come in the small motor boat class and it would probably cost about £50 to cover the boat's value and £5 million public liability.