sib on the beach

[mat8739]

may be me being thick but ,,lol,,do yo have to have a license to have a sib in the water,,and can i launch of any beach on y holidays without paying???

[akirk]

possibly & possibly

to run a boat on the oceans requires no licences / qualifications / etc.
however some waters have licence requirements (e.g. the River Thames)
launching - costs depend on land owner's decision, so some launching is free, but many launching points will charge - here on the Thames as my example, to use the local public slipway is free, but too narrow for my rib (designed for canoes), the local marina is c. £15 the local pub is £5 and I put it in the water from a friend's field (off the bank) free of charge - all varies

Alasdair

[mat8739]

i will prob just be using the sib on the sea ,,cant i just pull it on to a PUBLIC beach and chuck it in ,,and away i go ,,i wont go out in bad weather but what do i have to do to check tides,,whats good and bad tides..

[m chappelow]

Depends on the local council and their bylaws ect ,some like in yorkshire /cleveland areas ,Redcar its free and no one will bother you but down the coast into scarborough, flamborough,bridlington the council want to see insurance cert and not a duplicate and you have to have minimum safety equipment ,

[Max...]

Always apply common sense to it too - keep away from busy public beaches - most areas of coastline have 'known' sites where people launch boats away from the masses.

PB2 is always a good idea too if you are new to boating and only a fool would go anywhere near a public area without insurance so make sure you have that - it will only cost around £50 a year for a SIB.

[mat8739]

thanks for the insurance tip ,,so no license ??,,i was gettin a sib so i could fish close in the shore line without payin 25-35 for a few hours fishing,,if i have to pay to launch i think i will have to weigh things up again shame i was really gettin excited

[actions]

I had a sib before my rib, just walked down to the beach with the boat, returned for the outboard and away i went. No need to pay any launching fees if on a public beach normally.

As stated some councils will want to see insurance but thats only if using their slipways. For instance Thanet council require an insurance certificate and yearly payment. In return you get a key to open up slipway gates. but if your not using their slipway they dont bother you at all.

If using close into shore common sense applies, some areas dont allow powered craft within 300 yrds of the beach, some allow it but under 8knts.

Loads round here use sibs and canoes to fish from and nearly all launch from the beach itself.

Always check your tides before going and weather. Ensure you have safety gear too.

[Polwart]

mat - its not necessarily a cheap solution. Servicing the engine, insuring the boat, fuel, kit like lifejackets etc, some training, the boat and engine etc will all add up. You'd probably need to spend 10-20 days a year for 5 years to work out cheaper than the £5-10/hr you are currently paying...

[mat8739]

thanks so much ,,but how do i check if tides are to strong and could be dangerous,,is there a weather station on the radio or sumthink

[Polwart]

Mat - I'd suggest you look at getting some training (RYA Powerboat Level 2 is usually considered the "entry level" for new skippers). This will include some basic info on how to find out about tides, and understand when they will be at their fastest etc. Depending on where you are in the country they may not be an issue but in other cases they might.