2024/25 EA Waterways season: 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025
If you want to paddle on many waterways you often need a ‘licence’ to do so and the fee collected contributes to its upkeep and maintenance.
The navigation authority for the Suffolk & Essex River Stour is the Environment Agency and they oversee applications for unpowered or powered and business or private craft.
- Powered and/or business craft? Apply directly to the Environment Agency – click here
- “Powered boat” means a boat which is mechanically propelled by a combustion engine, steam engine or electric motor.
- “Business boat” means a boat kept or used on a waterway which is not kept or used solely as a private boat. The River Stour Trust is unable to process business boat registrations.
- Unpowered and private use craft? See registration options below.
- “Unpowered open boat” means a boat that is not mechanically propelled; and is either open to the elements with no enclosed or decked accommodation space (including a rowing boat, dragon boat, punt, dinghy with or without sail, canoe, paddle board, light inflatable) or the occupants are only protected by a spray deck (including a kayak).
- “Private boat” means any boat that is kept and used on a waterway solely for private leisure purposes, and not for the purposes of generating income for any organisation or business or for providing a service to others.
HOW TO REGISTER TO USE THE RIVER STOUR
- ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (EA)
- You can register your craft (powered or unpowered, private or business) within their current season (running between 1 April until 31 Mar the following year):
- BRITISH CANOEING (BC)
- Membership includes permission to paddle 1400km of waterways. This permits the member and not the craft. If you would like to loan your craft to someone else then they need to be a BC member or register the craft another way.
- RIVER STOUR TRUST (RST)
- We can process applications (on behalf of the EA) for unpowered and private use craft only. Choose fron daily, weekly, monthly or annual craft registrations. Copies of the Suffolk & Essex River Stour Navigation Guide are also available.