RBOA - Floating Voters
Residential Boat Owners Association

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History

The RBOA was started in 1963 by a group of boat-owners around D'Oyly Carte Island on the Thames who got together to negotiate with their moorings owner. They started an Association which rapidly became national. We now have an established membership on rivers, canals and in harbours throughout the country and even a sprinkling of international members.

The Association is dedicated to supporting all liveaboard boaters in continuing their chosen lifestyle and preserving affordable, hassle-free boating while at the same time ensuring that we all afforded the same considerations and civic rights as bank-dwelling UK citizens. We draw the line at supporting anyone who tries to dodge legally charged fees and licences although we do fight to ensure that fees are set at a fair rate and levied even-handedly. Over the years we have amassed a wealth of experience of dealing with local authorities, waterway authorities and government departments. We have fought many test cases in these areas and have particular experience in planning matters. We also have a collective wealth of hints and tips on more mundane but wide-spread aspects of floating homes.

We act as a watchdog to safeguard and protect the interests of residential boat owners whenever our rights are threatened. We do not seek special treatment - merely a parity with other UK citizens, the right to which is often queried or delayed by assorted authorities. To this end we pro-actively take up areas of inequality such as council tax, social security benefits and waterway licensing regulations. We constantly promote the benefits to planners and waterway authorities of having liveaboards in their areas and we have achieved a number of significant changes in the attitudes if several official bodies. Liveaboards should be supported and encouraged, not treated as nuisances in need of bizarre and costly controls.

Despite all the serious work, our bi-monthly newsletter Soundings, which is free to members, is a lively read, with contributions from boaters old and new on the thrills and spills of living afloat.

Aims

Residential Boat Owners Association exists to promote the interests of people living on boats. It does this by:-
  1. Safeguarding existing residential moorings and increasing their numbers throughout Britain.
  2. Maintaining, encouraging and supporting a variety of liveaboard lifestyles.
  3. Encouraging high standards of boat ownership and residence.
  4. Promoting good relations between boat owners and their Land/Waterlords.
  5. Negiotiating with National and Local Authorities in all matters that are relevant to RBOA membership.
  6. Encouraging mobile craft to cruise.

All our work is carried out by unpaid volunteers. The Association is funded solely by membership subscriptions, sales of publications and the occasional donation. Whilst we try to assist anyone interested in our lifestyle, the membership must be our priority so if you want to know more, why not complete an application form and join us today.