Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council has agreed a draft Pleasure Boat and Boatperson policy, with members approving it for public consultation planned for next year.
The decision was made when the council’s licensing committee met on December 11 to consider proposals developed with Poole Harbourmaster and officers at Christchurch Harbour.
The policy applies only to inland waters, specifically Poole Harbour and Christchurch Harbour, and does not cover coastal or open sea operations.
Officers told councillors an earlier draft was agreed in December 2023 but not consulted on, and it was later paused following the Bournemouth beach incident and inquest.
Since then, further work has been carried out with harbour authorities to refine the policy before bringing it back to the committee.
The rules apply to small boats hired to the public or skippered vessels carrying up to 12 passengers, focusing on safety checks, maintenance, insurance and staff training.
Boat licences would last one year, while boatperson licences would run for three years and cover anyone navigating or assisting with passenger boats.
New requirements include basic DBS checks, named skippers, safety boat details and additional medical, first aid and boat handling qualifications.
Committee members asked officers to clarify definitions within the report before agreeing the proposal to move forward.
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