Where can I launch & cruise my boat?

It depends where. On inland waters — canals, rivers, lakes and the Broads — you almost always need a licence, registration or toll from the managing authority (Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency, the Broads Authority or Scottish Canals), and this applies even to canoes, kayaks and paddleboards. On tidal and coastal water there is no general recreational boating licence, but harbour byelaws, speed limits and launch permissions still apply. Pick your boat and drop a pin and the map tells you which applies at that spot.

The map plots 4,100+ UK slipways and launch points from OpenStreetMap. Every slipway has an owner — a council, harbour authority, navigation authority or private landowner — so you usually need their permission and a launch fee, and on inland water the boat also needs that water's licence. Always confirm access, fees and any restrictions with the slipway operator before you travel.

There is no national jet-ski (PWC) licence, but launching is the hard part: many councils require a permit or membership of a recognised PWC club, some slipways ban jet-skis outright, and jet-skis are not permitted on most inland canals and rivers. At sea you must stay under about 8 knots within 200m of the shore unless a designated high-speed zone applies, and dangerous use can now be prosecuted. Select 'Jet-ski' on the map to see the restrictions for a location.

Speed limits are set by local byelaws and vary. Canals are typically 4 mph; the non-tidal Thames is about 8 km/h; Lake Windermere has a 10-knot limit that effectively ended fast powerboating; and harbours set their own limits (often 6–10 knots), with slower zones and no-wake areas. The map shows the limit for the waters it has mapped and reminds you to check locally elsewhere.

To licence a powered boat on inland waters you need a Boat Safety Scheme certificate (retested every four years) and at least £2 million third-party insurance; the Canal & River Trust and Broads Authority both require this. Unpowered craft are generally exempt from the Boat Safety Scheme. At sea insurance is not a legal requirement but is strongly recommended and often required by insurers, and the Collision Regulations (COLREGs) always apply.

No. It is a free guidance and education tool, not a navigational chart — it does not show water depths, hazards or all restrictions, and it must not be used for navigation. Zones are approximate and the rules shown are indicative and may be out of date. Always confirm the current rules with the relevant navigation or harbour authority and use official Admiralty charts before boating.