River Canal Rescue - Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions

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River Canal Rescue Services

1.1. Breakdown Service: A suitably qualified mechanic will attend your breakdown and rectify the problem, where possible, so that you can continue your voyage.
1.2. Recovery Service: If the vessel cannot be repaired at the scene of the breakdown, we will tow the vessel safely to your home marina (within a maximum of 2 hours cruising), or - failing that - tow the vessel to the nearest marina of your choice (advice and locations will be given by the attending mechanic). The cost of any further repairs to the vessel will be your responsibility. Recovery can take up to 48hrs to organise.
* Recovery for retainer membership is chargeable at £35 per/hr.
*excludes towing on tidal estuaries and rivers.
1.3. Home Start Service: If the vessel breaks down at your home marina berth, we will attend the vessel and try to rectify the immediate problem. However, if the problem cannot be rectified, we will provide assistance in arranging the repair of your vessel at your cost, at your home marina, or by a suitably qualified person of your choice.
1.4. Crew Relay Service: If the vessel breaks down while it is more than 10 miles from your home marina and the vessel cannot be repaired at that time, or be safely towed, we will transport you and your crew to your home marina or to a single home address at our cost. If you prefer, we will transport you and your crew to a single hotel or accommodation of your choice. However, the cost of any accommodation for you and your crew is your sole responsibility.
1.5. Annual Inspection: An annual inspection of the engine, electrical system and charging system of the Vessel will be undertaken by us, or by a suitably qualified person nominated by us. Details of any faults or repairs will be given to you, together with advice and assistance on obtaining any necessary repairs. This is undertaken during the September to March period and is dependent on the availability of the RCR personnel. This is an optional service which must be booked by the member each year.
1.6. Message Service: RCR Rescue Control Centre provides a message relaying service, during the breakdown the member can request that family or friends be notified of their situation.
1.7. Special Needs: If you have any special requirements please inform the Rescue Control Centre when you phone (i.e.. if you are stuck overnight, we can arrange for our mechanic to collect some groceries for you before his arrival). This is to a maximum of £10, and payment must be made to the mechanic on his arrival.
1.8 Pick up and Drop off Service (for outboard repairs): If the attending engineer can not resolve your issue, and the outboard requires a specialist we will remove your outboard, take to a specialist and once repaired (at your cost) return and refit the outboard. Mileage charge applies.

In these terms and conditions we use the following definitions:-
“breakdown” - Any engine-related, mechanical or electrical breakdown (failures and breakages), or damage (not including hull) which results in your not being able to sail your vessel.
Typical breakdowns include: flat batteries, broken fan belts, cables, ignition systems, fuel systems, alternators, starters, cooling system, split pipes, fouled props, charging issues (starter only) issues resolved within 2hrs.*attending a 'domestic breakdown' will attract a charge (£40)
*running out of fuel will attract a fuel surcharge.
“home marina/berth/registered moorings" - The place where the vessel is normally kept. For ‘continual cruisers’ the winter moorings are classed as registered moorings;
“member’s handbook” - The handbook issued to every member of RCR;
“period of membership” - The length of time covered by your membership as set out in the schedule;
“schedule” - The schedule sent in the membership pack;
“territorial limits” - All inland waterways within the borders of England, Wales and Scotland, excluding tidal estuaries (but including the tidal stretch of the River Trent from Newark to Keadby);
“the vessel” - Any vessel, craft or boat specified in the schedule (or reported to and accepted by us) at the time of the breakdown, as long as you have paid the appropriate premium;
“we, us, our” - River Canal Rescue Limited;
“you, your ” - The person named as “the member” in the schedule or application form.
We will provide national breakdown assistance and recovery services to you within the territorial limits on the basis of these terms and conditions.
The level of service you can request depends upon the level of membership you have requested and we have agreed as detailed in the schedule.
Please note that:-
4.1. You must retain your membership card and produce this when calling us to a breakdown if requested.
4.2. We reserve the right to refuse applications for membership.
4.3. Your membership will commence 72 hours after we accept your application and receive your payment.
4.4. Retainer membership packages have the right to assistance services offered by RCR. Every attendance is charged at a flat rate of £40 per callout. The cost of recovery or crew relay is charged at an hourly rate of £35.
4.5. The annual engine inspection is provided as part of the gold membership and is also offered as a ‘pay on use ‘ service. The cost of this service is £50 if you do not hold a gold membership.
4.6. If you require emergency cover (we admit you to membership immediately), then you must pay an additional £50 premium and apply at the minimum for level of silver membership. This fee is non-refundable
4.7. If you make more than 1 call-out during a 24 hour period and the call-out is related to the initial problem, this will be logged as a single attendance by us.
4.8. Your membership covers the cost of the callout and an engineer’s attendance for two hours, additional time can be allocated based on availability of RCR engineers.
4.9. When a contractor attends on behalf of RCR and the fault is diagnosed as terminal or requires ‘extensive work’, your membership will cover the callout charge and first hour of labour. A private agreement between you and the contractor will then take over.
4.10. Outboards requiring in-depth investigation will be taken to an outboard specialist, a mileage charge will be made for pick up/ drop off service.
4.11. Parts delivery is subject to the discretion and availability of RCR staff or contractors. Courier service is chargeable.
4.12. There is no minimum call out time – however, we aim to assist within 4 hours.
4.13. Winter moorings for ‘continual cruisers’ will be defined as registered moorings.
4.14. We will not provide assistance in connection with any failure of domestic electrical systems, domestic appliances or plumbing on board the vessel.
4.15. Recovery to marina must be within a maximum of 2hrs journey time and is dependant on the availability of RCR staff.
4.16. Crew relay is restricted to a maximum of two crew relays in any 1 year of membership.
4.17.We are not obliged to answer call outs if the vessel is on a tidal river. However, if the vessel is safely moored and accessible then an RCR engineer can attend if Health & Safety issues are satisfied. (RCR does cover the tidal stretch of the River Trent from Newark to Keadby).
Please note that our resources are finite. We seek to meet the service needs of members at all times but this may not always be possible. We shall not be liable for service failures where we are faced with circumstances outside our reasonable control, including (but not limited to) acts of God, outbreaks of hostilities, civil disturbance, acts of terrorism, flood, snow, fog or other bad weather conditions, vehicle, equipment or systems failures shortages of fuel or other necessary supplies, default of suppliers, sub-contractors or staff.

General Exclusions

You (and not us) will be responsible for the cost of:-
1.1. Recovery of the Vessel by road.
1.2. Any tolls payable for the transport of the Vessel.
1.3. Taking crew to more than one address after any breakdown, if you insist on this.
1.4. Recovering the vessel and crew, if the vessel could have been repaired within a reasonable period of time at or near to the place of the breakdown.
1.5. Any parts, components or materials used to repair the vessel, unless covered by a warrantee.
1.6 .Any services you request which are not arranged by us.
1.7.Engineers attendance if the vessel breaks down at your home marina or within 1 mile of that, unless you have home start.
1.8. Any recovery charges apart from recovery to the nearest available marina or, if the vessel breaks down within 1 mile of your home marina, recovery to the home marina.
1.9. Any request for service if the vessel has been used (since you bought it) for private hire, public hire, racing, pacemaking or in any contest or speed trial or any rigorous reliability testing. Unless RCR have been notified in writing and membership has been accepted.
1.10. Any request for service if the vessel is out of the water or cannot be reached due to snow, mud, sand or flood.
1.11. Any other repair, breakdown or recovery service you use not nominated by us.
1.12. The attendance cost of a locksmith.
1.13. Recovery when suffering sever damage to the rudder/skeg from hitting underwater obstacles, which results in the vessel requiring docking for repairs.
1.14. Fouled propellers - where access cannot be gained.
1.15. Repairs to Bow thrusters.
1.16. Taking on water or hull breach
1.17. Diver, cranage or slipway hire are
We shall not be responsible for:
2.1. Loss of, or damage to, the vessel, its contents, or any valuables carried in the vessel.
2.2. Any consequence of war, invasion, the act of a foreign enemy, hostilities (whether declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, military power, or strike or industrial action.
2.3. Loss damage or injury or any consequential or indirect loss sustained by you while the vessel is in our care.
2.4. Any damage to the vessel or otherwise suffered by you after we have recovered the vessel to the nearest available marina or to your home marina.
2.5. Any claim for warrantee parts notified later than 14 days from the fault occurring.
2.6. Claims for replacement parts under warrantee, where a vessel has suffered water ingress or fire, or the administrator believes were faulty prior to your membership commencing.
2.7. Faults, alterations, repairs, loss, damage or liability covered by any other warrantee, guarantee or goodwill settlement.
We reserve the right to levy a reasonable charge if you call us out to repair the same or a similar fault with the vessel within 14 days of the previous call out, or where advised repairs have not been implemented.
We are not obliged to provide services where repairs are required after an accident.
We can refuse to supply services if – in our reasonable opinion – the vessel is in such a condition or position that the health and safety of our staff or sub-contractors is endangered, or if the provision of service by us would require us to break the law, or if any member or crew of the vessel is abusive to us or our staff or sub-contractors.
We can also refuse to supply services to members if any such member owes us any monies.
If a member exceeds the number of call-outs permitted by their level of membership, then we reserve the right to charge £40 for each subsequent call out.
We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions on giving reasonable notice of the changed terms and conditions to our members.
We reserve the right to charge you for any services provided by us but not covered by your membership. Where possible the charges will be agreed with you prior to work being undertaken.
Should a breakdown occur to parts covered under a warrantee, we may insist that the repairer uses exchanged or reconditioned parts to effect a repair.

General conditions

We will only provide the cover described in this membership if:

You have met all the terms and conditions in this document of membership.
The information you have given to us is, as far as you know, correct and complete. (Any payment made under this membership will be based on the original information provided by you).
If you have failed to give us complete and accurate information or have not met the terms and conditions, this could lead to assistance being denied or the membership not being valid.
This membership only applies to the member detailed on the application form and cannot be transferred to anyone else, unless specified or agreed in writing with RCR.
If your vessel breaks down (whether you need immediate service or not), it is within the members interest to contact RCR’s 24-hour rescue centre.
Riverside help or recovery will only be provided if you or a member of your crew stay with the vessel until a rescue vehicle arrives.
If a callout is made which you or anyone acting on your behalf knows is false, fraudulent or exaggerated, cover under this membership will end and no refund will be made.
You must take all reasonable steps to prevent a breakdown and your vessel must not be sailed in a dangerous condition or until all recommended repairs have been carried out.
You must keep your vessel properly maintained and serviced.
We may cancel this membership by sending 7 days notice, by recorded delivery, to your last known address.
You may cancel this membership at any time by telling us in writing and sending back your document of membership. If you have not made a claim in the current period of your membership, we will allow a proportion of your premium to be taken off any future membership, or we will pay you a refund based on a day rate minus an administration fee of £40
The vessel must have a current valid insurance certificate.
The vessel must have a current tax disc (where applicable).
The vessel (where applicable) must have a current registration with either the Environment Agency, or British Waterways.
The vessel (where applicable) must have a current Boat Safety Certificate.