Having the right insurance for your boat is so important as it will cover you for the unfortunate situations that could turn a great day out in the water, into a bad one. Buying a boat is a big investment, so you must protect it against damage or theft. Insurance for your boat is just as important as car insurance and regardless of how experienced you are, you should make sure you protect yourself against inexperienced or careless boaters. You do not want to be left with an inoperable boat and huge repair bills.

A long long time ago, almost as far back as I can remember, my father had a pig farm. While growing up on the farm my friends and I used to catch rides on the backs of the pigs. We used to get covered in muck - well you know what pigs are like for wallowing in it!

This is possibly the most important legal document that anyone should have in their life time; in fact the Office of the Public Guardian states that everyone over the age of 35 should have one!

why?

You may not think boating is a dangerous pastime – but when you consider the possible dangers that we face daily on the canals and inland waterways, ask yourself this question. If you lose mental capacity temporarily or permanently do you think that you could pay all your bills and ensure that the care you may receive, if unwell for an extended period would be what you want?

When someone (a donor) becomes mentally or physically unable to look after their own affairs, they generally wish someone they know and trust could legally handle these things for them in the way that they would do things for themselves. The only way this can happen is by creating a Lasting Power of Attorney thereby giving another person (an attorney) the legal right to act on behalf of the donor.

It is important to pre-arrange a Lasting Power of Attorney whilst a person/donor still has the mental capacity to do so and therefore be able to choose their own attorney(s). People often assume (especially a spouse or next or kin) that it is their automatic right to take over the affairs of the incapacitated person. Sadly, this is not the case, even if they have savings or investments in joint names. We also recommend that replacement (or backup) attorneys be appointed in case the chosen attorney cannot act for some reason.

uses of an LPA

For example:

• The donor can still do things for themselves, under the financial power, even after the LPA has been registered.
• A financial LPA can be used if a person needs help on a temporary basis; e.g. in the case of a nervous breakdown.
• A single parent having difficulties and wanting someone to look after a minor (child/children?) on a temporary basis. A note could be made in the LPA document to this effect.
• The attorney must always act in the best interest of the donor at all times and if needed “fight battles” on the donor’s behalf. Otherwise the attorney could be found to be negligent in his/her duties under the MCA 2005 Act.

what happens if there is not a lasting power of attorney in place?

If a person cannot manage their affairs and they have lost mental capacity, the only way for someone to be able to look after that person’s affairs is by way of an application being made to The Court of Protection for a deputy to be appointed. This can take many months to sort out and is costly. To give you an idea of costs LPAs cost approx. £500.00 whereas a Deputyship Order will cost approx. £3000.00. and after that there's an annual fee and other costs to pay as well (depending on circumstances and income of the incapacitated person). A deputy may be someone known to the family or could well be a local Solicitor or an officer of the Local Health Authority. In certain circumstances a family member may be appointed, but there are lot of restrictions and rules to follow and abide by.

Call: 01283 566 133 Write: Email Visit:  Website Link

Inland waterway emergency assistance and breakdown firm, River Canal Rescue (RCR), has launched Bilgeaway – a product it describes as ‘the world’s first truly environmentally-friendly bilge discharge filter’.

2009 was an eventful year, Barack Obama became America's first black president, James Cameron’s “Avatar” was smashing all box office records to become the highest grossing film of all time and 155 passengers aboard an Airbus A320 flight experienced a miracle on the Hudson River. 2009 was also an exciting year for Aqueduct Marina, as this was the year we opened our doors for the very first time, following years of planning and hard work from the Parton family.