Ever wondered what a particular acronym stood for? Well, if it’s related to the waterways, you might find it here:

AINA

Association of Inland Navigation Authorities

Promotes matters in common between the navigation authorities, e.g. consistent signs

ABP

Associated British Ports

Navigation authority for tidal reaches of the Humber and Ouse navigation

ANT

Avon Navigation Trust

Navigation Authority for the Warwickshire Avon (formed in 2009 from a merger between LUANT and UANT)

APCO

Association of Pleasure Craft Operators

Trade body for hire and hotel boat operators

ARA

Amateur Rowing Association

Does exactly what it says in the title

AWCC

Association of Waterway Cruising Clubs

National body with cruising clubs rather than individuals as members. Otherwise with a similar brief to NABO

BCU

British Canoe Union

As it says on the tin

BHCF

British Hire Craft Federation

Trade body for hire boat operators

BMF

British Marine Federation

Trade body for coastal and inland boating businesses

BSC

Boat Safety Certificate

Certificate issued by the BSS

BSS

Boat Safety Scheme

The boat construction safety requirements for an increasing number of British navigations, mainly aimed at reducing fire, explosion, pollution and third party risks

BSSAC

Boat Safety Scheme Advisory Committee

Committee of user and trade representatives to give feedback to BSSMC. Has NABO rep.

BSSMC

Boat Safety Scheme Management Committee

Does what it says in the title

BSSTC

Boat Safety Scheme Technical Committee

Committee that discusses the ‘nuts and bolts’. Has examiners, boffins and NABO on it.

BW

British Waterways

The main canals navigation authority in Great Britain (i.e. not including Northern Ireland)

BWAF

British Waterways Advisory Forum

Has waterway interest and user groups as members, links with BW at Board level. Independent chair

CBA

Canal Boat Builders Association.

 

Exactly what it says on the can

CBOA

Commercial Boat Operators Association

What it says in the title

CC (CCer

)

Continuous Cruiser

 

A boat/owner with no permanent mooring who is truly itinerant and complies with BW’s Guidelines

CM

Continuous Moorer

A boat/owner with no authorised mooring who does not comply with BW’s Guidelines

CSS

Customer Service Standards

BW initiative, includes MSS, Minimum Safety Standards

CSSAP

Customer Service Standards Advisory Panel

Group with individually invited members including users, trade and BW employees to advise on CSS

DBA

The Barge Association

Once stood for Dutch Barge Association. For owners of bigger boats and smaller ships here and abroad.

DCLG

Department for Communities and Local Government

Government department overseeing development and regeneration, a possible alternative home for waterways

DEFRA

Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Government department overseeing waterways. Has only 3 or 4 civil servants with direct waterway involvement.

EA

Environment Agency

Generally refers to the Navigation and Recreation department which is the navigation authority for the Thames, Medway and Anglian rivers

EAHF

Environment Agency Harmonisation Forum

A dormant body arm of the NNUF set up to get consistency between EA navigation regions, if and when EA gets the powers it needs. See TWAO

EFRACOM

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Select Committee of MPs from all parties which investigates affairs of DEFRA

GOBA

Great Ouse Boating Association

Self explanatory

HBS

Horseboating Society

Does exactly what it says in the title

HNbOC

Historic Narrowboat Owners Club

Does exactly what it says in the title

IWA

Inland Waterways Association

A long-standing charity promoting conservation, restoration and use of waterways. Does not claim to represent members as such, nor emphasise
boating over any other use.

LANT

Lower Avon Navigation Trust

Navigation Authority for the lower Warwickshire Avon (merged with UANT in 2009)

MAIB

Marine Accident Investigation Board

Investigates on fresh waters too

MCA

Marine & Coastguard Agency

Increasingly wanting to regulate inland boating

MLC

Middle Level Commissioners

Navigation Authority for the Middle Level Navigations

MSCC

Manchester Ship Canal Company

Navigation Authority for the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal

NABO

National Association of Boat Owners

Represents boat owners on inland and estuarial waters – You should know that by now!

NNUF

National Navigation Users Forum

EA’s formal link with national boating user groups

NT

National Trust

Navigation Authority for the River Wey

PLA

Port of London Authority

Navigation Authority for tidal reaches of the Thames and its estuary

PWG

(All Party) Parliamentary Waterways Group

Special interest group for MPs. Groups including NABO, and some individuals, are associate members

RBOA

Residential Boat Owners Association

Precisely what it says in the title

RFERAC

Regional Fisheries, Ecology, Recreation Advisory Committee

Advises EA regions. Members appointed as individuals. Navigation only part of recreation part.

RTA

River Thames Alliance

A wide ranging group of interests concerned with the future of the Thames, includes EA and NABO

RYA

Royal Yachting Association

Promotes all boat related activities in and around the UK

SOW

Save Our Waterways

A non-aligned pressure group for general waterway promotion

TBA

The Boating Association

Once stood for Trent Boating Association but claims to represent all river boaters

TBTA

Thames Boating Trades Association

As it says on the tin

TWAO

Transport and Works Act Order

A means to get statutory powers. EA tried to use one to replace and harmonise powers it inherited from individual rivers authorities. See EAHF

TWT

The Waterways Trust

Charitable body overseeing museums and other waterway interests, e.g. the Rochdale Canal

TYHA

The Yacht Harbour Association

Includes inland marinas

UANT

Upper Avon Navigation Trust

Navigation Authority for the upper Warwickshire Avon (merged with LANT in 2009)

UGM

User Group Meeting

More local meetings arranged by BW Waterway Units

WO

Waterways Ombudsman

Independent ‘arbitrator’ for unresolved individual BW complaints involving maladministration but not policy or legal matters.

WOC

Waterways Ombudsman Committee

Committee to appoint, oversee, facilitate and ensure independence of the Ombudsman

WRG

Waterways Recovery Group

Exactly what it says in the title. Arm of the IWA

WU

Waterway Unit

Geographical division of BW in England and Wales which replaced the Business Unit in 2009

WUSIG

Waterway User and Special Interest Group

Involves waterway interest and user groups, links with BW at Director level. BW chair. More specific and less strategic than BWAF

WWG

Waterways Working Group

A Thames EA consultation group

 

And if you think we have missed any, please let us know.