Pleasure boat enthusiasts, including narrowboat users on the Leeds-Liverpool canal, are facing a drink-sail alcohol limit for the first time.

The Government intends to prosecute amateur mariners in the same way as motorists from early next year. And it will be recruiting a new army of marine officials to police the rules.

Boats found to be crewed by half-cut revellers will be detained and police called to give breath tests. It follows the introduction of drink-sail rules for professional seamen three years ago.

The Department of Transport is to consult with the industry later this year with a view to making the rule law before the next leisure boat season.

It will apply to anyone navigating a vessel more than 23ft in length. Most narrowboats on the Leeds-Liverpool canal are longer than this.

Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman said the alcohol limit for non-professionals would be 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood or 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

It equates roughly to drinking a pint and a half or two pints of ordinary strength beer or three pub-size measures of wine.

The news has been met by scepticism from canal boat company owners who hire out their vessels.

Zoe Clarke, who runs Pennine Cruisers in Skipton's canal basin, said it was going to be very difficult to police because of the nature of the canal system. She said: "We have discussed this and don't feel it will have a great deal of impact because we already stress in our manual that people should be sober when in charge of a boat - and we have had few instances.

"Usually people stop the boat at a quiet spot and then perhaps have a party. They can be rowdy and that is where the complaints come. We insist that whoever is steering the boat and the other person operating the locks should be sober."

People were also warned, in the company manual, of the dangers of steering the boat and the damage they could cause if they were drunk.

Liz Gregory, of Snaygill Boats at Snaygill, near Skipton, questioned the need for new rules when there was already a law relating to being drunk in charge of a vehicle which would apply.

She said: "Many people enjoy a few drinks when on holiday although I'm not advocating drinking while sailing a narrowboat. And before they take the boat away they sign to say they will act responsibly and that they are aware they have the safety of the crew and others using the canal to consider."

A Department of Transport spokesman said draft regulations would be issued later this year and, following consultation, it was hoped to introduce the rules by next year. "In March 2004, the Government introduced similar rules for professional sailors and, at the same time, announced it was planning similar rules for amateurs," he said.

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