Forget about Blockades, If you want them to take notice........

Medskipper

Medskipper

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Dec 2001
Messages
2,617
Location
Somewhere in the Med!
Visit site
If every boat owner in this country stopped buying diesel for six months there would be a huge backlash, I know its a massive thing to ask because it means a big sacrifice not to use your boat for months, but if private boat owners want to make the powers that be take notice this would IMHO be the way! There would be a glut of fuel, prices would fall and the industry would be up in arms pointing their fingers at the government!

VOTE WITH YOUR CHEQUE BOOKS! DON'T BUY ANY DIESEL FOR SIX MONTHS!

Barry
 
err, sorry, no.

The amount of fuel used by the private sector is a very very small proportion of what is used by other sectors such as road, trains, generators, site plant, etc. I'll get the figures from work next week if you really want them.

Nothing of this nature, honourable and self-denying though it may be, will prevent prices from going up. Even refusing to buy new boats will only impact the construction industry, and if many of our British boat builders went to the wall, the market - when it resumed, as it surely would - will end up in the hands of overseas manufacturers.
 
So when do you suggest the six months starts. My last fill up was in Brixham at 42p in late november. Tradition states that we will be cruising around New Year. Maybe with fairy lights up.! March is the begining of summer sailing.

Not buying fuel though the winter would not make much difference to marinas, they dont sell much anyway and would make buggerall diference to goveremnent as all the Mobo's combind use very little fuel. In short Mobo's use a tiny proportion of the nations fuel.
 
Of course its a very small proportion of what is used, but its that very proportion that is suddenly going to be hit with a huge tax increase! No purchase = No increase in tax from this particular market! in fact a major decrease! don't you think that might get noticed?

Make no mistake about this, new boat sales ARE going to be hit by this anyway. Market forces will come into effect, less second buyers will mean that people who want to trade up and buy newer or brand new will not be able to sell the boat they already own, so will have to stay with what they own a lot longer. The whole industry is going to slow down now!
Any one knows that if there is no demand for a product, be it diesel, boats or even for that matter Milk! prices will fall.

If the French can do it, so can the British! Although I feel the British are generally slower to stir than the French, they usually have more resolve! IMHO of course!

Barry
 
Ok then, start from the moment the extra tax is applied.
We are not talking about the Nations usage, we are talking about the marine sector! Surely if NO tax is coming into the governments coffers from this area it would be noticed? particularly after a huge hike in tax!
Barry
 
Oh dear, who do you think buys the vast majority of red diesel? Farmers and the fishing fleet I should imagine. Certainly not the occasional weekend boater however large their boat/engines are. I'm afraid this idea will have just about as much affect as using a water pistol to put out a major fire.

Why don't we all start accepting that this change will happen and start looking at what the best way forward is and what alternatives there are. For instance how many engines will run on chip fat or bio diesel, how much will diesel cost in the channel islands etc etc.
 
Agree v much.

If owners really feel that strongly about continuing to have bulk cheap diesel, why not form a co-operative and invest in a bio-diesel plant, so that you get fuel, offically and tax-paid, at cost of production and transport. There might be a few people out there who would want to own a small refinery.

I'm happy to use some energy renewables contacts to help.
 
Sorry but they wouldn't even notice the tiny amount we as an industry buy or don't buy. It's just so small nationally compared to road and industry as to be almost insignificant. We'd just shoot ourselves in the foot. It's over the game is up, time to move on.
 
Does anybody know what we will be asked to pay for a litre yet?, as far as no buying is concerned I beleive it was tried with the road fuel prices a few years back i.e. boycott fuel stations on Tuesdays and Thursdays, NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL, was it!!!
 
And then the road diesel crept back up again did'nt it? and now it is dearer than petrol, but Hauliers got a 50% reduction on their road fund licence and the organiser is now an MP.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If every boat owner in this country stopped buying diesel for six months there would be a huge backlash, I know its a massive thing to ask because it means a big sacrifice not to use your boat for months, but if private boat owners want to make the powers that be take notice this would IMHO be the way! There would be a glut of fuel, prices would fall and the industry would be up in arms pointing their fingers at the government!

VOTE WITH YOUR CHEQUE BOOKS! DON'T BUY ANY DIESEL FOR SIX MONTHS!

Barry

[/ QUOTE ]

NO it won't work.
1000's of people have given up smoking, but fag's and tobacco still continue to increase in price.
 
I am all for this 'blockade' as I use a petrol outboard. Be very nice in the summer with very few other boats in the solent .... As my fuel costs seem seem to include some form of road tax can I park my boat on the road .....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top