Launching Charges?

[alant]

Our District Council, 'administers' the local river/mooring/launching fees/carpark/dinghy park.

If you want to launch a dinghy from the beach slipway, there is a charge of £7 for a sailing dinghy & £5, for a simple kayak/canoe/windsurfer. Even 'expensive' Lymington only charges £5 for 'all' boats launched, regardless of size.

The nearby launching site, has been fringed with large boulders to prevent launching trollies - because of jet-ski's apparently (which has never been a problem), thus forcing people to use the council 'pay' site, which in summer is a choke point (only one access road).
The adjoining carpark, has been designated all-year charges, when previously summer seasonal.

Some of the 'effects' from this -
1) People will not use the expensive carpark when sailing for a few hours (or even when the pub opposite would have been their destination), with cars 'abandoned' anywhere they get free parking.
2) Anyone who can, will continue to struggle & launch across the boulder fringed area,
3) Chaos on summer weekends with ingoing/outgoing traffic struggling to reach the designated beach slipway.

Additional info - The council do not actually provide anything, since The 'moorings' & any 'boating' salvage, are the responsibility of the excellent local boatyard.
The Council employee (on the spot), is not allowed to render assistance, including safety & whilst a friendly cove, seems only to be there to take cash.

What as a resident ratepayer, is the solution?

 

[ProDave]

Come to Scotland?

One free public slipway near me, and one administered by my sailing club (free to members, a reasonable £5 for non members)

All without the crowds and congestion of the south.

 

[Tranona]

What as a resident ratepayer, is the solution?

As with any issue relating to local councills, raise it with your councillor - after all your elected representative is there to represent your interests.

Not suggesting for one minute just that will have any effect, but there are well trodden paths to raise local issues - press, petitions, demonstrations, letters to the PM etc, etc. some of which are successful and others not.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Write to the council with a FOI request to ask what revenue they make.
Then write and ask what it costs to staff the slip.
They may be losing money. Unfortunately they may then decide to increase fees rather than stop charging altogether.

 

[NickRobinson]

Barrow-in-Furness is free...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wa...Sa0QXw1oCoBA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=677

Need a bridge swing to get a yacht to sea though- not sure if they've lost the key...

Nick

 

[prv]

Find a mate with a suitable vehicle to drag some of the boulders out of the way

More seriously, first step has to be to try to talk to your councillors (not the unelected functionaries who manage the day to day stuff and just want a quiet life). They may be surprisingly positive (or they may not, but daft not to find out).

Pete

 

[l'escargot]

... Even 'expensive' Lymington only charges £5 for 'all' boats launched, regardless of size...

Not quite, if your boat is too big to launch without a vehicle:

Per Day (valid for one launch & recovery)
Launch Unassisted by vehicle £5.00 (includes £0.85 harbour dues)
Launch Assisted by vehicle £12.50 (includes £2.12 harbour dues)
Vehicle Assisted Launch for boats with engines of 100hp & over £18.50 (includes £3.14 harbour dues)

 

[alant]

Not quite, if your boat is too big to launch without a vehicle:

Per Day (valid for one launch & recovery)
Launch Unassisted by vehicle £5.00 (includes £0.85 harbour dues)
Launch Assisted by vehicle £12.50 (includes £2.12 harbour dues)
Vehicle Assisted Launch for boats with engines of 100hp & over £18.50 (includes £3.14 harbour dues)

Not according to the board at the RLYC slipway.
Just says £5/day.

 

[l'escargot]

Not according to the board at the RLYC slipway.
Just says £5/day.

http://www.lymingtonharbour.co.uk/Charges/Charges.htm

 

[William_H]

Launching charges

Got to agree that these charges and indeed parking charges all over UK have appalled me on visits.
True here in West Oz the councils do charge for parking at slip ways but only like a a squid or 2 for the day.
I think the councils are killing the goose that laid the golden egg no doubt to the detriment of local businesses. What can you do. Complain to your councilor or stand for council yourself (or threaten to do so).
good luck olewill

 

[wotayottie]

What as a resident ratepayer, is the solution?

Your vote. Talk to your councillor. Spend a weekend or two stood by the launch site with a petition. get the local radio and TV involved. Make noise.

Alternatively you can do what most other people will do, sit back, maybe move elsewhere and just moan. Then nothing will change.

 

[alant]

http://www.lymingtonharbour.co.uk/Charges/Charges.htm

As I said previously, the noticeboard, only gives the £5 daily launch fee.

The charges at 'my' place, also escalate from the "up to 12' - £7, to £14 for 12'-16', then £30 over 16' ." Non-residents as above + 50%.

It seems the charges, other than for 'control' purposes whatever those may be, seem only to cover 'some' of the costs of creating a post (s). Rattle too many cages & likelyhood of never ever getting any 'favours' (moorings) thereafter.

 

[lw395]

As I said previously, the noticeboard, only gives the £5 daily launch fee.

The charges at 'my' place, also escalate from the "up to 12' - £7, to £14 for 12'-16', then £30 over 16' ." Non-residents as above + 50%.

It seems the charges, other than for 'control' purposes whatever those may be, seem only to cover 'some' of the costs of creating a post (s). Rattle too many cages & likelyhood of never ever getting any 'favours' (moorings) thereafter.

I think the £5 rate may be for club members?
Last time I was at Lymington it was definitely as per website.
Annual fees are actually pretty reasonable.
If you watch some of the people launching big powerboats, taking up the slipway for ages, you can see why they charge them a fair whack.

 

[Searush]

Got to agree that these charges and indeed parking charges all over UK have appalled me on visits.
True here in West Oz the councils do charge for parking at slip ways but only like a a squid or 2 for the day.
I think the councils are killing the goose that laid the golden egg no doubt to the detriment of local businesses. What can you do. Complain to your councilor or stand for council yourself (or threaten to do so).
good luck olewill

Sad to say, Will, it is another "English Disease" (plus some Welsh places too). Touristy areas in other countries encourage viisitors by, or with boats/ caravans, motorhomes etc by providing facilities for them at reasonable cost.

English tourism spots do all they can to discourage such visitors. Part of this seems to be driven by B&B & small Hotel owners who think that people with "free" accomodation will then be forced to use their pricey rooms.

Councillors seem not to realise the average spend by such independant visitors can be significant & that they simply go somewhere more friendly instead.

The French are particularly good at good value town marinas & camping "Aires" that attract visitors & revenue for local businesses. As Sybarite occasionally says D) there are SOME things we can learn from the Frogs.

 

[alant]

I think the £5 rate may be for club members?
Last time I was at Lymington it was definitely as per website.
Annual fees are actually pretty reasonable.
If you watch some of the people launching big powerboats, taking up the slipway for ages, you can see why they charge them a fair whack.

Doesn't mention "rate for club members", it simply states the £5 fee (which is on their website) + annual charges of various denominations.

 

[Tranona]

The French are particularly good at good value town marinas & camping "Aires" that attract visitors & revenue for local businesses. As Sybarite occasionally says D) there are SOME things we can learn from the Frogs.

That is an over simplistic view. It is no different in France. In areas where there is excess demand and limited supply (eg Med coast) charges are high - ineed in some places far higher than UK. Where there is less demand and more availability (Atlantic and Channel coasts) prices are low. This applies to moorings, berthing, launching fees etc.

No different than UK. Have look at the map that accompanies the PBO marina guide which shows the average marina costs in all the areas of the UK. Typically the further you go north and away from the areas of highest demand the price falls so that northern marinas are half the price of those in the south - and in Scotland many public facilities are free to encourage visitors, with the cost being picked up by the local residents through local taxes, or from the rest of us through government subsidies.

 

[wotayottie]

Councillors seem not to realise the average spend by such independant visitors can be significant & that they simply go somewhere more friendly instead.

Which is irrelevant if you're sandwiched between a government fixing your block grant and your rates on the one hand and rising costs on the other. The council does not benefit from the increased sales there might be in local shops. they have to keep their own finances in order first.

 

[Mudisox]

Which is irrelevant if you're sandwiched between a government fixing your block grant and your rates on the one hand and rising costs on the other. The council does not benefit from the increased sales there might be in local shops. they have to keep their own finances in order first.

What rising costs? Provision of slipway surely has no running cost other than someone to take the fee?!

 

[lw395]

What rising costs? Provision of slipway surely has no running cost other than someone to take the fee?!

Apart from regularly cleaning off the mud and weed, occasionally repairing the concrete, repainting the lines which vainly try to control where people park, insurance etc etc.

Besides, it is a resource that belongs to the town, the town expects a return on that, much the same as the car park. It is unfortunately true that if it were a free-for all, it would be unpleasant chaos, particularly at peak times. Charging casual users means regular users don't get squeezed out at peak times.

I think there are free slips in Soton somewhere, but you have to push your boat over accumulated rubbish and mud, and then you have a lot more motoring before you get anywhere nice.

 

[prv]

It is unfortunately true that if it were a free-for all, it would be unpleasant chaos

Nothing unpleasant about Crosshouse Hard under the Itchen Bridge. I've been there on various occasions with my mate's various decrepit motorboats, no bother at all. The nearby car park is pay & display, but the slip is free and you could conceivably take your car away somewhere else if you were really tight.

I think there are free slips in Soton somewhere, but you have to push your boat over accumulated rubbish and mud, and then you have a lot more motoring before you get anywhere nice.

Definitely no "accumulated rubbish and mud" at Crosshouse.

Of course you have to motor down Southampton Water, but that's no hardship at 25 knots

Pete