November fuel hikes - my thoughts

[byron]

These are just my thoughts on the new tax levels due to come in November.

I see coastal boats as being uneconomic to run unless you have funds available equal to Mrs Becks's dress allowance.
You do the math, St kats - Ramsgate appx. £70 assuming you can squeeze a gallon a mile from your boat. Add trips to Dunkirk, Blankenberg, Calais, Bolougne and other local ports then come back to London and you have spent enough money for a 4 week cruise on A deck of a liner.
Knock on effects will be a drop in the value of thirsty twin engine boats and an increase in attractions of single engine displacement vessels of the Dutch genre. Petrol boats on the river will become more viable. Rivers will become busier as people bring their craft back from the coast, in turn this will push up river marina prices. Some will forsake power and turn to sail (that would be me). Some will totally abandon boating as being outrageously uneconomic. I'm sure there are a host of other effects and I invite you to add your thoughts here.

 

[Chris_d]

Think you meant £700 St Kats to Ramsgate...gulp

Agree with every word, this is the last year that Coastal power cruising will be viable, so I'm off round to Poole this summer, hopefully take in France on the way.
As you say a lot of uneconomcal twin shaft drive stuff, probably more than 10years old will be virtualy given away. Which could be good news for us river dewlers, twice the boat for half the money.

 

[pheran]

Having recently changed my boat and in the process, 'come down' from 2 x 200hp, turbo-charged and intercooled, to a single normally aspirated 120hp motor, it seems I made the right decision, even though I have to admit, it wasn't made for economic reasons. Still, you got to get lucky sometimes!

 

[BG1]

Here are some thoughts on your proposed cruise to Poole.

Taken from my log, my last trip to Poole from Bray which was in 2005, I note I used 2171 ltrs which averaged out at 1.28mpg. This was a mix of river, estuary and planing miles.

The cost this year will be about £1400-£1500, but after the tax increase could be £2600, assuming £1.20ltr.

I guess in your Spirit you might average 2.5mpg.

Add to that 10-15 days marina charges @ c£30 per night. After this you'll find out how essential your anchor is for creeks and rivers!

Having said that, like you, I intend to do one last coastal cruise before I have both engines replaced with large elastic bands!

Still going? /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[TrueBlue]

I\'m normally a cheerful chappie;

but the shenanigans of Brown-Darling outrageous deceits as well as the economic climate is making me very depressed.
Brown made my pension company go bust#
Darling is stealing gains on my savings
The French are trying to ruin my boating.

NO. No, No Carborundum here. I will propel my craft wit a Hot Water Engine, and thereby qualify for rebated oil - very, very slowly. Sadly a HWE will contribute greatly to my Carbon Footprint, but then, hey, one cannot have everything.

Coming back to the issue, as a very high proportion of craft in marinas on the Thames hardly ever move; being used for weekend cottages (in the normal definition of the word), I can't see a whole lot of change on this particular ditch.

But, I do feel sad for those medium range power boaters who can't quite make it to cheaper locations for refuelling.

I can see a trend towards folk saving up for an occasional blast and visiting their boats less and less.

 

[Chris_d]

Interesting stuff, I did the same trip a couple of years ago. Checking my log I used 1535litres from Shepperton to Poole and back including some pottering about for a month down there. Reckon I do about 2.2mpg planing and 5.7mpg on the river. So should only cost £900 this year, couldn't contemplate it if fuel doubles, not with all the other costs as well.

 

[Chris_d]

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Knock on effects will be a drop in the value of thirsty twin engine boats and an increase in attractions of single engine displacement vessels of the Dutch genre.

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Byron of course you realise whats the most economical single engined displacement boat out there, very long and narrow to maximise its displacement speed with the minimum horsepower /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Knock on effects will be a drop in the value of thirsty twin engine boats and an increase in attractions of single engine displacement vessels of the Dutch genre.

[/ QUOTE ]

Byron of course you realise whats the most economical single engined displacement boat out there, very long and narrow to maximise its displacement speed with the minimum horsepower /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

It's also cheaper to pick up dog-ends and roll the baccy into fags. Both ideas are just as attractive.

 

[No Regrets]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Knock on effects will be a drop in the value of thirsty twin engine boats and an increase in attractions of single engine displacement vessels of the Dutch genre.

[/ QUOTE ]

Byron of course you realise whats the most economical single engined displacement boat out there, very long and narrow to maximise its displacement speed with the minimum horsepower /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

It's also cheaper to pick up dog-ends and roll the baccy into fags. Both ideas are just as attractive.

[/ QUOTE ]



/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Great double act /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[ms1]

£1.20 a litre .. my guess would be closer to 1.50 by NOV2008

 

[byron]

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£1.20 a litre .. my guess would be closer to 1.50 by NOV2008

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Whatever you pay now add 47½p per litre in tax come November. This is only on FUEL. Heating/domestics will be at the old rate of tax, you will be telling them at the pump how much of what you are buying is for which.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

And the more you use domestic electrical systems on your boat the more your engines are being used for generation rather than propulsion (even if both happen at ones) the more IMO will legitimately be for domestic use.

 

[TrueBlue]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
£1.20 a litre .. my guess would be closer to 1.50 by NOV2008

[/ QUOTE ]
Whatever you pay now add 47½p per litre in tax come November. This is only on FUEL. Heating/domestics will be at the old rate of tax, you will be telling them at the pump how much of what you are buying is for which.

[/ QUOTE ]

PLUS extra VAT at 12.5% (17.5% standard rate less 5% reduced rate) on the lot. Sorely tempted to lay in legitimate stocks this season to cushion the blow later....

 

[rr_123]

[ QUOTE ]
And the more you use domestic electrical systems on your boat the more your engines are being used for generation rather than propulsion (even if both happen at ones) the more IMO will legitimately be for domestic use.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have just installed 5 domestic batteries on A.G; I reckon that most of the diesel burned will go to charging that little lot /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And the more you use domestic electrical systems on your boat the more your engines are being used for generation rather than propulsion (even if both happen at ones) the more IMO will legitimately be for domestic use.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have just installed 5 domestic batteries on A.G; I reckon that most of the diesel burned will go to charging that little lot /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Work it out Rob.

60A alternator at 12V is 720W. On the river you are running at, say, 10% power, say 14700W. About 5%. Now less grunt from the engine and 24V might up that quite a bit. Or even do a battery use sum, assuming that it all needs relacing and make that into W the engine needs to supply as a generator. The physics are a little dubious but the energy must come from somewhere. If you have 5 x 110Ah batteries and they are usable to 50% capacity then thats about 250Ah at 12V or a bit over 2.5kW. Stick that in daily (big invertor see!) and that is 18% or so domestic. Eberspacher making 3.5kW and you are at close to 50% doemstic. The Eb makes all your hot water of course, when stationary. When moving the calorfier energy comes from your fuel...

 

[chanelyacht]

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The French are trying to ruin my boating.



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Sorry?
Don't understand that bit...being based in France a fair bit of the time I can assure you they're far more boater-friendly over here...