RYA & Fuel

Diesel or petrol?

We were in Belgium just after Christmas. Can't remember the price, but it didn't seem worth filling the car with Belgian petrol.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.see-search.com/business/fuelandpetrolpriceseurope.htm>Comparisons here</A>

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>
 
Red D is taxed

But at a substantially reduced amount...... some claim subsidised - sorry but that is BS.

Second - I think that the term Road Fuel Duty or whatever you wish to call it - is not actually stated for THIS situation - it has become a 'whipping-post' through its introduction to this subject by a postee !!

We know that there is ground for argument that tax on marine diesel should be at a level suitable for the situation - but that govt will find a way to harmonise fuel tax's by whatever names / descriptions / arguments it cares to troll out at the time ....


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html>http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html</A> For all those disbelievers ! /forums/images/icons/cool.gif
 
Re: Diesel or petrol?

£0.56 for a litre of Diesel, and it didn't seem worth it??

At my local petrol station I pay £0.74 for a litre of Diesel. My tank holds 72 litres - for me this would amount to a saving of £12.96 for a tank full.

Not a fortune, but in my book still well worth it.

<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
 
Re: Mileage restriction !

I used to LOVE slewing brakes ...... could do some wicked turns on tarmac with them !!!!

I have to buy a small tractor out here in Baltic as I have just bought a 3.5 acre garden !! + 100 metre boat canal with pontoon. So need a small tractor to a) cut the grass !, b) haul my boat up in winter !!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html>http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html</A> For all those disbelievers ! /forums/images/icons/cool.gif
 
Re: Mileage restriction !

Don't buy an MF35, they're sods to start!

Brakes are fun, especially now that they work. Had to replace all rear shaft seals which were leaking onto the drums and shoes. Nearly ran into the arse end of a Police van in town before deciding it was time to fix the problem.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
The fun of tractor driving.

My gap half-year jobs was forestry and the gaffer volunteered me (in return for the timber) to do a job clearing some NT land for a car park (Wagoners Wells near Grayshott in Hampshire). Fortunately, this was well before anyone had heard of Health and Safety. I was given a chain saw and a tired old Fordson Major. No safety goggles, no hard hat, no chainmesh gloves, no driving licence. As the depot was about a couple of miles by public road from the NT site, I just used to belt along the public roads at top speed to reduce my exposure to Dixon of Dock Green. Never knew how fast I got the thing going, because the speedo needle used to bounce between the top and bottom stops on the dial, but it was brave driver who'd overtake, because the thing would weave all over the place. But the real fun was stopping. There was a narrow tarmac road leading down to where I was working, quite steeply down hill, and a proper tractor tyre doesn't put much tread on a hard road surface. Used to manage about a 50 yard skid if the road was bit greasy, before coming to a stop.

Never dare to anything so stupid nowadays, of course, and would raise merry hell if someone asked my son to do it!

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>
 
Re: The fun of tractor driving.

My ex who now has my house loves Wagonners Wells ..... must admit I didn't mind it.

I know what you mean about tractor tyres !!! I used to drive a Dexter !!, Major and 4000 ....... the Major and Dexter - we palmed off onto some outift that sent them to Africa for Groundnut schemes ...... The Dexter was so knacked on the clutch - it couldn't get up the low-loader ramp !!!
I had hours of fun with 'em !!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html>http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html</A> For all those disbelievers ! /forums/images/icons/cool.gif
 
Re: The fun of tractor driving.

Amazing what we used to get away with! Nowadays, I cannot allow anyone else to use my tractor cos it doesn't have a roll bar!

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Re: Diesel or petrol?

OK - in that case maybe not worth it.

But you missed my main point - not only in the UK is there a difference in price between "red" and plain diesel.

I contacted a friend at the Royal North Sea Yacht Club in Ostend, and he confirmed to me that there are no plans to scrap cheap red diesel for yotties. (2006 or any other time).

This brings me to another point. All UK governments (Tory or Lab) are always blaming taxe rises on "Brussels". Most people jump on the anti-European bandwagon, have a good rant, and pay up. If it's a European measure, surely it should apply in the whole EU?
Same thing with REAL duty free fags & booze. Not available anymore in France or UK - yet whenever you run into Ostend freely available from General Stores (you can even order only & they deliver to your boat). Again, there are no plans to scrap this practice in Belgium.

So, is it a case of our government raising all sorts of taxes and blaming "Brussels"; or is it a case of the Belgians giving "Brussels" the two fingers? In case of the latter - more power to their elbow.


<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
 
Re: Diesel or petrol?

<<I contacted a friend at the Royal North Sea Yacht Club in Ostend>>

I'm curious how someone in Ostend knows what the UK government plans???

<hr width=100% size=1>Utinam logica falsa tuam philisophiam totam suffodiant
 
Re: Diesel or petrol?

Obviously (apparently not) we were talking about the situation in Belgium.

The price rice for red Diesel is supposedly because of an EU directive - then why will Belgium maintain a discount for red Diesel for yotties?


<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
 
Just for the record I would like to see the RYA stop opposing licencing. It is naked commercial self-interest. There would not be too many candidates for YM(R) if testing was brought in.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
I don't really care about the price. As a raggie I use so little fuel that it is minor in the overall scheme of things. However since I refuel, usually, at C&N Gosport along with various fishing boats and the pilot boats who all take on large amounts, the quality is excellent. A supply of taxed diesel with predominantly raggies taking on small amounts and we will have the stuff with is so easy to pick up in France, full of crap and bugs. See how the RNLI like it when we all get blocked filters!!!
If this apprears later in the thread I apologise for my laziness.

<hr width=100% size=1>Real men do it 2handed.
 
Red diesel encourages a sucessful home market for power boats. The devils have used this to make a sucessful export market. Thankfully its one of the last ones left in the UK and it is our government obvious responsibility to tax this sucess out of existance. Landfill tax, energy taxes and others are not enough we must bring in a success tax (or clever fellows a red diesel tax!). I could go on but must contact my computer help line in India as I have a simple problem but I am unable to contact anyone nearer than India to sort it out!!


<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Re: I object to an tax

You'll fill up in France? How much diesel does this sailing boat use? I have trouble getting through 15 galls a season. 10 is more like it.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
My total per year ....

I have 3 boats and I estimate that >

Estonian boat uses possibly 5 gal petrol per annum (normally we sail in / out of berth and keep engine for pure emergency)
Latvian boat .... nil - as its only got sails and we push off from pontoon !
UK boat - has 70 ltr diesel tank and probably gets filled 1.5 x per annum ....

Not a lot really - but I still object to tax !!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html>http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html</A> For all those disbelievers ! /forums/images/icons/cool.gif
 
Top