What did the Romans ever do for us?

[benjenbav]

err, persuade HMRC to take a commonsense line on the red diesel declaration:

http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/news/530926/government-changes-wording-on-red-diesel

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

How does that statement stop Belgian plod from fining boats?

 

[gjgm]

How does that statement stop Belgian plod from fining boats?

It doesnt, but that wasnt what round one of the fuss was all about. The fuss was about being asked to agree it would be illegal to use red outside UK.
In other words, we are back to where we were a month ago- cruise anywhere except Belgium !

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

It doesnt, but that wasnt what round one of the fuss was all about. The fuss was about being asked to agree it would be illegal to use red outside UK.
In other words, we are back to where we were a month ago- cruise anywhere except Belgium !

Ah, ok, but will the French and Dutch plod accept the UK position or are they going to start fining UK boats as well? I just think its fairly meaningless of HMRC to state that its OK to cruise abroad with red diesel in your tanks without a joint agreement with our cross Channel neighbours

 

[yesod]

Ah, ok, but will the French and Dutch plod accept the UK position or are they going to start fining UK boats as well? I just think its fairly meaningless of HMRC to state that its OK to cruise abroad with red diesel in your tanks without a joint agreement with our cross Channel neighbours

what are the rules regarding detax fuel from france in the med?

 

[gjgm]

I just think its fairly meaningless of HMRC to state that its OK to cruise abroad with red diesel in your tanks without a joint agreement with our cross Channel neighbours

I dont think HMRC will say that. Are they not trying to keep the option of red for leisure while keeping EU off their backs?
The choices seem to be
1.give in to Eu and change red/white/tax.. whatever...
2. try to keep red for leisure, and hopefully some split 60/40. The advice might be that HMRC will not come chasing you, but they cant comment of other nations. That seems acceptable to me-a hell of alot more people are boating round the UK than cruise to France or Holland, and so far only Belgium wants to make a fuss. Out of 10000 or so red users in UK, how many are going to Belgium?
Choice 2 seems preferable to me. If you are going to wet your pants over some red in your tank and going to France, find some white. HMRC isnt in the fuel delivery business. How much white do you think that pump is going to sell at 35p higher price than the red one next to it?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I dont think HMRC will say that. Are they not trying to keep the option of red for leisure while keeping EU off their backs?
The choices seem to be
1.give in to Eu and change red/white/tax.. whatever...
2. try to keep red for leisure, and hopefully some split 60/40. The advice might be that HMRC will not come chasing you, but they cant comment of other nations. That seems acceptable to me-a hell of alot more people are boating round the UK than cruise to France or Holland, and so far only Belgium wants to make a fuss. Out of 10000 or so red users in UK, how many are going to Belgium?
Choice 2 seems preferable to me. If you are going to wet your pants over some red in your tank and going to France, find some white. HMRC isnt in the fuel delivery business. How much white do you think that pump is going to sell at 35p higher price than the red one next to it?

Agree with you. As I said in a previous post on another thread, France have put a lot of effort and money into building marinas on their north coast in order to attract UK boaters so they're hardly likely to screw that up by fining UK boaters for having a smidgen of red in the tank

 

[gjgm]

Agree with you. As I said in a previous post on another thread, France have put a lot of effort and money into building marinas on their north coast in order to attract UK boaters so they're hardly likely to screw that up by fining UK boaters for having a smidgen of red in the tank

Lets not forget who owns those marinas...

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Lets not forget who owns those marinas...

Er, who?

 

[gjgm]

Er, who?

They are local councils arent they? They arent private co.s like UK.
Meaning there is a real vested interest

 

[benjenbav]

I don't think the amendment to the wording does much beyond preventing an absurd situation which would have made liars of us all.

I mean to say, I fill up on the Hamble and sign a declaration to say I won't go out of UK waters propelled by red.

So I then want to go to France. I can't exactly buy the 500 litres I need to get there and back on the M27 and carry it in a jerry-can down the pontoon. Nor, the last I heard is there a fuel dock on the Channel Light Vessel.

So what I will do is potter over to France, fuel up there as required and potter back. I don't have any problem with the concept of buying white in Cherbourg, nor - after the budget - is there likely to be much financial downside.

I'm also prepared to take my chances on the French authorities doing nasty things to me as a consequence of arriving with tanks half full of red (although I'd rather they didn't and I don't believe they are likely to, so long as I keep on spending money there).

I just prefer not to be called a liar by our supposed public servants and, in this context, I am grateful to the RYA as my representative body for getting an amendment to the original wording so that I can take my chances with johnny foreigner and with my eternal soul, at the very least, being safe from the sin of untruth.