Alan de Enfield

Unfortunately the BSS has very little credibility and many of the examiners even less so. It is a shame that now the BSS is just viewed as being a necessary 'on cost' to being able to obtain a navigation licence. Just close down the BSS and add £50 a year to the licence fee.

If the BSS really were interested in 3rd party safety and the reduction of fires and explosions, there would be a requirement in the BSS for petrol engined boats to be fitted with bilge-blowers. (I can find no such requirement, but, I could have missed it) Then accidents like the boat-fire at Burton waters, where, after re-fueling (with petrol) the engine was restarted and the vapours spilt during fueling went bang. Several other boats, and the fuel berth, were damaged. I had petrol engined boats and it was always a pre-starting rule that the bilge blowers were to be run for 5 minutes before starting the engines. Even my diesel engined boats have bilge blowers - helps to keep the temperatures down if nothing else.

I'd suggest that coastal recreational boats probably spend more times in marinas than canal boats - each marina with100s of boats tied up 4 feet apart will have a greater 3rd party risk than canal boats tied up randomly across 2000 miles of canals and Rivers. My main complaint (and I have complained several times to the BSS) is the examiner putting his own 'interpretation' onto the rules and failing a boat for not having something that is only an 'advisory' (example : in one case an RCD unit)

The 250,000 - 300,000 recreational boats that do not come under the scope of the BSS do not seem to have a higher rate of accidents than those that do. (stupidity excluded - such as running a generator on deck etc)

Corrected that for you.

Have you managed to solve the problem of insurance not being available to non UK residents (as experienced by others looking to buy a boat but unable to get insurance ?)

But the price has not increased by £2 per litre has it !

£15 fixed fee just seems to be 'gouging'. Lets say a van does ~30 mpg Diesel has increased by ~50p / litre (£2.75 / gallon) if a breakdown requires the engineer to make a 50 mile trip (100 miles round trip) then he will use ~3 gallons of fuel incurring ~£7.50 of additional cost. 50% of the fuel levy they are charging. How many breakdowns will have the 'local' engineer 100 miles away (200 mile round trip), which is the 'break even point'.

That's fine at this time of year but are you not being a bit of a "seasonist"? Some lines re "Spring " I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

And it would be even 'fairer' to members if the levy as (say) 20p per mile then those who broke down close to the engineers paid less than someone who broke down 100 miles from anywhere. A few years ago (invasion of Ukraine) we had a similar fuel levy applied by Biffa, with the assurance it would be removed when fuel prices dropped - it never was removed.

I suppose it makes sense that if you change companies then you try to find one where you can still use your skills. As the 'breather problem' happened with both companies do you think that you may have been the common denominator ?

The one I used last time has now retired, so he's no help to you. Actually he did come out to the boat (I guess he had a tracker on his car so had to show some mileage) but he just sat in the saloon with a mug of tea and some biccies and wrote it out. 15 minutes from arrival in the car park to leaving - that's what we want !

Why not ask for contact details of an examiner who will just write out your BSS on receipt of payment (save his time and fuel cost and your frustration in dealing with a 'jobsworth') ?

The state pension is currently a 'few pounds' below the threshold to pay tax - next year it will break the threshold and you will pay tax on your state pension. You may well be paying 20% tax (as am I) on private pensions, as the State pension is the first thing to be considered in your allowances and then any other income is taxable.

"Oven bottom"