IanD

So let's get this right -- on one hand you're (justifiably) complaining about the state of the canals, but on the other hand you're castigating CART for asking boaters to pay a bit more to contribute towards trying to fix it? As for the comments about "it's pointless, it'll only raise a tiny amount", this is the exact excuse used when objecting to any measures here to reduce global warming. And the answer is exactly the same -- no one contributor will fix the problem, a bit more money has to come from all sources of income for CART, including boaters.

Don't need the heated socks then, wee is warm... 😉

But at this time of year, not very useful either...

It took about 18 months from starting the hull, and that was longer than predicted. Delays in materials and equipment partly due to Ukraine didn't help (or with the cost), but when you're doing things differently it always takes longer than expected because one change leads to another... I'm not complaining about this, it's similar to what I do for a job and I'm well aware that anything new or non-standard always takes longer than expected or predicted, and I didn't have any hard deadlines to meet -- but many people aren't as flexible or understanding... 😉

Mine certainly wasn't... 😉 If you can find an existing boat that does what you want it'll be considerably cheaper and available a lot sooner than having a new boat built, especially if funds are limited. If you want something unusual (like I did) and can afford the cost then a new build makes more sense, but don't expect it to be ready when you first expected, and expect it to cost more than predicted -- that way you won't be disappointed... 🙂

Would be rather prone to damage on canals, and like a ducted prop (also used at sea in low-speed vessels like tugs) more prone to fouling -- meaning not just weed, but the other stuff you get round the prop on canals... 😞 Incidentally the Schilling rudder works very well, light and very responsive to steer, and when hard over (75 degrees?) the wash comes out sideways and the boat moves laterally as if there was a stern thruster. Which is nice because that's what I was hoping for, which I'm sure will disappoint the sceptics... 😉 I didn't get a chance to make a direct comparison or measurements because there wasn't time, but Ricky had taken the boat out several times on trials, and his assessment agreed with mine -- and unlike me he's done the same with several otherwise identical boats with bigger conventional flat-plate rudders. The only downside he noted was poorer steering when not under power when there's no prop wash over the rudder, which isn't a surprise given that it's considerably shorter than a flat plate rudder, but then this isn't exactly a common use case.

<sigh> so it's a 46% increase over what they'd be paying today, since they can't not pay the 20% surcharge. The thread is about license fee *increases* announced by CART, isn't it?

The total surcharge for a CC widebeam will reach 75%, but this isn't a 75% increase because they already pay a 20% surcharge...

Depending on the builder (who, how busy they are, length of order book...) and how much you want done differently to "normal", from starting specification discussions to final delivery is unlikely to be as short as a year for a custom-built boat. On top of this there's often also a considerable delay from paying a deposit to book a build slot to construction actually starting. Total time from deposit to delivery was over two years for mine, which I gather is not unusual...

When I tried to put my arm down the weedhatch it wouldn't go in anywhere, there was a solid mass of reeds/roots right underneath it which completely filled the space above and around the propeller... 😞

Again, that average price (and usage) is less than most people -- without solar/grid feed-in and suitable tariff -- are paying. Very commendable for you, but most people will use (and pay) more. Can't argue with your last point though, it's what an increasing number of boats have been doing for years, with the vociferous backing of the NBTA...

You have however invested quite a sum into your solar to get the electricity bills down that low, a more normal figure would be closer to the gas bill, which would put the total cost up to around £5k. Probably not far off what a boat costs, *assuming* you pay for a mooring -- more in an expensive marina especially dahn sarf, or less for a field mooring especially oop norf. Not forgetting maintenance and repairs, but houses need these too... Which is precisely why CCers *don't*, because without paying for a mooring it *is* cheaper to live on a boat -- and why the CMers in particular are raising such a stink (see NBTA articles...) about the increased license fees, because they have been "gaming the system" for years, and now the chickens are coming home to roost with the CC surcharge... ("real CCers" are suffering collateral damage, though TBH they have been contributing less to CART coffers than HMers at least they actually follow the rules and *cruise*...)

So don't have a well deck *or* a tug deck and make better use of the space then... 😉