IanD

I don't think it should be shot down, but I think something in-between makes more sense. Right now the fee is based purely on boat size (should be area?) on the idea that bigger boats "use" more of the canal, but as you say this ignores the difference between the poor young couple and the rich retiree. On the other hand moving purely to boat value means said couple in an old 72' x 14' fatboat would pay less than somebody in a new 36' x 7' narrowboat, which also doesn't seem fair. What would be fairer overall would be to have both elements as part of the license fee, one related to width*length and one related to estimated value -- though I'm not sure how this would be proved. Maybe set this so that a "typical" boat -- perhaps 57' x 7', worth maybe £60k (fill in your own figures) pays a similar amount (£1200?) to now, something like £1.5/sq.ft (£600) for size and £10/k (£600) for value. Poorer boaters in old boats would effectively get a discount, the couple in the 60' £20k boat would pay about £800. Well-off people in expensive new narrowboats would pay considerably more (e.g. £2000), and ones in huge widebeams a lot more (e.g. £3500). The overall take to CART would go up considerably because the fee increases on the high side (who by definition can afford them) are much bigger than the fee decreases on the low side. I'm sure there would be screams of protest from those whose fees would go up, but it would be difficult to justify these if the charging scheme was devised to be much fairer than it is today -- which I think most people would say this is, it balances out charging by need/use and charging by ability to pay. I await comments with bated breath... 😉

Why will they be gassed? Are there so many of them that they kill huge numbers of sheep or other farm animals? If stray pet dogs kill more sheep than foxes (quite likely...) should they be gassed too? Cockfighting, dogfighting and bear baiting used to be part of city life just like fox hunting used to be part of village life, but nowadays we ban them as being cruel to animals. What's so different about foxes and villages?

Their choice though, nobody made them do it. We don't usually allow people who can't knowingly understand the risks and consent to them to do things that might risk their injury or death, and certainly don't allow others to force them to do them. How do you suggest we ask a fox if it really enjoys the adrenalin rush of being chased by hounds and possibly ripped apart by them, and consents to this in spite of the risk? Don't get me wrong, there are times when wild animals have to be culled because of their behaviour or numbers, for example deer overpopulation, aggressive bears and so on. And as a non-vegan I eat meat and fish, but would prefer that animals are reared and killed humanely not mistreated. But chasing and killing a fox with a pack of hounds doesn't fall into this category by any stretch of the imagination...

I've hired boats from both companies and would agree on both seats/chairs and beds -- but this does only apply to their most expensive "luxury" boats, which tend to get booked up early. It makes a difference even on a 1 week hire...

Yes, I think so (and I see it was 1985 at Cosgrove, not 1986): http://www.steamershistorical.co.uk/Web_FMC_Steamers/BARON I think the Bolinder was fitted when Snowy bought Baron in 1980, but when we were on it had been (temporarily?) replaced by something big and 5-cylinder (probably when a steel bottom was fitted in 1983, possibly because the Bolinder was knackered?), Snowy told me what make it was (and that it was 90hp) but this was 35 years ago and I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure about the engine being fitted. The canals froze and we broke ice all the way back to Broxbourne which took off all the rivet heads in the bow, by the time we got there the bilges needed pumping every hour or so. Baron was waiting to be repaired when the yard failed to keep an eye on this and the pumps stopped overnight, she sank in six feet of water at Whitsun 1986 with all their possessions on board... 😉 I see from the record that Pete Thompson (who I knew very well, spent the following Xmas with him on Colonel going up to Cosgrove again) rebuilt the Bolinder and it was refitted in 1991 before being sold. Much more authentic than whatever Snowy had fitted, but undoubtedly slower...

When we travelled from Broxbourne up to Cosgrove for the boaters Xmas meet in 1986 with Kate and Snowy, Baron had a massive 5 cylinder 90hp engine fitted and also went like an absolute rocket -- IIRC correctly we hit getting on for 15mph downstream on the Lee at 2am... 😉

It has to be pointed out that unlike humans foxes don't have intelligence or morals, they do what their instincts tell them, including killing lots of chickens when given the opportunity -- just like cats do with animals or birds we care less about, as was pointed out above. Though actually it seems that some humans aren't over-burdened with intelligence or morals either... :-(

Your "joke" was worthy of Bernard Manning. If you're proud of that, I feel sorry for you. My post was deliberately using the words it did to point this out; if the moderators censor it, then so be it, it will have served its purpose. And BTW, the "better men" jibe isn't going to work -- classic distraction/playing the man in the hope I'll argue about it. I won't, or reply to further posts from you on the subject, since it's clear that you see nothing wrong with what you wrote.