2019-2020 Licence Fees Announced

[Tuscan]

I remember one of the many CRT customer service managers/directors telling me that he would prefer to remove the prompt discount completely and have everybody paying by direct debit. As the accountants preferred the predictability of the revenue stream.

[Athy]

12 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Virtually ALL Collingwoods production for the last 2 years has been wide beams, I don't think Piper build narrowboats any more, Elton Moss similar, Nottingham Boats mostly wide beams and barges,Tyler is 50/50.....thats ones I know of.

I think you may be wrong, especially in 3 years time. 

Out of interest, I had a look at a few of their web sites. Elton Moss and Collingwood certainly advertise narrowboats on theirs (five different ranges in the former case), couldn't see any on Piper's site but then they have always built sea-going craft (I assume it's the same Piper's: they give an address in Stoke but they have, or had, a yard at Braunston).

[matty40s]

17 minutes ago, Athy said:

Out of interest, I had a look at a few of their web sites. Elton Moss and Collingwood certainly advertise narrowboats on theirs ....

What they offer and what they are predominantly building are 2 different things....

[Machpoint005]

40 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Virtually ALL Collingwoods production for the last 2 years has been wide beams, I don't think Piper build narrowboats any more, Elton Moss similar, Nottingham Boats mostly wide beams and barges,Tyler is 50/50.....thats ones I know of.

I think you may be wrong, especially in 3 years time. 

Two years of production isn't going to have much impact on the total population of boats.

31 minutes ago, Tuscan said:

I remember one of the many CRT customer service managers/directors telling me that he would prefer to remove the prompt discount completely and have everybody paying by direct debit. As the accountants preferred the predictability of the revenue stream.

Makes perfect sense. You also don't get late payment of large sums (a whole year's licence fee at a time).

[alan_fincher]

2 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

Two years of production isn't going to have much impact on the total population of boats.

When did you last go down the Southerly parts of the GU? Some places every 4th or 5th moored boat is a wide beam. 

[Momac]

So what percentage of boats on the inland waterways are wide beams? 

[Naughty Cal]

2 hours ago, MartynG said:

What percentage of boats on inland waterways are wide beams? I am guessing  it's very small. Maybe 1%?

The extra from everyone from the reduced prompt payment discount is probably a lot more than the future extra 20%  from wide beams.

Also bear in mind many of the so called wide beam cruisers are on a river only license so are paying less than a canal boat and this arrangement is to remain. 

Do you boat on the Trent with your eyes closed?

[ditchcrawler]

I can remember when we use to boat to London down the GU and people use to say "Did you see Big Blue" as that was probably the only cruising wide beam along there

[Naughty Cal]

Figures from the wide beam action group seem to suggest that some 5700 of 35000 boats registered are wide beam.

 

Not sure where they have gotten those figures from though.

[Athy]

5 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Figures from the wide beam action group seem to suggest that some 5700 of 35000 boats registered are wide beam.

 

Not sure where they have gotten those figures from though.

So, roughly 15%, of which the preponderance will be, I suspect, on the rivers rather than the canals. On our nearest proper river, the Great Ouse, they're probably in a majority.

[Naughty Cal]

18 minutes ago, Athy said:

So, roughly 15%, of which the preponderance will be, I suspect, on the rivers rather than the canals. On our nearest proper river, the Great Ouse, they're probably in a majority.

Widebeams are the majority on the Trent, Witham and Fossdyke, Ouse and Aire and Calder.

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Widebeams are the majority on the Trent, Witham and Fossdyke, Ouse and Aire and Calder.

90% ?

 

I would guess that Kings marina is 50/50 but maybe just over the half way mark for GRP 'fatties'.

 

 

 

I reckon Farndon is 100% 'GRP fatties' (as when I asked they said they wouldn't take NBs )(maybe the odd steel fatty)

Newark Marina I'd guess is 100% GRP fatties (maybe the odd steel fatty)

 

Burton waters for example :

 

I think there are 4 or 5 NBs in this pic.

 

Edited November 8, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[Naughty Cal]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

90% ?

 

Burton waters for example :

 

I think there are 4 or 5 NBs in this pic.

 

Probably more like 95%. Very few will be under 7ft wide.

[aracer]

7 hours ago, MartynG said:

I will be getting a 20% increase in due course even though my boat is not particularly wide.

Given your not particularly wide boat is taking up at least an extra 50% space on the waterways (and has more than 50% extra living space) then it could be seen that you're getting off lightly only paying 20% more. That's assuming it is logical that license fees are based on the size of your boat - but then that is how it works at present (and I can't see an obvious difference between size being gained by length or width in terms of the way licensing fees should be determined - I'd be interested to know what the arguments against an area based charge are).

[Momac]

7 minutes ago, aracer said:

- I'd be interested to know what the arguments against an area based charge are

My boat is 33ft and  takes up the same length of a mooring and on the RTrent locks  uses the same length if lock wall as a 33ft narrowboat. 

20 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Widebeams are the majority on the Trent, Witham and Fossdyke, Ouse and Aire and Calder.

Yes. But what about the rest of the inland waterways....

Edited November 8, 2018 by MartynG
.

[Naughty Cal]

7 minutes ago, MartynG said:

My boat is 33ft and  takes up the same length of a mooring and on the RTrent locks  uses the same length if lock wall as a 33ft narrowboat. 

Yes. But what about the rest of the inland waterways....

Well clearly in the Midlands there will be very few if any widebeams!

[matty40s]

5 minutes ago, MartynG said:

 

Yes. But what about the rest of the inland waterways....

..........claws desperately back towards the golden 1%.......

 

Dunchurch Pools now has 12 wide beams, Calcutt 3, North Kilworth 5.......the march goes on....

Cruised from Marsworth to Weedon last Winter and counted 83 wide craft on the cut, up from 67 the year before.

[Phil.]

20 minutes ago, matty40s said:

..........claws desperately back towards the golden 1%.......

 

Dunchurch Pools now has 12 wide beams, Calcutt 3, North Kilworth 5.......the march goes on....

Cruised from Marsworth to Weedon last Winter and counted 83 wide craft on the cut, up from 67 the year before.

Given the parlous state of the offside vegetation, and shallows on these various waters, I can foresee hours of endless fun, watching these pig ugly things trying to pass each other, if they ever move of course.

Edited November 8, 2018 by Phil.

[Momac]

18 minutes ago, matty40s said:

..........claws desperately back 

I am open to offers but would have guessed narrowboats were the vast majority if all boats are included. 

I did think 1% would provoke a reaction. And it did.

 

21 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Well clearly in the Midlands there will be very few if any widebeams!

Is that not the case?

[aracer]

28 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Well clearly in the Midlands there will be very few if any widebeams!

The former:

 

[Victor Vectis]

1 hour ago, MartynG said:

So what percentage of boats on the inland waterways are wide beams? 

Too many (whatever it is)

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Victor Vectis said:

Too many (whatever it is)

Too many 'fatties' where they shouldn't be, and too many NB's where they shouldn't be.

 

Everything in its place and we are all alright.

[Victor Vectis]

40 minutes ago, matty40s said:

..........claws desperately back towards the golden 1%.......

 

Dunchurch Pools now has 12 wide beams, Calcutt 3, North Kilworth 5.......the march goes on....

Cruised from Marsworth to Weedon last Winter and counted 83 wide craft on the cut, up from 67 the year before.

That widebeam that was on the moorings below the Knowle flight was tied up outside those new student flats in Lem Spa when I went through a week or two ago.

[Machpoint005]

5 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

When did you last go down the Southerly parts of the GU?

About ten years ago, and I have no interest in going back as I prefer narrow canals, friendly people and proper Northern beer.

But the increased wide boat production mentioned will still not have much impact on the TOTAL population of boats. 

(Sorry for shouting, but it is what I said).

[alan_fincher]

13 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

About ten years ago, and I have no interest in going back as I prefer narrow canals, friendly people and proper Northern beer.

But the increased wide boat production mentioned will still not have much impact on the TOTAL population of boats. 

(Sorry for shouting, but it is what I said).

 

There is one single yard down here that suggested they are craning them in often more than  20 a month, (so maybe about 200 a year?)

That's just one yard, (albeit probable the most popular craning in spot for London bound wide beams).

I don't know actual numbers, but as virtually all the UK mass production of steel  canal boats seems to be wide beams, I suggest the rate at which the number is increasing actually can't be dismissed.