Higher BW licence fees for continuous cruisers - AGAIN?

It’s reared it’s ugly head again.. they want to charge us more for being retired and able to move, use and live on our narrowboat for 365 days a year..

It seems the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators (APCO) held a ballot or petition among their members, one of the questions asked was..

“Yes I agree that Continuous Cruisers should pay a higher license rate equal to the cost of combining the average linear mooring fee with a private boat licence fee”

“No I don’t agree”

Well the ‘Yes I agree’ people were 93%.. but I wonder who the members are?  Well this is who they are from their website..

“APCO: the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators is the main trade body for Inland Waterway Businesses, representing over 140 independent companies offering River and Canal Holidays on Hire Boats, Day Boats, Hotelboats, Passenger Trip Boats and Business Services on the 3500 miles of navigable canals and rivers in the UK.”

They are absolutely nothing to do with private boating, so why on earth are they asking that question of their members?

I guess it is more than likely because of our dreaded ‘tar em with the same brush’ continuous moorers friends.  Those boaters who stay in one place for 14 days (allowed) then move to the next bridge and stay there for 14 days more (not allowed) then back to the same place as before (not allowed). 

These boats can often be found at visitor moorings for weeks on end, therefore annoying hire boat yards as their customers are not able to use the visitor mooring quite often.

They are going to submit the results to British Waterways, who they hope will do something about it. Mind you this Association have been trying their best to get us continuous cruisers to pay more for ages, they tried hard in the last round of consultations back in 2005 when we were threatened with a rise of 2.5% in our licence fee.. here is their reaction then..

“..felt that the boat licence should reflect the intensity of use that a boat makes of the waterway because of wear and tear and demand on rubbish disposal, sanitary facilities etc…

Because of the stoppage season, they suggested that continuous cruisers might be granted free winter moorings within the higher rate fee”

Ha a free winter mooring?.. But I don’t want to moor for the winter, I like to enjoy the waterways while the APCO’s members boats are all moored up!

During the summer when their member’s narrowboats are on the move I don’t go anywhere near visitor moorings except perhaps to get some shopping if needed.. I like to steer well clear of ‘narrowboat asda car parks’!

Sorry APCO, I think your petition stinks, it is highly one sided, your members all being from the trade.. of course you want continuous cruisers to pay more, if only to get the continuous moorers off the prime moorings! Oh and don’t forget, your members use more of the canal during the summer than we do all year!

Not my fault, I do continuous cruising properly and moor as remotely as I can by choice.