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I'd best not start on the environmental aspects...................
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Because they are statistically trivial for _all_ UK boating activity combined, compared with just one week's output from aircraft.
Inland consumption may be lower per hour but inland boats often run for very many more hours than those at sea. If I, on the river, want to run up to Windsor for the weekend that's five hours or so each way. OK, 200 horses at 1200rpm isn't using terribly much, say 5l per hour (guesstimate). 50 litres or about £25. If I was narrowboating from Brentford to Oxford, with not dissimilar consumption, 'cos the smaller engine is running a lot harder, and a common enough trip, say 20 hours running time that would be £50 or so. Without red, that becomes £100+. Suddenly a big hit, especially if you are on any sort of budget.
In my narrowboat hiring days I used to reckon 50 or so hours of running in a week's trip. OK, my approach was "I've paid to use this, so I'll use it" and average hire use is lower, even so, say average 30 hours running per week at 4l/hour, 120l/week and so almost 5000l per year taking into account dead periods and high use. I wonder how many sea boats burn that much annually.
Assume I have overestimated fuel use by 100% and its only 2500l per year per hire narrowboat. I think the point stands, the hire process would become far more pricey.
Ask the IWA how relaxed they are, I suspect that the answer is "not at all".
£1.05 is the fundamentally indefensible part where tax issues are concerned.
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Two beers please, my friend is paying.
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