‘Mooring fee rise could make me quit’

Salterns Marina - Poole

http://www.salterns.co.uk/pages/content.asp?PageID=93

If costs are going up for visiting yachts, will the UK and French visitors who used to come to Guernsey be advised or will they have a nasty surprise when they arrive here? Word will soon get around their local marina's and we will potentially see less visitors which does not just affect the St Peter Port marina income but will clearly have a knock-on effect on restaurants, shops etc, etc.!! When you sit back and look at it, it really does seem a very stupid decision by our wonderful States, they do not appear to have a vision of the 'bigger picture' do they?

did they ever.....on anything???? if so please tell!!!!!

steve 19 wrote:

Digger wrote:The problem i can see on the horizon (pun not intended) is there will be so many on the market it may be difficult to sell them , but good luck Steve i bet you will be sad to see it go.

The boat has been sold, a chap in Norway bought it, will be leaving our shores soon !!

Good news Steve (i think) are you going to take it there ? . No more Jersey , French trips that's the bad news.

four members of my family have boats, two are selling and two are going on to bay moorings.

Marina mooring fees to jump

There to be a big jump in the cost of mooring boats in Guernsey's marinas. The owners of the largest craft will be hit the hardest.

The increases - 15% to 21% for smaller boats - will bring in an extra quarter of a million pounds a year.

The money will be spent on marina facilities including the replacement of pontoons and the obsolete power supply to moorings.


channelonline.tv Homepage
15/02/2009

This rise simply isn't going to be allowed to happen, there are quite a number of Deputies who are extreamly angry over this issue, it is not the fact that there may be an increase in mooring fees, it is the size of the increases, together with the fact that it has not been discussed with the elected members of the States who represent a significant number of boat owners, watch this space

Dep Dave Jones

Although I dont agree with huge increases

I dont see that the size of it is out of proportion when you look at the TRP increases on businesses of 300-500% in the past 2 years,

I did not see deputies blocking that.

I am not really cynical :( But this could be due to the fact that Deputies have boats - but not businesses :-) Just a thought!!!!

Dave Jones wrote:the fact that it has not been discussed

So, accepting what Dave states in his previous post, either the Guernsey Press has inaccurately reported what the Harbour Master Capt Peter Gill has said, or he is not telling the truth! What do you think?

In today's edition of the paper, on page 2, Capt Gill is quoted as saying, "It was at the meeting where we talked about the development of the Careening Hard that the two things were on the table. I said, 'do you accept the premise that the bigger boats should pay a more equitable proportion of the cost?' and they didn't have any objection."

The Guernsey Boat Owners' Association president John Le Noury disputes this and is quoted as saying, " At no stage were marina charges or changes mentioned. The harbour master is no doubt claiming that this was the consultation that took place. I challenge him to deny the truth of my account, remembering that two other people were present and minutes were taken."

Where are the minutes? If these are checked they will surely be proof positive of the alleged 'consultation'! Come on Public Services, put up or apologise and I hope that the States do debate this and the true story unfolds!!

DEPUTIES will have an opportunity to overturn Public Services’ controversial marina fees increase.
The rise has caused considerable disquiet in the boating community, which is dismayed by what it sees as a lack of consultation on the charges.
But the mechanism that allows the department to increase fees above the rate of inflation without prior reference to the States also means it has to be produced in a Billet d’Etat as a regulation.
Although that would not be a debatable item, it nevertheless provides an opportunity for members to call for a vote on the rises and potentially throw them out.
Members of the Public Services board were yesterday unavailable for comment because they were in a meeting.
But large-boat owner Andrew Ozanne said minister Bernard Flouquet ought to have a forum to answer accusations about lack of consultation.
‘He should be given the opportunity to hold meetings so users have the chance to understand,’ he said. ‘A lot of this is because there was no warning - it’s forced on people who have no choice.’
Mr Ozanne is an architect and owns a 47ft boat. (from thisisguernsey)

public services are holding the increase back for this year.looks like common sense has prevailed.i wish other departments would consider not increasing other charges at this time of pulling belts in

GD wrote:....... large-boat owner Andrew Ozanne said, ‘A lot of this is because there was no warning - it’s forced on people who have no choice.’ ......

Like a lot of things methinks!!