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At the budget in March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer agreed that boaters can continue to use red diesel with the customary declarations on tax split. The Treasury held a consultation at the end of 2020, and NABO responded as we reported in the October NN. We are delighted that the Treasury have listened to us. NABO has been campaigning on this for more than 20 years! Our persistence has paid off at last.NABO Home
NABO writes to MPs in the APPGW
NABO has written to the MPs who are members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Waterways about the licence terms and conditions.
We have also sent out a press release to Towpath Talk, Waterways World, Canal Boat and Narrow Boat World. The latter have just published a pro NABO comment encoring readers to invest £25 in joining - well done our new publicity officer Anne
The text of our letter reads
Canal and River Trust seeking powers beyond those granted in the 1995 Act
The Canal and River Trust (CRT) is seeking to revise its licence terms and conditions further through a consultation process with private boat licence holders. The National Association of Boat Owners (NABO) believes that there is one proposal of sufficient concern that it should be brought to your attention. Namely, CRT is seeking to exceed the powers granted to it by Parliament in the British Waterways Act 1995.
Update on the CRT ‘terms’ consultation
This is one of those NABO moments when our long-term knowledge, experience and memory pay back. Like no other inland boating organisation, we just love the small print and legalities. We do this so that boaters are represented with a balanced and informed view. We do not do this to find loops holes in the law or the terms; neither do we do it to support those with no respect for the law. We do this in the face of BW’s and now CRT’s intransigent and in our view illegal approach to our licence contract.
Our strength comes from our membership. Our influence comes from the long term work we do with CRT and other navigation authorities to build the relationships. That does not mean we agree with them on all things. There comes a time when we have use that strength and influence. This is now. You can be part of this by joining. The links are on the web page. You can help by joining now.
Response to Thames Moorings Management Proposed Signage
NABO joined with DBA (The Barge Association) and RBOA (The Residential Boat Owners Association) in the following submission to EA in response to the request for comment on the proposed signage to appear at EA’s Thames short term mooring sites.
“Thank you for a last minute opportunity to comment on the intended signage and the conditions attached to the contract that you have let to District Enforcement. We, the undersigned, represent three National Boating organisations whose members use the Thames and are represented on the Thames Navigation Users Forum.
We are disappointed by the aggressive and unwelcoming approach indicated by this signage. Users had been given to understand that the intent was to achieve effective management of short term moorings and not a modified car parking scheme designed to deter anyone from mooring.
Take the lessons from the death from carbon monoxide poisoning of two friends in York
Following the deaths of two friends from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in a boat called Diversion in York in December 2019, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published a safety flyer with the lessons learnt from its initial findings and the Boat Safety Scheme is urging boaters to read it and adopt the safety advice immediately.
The boaters died when the improvised and mismatched cabin heater installation leaked exhaust gas resulting in lethal amounts of toxic CO being pumped into the cabin near the steering position. The leaking gas and the fact that there was no working CO alarm aboard, may have led to the poisoning of the men’s blood systems without them having any warning.