A possible end to the boating life

I was going to write this Blog yesterday as promised, but before I could put pen to paper, so to speak, I needed a day to do some sums and consider our options, before I could give an update on our current boating life.

I have occasionally given news of how the Residential status has affected life on the Marina. We were granted this status two years ago and Phil and I really welcomed it. We were very happy to become 'legitimate'. We wanted to pay our way and be officially recognised as living on or boat, rather than skulking under the radar and trying to avoid paying such things as council tax, TV license etc. The main positive about being granted this status is that the empty berths are now full of lovely people, who we really relate to and who have become good friends. Our status has also impacted on how the people in the village react to us. Whereas before, people would often treat the lot of us as social outcasts, we are now treated with friendliness and respect.

However there has been a disproportionate financial impact of this upgraded status, which is hitting us hard.

Our Marina owners have been negotiating a rate of tax with the local council which would reflect the fact that they also pay tax on our behalf and pass the cost down to us in our hugely increased fees, ( we are now paying double what we paid when we first came onto the Marina). These negotiations have dragged on and on and now the council have lost patience and have issued us all with a demand for full council tax for every boat ( the same as an owner of a small house would pay) and have backdated it to the date of the planning application, before Residential status was actually granted. We have had to pay £2600 in arrears to the council.

We have a hearing on this in April, but if we are told after this that we must continue to pay full council tax, while still paying for council services in our Marina fees and an element in our waterways license, then we will move back to dry land.

We have spent this weekend looking at adverts for rented accommodation in the area and we could rent a very nicely appointed flat or house for less than we are paying here.

Our utilities bills are obviously much reduced by living on the boat and I love foraging for wood to keep us warm etc. but things are all starting to turn a bit sour. It seems that these days everyone is after a slice of your money!

I will update on this issue as events unfold. We both love the life and have had five very happy years of boating, but there is a limit to what we are prepared to pay for that privilege.

More news soon and hopefully a more cheerful posting next week!

Al