2017 Fixed Costs

Here are a few more gratuitous pictures from Hull City of Culture 2017, but hopefully with a bit of a maritime feel as it is supposed to be a boat blog. Bear with me as the breakdown of fixed costs does appear and comparison with past years.

This sculpture is called 'Rebas Godwit' by Jason Heppenstal. It seems to be largely made of old anchor chain. It is close to the ferry terminal and is part of a sculpture trail that was created when the public right of way along the Humber front was closed when the new Siemen's turbine blade plant was built. It is a good walk with plenty to see along the way.

On the fence that separates the board walk along the River Hull from the Museum Quarter are a number of these fantastic images of industries of the City. The board walk allows you to walk from The Deep to North Bridge, which was, in the beginning, the Port of Hull and not so many years ago was jammed full of lighters and barges.

In the distance is Drypool Bridge. The board walk runs alongside the 'Arctic Corsair' which is moored outside the museums. To the right of the bridge the white building is where they make shot gun cartridges by dropping what ever it is that has replaced lead pellets, in a molten state from the top of the tower. It forms droplets and are cooled when they land in the pan of water in the bottom. Simple. The brick built building has now been demolished. It was Rank's Mill and has made way for a hotel, that hasn't been started yet!!? The low brick building is the  Listed Trinity House buoy shed along with the crane, one of very few, that you can just about see to its left.

The Humber Bridge is an iconic and beautiful bridge that was the site of one of the events for the City of Culture. It was called the 'Height of the Reeds'. This was a 'sound journey' across the Humber Bridge. You were fitted up with headphones and a recording. As you walked across the bridge you were regaled with modern music by some Norwegian musicians, the orchestra and chorus of Opera North, poetry and natural sounds of the bridge itself. By the time this happened in April maybe we had already become 'cultured' as it sounds sort of rubbish, but as the headphones cut out most of the traffic noise you were left with evocative noises that certainly made me look more closely at what I was seeing.

The Humber Bridge has been usurped as the longest single span suspension bridge in the World, but actaully still holds that title for one that you can walk across! When we came under it in 'Holderness' in June it made you realise just how big the bridge, and estuary are.

I love this photo as 'Holderness' brings a little colour into the dull world of the white cruisers. Humber Dock, now Hull Marina, was the second enclosed dock in Hull.

The tidal barrier in Hull is used about 30 times a year to prevent flooding of Hull during spring tides and tidal surges. For the City of Culture year it was also an installation. By the Marina was a rusty old box that if you talked into it your words would be shown on the barrier. There was a delay so the computer could cut out all undesirable words or phrases. You can see the start of our boats name 'Holderness'.

Thanks for you patience .

                                                2017           2016        2015        2014

C&RT Licence                       892-18      870-42      856-70     833-38

Insurance, Towergate            177-75       212-91      232-64     198-19

Extra Insurance for Severn                                         30-00

RCR Bronze                          142-50       126-00      126-00     126-00

Licences                                                   294-00        68-75

Pilotage                                                                      190-00

BSS Certificate                                        165-00                                 

TOTAL                               1212-43     1668-33     1504-09  1157-87

As can be seen this year has been pretty straightforward so far as fixed costs go. As can be seen the C&RT licence has increased but using the Consumer Price index the £833-38 of 2014 should now be £898-75, so on that measure we haven't done so badly.

It is pleasing to see that the insurance premium has reduced. I have had one claim for a new propeller in the past so that will be working out of the system. That will be coupled with an increasing no claims discount and the worth of the boat falling too. Along with increased competition on prices.

River Canal Rescue premiums went up this year for the first time since we have had the boat. We did call them out this year when we just couldn't start the boat. It turned out to be the main isolation switch for the starter system had been chattering and eroded the connection. hey were quite quick to arrive and did a through job of system checking before coming to the switch. He was able to tighten it all up and we were off. They did have their premises burn to the ground too, so maybe rebuilding bigger and better.

As you can see we had to pay no extra for licences to use waterways, or pilotage so this year has been not too bad at all for the fixed costs.