On Fri, 3 Nov 2017 20:02:45 +0000, bert wrote:



Petrol for a boat is road petrol. Diesel for a boat can be red
diesel.
Sometimes... the law is complex.
Quite. When the decision was made to have two types of diesel, it
may not
have been anticipated how much pleasure boating with diesels there would
be.

If fuel duty is to pay for roads, why should boats pay for them?

Because some petty bureaucrat in Brussels saw at as boats getting away
with something and changed the usage definition to "transportation"
That is their only raison d'être.
After Brexit we can allow boats to use red diesel if we wish.

Those who use boats for commercial uses can still use fuel at the
lower rate.

I don't see why the owner of a Sunseeker or similar large pleasure
vessel who is willing to spend a couple of million buying it and a
few thousand a year just berthing it should get cheap fuel to aid
their hobby when someone who can only afford to indulge in a bit of
car rallying or a bit of green laning in their Land Rover cannot.

G.Harman