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“Exorbitant charges” are on the horizon, the Guernsey Boat Owners Association has warned.
Guernsey Ports is out to consultation on proposed tariff increases at the harbour and airport for next year and has also included indications for what it has planned following that.
In its response to the consultation, the GBA says that while the 2025 proposals - inflation plus 3% - might look like they have taken their concerns, debated extensively last year, into account, they had not.
"Their course of action remains unaltered," GBA President Nick Guillemette said.
"It looks as though local leisure boat owners are once again being singled out by Guernsey Ports in their proposals for mooring fee charges for 2025 and 2026.
"We appreciate that the revenue reserves are empty but we are fed up with being labelled a drain on the public purse.
"For many years any rises have been in line with the Guernsey Retail price Index (GRPI) until this year when we have seen hefty increases ranging from 20-45% depending on boat size and location, only now to be surmounted by a further increase of GRPI + 3% (8.3%) for 2025 and a whopping rise of between 11.9-35.7% forecast for 2026 (and this last range does not include a figure for GRPI yet)."
Pictured: Nick Guillemette.
A vessel of 20' x 7' will cost £1,348pa in 2026 to moor in the marinas plus GRPI for that year, he said. That equates to a 45% rise from 2023 to 2026.
"By lowering their sights to 8.3% for 2025 and then expressing their hefty rates for 2026 shows that there has been no change in Guernsey Ports economic forecasts which were originally publicised in 2023.
"This latest news will see more local boat owners definitely selling their 'pride and joy' and it will discourage any youngsters from venturing into owning a smaller vessel as a start to their leisure boating activities."
He claimed that boat owners "will be paying 45-60% more by 2026 for facilities we don't have".
"You cannot compare our charges with Jersey or UK privately owned marinas where the facilities are classed as 'Rolls-Royce'.
"These rises cannot be justified, are unfair and represent a targeting of leisure boat owners, especially when Guernsey Ports have not published any programme of significant improvements in the facilities offered to local leisure boat owners.
"Let's see a breakdown of the proposed £4m spend on any enhancements directly for the local boaters."
The QE2 marina gates should have been replaced 15 years ago, he said, but that was unlikely to be completed until December 2016.
"Is it reasonable for local berth holders to start footing the cost of improving the visitor facilities when we do not receive any added value for our increased fees?"
In its consultation document, Guernsey Ports said the harbours and airport have received public subsidies of around £33m. since 2020 and it wants to reduce their reliance on them.
They have also identified 90 capital projects totally £40m. needed between now and the end of 2029, £22m. of that spend is at the harbour.
"While some progress has been made in 2024, changes to tariffs, efficiency savings and further commercial opportunities to generate additional income will continue into 2025 and 2026, but with continued awareness as to the impact of tariff changes," Guernsey Ports said in its consultation.
"Included in 2025's approved budget are around £600,000 of pay cost savings, primarily at the airport, as a result of planned changes to some of our systems which can then reduce manning levels through natural turnover. Some of these changes are already being trialled.
"Despite these important changes, there remains an underlying requirement for Guernsey Ports to apply above-RPI increases in a number of its tariffs in 2025 and 2026."
The Ports will still rely on subsidies from general revenue to fund next year's capital programme.
"It will not be until 2026 that the Ports is forecast to return sufficient operating surpluses, to become largely self-sufficient."
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